It goes without saying that Marvel are the kings of the comic book movie. And despite their properties being split between studios over the years, the fact is that Marvel comic book characters are by far the most prolific when it comes to big screen adaptations. How much of that comes down to DC's inadequacies and poor decisions (aside from Batman, mostly - before you flip out) is up for debate: could it just be that Marvel has the best characters?
Either way, the MCU is now probably the most popular movie franchise on the planet right now (with Star Wars still waiting in the wings), while Fox's ongoing (and now expanded) X-Men franchise has almost scaled the same heights at times. Rounding out the rights holders, Sony have also committed two Spider-Man franchises to the screen, with a third go planned in closer collaboration with Marvel.
Obviously with that many franchises, a vast number of characters from the pages of Marvel's comic books have been portrayed by some of the finest and most famous actors in Hollywood. The movies themselves have been mixed in terms of quality; from brilliant offerings like Iron Man, Spider-Man 2, X-Men and Guardians Of The Galaxy to horrible productions like Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, X-Men: The Last Stand and Elektra.
The one thing all of the movies - even the poor ones - have in common is the strength of Marvel's casting: few decisions have turned out to be wrong, and the studios have scored some serious performance wins over the years. And they all deserve celebrating...
50. Ian McKellen - Magneto
Such is the brilliance of Ian McKellen's recurring role as Magneto, it's almost insignificant that his portrayal is actually very different to the comic book version.
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Typically, Magneto has been portrayed as a muscular man with a far more versatile power-set than McKellen's version, but he is so imposing and mighty in the role that it just doesn't matter. McKellen's Magneto is the definitive Marvel movie villain - and indeed the best Marvel movie character.
Did you enjoy this article? Do you agree with the entries on this list? Which other Marvel character portrayals deserve a mention? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.