3. Iron Man 3 - The Mandarin / Aldrich Killian / Extremis Soldiers
This entry is most likely to be controversial, but hear us out. Ben Kingsley's Mandarin is nothing short of awesome! Don't believe us? Go back and re-watch his message to the president.Sure, he isn't really the Mandarin, but that doesn't make his performance any less chilling. He is a ruthless, heartless, absolutely terrifying terrorist who seemed entirely capable of following through on his threats. Yes, the film's twist sucks and Aldrich Killian is a huge step down from Kingsley's Mandarin, but Kingsley's performance still puts Iron Man 3 in the top three. Plus, the extremis soldiers are a step up from Loki's Chitauri. With a grab bag of abilities (including regeneration, super strength, and spontaneous combustion) and no mothership-destroying fail-safe, the extremis soldiers get the slight edge. Pros: Kingsley is amazing, Killian can breathe fire! Cons: Killian lacks motivation (Tony ditched him once? Really?), and is ultimately defeated by Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley seriously should have been the Mandarin.