10 Amazing 21st-Century Movie Villains Who Aren’t Spoken About Enough
3. John Fitzgerald – The Revenant
John Fitzgerald warranted Oscar gold for Tom Hardy as his chameleonic portrayal of the haunted and heartless fur trapper and showcased his best work to date for the big screen. Let’s get it right that Fitzgerald is absolutely the villain of this particular tale, but he certainly showcases moral complexity. He is a man befitting of the period he finds himself inhabiting which is cruel, harsh and unforgiving, and Hardy’s character personifies these elements.
In a landscape devoid of survival, John is built upon the foundation of this very premise, dictating the crimes he commits and the inevitable consequences that follow him wherever he goes. Fitzgerald is a survivor of the torture he endured at the hands of the natives which left him half-scalped and horrifically mutilated.
As a result, he is haunted by the physical scars of his past. His racial prejudice often blinds his judgment and fuels his hatred for Leonardo DiCaprio’s Hugh Glass and his half-Pawnee son Hawk. As a result, John’s brutal and barbaric nature is exhibited through killing Hawk and leaving Glass for dead to ensure his own survival. Although the villain meets his satisfying comeuppance in the film’s final act from the formerly mentioned DiCaprio, Hardy’s performance made the wait more than worth it.