10 Superhero Movie Performances That Were Totally Oscar-Worthy

Fassbender kicks off the first of three X-Men related entries in this list, with his first appearance in the franchise still his best. The most recent version of the cast has been marred by some disjointed performances and overly ambitious plots, but no one can doubt the talents of McAvoy and Fassbender in the lead roles.

As both Erik Lehnsherr and alter ego Magneto, Fassbender has a sneering authority above the rest of the cast. He knows when to downplay this too, though, maintaining complex relationships with McAvoy’s Xavier and Jennifer Lawrence’s Raven.

The movie digs deeper into Lehnsherr’s pain than the franchise ever previously has, and Fassbender is a magnificent choice for this. He’s been nominated twice, for Jobs and 12 Years A Slave, but deserved to have the Academy recognise him here too.

For what it’s worth, Sir Ian McKellen was also brilliant in the role, but under Bryan Singer and Brett Ratner, the villainous portrayal was a little too over the top for the Academy’s consideration. Though McKellen’s Magneto always had the dark backstory, it was never explored as deeply as it in First Class.