6. Villainous Characters Prove Surprisingly Popular
Two of the most popular characters in recent movie history, full stop, are the late Heath Ledger's Joker and Tom Hiddleston's Loki. Ledger's Joker completely and utterly stole the show in the Dark Knight movie and, had Ledger not tragically died, he would undoubtedly have had a further part to play in the trilogy and beyond (had it gone further than three movies with him on board). Similarly, Hiddleston's Loki was the star of the Thor movie and there's no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't have played such a big part in the Avengers, or in the upcoming Thor: The Dark World, had the fans not demanded it. The characters in question were more popular than the titular heroes in their movies - Batman and Thor respectively - and that was in no small part thanks to the outstanding performances given by the exceptional actors playing the roles. Indeed, Heath Ledger won a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Gotham's Clown Prince (as well as a host of other awards) and Tom Hiddleston wasn't short of awards for his portrayal as Loki, either.