20 Best Performances In Superhero Movies

10. Jack Nicholson - The Joker (Batman)

Though not the most-lauded screen iteration of the Clown Prince of Crime, Jack Nicholson brought his own distinct, manic energy to the character almost two decades before Heath Ledger made the part his own.

At the behest of Tim Burton's madcap vision, Nicholson leaned into his more gonzo actorly instincts, creating an uber-theatrical, campy and yet still unerringly terrifying Joker.

While you can argue Nicholson just slapped some makeup on his usual Crazy Jack Nicholson persona, the results were pure cinematic alchemy, crafting a mighty superhero movie foe who remains much-loved even in light of Ledger's Oscar-winning alternative.

Best Moment: Screw it. The absolutely absurd sequence in which The Joker and his goons deface the Gotham Museum of Art, all while Nicholson dances dementedly to the stylings of Prince.