3. Aldrich Killian/The Mandarin - Iron Man 3
When it was announced that Guy Pearce was added to the cast of this years Iron Man 3, most people were content as the guy (no pun intended) is a decent actor, yet no one was overly excited or interested in the casting news as the legendary Ben Kingsley had already been announced as Tonys biggest and most iconic foe, The Mandarin. Even when Guy Pearces Aldrich Killian received his own poster, no one seemed interested, and in fact most people were asking why this character was even getting his own poster. It was not until just over half way through the film, and one of the biggest and unexpected plot twists, arguably of all time, happened, that people began to realise just how important Pearces character was. I know a lot of fanboys have been up in arms for what they see as a disrespectful interpretation of the Mandarin character, and I guess from an aesthetic point of view, the traditional look of the Mandarin that Kingsley had, as well as his very foreboding and ominous voice, was a bit more impressive than Killians business suits and initial geeky-turned-suave persona. However, even Marvel have stated that the Mandarin is a character of its time; the 1960s, so therefore in a modern context, would be seen as a very racist character and a rather out-dated stereotype. Therefore, a drastic change to the character was needed, and the fact the character was altered so heavily, and unexpectedly, to suit a modern audience, as well as a different medium, a film instead of comic, is the reason why Iron Man 3s version of the Mandarin is rated so highly on this list. What Marvel did was bold and risky, yet this was needed, as not only had they blown expectations away with last summers Avengers Assemble, but the villains that had appeared in the previous Iron Man films were relatively safe and boring. The Mandarin we have in Iron Man 3 is a scientist, ominous terrorist, business man, actor and fire-breathing menace all in one. Pearces Mandarin is definitely the biggest threat Tony has had to face, not only in terms of the global threat Killian represents, but the fact that Tony comes close to death multiple times because of Killian. The attack on Stark's mansion is one of the most epic pieces of cinema this year, while the fight at the end of the film between Stark, who is presented as pretty vulnerable and defenseless without his suits, and Killian, is a fight in which I honestly didnt know how Tony could win, as Killian was such a dominating force, as a great villain should be.