Top 25 performances from a comic book movie or TV show
20. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Appears in: Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey
Spoiler alert: The DCEU isn’t gonna be on here again. Suicide Squad was bad. Justice League was bad. Even the better DCEU movies have largely lackluster performances, at least if you ask me.
That said, Birds of Prey was awesome! And Margot Robbie nailed the gleeful unpredictability that Harley Quinn is famous for, successfully translating a character who could come off as too cartoony into live-action. She brings to that heightened mania that’s so important to Quinn’s character, but also makes her relatable and approachable. Robbie’s Quinn is twisted, yes, but can also be caring, loving and kind. The end result is colorful fun, but Robbie is doing a lot of work to sell it.
She also throws herself into action scenes, which are always surprising when Harley is involved. Harley Quinn was already a comic book and cartoon icon. Thanks to Robbie, she’s a movie icon as well.
19. Danai Gurira as Okoye
Appears in: Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame
Okoye is one of those characters who almost fell into the “sidekick” category, but punches through thanks in part to the performance from The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira. As the leader of Wakanda’s army, Okoye takes part in some spectacular battle scenes, but it’s how Gurira sells her strength and vulnerability that really put this character on the map.
Okoye is particularly important for getting the audience to understand the horror of the “Blip.” Her performance in Infinity War as she watches her countrymen and king disappear before her eyes is one of the more heartbreaking moments in a movie full of them. She has a presence that just commands the screen. The moment when Kaluuya bends his knee to her at the end of Black Panther sent chills down my spine.
I hope that Gurira gets to play an even bigger part in the MCU going forward, and I would expect her to given the quality of her work so far.