Batman Live-Action Villains, Ranked By Special FX Makeup
Each live-action Batman film brought to life the characters of the comics. Through special effects makeup, these characters are reinvented on-screen.
The Batman franchise has created iconic live-action versions of the classic Batman comic book villains since the first theatrical release of the 1966 series Batman and its subsequent film. Each adaptation enlisted the help of talented makeup and special effects artists to build visually unique characteristics for the actors to work with.
The makeup looks for each villain are tailored to match the tone of the films, from the campy Batman Forever (1995) to the dark and macabre The Dark Knight (2008). As advances in special effects techniques and products were made over the years, the character designs became much cleaner and allowed artists to create shocking transformations as evident in Colin Farrell's The Penguin.
12 The Penguin - Batman (1966)
The team behind Batman (1966) was tasked with the immense responsibility of being the first to portray the popular comic book characters on the big screen. Although most of the characters required little to no SFX makeup, The Penguin's pointed nose was an important feature to have included.
Ben Nye, who started his famous makeup brand of the same name the following year, applied the prosthetic nose for actor Burgess Meredith. While the color of the prosthetic failed to account for the redness of his skin in the sunlight, the edges of the application were seamless and unnoticeable to the general audience.
11 Mr. Freeze - Batman & Robin (1997)
Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the cast of Batman & Robin (1997) as Mr. Freeze, undergoing a lengthy transformation before each shoot to get the actor ready to take on the icy persona. Since Schwarzenegger didn't want to shave his head for the role, hairstylist Peter Tothpal would slick back his hair and apply a bald cap, gluing it down before applying putty to hide the seams of the cap.
Though arguably a little dated now, the look was effective at the time of the fimls release. While the costuming and props created the majority of the look, makeup artist Jeff Dawn was responsible for applying the metallic silver body paint, followed by small splatters of white and blue to add texture and definition.
10 Riddler - Batman Forever (1995)
Director Joel Schumacher took a drastically different approach to the franchise with Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), pushing the limit with colorful costuming and flamboyant performances. Jim Carrey's Riddler stands out in particular, swapping the sleek suit of former Riddlers for a skin-tight spandex suit covered in question marks and a neon coral wig.
Seven-time Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker applied a similarly bright red blush to Carrey's cheeks as well as blocking out his eyebrows, a staple when it comes to villain makeup. The look, though radically different from other iterations, was highly effective for this campy take on the character.
9 The Joker - Batman (1966)
Legendary actor Cesar Romero set the standard for Joker performances, portraying the villain in Batman '66. Director Leslie H. Martinson along with make-up artist Ben Nye remained true to the Joker's classic comic appearance, using white theatrical makeup and bright red lipstick to create the eerie grin.
The bright green wig and sharply drawn eyebrows finish off the menacing look. Without the use of prosthetics that are seen on later Jokers, Romero's skillful acting made up for the simplified makeup.
8 Joker - Batman (1989)
Jack Nicholson had a hands-on approach to the creative direction that artist Nick Dudman took with the creation of Joker's makeup in Batman '89. Nicholson wanted the makeup to be as close to the comics as possible, leaving Dudman with the difficult job of creating prosthetics that would look like the Joker without concealing too much of Nicholson's face and expression.
They settled on a darker green wig than Batman '66 to better fit the tone of Tim Burton's Batman. Dudman created cheek and chin prosthetics that would remain smiling while Nicholson's face was relaxed and would intensify when he pushed the smile, creating a look that helps to further elevate Nicholson's performance.
7 Poison Ivy - Batman & Robin (1997)
Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy look in Batman & Robin is one of the more unique transformations of the franchise. Ivy’s makeup begins fairly simply with the hair being the main focus in a blinding hot pink color. Artist Ve Neill, known for her memorable work on Edward Scissorhands (1996), created three main designs for Poison Ivy to show her descent into madness - an effective technique that helps to elevate a villain lacking the need for other special effects.
As she evolves further into her villainous form, leaves adorn her eyebrows and intertwine in her hair. The most extreme change in makeup shows Ivy with chaotic wavy hair and dark eye makeup as well as sharper eyebrows, achieved by blocking out her natural brows and redrawing them higher on the forehead.
6 Harvey Dent / Two-Face - The Dark Knight (2008)
Creating the famous Two-Face look on Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight required a delicate combination of practical and computer-generated effects from makeup artist Peter Robb-King and visual effects designer Nick Davis. Director Christopher Nolan wanted to subtract from the face, exposing the cheek muscle and bone underneath - a process that only CGI could achieve.
Robb-King and Davis worked together to create several clay sculptures, mapping out exactly how Eckhart's facial structure would move in each scene. Traditional makeup was applied to the areas of the face that didn't need to retract and sensors were applied to the side of Eckhart's face to track the movement as he performed. The innovative effect is impressive, if somewhat gruesome to look at.
5 Two-Face - Batman Forever (1995)
Joel Schumacher brought legendary monster-maker, Rick Baker, onboard to create the design for Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face in Batman Forever. Straying from the original green color of his skin in the comics, the film's Two-Face was changed to a deep red-purple. The color change was later mirrored in the comics, following the release of the film.
Baker worked from a cast of Jones' face to create the prosthetics which initially featured the character's classic bulging eye and exposed teeth. These attributes were later removed when Schumacher feared the movie would not be family-friendly.
4 Penguin - Batman Returns (1992)
Easily the most penguin-like of the Batman villains, Danny DeVito’s Penguin featured numerous prosthetics including a beak-shaped nose. The concept art was created by Stan Winston to suit the gothic horror style of director Tim Burton without inhibiting too much of Devito's face. Hand prosthetics were used to group DeVito’s fingers into two parts, mimicking a penguin’s flippers.
The makeup was applied by Ve Neill along with black and red eye makeup and concealed eyebrows to create the creepy aesthetic emphasized by DeVito’s performance. Darker lipstick and brown tooth stain helped finish off the look, giving the effect of rotting teeth.
3 Joker - The Batman (2022)
Speculation over possible villain cameos for The Batman (2022) began immediately once the film was announced, many hoping to see Matt Reeves' twist on the Joker. Though the only hint of Joker was the cackling Arkham Prisoner at the end of the film, a full scene between Batman and Joker was later released, revealing a scary new look. Barry Keoghan's eerie performance introduced a possible The Silence of the Lambs style relationship between Joker and Batman in the future.
What stood out the most to audiences was the dramatic scarring of the special effects makeup. The intense close-up on Keoghan's face reveals perfection in the application of prosthetics. Aside from the marred appearance of Joker's head with the remaining clumps of bright green hair, Joker's brow and mouth are also mottled, potentially hinting at Joker's acid-related transformation.
2 The Penguin - The Batman (2022)
The announcement of Colin Farrell as the latest Penguin surprised fans of the series and raised questions about how the actor would transform into the role. Farrell turned out to be perfectly cast for the slimy Batman villain and was unrecognizable underneath the extensive special effects makeup created by Oscar-nominated artist, Michael Marino.
While the SFX doesn't lean as creature-like as DeVito's Penguin, Marino's artistry uses subtle nods to classic penguin characteristics such as the prominent nose. Penguins' eyebrows are also angled and brushed upwards, giving an effect similar to southern rockhopper penguins.
1 Joker - The Dark Knight (2008)
While Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight unsurprisingly made him the best-ranked villain, The Clown Prince's design is what earns him first place in special effects makeup. Christopher Nolan's desire to show a grittier side to Gotham led to artist John Caglione's decision for Joker's makeup to appear as though he'd been sleeping in it for weeks.
While the concept seemed simple enough, the makeup team soon discovered that professional clowns record their makeup designs in registries worldwide to prevent copying from other clowns. The creators had to ensure that the final look would be unique enough to avoid treading on another clown's design, while still suiting the style of Ledger's Joker. The inclusion of his Glasgow smile scars added to the mysterious origins of Nolan's Joker.