Ra’s al Ghul
Let’s get one thing straight: Liam Neeson was out of this world as Ra’s al Ghul in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. His performance was menacing, unnerving, and downright believable. He brought a seriousness and mysticism to the terrorist, while his character’s impact was felt throughout the trilogy – even when he wasn’t on screen.
But what Alexander Siddig is doing with Ra’s al Ghul on Gotham right now is simply phenomenal. Not only is he comic book-accurate in appearance and dialogue, but the sheer lunacy of the villain has also been exposed in several episodes. There’s something playfully macabre about his portrayal and when that hint of music announces his arrival on screen, it feels like we’re in the presence of the real Demon’s Head.
While Gotham tweaks and changes things for its own narrative, its handling of Ra’s has been one of the best we’ve seen so far. Our hats go off to the supremely talented Siddig, who has set a new bar for this villain.
Supergirl
1984’s Supergirl wasn’t a good film by any stretch of the imagination. In comparison, it makes Batman & Robin look like The Godfather. Fortunately, since that abomination was birthed, our minds have been washed and we’ve seen Kara pop up in Smallville and then receive her own TV show in 2015.
It’s the latter that’s been the best interpretation of the character, though. Melissa Benoist brings an innocence and endearing charm to Supergirl as she tries to navigate her life as a young adult in the workplace and her superhero activities. Sure, there’s still a lot of soap drama-esque cheese and unnecessary love triangles at every turn, but it’s hard not to enjoy Benoist’s lovable performance as Superman’s cousin.
There have been whispers that Supergirl is coming to the DCEU – or whatever the hell they’re calling it this week – so we could be meeting another version of the character in the not-too-distant future. Until then, though, Benoist’s Supergirl will remain our favorite version of the Kryptonian to date.