10 Superheroes Who Would Make Great Horror Villains

Jun 03, 2023

These superheroes may be good guys, but they could unleash bloody mayhem if they were given the horror villain treatment.

When you think of movie superheroes, a few characteristics immediately come to mind. They're the good guys, the ones the audience cheers for, and they stand up for what's right. Superheroes are all about fairness, empathy, and compassion, and they work hard to bring criminals to justice. It's their job to save the day, and sometimes they're driven by a deeper need to right the wrongs that have happened to them.

But many superheroes have a dark side. The things that have happened to them in the past have shaped their character, and even when they're fighting crime, they question themselves. They don't always have a clear understanding of right and wrong, or when they've crossed the line from justice to revenge. These dark thoughts are exactly what would make some superheroes great for horror movies, and these are some of the good guys who would be perfect as villains in a horror movie.

Batman has a long and storied history in movies. In the 1989 Tim Burton film Batman, he was played by Michael Keaton with a gruff, no-nonsense demeanor. Keaton played The Dark Knight once again in 1992, but then the character took a more campy turn. Val Kilmer played Batman in Batman Forever, and George Clooney took over the character for Batman & Robin. There's a lot of debate about who the best Batman is, but Clooney jokingly insists that it's him.

Batman would make a great horror villain, especially when you consider Christian Bale's turn as the character in Christopher Nolan's epic trilogy. Batman has the look of a horror villain down: a dark cape, a menacing cowl, and an array of tools perfect for a slasher flick. He's also got a gruesome backstory that involves his parents getting murdered, so he's a shoo-in for the horror villain role.

Spawn may not be as well as Batman to today's generation, but there was a time when he was a rising hero. In 1997, Spawn took the world by storm as a dark action movie based on the comics created by Todd McFarlane. Michael Jai White played the title character, who is a former US Marine resurrected from hell to do that devil's bidding. As of 2022, McFarlane was even planning a larger cinematic universe for Spawn.

If that piece of Spawn's backstory isn't enough to give you nightmares, there's more. Spawn was originally a soldier named Al Simmons, who was sent on a mission to spy on a chemical plant in North Korea. Simmons' leader orders a hit on him, and he's killed when the military leader lights him on fire. Spawn would make a great horror villain because he's bloodthirsty for revenge, wears a terrifying outfit, and takes no prisoners when it comes to working for Satan.

Wolverine has appeared in several movies with slightly different origin stories, but the crux of his story is similar. He's a war veteran with origins in northern Canada where he lives a lonely, isolated life. But he's also a mutant with powerful strength and speed. Wolverine's body is bonded with adamantium, and he's able to summon his claws and his super senses whenever he feels threatened.

Wolverine would make a great horror movie villain because he's already part animal, part human. He could use his retractable claws to kill his victims, and they wouldn't even be able to see it coming. His keen sense of smell makes him aware of any threats long before they arrive, so he'd be especially good at sensing danger before he could be stopped. Fans can look forward to seeing Hugh Jackman reprise the role in the upcoming movie Deadpool 3.

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Oscar Isaac plays the title character in the Disney+ series Moon Knight. Isaac plays Steven Grant, a lowly British man who works in a museum gift shop for a living. He's not great at his job and even worse at standing up for himself. But when Grant starts hearing voices, he soon discovers that he has an alter ego named Marc Spector who was once a mercenary and killing machine. Since season 1 of the show concluded in 2022, fans have been wondering if Disney will renew it for season 2.

Moon Knight would be the perfect horror movie villain because his powers are already rooted in the supernatural world. As Marc, his decisions are guided by the Egyptian god Konshu and his choices are not always ethical. Moon Knight's ability to kill at will make him the right fit for a slasher movie, one that keeps the audience guessing about his true identity until the end.

If you can put aside his wise-cracking jokes and sarcasm about pretty much everything, Deadpool could be a great horror movie villain. Ryan Reynolds plays up the character for maximum laughs in Deadpool and Deadpool 2, but he's also well known for his serious movies, like Buried. Reynolds commits to the character, whether that involves comedy, action, or drama.

Deadpool's deadly mask and weapons would help to make him a great horror movie villain. Nobody would know his identity, and it would be fun to guess who's behind the mask of a serial killer who slices people with his swords. Fans may have to hold their breath before they see Deadpool in any movies, though, as recent rumors suggest that Deadpool 3 has been taken off Disney's calendar.

When Blade was released in 1998, it was considered edgy for its over-the-top violence, gory action scenes, and commitment to shocking the audience with its R-rating. Wesley Snipes is Blade, a half-human, half-vampire who roams the streets killing vampires and looking to avenge his mother's death. Some fans believe Blade is one of the most underrated movies ever made.

Blade has the power of an immortal being, making him a difficult villain to get rid of in a horror movie. He terrifies his victims with several sharp weapons, including a huge sword that he slings across his back. His fangs are intimidating and would easily make any horror movie victim scream. Running from Blade wouldn't be easy, though, as he also has super strength and speed.

Imagine wandering alone in a dark forest and Groot is lurking around the corner, waiting to attack. Sure, he can be cute and cuddly, like in his Disney+ shorts titled I Am Groot, but he can also be mean and menacing when he needs to be. He proved to be a fierce and loyal friend to Rocket Raccoon in the latest MCU buddy movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when he teamed up with the little creature to unleash hell on the bad guys.

Voiced by Vin Diesel, Groot's timbre is typically high-pitched and innocent, but he can sound gruff when something sets him off. Groot would make a great horror villain because he's an imposing figure. His tree-like hands could easily slide around the victim's neck and scare the heck out of them. He also has a mysterious backstory, which helps add credibility to any horror villain's creepiness.

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In Morbius, Jared Leto plays Dr. Michael Morbius, a scientist with a blood illness who believes he's found a cure. He tries splicing together his genes with those of vampire bats, thinking the night creatures from Costa Rica hold the secret to allowing him to live a normal life.

There's some debate as to whether Morbius is a hero or a villain, but one thing is for sure: he'd be a damn scary horror movie villain. His scaly skin is enough to keep you up at night, but he's also got long black hair, beady eyes, and sharp teeth that could tear you to shreds. Morbius is a bloodthirsty fugitive who has nothing to lose.

Plenty of superheroes could make great horror movie villains, but Ghost Rider would blow them all out of the water. After all, he's got both the perfect look and backstory. Nicolas Cage plays the character in 2007's Ghost Rider, where it's established that a stunt motorcyclist named Johnny Blaze makes a deal with the devil if he cures his father's cancer.

As Ghost Rider, Blaze finds himself indebted to the devil, called Mephisto. He must do Mephisto's bidding, which includes collecting bounties with his skull on fire. Ghost Rider would be a terrifying horror villain, one that would make victims feel like they are face to face with Satan himself.

Speaking of devilish characters, Marvel's Daredevil would also fit the bill of superheroes who would make great horror movie villains. By day, he's a calm lawyer named Matt Murdoch (played in the Netflix series Daredevil by Charlie Cox), but by night, he's a blind, masked vigilante who fights crime in the seedy Hell's Kitchen district. His main enemy is Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), a crime lord who has every thug, politician, and leader in his pocket.

Daredevil's heightened sense of hearing, touch, and smell would make him a hard horror movie villain to catch. He could lurk around in the night, hunting his victims and attacking them when they least expect it. His alter-ego is a charming man, so he could go virtually unnoticed in the daytime and would never even be considered a suspect. He also looks like the devil, which itself makes him a scary foe.