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WithOppenheimersweeping at the 2024 Oscars , Cillian Murphy ’s Best Actor win is also a moment to rejoice forDCandBatmanfans . Before Murphy became a regular in Christopher Nolan movies likeInceptionandDunkirk , the Irish actor first bring together forces with the auteur ever since he played the fear toxin - using supervillain Scarecrow inThe Dark Knighttrilogy . Evoking fear with his sword - eyed gaze as Dr. Jonathan Crane , Murphy proved to be an efficacious villain in Nolan ’s acclaimed film serial . Before achieving further recognition withPeaky BlindersandOppenheimer , Murphy was already revered among Batman fans .
And now with Hollywood ’s golden trophy by his side , Murphy link the ranks of several other Oscar - deliver the goods actors who have also played Batman villains . From the clown prince of criminal offence to an ambivalent District Attorney to a lover - bend - foeman , these iconic comic book characters have all been brought to life with notable dramatic range from Oscar - winning artist . Along with some of the ensemble - driven DCEU movies , everylive - legal action Batman moviehas featured either an Oscar winner or a candidate as one of the villain . get together the nocturnal vigilance man ’s rogues gallery has definitely endeavor to be a lucky charm for Academy Award aspirants .
The DCEU is almost terminated after 15 movies , but how does Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom equate to the likes of Justice League and The Flash ?
6 Of Batman’s Film Villains Are Oscar-Winners
Two Have Even Won For Playing The Same Particular Villain
Every Oscar - winning Batman Villain Actor
Role in Batman Movies
Oscar win(s )
Jack Nicholson
The Joker inBatman(1989 )
Best Actor , One Flew Over The Cuckoo ’s Nest(1975 ) andAs Good As It Gets(1997 )
Tommy Lee Jones
Harvey Dent / Two - Face inBatman Forever(1995 )
Best Supporting Actor , The Fugitive(1993 )
Cillian Murphy
Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow inBatman Begins(2005),The Dark Knight(2008 ) , andThe Dark Knight Rises(2012 )
Best Actor , Oppenheimer(2023 )
Heath Ledger
The Joker inThe Dark Knight(2008 )
Best Supporting Actor , The Dark Knight(2008 )
Marion Cotillard
Talia al Ghul inThe Dark Knight Rises(2012 )
Best Actress , La Vie En Rose(2007 )
Jared Leto
The Joker inSuicide Squad(2015 )
Best Supporting Actor , Dallas Buyers Club(2013 )
Joaquin Phoenix
Arthur Fleck / The Joker inJoker(2019 )
Best Actor , Joker(2019 )
After advance a Best Actor Oscar for playing the titulary nuclear physicist inOppenheimer , Cillian Murphy is the fifth actor to have both won an Oscar and played a Batman villain . InThe Dark Knightmovies , Murphy toy Arkham psychologist Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow who uses the hallucinogenic Fear Toxin to tapdance into his victim ’s deepest phobias . The first Oscar - winner to act as a Batman villain was Jack Nicholson , who played the sadistic offence lord Joker in Tim Burton’sBatman . Nicholson is a two - meter winner with Best Actor nod forOne Flew Over The jackass ’s NestandAs Good As It Gets .
Tim Burton ’s 1989 Batman featured a major new element to Joker ’s root with a vast twist , and no next Batman film will ever ticktack it .
When the directing reins passed on to Joel Schumacher , his prodigal 1995 productionBatman Foreverfeatured Tommy Lee Jones in a comedic take on the District Attorney - turned - mobster Two - Face . This use came a yr afterTommy Lee Jones picked up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a hardened U.S. Marshall inThe Fugitive . Coming tovillains in Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogybeyond Murphy ’s Scarecrow , Marion Cotillard played League of Shadows drawing card Talia al Ghul inThe Dark Knight Rises . The French actress won a Best Actress Oscar in 2008for play singer Edith Piaf inLa Vie En Rose .
Marion Cotillard became the first French actress to get ahead a Best Actress Oscar after herLa Vie En Rosevictory .
Interestingly , theJoker remains one of the few characters to have been played by two actor to be awarded an Oscar for both portrayals . While Nicholson never win an Oscar for playing the Joker , Heath Ledger earned his posthumous Best Supporting Actor trophy for his gritty , lawless take on the character in 2008’sThe Dark Knight . Over a decennium later , Joaquin Phoenix deliver the goods Best Actor for reinterpreting the Joker from a more sympathetic genus Lens in the 2019 blockbusterJoker . EvenJared Leto ’s infamous Joker roleinSuicide Squadwas preceded by his Best Supporting Actor win forDallas Buyers Club .
Five Other Batman Villains Are Played By Oscar-Nominated Actors
Michelle Pfieffer’s Three Nominations, Liam Neeson’s Schindler’s List Nod And More
Every Oscar - constitute Batman Villain Actor
Oscar nomination(s )
Michelle Pfeiffer
Selina Kyle / Catwoman inBatman Returns(1992 )
well Supporting Actress , Dangerous Liaisons(1989 ) , Best Actress , The Fabulous Baker Boys(1990 ) andLove Field(1993 )
Uma Thurman
Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy inBatman and Robin(1997 )
Liam Neeson
Ra ’s al GhulBatman Begins(2005 )
Best Actor , Schindler ’s List(1993 )
Jesse Eisenberg
Lex Luthor inBatman v dot : Dawn of Justice(2016 )
Best Actor , The Social internet(2010 )
Colin Farrell
Best Actress , The Banshees of Inisherin(2022 )
aside from the five Oscar succeeder , five other Batman film villains have been name for an Oscar before . The most Oscar - nominated Batman scoundrel actor is Michelle Pfieffer , who played the antiheroine Catwoman inBatman Returnsand garnered three nominating speech for her performances inDangerous intimacy , The Fabulous Baker Boys , andLove Field . As for Joel Schumacher ’s infamous 1997 featureBatman and Robin , Uma Thurman ’s portrayal of the ecological villain Poison Ivy won her a Razzie for sorry Actress just three old age after she earn an Oscar nominationfor Best Supporting Actress for playing the puzzling Mia Wallace inPulp Fiction .
Before the DCEU bring pop Justice League submarine sandwich to the cock-a-hoop covert , many DC movies had run out with critics , audiences , and the box situation .
Three Batman Actors Are Oscar Winners Too
None Of Them Have Won The Award For Playing Batman Though
While the original cinematic Batman Michael Keaton settled for a Best Actor nominating speech for 2014’sBirdman , the first Batman actor to win an Oscar was , interestingly , George Clooney . twelvemonth after he put on the infamous Batman costume inBatman and Robin , Clooney won Best Supporting Actor for play a disgruntled CIA old-timer in the 2005 geopolitical thrillerSyriana . In 2012 , Clooney won a Best Picture Oscar as well for get succeeding Batman star Ben Affleck ’s fact - based historical thrillerArgo . Clooney , who also in brief played Bruce Wayne inThe Flash , has six more nominations for his acting , penning , and directing projects .
Clooney ’s successor , Christian Bale , won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2011for meet yesteryear packer - call on - passenger car Dickie Eklund in the sport dramaThe Fighter . TheDark Knightactor has been an Academy pet , having had three other performing nominating address forAmerican Hustle , The Big Short , andVice . After Bale tender adieu to the costumed vigilance man , Ben Affleck play Batman in the DC Extended Universe , having already make headway two Oscars by then . He first won Best Original Screenplay in 1998 for co - writingGood Will Huntingand later picked up a Best Picture Oscar in 2013 for producing his directorial ventureArgo .
Other DC Movie Heroes And Villains With Oscar Wins
A Total Of 34 DC Actors Have Won Oscars
TheDC Extended Universe boasts 12 Oscar winners , include the like ofAquamanactress Nicole Kidman ( The Hours),Man of Steel ’s Russell Crowe ( Gladiator ) , andBlue Beetle ’s Susan Sarandon ( Dead Man Walking ) . The Batman movies outside the DCEU admit ten Oscar - winners , while non - DCEU Superman task feature three winners ( Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman inSuperman , and Kevin Spacey inSuperman Returns).Even a notorious DC project likeGreen Lanternstarred three Oscar - winnerswith the ensemble cast including Tim Robbins ( Mystic River ) , Geoffrey Rush ( Shine ) , and Taika Waititi , who won a Best conform Screenplay less than a decade later forJojo Rabbit .
DC ’s movies have consistently shown up to the Academy Awards , taking home prestigious nominations and even make headway in many family .
Other DC production with Academy Award - winning performers includeCatwoman , which starred Halle Berry ( Monster ’s chunk ) andConstantine , which featured two Oscar - win actresses : Tilda Swinton ( Michael Clayton ) and Rachel Weisz ( The Constant Gardener).Jokeralso gasconade two Oscar - winners , with Joaquin Phoenix - who won for the 2019 moving-picture show itself - and Robert De Niro ( The Godfather II , Raging Bull).The approaching DCEU motion-picture show calendarincludesJoker : Folie à Deuxwhich will feature Lady Gaga , a Best Original Song winner forA Star Is Born . As of now , DCmovies have featured 34 Oscar - winner , withBatmanvillain actors constituting a substantial ball of them .