The 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Problem Award for Finest Villain

There’s quite a bit that goes right into a film. You need to have a great story, a great setting, sturdy characters, nice actors, strong course, however in lots of movies there’s one factor that may make or break your complete expertise: the villain. A fantastic story actually is barely pretty much as good as its villain, a determine designed not solely to function an impediment for the heroes, however in lots of instances to function as a automobile via which the viewers can ask deeper questions on level and function. And generally, when the villain is crafted nicely sufficient, we discover ourselves rooting for them simply as a lot if no more than the hero of the story.

When it got here to the villains on this yr’s motion pictures, 2022 supplied viewers a variety of antagonists to select from, however the every had one thing in widespread. The most effective film villains of 2022 had been characters doing unhealthy not only for the sake of making chaos, however who got here from locations of actual ache, whose actions had been stunning however whose motives had been complicated and definitely gave even the mightiest of heroes a serious run for his or her cash. Thor: Love and Thunder gave us Christian Bale’s Gorr, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 gave us Idris Elba’s Knuckles, Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly gave us Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, The Batman gave us Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton/Riddler, and The whole lot In all places All At As soon as gave us Stephanie Hsu’s Pleasure Wang/Jobu Tupakia, all of whom had been unbelievable antagonists, however just one might take be the first-ever ComicBook.com Golden Problem Award winner for Finest Villain.

And the winner of the 2002 ComicBook.com Golden Problem Award for Finest Villain is…

Tenoch Huerta’s Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!

To name Namor a villain is a little bit of a misnomer. The character is actually extra of an antagonist, however it’s the center, the humanity, and ferocity with which Huerta brings Namor, chief of the undersea kingdom of Talokan, to life that makes him such an indelible adversary in Wakanda Endlessly in addition to only a really riveting character to look at on the display. Within the movie, the dying of Wakandan king T’Challa units off a Vibranium race that not solely threatens Wakanda because the Western world seeks to reap the benefits of the African nation, but additionally brings menace of the skin world to Talokan and thus, Namor’s door. It is a state of affairs that prompts Namor to maneuver to defend his folks by any imply’s essential. — together with power in opposition to Wakanda when it turns into clear to him that they don’t seem to be instantly on his aspect.

The movie’s tackle Namor is a departure from the comics — Wakanda Endlessly provides Namor a brand new origin by making the king and his folks of Mesoamerican origin — however in Huerta’s arms, this recent tackle one in all Marvel’s oldest and most iconic antiheroes feels someway prefer it’s the model of the character we had been all the time meant to have. Huerta’s Namor is passionate and fierce, but additionally has an apparent care and compassion. He is a pacesetter who has given every thing for his folks and is ready to provide much more. Within the movie, Huerta’s efficiency as Namor left audiences at instances not solely on his aspect of the combat between Talokan and Wakanda however questioning after we may get extra of the character — ideally in his personal sequence or movie — in addition to shouting the Talokanil battle cry ourselves: Liik’ik Talokan!” Here is to hoping we get to shout it many instances extra sooner or later.

Congratulations to Huerta on his Golden Points win!

The nominees for Finest Villain are:

Gorr (Christian Bale, Thor: Love and Thunder)
Knuckles (Idris Elba, Sonic the Hedgehog 2)
Namor (Tenoch Huerta, Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly) – WINNER
Edward Nashton / Riddler (Paul Dano, The Batman)
Pleasure Wang / Jobu Tupakia (Stephanie Hsu, The whole lot In all places All At As soon as)