Summary
- DC movie adaptations have often seen actors inject their own ideas and quirks, resulting in instant iconic and improved scenes.
- Notable unscripted moments in DC films include Jack Nicholson ad-libbing a silly moment as The Joker in Batman (1989) and Ewan McGregor ad-libbing lines for Black Mask in Birds of Prey.
- Improvised moments by actors like Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Affleck, Zachary Levi, Ezra Miller, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot have added humor and emotional depth to DC films.
The DC Universe has decades of film adaptations, with many including unscripted scenes that became instantly iconic or simply improved films that were enjoyable to begin with. DC movie adaptations have, for much of their history, been led by directors with distinctive and specific artistic visions, often putting a stronger focus on the individual films than any larger franchise or continuity they might be part of. This emphasis on directorial vision has not, however, prevented numerous instances of actors injecting their own ideas, quirks, and script alterations into their respective films.
The earliest DC film adaptations centered on cultural icons whose recognition transcended their comic book origins. This, of course, meant that Superman was the most frequently adapted hero in DC’s early adaptations, but he was soon equaled, if not surpassed, by Batman, whose endearingly lighthearted TV show in the 1960s and aggressively marketed feature film in 1989 cemented him as one of DC’s most popular and marketable characters. More recently, DC has competed with Marvel in establishing a shared film universe, though the DCEU timeline never matched the MCU’s success, unfortunately. In its plethora of film adaptations, DC has had many notable unscripted moments, with the following 10 being its best examples.
10 Joker’s Exit (Batman 1989)
One of Jack Nicholson’s most famous movie roles was The Joker, who served as the antagonist of 1989’s Batman. Nicholson reportedly adored playing the Clown Prince of Crime, as he not only got to chew the scenery once Jack Napier became The Joker, but he also received a percentage of Batman’s box office and merchandise sales. Nicholson’s performance is considered one of the best iterations of The Joker, with Nicholson adding one notably unscripted moment. After shooting Bruce Wayne, Joker blows a raspberry and dances out of Vicki Vale’s apartment in a silly moment that demonstrates the overlap between The Joker’s and Jack Nicholson’s senses of humor.
9 Black Mask’s Witticisms (Birds of Prey)
Although the DC Extended Universe film Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was not a financial success, it was fairly well-received by critics and audiences. The film’s antagonist, Black Mask, was particularly entertaining, with Ewan McGregor imbuing the crime lord with a humorously childish personality and juxtaposing it with utter depravity and narcissism. In an interview with CinemaBlend, Birds of Prey’s director, Cathy Yan, revealed that many of McGregor’s lines were ad-libbed, with the actor crafting Black Mask’s combination of humor and violence.
8 Joker In The Fridge (Joker)
2019’s Joker is an original take on the origin of Batman’s greatest enemy, starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck as he transforms into the Joker. Phoenix’s performance and the film’s script were well-received by critics and viewers, but there was one notable moment that Phoenix improvised. The film’s cinematographer, Lawrence Sher, revealed in an interview with /Film that Joaquin Phoenix spontaneously climbed into his refrigerator in one scene, with the filmmakers enjoying this detail enough to leave it in the final film.
7 “Oh, s—t” (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)
Ben Affleck’s Batman is introduced to the DCEU in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While the film is divisive, Affleck’s comic-accurate version of Batman was one of its high points for critics and viewers. After ending his feud with Superman and rescuing his mother in a spectacular fight sequence, Batman battles Doomsday in the Batwing and ends up getting shot down by the creature’s heat vision. As Doomsday prepares to disintegrate Batman with another burst of heat vision, Batman, rather bluntly, remarks “Oh s—t” before he is rescued by Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. Affleck himself told EW that he ad-libbed this hilariously naturalistic reaction to the grim situation.
6 “Get him, Batman!” (Shazam!)
David F. Sandberg’s 2019 film Shazam! brought Billy Batson into the DCEU and features numerous references to the continuity’s other superheroes. Case in point, Shazam battles Doctor Sivana in a toy store in one scene, which includes merchandise based on the DCEU’s superheroes. In a comedic moment of desperation, Shazam throws a Batman toy at Sivana (to no avail), yelling “Get him, Batman,” which Sandberg revealed to be an improvised moment by Zachary Levi in a tweet. Sandberg noted that there were other ad-libbed moments by Levi, but the Batman line was simply too funny not to leave in the final cut.
The late Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight was critically acclaimed, with Ledger winning multiple posthumous Academy Awards for the role. While much of Ledger’s distinctive mannerisms were discussed with director Christopher Nolan beforehand, Nolan revealed in an interview with BBC that one sardonic moment was improvised by Ledger. When Jim Gordon was promoted to police Commissioner, The Joker sarcastically clapped from within his holding cell, ruining the moment for Gordon.
4 Barry Allen’s Humor (Zack Snyder’s Justice League)
Despite his many controversies off-camera, Ezra Miller’s performances as The Flash, particularly his role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, were fairly well-liked, giving Barry Allen a quirky and humorous demeanor as an inexperienced crime-fighter who accepts Batman’s offer to join the Justice League. At the premiere of the film’s 2017 theatrical cut, Miller told Celebretainment that improv played a prominent role in his acting training, and thus he integrated it into his performance in Justice League. Many of Barry Allen’s lines and quirks were not scripted, yet they proved entertaining enough for Snyder to keep them in the film.
3 Superman’s Anguish (Man of Steel)
Henry Cavill’s Superman, despite appearing in several divisive DCEU films, is both beloved and true to the iconic hero’s comic counterpart. Superman’s no-kill rule in the DCEU was established after Superman reluctantly killed General Zod in Man of Steel to save a family. Superman cried and screamed in agony after taking a life (and perhaps the life of the only other living Kryptonian, no less), with this emotionally raw moment having been improvised by Henry Cavill, according to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
2 “I’m Batman” (Batman 1989)
1989’s Batman is one of the most influential films of all time, as both a summer blockbuster and a superhero adaptation, with Michael Keaton’s performance of Batman being one of the film’s many high points. In one of the film’s most iconic scenes, Keaton’s Batman attacks a pair of criminals and tells one “I’m Batman” before disappearing. The line was ad-libbed by Keaton, who was initially set to deliver a more verbose introduction. The simple, two-word line is now one of the most famous lines uttered by Batman, appearing in other Batman franchises and continuities.
1 Wonder Woman And Steve Trevor On The Boat (Wonder Woman)
2017’s Wonder Woman is one of the DC Universe greatest film adaptations, easily standing alongside classics like 1978’s Superman and 1989’s Batman. The film’s financial and critical success is owed to many, including director Patty Jenkins and co-stars Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. One particularly funny and heartwarming scene, however, was entirely improvised by Gadot and Pine, according to an EW interview. While traveling from Themyscira to London, Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor discuss topics like the former’s parentage and the concept of marriage, among other things. Gal Gadot’s acting talents were excellently showcased as she stoically reacts to various outlandish concepts, while Pine’s Steve Trevor reactions are far less subdued.
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