Despite the usual criticisms aimed at them, Disney live-action remakes are still going strong. The Little Mermaid is currently doing waves at the box office, and the Mouse House is already planning several other adaptations, including Snow White, Hercules, and the Lion King spin-off, Mufasa.
Although critical reception to these films is pretty mixed, most reviewers and fans can agree that the villains are often the best parts. From classic fairy tale enemies to greedy businessmen and dangerously egotistical baronesses, these villains add the necessary spice to keep these movies afloat, often elevating them single-handedly.
10 V. A. Vandevere – ‘Dumbo’ (2019)
Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton re-teamed with Tim Burton nearly thirty years after their last collaboration. The actor-director combo reunited for Dumbo, a live-action retelling of the Disney classic, with Keaton playing V. A. Vandevere, a greedy businessman looking to exploit the titular elephant.
Dumbo is among the most underrated of the Disney live-action adaptations. Keaton’s performance deftly balances charm and calculating ruthlessness, mocking yet perfectly embodying the necessary qualities to turn Vandevere into a truly nasty piece of work. Dumbo might’ve not been the most successful Disney live-action retelling, but it is surprisingly one of the most interesting, thanks to several elements, including Keaton’s performance.
9 Giles Winslow Jr. – ‘Christopher Robin’ (2018)
Like Dumbo, Marc Forster‘s Christopher Robin came and went without much fanfare. Ewan McGregor stars as a grown-up version of the titular character, who must return his childhood friends – Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore – back to the Hundred Acre Wood.
The ever-reliable Mark Gatiss plays Giles WInslow Jr., Christopher Robin’s boss and the film’s de facto antagonist. Winslow Jr. represents everything Christopher Robin stands against: he is cold, avaricious, cruel, and has lost touch with his inner child. It’s a simple characterization, but Gatiss makes the most of his screen time, delivering a haughty performance that makes it very easy to dislike him.
8 Queen Ingrith – ‘Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil’ (2019)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil finds Oscar winner Angelina Jolie reprising her role as the titular fairy. The plot follows Maleficent’s fight against a neighboring kingdom, trying to frame her as a villain by joining forces with the oppressed race of the Dark Fae.
Three-time Oscar nominee Michelle Pfeiffer embraces her dark side as the film’s villain, Queen Ingrith. The stellar Pfeiffer more than keeps up with Jolie, delivering a deliciously wicked portrayal of power lust that makes her ideal to antagonize a fairy tale. Pfeiffer can elevate any role and make it seem effortless, but she is clearly enjoying herself in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, making her performance more effective and endlessly entertaining.
7 Shere Khan – ‘The Jungle Book’ (2016)
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Jon Favreau‘s 2016 The Jungle Book is a faithful adaptation of Disney’s 1967 classic. The story centers on Mowgli, a young boy raised in the jungle by a group of animals. When the dangerous Shere Khan threatens their existence, Mowgli must stand up for his friends and discover his place in the world.
Idris Elba, perennial villain of major blockbusters, voices Shere Khan, giving the tiger a sinister tone that increases his menacing persona. Like many great villains, Shere Khan weaponizes fear, using his status as an apex predator to subdue most animals in the jungle. The Jungle Book is among the best Disney live-action adaptations, and Elba’s Shere Khan is a major reason behind the film’s success.
6 King Stefan – ‘Maleficent’ (2014)
Maleficent added a modern spin to a classic tale, turning its titular character into a tragic and misunderstood hero. Angelina Jolie portrays the dark fairy whose betrayal at the hands of the man she trusted and loved leads her down a path of pain, solitude, and bitterness.
Sharlto Copley plays a villainous take on King Stefan, portrayed as a greedy commoner who betrays Maleficent to become the ruler of his kingdom. Stefan is a sniveling worm who eventually becomes paranoid, haunted by Maleficent’s memory. Copley does an excellent job playing Stefan’s many insecurities and desperate need to compensate for them, crafting an odious portrayal of villainy that vastly improves Maleficent‘s plot.
5 Ursula – ‘The Little Mermaid’ (2023)
Ursula is among the best female Disney villains – in fact, she might be one of the Mouse House’s all-time great antagonists. Thus, two-time Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy had big shoes to fill in Rob Marshall‘s 2023 live-action adaptation of the 1989 classic The Little Mermaid.
Luckily, McCarthy does justice to the larger-than-life character. In her hands, Ursula is sassy, clever, manipulative, and suitably menacing, and the movie is considerably strengthened by her presence. McCarthy might play it a tad safe, wanting to honor Pat Carroll‘s legendary portrayal a bit too faithfully, but she still delivers a grand and compelling performance that ranks among the best in any Disney live-action adaptation.
4 Gaston – ‘Beauty And The Beast’ (2017)
Bill Condon directs the 2017 live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, arguably the best of the Renaissance classics and one of Disney’s most romantic movies. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star as the titular characters, with Luke Evans stealing the show as the vain and murderous hunter, Gaston.
Evans embodies Gaston to the tee. The actor has the vocal chops to do justice to the film’s now-iconic songs and enough thorny charm to portray the infamously egotistical Gaston. Beauty and the Beast doesn’t excel in every aspect, but Evans’ performance as Gaston is one of the film’s strongest assets, with Condon using him to his full potential.
3 Lady Tremaine – ‘Cinderella’ (2015)
If a director wants to elevate a seemingly one-dimensional character, they cast Cate Blanchett. Possibly the best actress of her generation, Blancett has delivered multiple amazing performances throughout her acclaimed career, and her work in Kenneth Branagh‘s 2015 Cinderella is no exception.
The film doesn’t try to reinvent the Disney formula but embraces it to its fullest, delivering a classic take on one of the Mouse House’s most famous and beloved efforts. Blanchett understands the assignment perfectly, delivering an icy, wicked, and detestable performance as Lady Tremaine. However, the actress injects a palpable sense of bitterness and regret into her performance, adding layers to Lady Tremaine’s characterization and improving the film in the process.
2 Cruella De Vil – ‘101 Dalmatians’ (1996)
Cruella de Vil is among Disney’s most infamous villains. The wealthy and utterly deranged character often ranks as one of cinema’s most notorious antagonists – the AFI even listed her as one of the all-time best movie villains. Thus, any actress that plays her in real life must bring an untamed lunacy to her portrayal; luckily for viewers, that’s exactly what Glenn Close does.
The eight-time Oscar nominee played Cruella de Vil in 1996’s 101 Dalmatians and absolutely knocked it out of the park. Glamorous, unhinged, and impossibly entertaining, Close’s Cruella is a masterful portrayal, to the point where it might be better than the original animated version in several key aspects. Close excels at playing villains, but her work as Cruella ranks among the finest performances of her revered career.
1 The Baroness – ‘Cruella’ (2021)
Like Close, Emma Stone played Cruella de VIl, albeit a much more sympathetic but no less compelling version of the infamous character. With Stone’s Cruella becoming a hero, she needed a worthy adversary to challenge and push her to embrace her darker side. Enter Emma Thompson as Baroness Von Hellman.
The two-time Oscar-winning actress plays the Baroness with chilly perfection. There’s a method to her madness, with Thompson showing enough of the lunacy within without ever letting it reign. Not exactly unhinged but quite obviously psychopathic, Thompson’s Baroness is an incredible and instantly iconic character. To make things better, she is an original creation, proving that Disney still has the magic to create unforgettable cinematic figures.