Film as a medium has always had the uncanny ability to bring to life legendary and iconic heroes, whether original characters or faithful adaptations, that show the strength and glory of righteousness. An energizing and fun-to-watch hero at the center of a film can make all the difference in the world--after all, it's always better when the person on the screen is someone you can root for. 2023 especially has been a tremendous year when it comes to featuring many great films with signature stand-out heroes.
Whether their stories were simply being continued in an iconic ongoing franchise or they made a massive on-screen debut, movie heroes were easily some of 2023's most iconic and recognizable characters. While it may be easier for some to enjoy more villainous or antiheroic figures, characters with highly heroic qualities have become a benchmark staple of films since their inception.
10 Lucy Gray Baird
'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' (2023)
Portrayed by the up-and-coming Rachel Zegler, Lucy Gray Baird is the female tribute from District 12 in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. She finds herself mentored by a young Coriolanus Snow leading up to the dangerous 10th annual Hunger Games, forming a plan for her to survive the carnage. However, their connection goes beyond the confines of both the games and the Capitol itself, as Snow does everything he can to make sure Lucy wins the games.
Lucy Gray Baird had big shoes to fill as this film's equivalent and replacement for the legendary Jennifer Lawrence and her iconic heroine, Katniss Everdeen. Lucy features a number of similar attributes that made Katniss so electric on-screen, combined with her own mixture of intelligence, musical talent, and scheming both on and off camera. Especially by the end of the film, it becomes blatantly apparent that her massive successes come not from her relationship with Snow but from her intellect and management of the situation since the very beginning.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
PG-13- Release Date
- November 17, 2023
- Director
- Francis Lawrence
- Cast
- Rachel Zegler , Hunter Schafer , Viola Davis , Tom Blyth , Peter Dinklage , Jason Schwartzman , Burn Gorman , Fionnula Flanagan
- Runtime
- 165 minutes
9 Willy Wonka
'Wonka' (2023)
Before he became the legendary world-famous chocolatier and candymaker, Willy Wonka's endless creativity and optimism carried him throughout life as he attempted to achieve his wildest dreams. Wonka follows the iconic character's first chapter as he slowly changes the world and the perspectives of everyone around him with his endless charm and amazing never-before-seen sweets. The film provides a greater insight into the humble origins and rise of one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history.
While it was always going to be a difficult task for Timothee Chalamet to live up to Gene Wilder's legacy, he successfully creates a signature take on the character. This younger and more innocent Wonka also allows for the film and the character as a whole to be taken as its own story, becoming more inspiring and likable and allowing Chalamet to shine even more on-screen.
Wonka
PG- Release Date
- December 15, 2023
- Director
- Paul King
- Cast
- Timothee Chalamet , Hugh Grant , Olivia Colman , Keegan Michael Key , Rowan Atkinson , Sally Hawkins
- Runtime
- 116 minutes
8 Koichi Shikishima
'Godzilla Minus One' (2023)
While it's easy for the majority of focus to be placed upon the big monster himself in any Godzilla film, the quality of the main human characters is what separates the good Godzilla films from the great ones. Godzilla Minus One's Koichi Shikishima is the perfect example of a human character whose traits, themes, and overarching story go hand in hand with the King of Monsters, making him the perfect protagonist.
Shikishima is a former kamikaze pilot who consistently has run-ins with Godzilla throughout his increasingly depressing and heartbreaking life. With nearly every terrible twist and turn that happens in his life, Godzilla is usually either directly involved or is not far behind to further compound the destruction. However, unlike many other Godzilla heroes who simply look on in terror at the destruction, Shikishima takes the fight to Godzilla, acting as an icon of Japanese resiliency and determination even at their lowest point.
Godzilla Minus One
PG-13- Release Date
- December 1, 2023
- Director
- Takashi Yamazaki
- Cast
- Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Minami Hamabe , Yûki Yamada , Sakura Andō
7 Nimona
'Nimona' (2023)
Nimona is a chaotic shape-shifter with the appearance of a teenager who, after being persecuted and called a monster by her kingdom, takes it upon herself to cause mischief and chaos. While Nimona calls herself a villain, her antics frankly don't amount to much more than pranks and silly teenage escapades; soon enough, she shows off her heroic side to the disgraced knight Boldheart as they grow closer.
Nimona is a story about perceptions versus reality, whether it be framing Boldheart for murder or, more importantly, a kingdom's misguided persecution of Nimona. Nimona's backstory paints all the details of her character--how she once lived without worrying about how she was perceived and how her existence changed following a misunderstanding. Nimona's allegorical implications and evolution make her one of the most dynamic and relatable heroes in recent animated film history.
Nimona
PGWhen a knight in a futuristic medieval world is framed for a crime he didn't commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona -- a mischievous teen who happens to be a shapeshifting creature he's sworn to destroy.
- Release Date
- June 30, 2023
- Director
- Nick Bruno , Troy Quane
- Cast
- Chloe Grace Moretz , Riz Ahmed , Eugene Lee Yang , Frances Conroy
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
6 Mahito Maki
'The Boy and the Heron' (2023)
The protagonist of the latest film from legendary director Mayao Miyazaki, Mahito Maki, is a teenage boy haunted by the tragic death of his mother during World War II. He finds himself relocated from Tokyo to the rural home of his new stepmother, Natsuko. As he attempts to adjust to his new surroundings, he finds the task to be increasingly difficult when he begins to be consistently pestered by a Grey Heron. Eventually, the heron entices Mahito enough to travel to a strange alternate world split between time, life, and death, where Mahito must make a powerful decision.
Miyazaki's films have always featured powerful young heroes who have to go through their own stories of growth and coming-of-age to overcome an insurmountable obstacle; The Boy and the Heron is no different. Mahito acts as the perfect modernization and culmination of all of Miyazaki's previous heroes, effectively striking a balance between self-determination, growth, and a core connection to family. It's a testament to Miyazaki's filmmaking capabilities that he can still evolve and add to his tried and true character archetypes all these years later.
The Boy and the Heron
PG-13- Release Date
- December 8, 2023
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast
- Soma Santoki , Masaki Suda , Takuya Kimura , Aimyon
- Runtime
- 124 minutes
5 Rocket Raccoon
'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' (2023)
While Rocket Raccoon has always been a staple member of the Guardians, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 thrusts the character into the spotlight. The story delves deep into the character's dark and depressing origins as he is tested and experimented upon at a young age at the hands of The High Evolutionary. Following an unexpected attack, the Guardians must go against this figure from Rocket's past; the stakes have never been higher for the team's most dangerous mission yet.
While each Guardians of the Galaxy film is more about the team's connections and bonds as opposed to a singular member, Vol. 3 is definitively Rocket's story. Especially for a character who was, for the most part, only used in previous films for comedic hijinks and action setpieces, the deeper dive into Rocket's psyche and motivations paints the entire trilogy in a new light. While the future of the Guardians and Rocket are up in the air following the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it gives the heroes a perfect, poetic ending.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
PG-13- Release Date
- May 5, 2023
- Director
- James Gunn
- Cast
- Zoe Saldana , Dave Bautista , Vin Diesel , Bradley Cooper , Karen Gillan , Pom Klementieff , Elizabeth Debicki , Chris Pratt
- Runtime
- 150 minutes
4 Ethan Hunt
'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1' (2023)
Continuing in his seventh film of depth-defying, high-octane spy thriller action, Ethan Hunt and his capabilities are brought to their absolute limits in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1. The film sees Ethan and his team on another wild goose chase across the world, this time in search of two pieces of a key that shut down a dangerous AI. However, a terrifying force from Ethan's past, one that even he is deadly afraid of, enters the scene, exponentially increasing the danger of the mission.
Tom Cruise's role as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise has always been one defined by his quick wits and massive stuntwork, yet this first part of the final chapter of Ethan's story sets the stage to bring true closure to the character. Ethan strikes the perfect balance of still being energizing and electric yet fallible and human, a true, compelling hero. The living manifestation of destiny is in fine form this time around, cementing himself as possibly the most complex and fascinating hero in modern-day action.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
PG-13Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.
- Release Date
- July 12, 2023
- Director
- Christopher McQuarrie
- Cast
- Tom Cruise , Hayley Atwell , Rebecca Ferguson , Simon Pegg , Ving Rhames , Pom Klementieff , Henry Czerny
- Runtime
- 163 Minutes
3 John Wick
'John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)
In the climactic ending to his blood-soaked journey, John Wick finally puts an end to the price over his head and defeats the High Table once and for all. John Wick: Chapter 4 sees him traveling all across the world to take down the new deadly villain at the top of the pecking order, from the Osaka Continental to the streets of Paris. John faces off against some of his most dangerous opponents yet, as he grits through waves of enemy assassins to finally earn his freedom.
John Wick: Chapter 4 ups the ante in terms of action to an unbelievable degree, and John Wick is as capable and dangerous as he's ever been. The film acts as the ultimate culmination of John's story and arc throughout the series and doesn't pull any punches, making the film as emotionally resonating as enthralling and thrilling. Keanu Reeves goes out with a bang, delivering his most heartfelt performance without depriving John of his now-iconic ruthlessness. Chapter 4 is the perfect coda for John Wick, finally bringing him peace and ensuring his place as one of cinema's most complicated heroes.
John Wick: Chapter 4
R- Release Date
- March 24, 2023
- Director
- Chad Stahelski
- Cast
- Keanu Reeves , Donnie Yen , Bill Skarsgard , Laurence Fishburne , Hiroyuki Sanada , Lance Reddick
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
2 Miles Morales
'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' (2023)
The sequel to one of the biggest animated movies of the 2010s, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse continues the story of Miles Morales. Although he's getting used to being Spider-Man, his limits and capabilities as a superhero are tested during an adventure that spans the entire multiverse chasing a dangerous new villain, The Spot. Miles's motivations and goals as a hero put him at odds against the other Spider-people in the multiverse, and he soon finds himself with an even bigger target on his back.
Across the Spider-Verse delves deeper into the nature of being Spider-Man, an ideology that shines perfectly through Miles more than any other Spider-person, to his ultimate detriment. Miles cannot give up and accept defeat, despite nearly every probable outcome failing, but being a hero means that he has to try, no matter how hard and no matter what the authorities have to say. Miles' nature isolates him from his allies but cements him as a unique champion unafraid to follow his heart. He's an inspiring and endlessly compelling hero and one of Marvel's greatest creations.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
PG- Release Date
- June 2, 2023
- Director
- Joaquim Dos Santos , Kemp Powers , Justin K. Thompson
- Cast
- Shameik Moore , Hailee Steinfeld , Oscar Isaac , Jake Johnson
- Runtime
- 140 minutes
1 Barbie
'Barbie' (2023)
Barbie is far and away, without a shadow of a doubt and in just about every conceivable metric, the defining heroic figure in 2023 cinema. Her story of leaving Barbie Land and entering the real world doesn't seem overly heroic initially, but it soon becomes apparent that she has to become one. Barbie lives up to the place she always believed she had, becoming a force for change, acceptance, and equity.
Barbie proves that not every hero needs to defeat a dangerous villain to be iconic and resonate with audiences worldwide. The heroic traits that Barbie displays are easily some of the most commendable and easily likable of any individual hero in recent history, setting herself up as a revolutionary icon. Barbie's box office success is far from a fluke, as it is a testament to just how well her story resonated and connected with so many people. In the end, Barbie's journey of self-discovery is the most real because it reminds audiences of the struggles, hardships, and incredible rewards of being alive.
Barbie
PG-13- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Director
- Greta Gerwig
- Cast
- Margot Robbie , Simu Liu , Ryan Gosling , Helen Mirren , Ariana Greenblatt , America Ferrera
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
NEXT: The 13 Best Action Movie Heroes of All Time, Ranked According to Letterboxd
