Mr. Freeze is one of Batman’s greatest enemies, but which of his appearances on both the big and small screens stand out as the best?
Mr. Freeze has been a regular presence in the Batman mythology for over half a century. During that time, he has evolved more times than perhaps any of The Dark Knight’s villains. And yes, we mean evolved.
Originally a more gimmicky baddie by the name of Mr. Zero, the character debuted in DC Comics in 1959 before he was eventually renamed Mr. Freeze. Used in an abundance of outlandish and cartoonish storylines, it soon became clear that, outside of his unique appearance, he really wasn’t all that interesting. That is, until a ’90s reinvention changed everything.
Now a heartbroken husband attempting to cure his ill wife, Mr. Freeze is among the greatest and best-developed comic book villains of all time. A tragic but engaging character, fans fell in love with the troubled Victor Fries thanks to his portrayal in Batman: The Animated Series and it’s hard to imagine where he would be without that narrative revamp.
In fact, fans are hoping that the DC Universe’s Elseworlds saga will give Mr. Freeze the Joker treatment and produce a film focused on his tragic origins. It would certainly be awesome to see that happen, but even then, the icy villain has appeared on our screens quite a lot over the years.
From a recurring presence on the ’60s Batman TV show to that notorious big-screen adaptation, a lot of us are familiar with the famous Freezes, but which ones were truly worth remembering and which ones will we struggle to forget? As we continue to celebrate Batman Day, let’s take this opportunity to reflect on all of the Bat-foe’s most famous appearances and rank them.
Note: While there were multiple other actors to voice Mr. Freeze on TV and in video games, this list will take a look at the seven most famous (and best) to do so on the big-screen or small-screen.
7. Arnold Schwarzenegger
As a huge fan of the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger, it pains this writer to place the legend so low on this list, but that’s just an example of the effect that the infamous Batman & Robin still has on audiences to this day.
It’s one thing to play the cornier version of Mr. Freeze, but what the 1997 film did was far worse. Taking the acclaimed rewrite of the character’s origins, Batman & Robin paired it with all the elements that the character embodied years ago, turning what should have been a heartbroken man struggling to save his wife into a heartbroken man struggling to save his wife who makes ice puns about his own condition.
In all fairness to Arnie, he was limited by the cartoonish script and if his later performances in the likes of Maggie and Aftermath prove anything, it’s that he would’ve been capable of bringing the tragic version of the character to life had he been allowed to do so.
That said, if you could forget everything the film stood for, he was wonderfully larger-than-life, ridiculously campy and always brought a smile to your face. Given what he had to work with, that sounds like a job well done. And one that he certainly had a damn good time doing.
6. Nathan Darrow
Nathan Darrow allowed fans to see Mr. Freeze’s origins right off the bat with his nuanced take on the Mr. Freeze character in Fox’s Gotham. Certainly inspired by the version created in Batman: The Animated Series, Gotham – as we’ve come to expect from the Batman prequel – put its own spin on the classic tale we know so well.
Trying to save his wife so desperately that it ultimately leads to Nora’s death, Victor decides that the only way out of the life he created for himself was to leave it behind. However, in taking his own formula in a bid to end his life, he ended up changing himself beyond recognition – becoming the illustrious Batman villain we all know and love.
Chilling white and blue eyes and white wavy hair, Gotham‘s Mr. Freeze paid tribute to both versions of the character. Though he started off with the tragic backstory, he soon became a henchman for hire, offering his services to various villains in Gotham, including Hugo Strange and The Penguin.
Though Darrow was brilliant, the problem here is that Freeze felt lost for a purpose after his arrival and, considering his great introduction was, that felt like a missed opportunity.
5. Eli Wallach
The third of the three Mr. Freeze interpretations to appear on the classic 1966 Batman TV series, Eli Wallach’s portrayal was equally as memorable as both of his predecessors. Though he wore the same outfit that Otto Preminger’s Freeze donned before him, he looked remarkably different.
His face was more blue – as opposed to Preminger’s purple and George Sanders’ complete lack of make-up. The real difference, however, came in the form of his hair as he sported frozen hair – complete with frosty eyebrows.
In terms of performance, Wallach gave the role his absolute everything, barking orders down his unique communication device with his incredibly distinct tone – and it worked a treat, making it easy to see why the role ultimately brought the esteemed actor the most adoration of all his performances.
The only downside here is that the script restricted this Freeze to more of an overarching big boss than a fun weekly villain, meaning that he relied too heavily on others to do his bidding instead of coming out into the action like his predecessors. That being said, Wallach made it work with complete ease as he turned in a performance that complements a career that is already so legendary without it.
4. Otto Preminger
With his bright orange eyebrows and unique Freeze-collar, Otto Preminger’s interpretation of Mr. Freeze may just be the most eye-catching of them all, but it really must be said that he backs it all up with his performance.
The second Mr. Freeze to appear on the 1966 Batman series, Preminger took over from George Sanders when the character returned in the second season and he wasted little time making the character his own.
Adding unique quirks to the villain, the veteran would often twiddle the corner of his eyebrow when things were going his way, before exclaiming “Wild!” with an evil laugh. He was sinister, but in a comical kind of way that totally worked for the tone of the series. But, of the three Freezes on the show, he was also the most formidable.
Concocting a nefarious scheme that made all of Gotham lose faith in Batman and Robin’s ability as crime-fighters, he was a mastermind that was much smarter than the colorful comic books at the time suggested. And with a larger-than-life presence like Preminger commanding the screen, you can bet that we all took him incredibly seriously.
He was also the first actor to make us feel sympathy for Mr. Freeze (in the closing moments of his two-parter when he loses his Freeze collar) and that’s an emotion we have come to associate with the character.
He was, for lack of a better term, wild.
3. Clancy Brown
While the 2004 animated series The Batman never shied away from deep storylines and long-form storytelling (the Clayface arc in the first season was particularly brilliant), it ultimately opted for a simpler version of Mr. Freeze.
Perhaps the creators wanted to distance the show from one of Batman: The Animated Series‘ greatest creations or maybe they just wanted to do their own thing; either way, we got a rather memorable replacement.
A diamond thief whose interactions with The Batman resulted in a life-changing accident that turned him into the legendary villain, he constantly resurfaces for both his diamonds and for revenge. Unlike previous versions of the character, this Mr. Freeze can shoot ice from his hands and his face-covering is more of a contorted iceberg than a helmet.
This iteration is voiced by Clancy Brown, whose deep and echoed tones go a long way in adding an intimidation aspect not usually associated with the character. While the decade prior this had humanized the character, Brown’s performance made him seem much more demonic. And this (along with the innovative redesign) made what could have come across as a one-dimensional character that much more interesting.
His standout moment may just be “Artifacts” – the brilliant standalone episode set 1000 years in the future in which he wreaks havoc on Gotham.
2. George Sanders
The first of the three Mr. Freezes to appear on the classic 1966 Batman TV series, George Sanders showed up rather early in the first season, appearing in the fourth set of two-parters (episodes 7 and 8).
Originally known as Dr. Schimmel, this frosty fiend held Batman responsible for an accident that turned him into the villainous Mr. Freeze. A great way of adding some depth to the once-cartoonish villain, it should be known that Sanders’ interpretation is actually responsible for his comic book counterpart’s evolution as DC changed the character’s name following this (as he was initially known as Mr. Zero).
He also sported the most recognizable look of the three Mr. Freezes (in spite of the fact that his skin wasn’t blue) as he wore an all-grey body suit and a helmet that protected him from the warm temperatures of the outside world. He also sported a smart suit whenever he was safe in the frosty conditions of his lair.
Sanders himself did a great job with the role, portraying Freeze as both a jewel-obsessed thief and a man determined to get revenge on the Caped Crusader he blamed for the accident – a strong motivation that Sanders conveyed with ease.
1. Michael Ansara
From the moment that this writer began compiling this list, it was clear that there was never any other option for the top spot than the incomparable Michael Ansara. The veteran performer – who had already had an incredible film career by the time ’92 rolled around – lent his voice to the version of Mr. Freeze that would redefine (and go on to define) the character.
With the writers having turned the once-gimmicky villain into a tragic character with a Shakespearean backstory, Ansara was tasked with capturing Victor Fries’ anguish in the space of a 20 minute episode. Needless to say, he accomplished that – and so much more.
A voice performance that exemplifies how cold-hearted the closed-off Freeze had become after what happened to his wife without ever verging too far into the robotic territory, empathy was an emotion that we all soon felt when watching the Emmy-winning triumph that is “Heart of Ice”. And it was through this (and his subsequent reprisals in a later episode, the film Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, spin-off shows The New Batman Adventures and Batman Beyond and video game Batman: Vengeance) that the definitive version of Mr. Freeze was born.
Often mimicked but never replaced, Ansara’s tragic performance was nothing short of perfection.
Which version of Mr. Freeze is your favorite? How did you celebrate Batman Day weekend?