The Paddington movies are full of heartfelt themes and fun shenanigans all centered around the titular little bear from Peru. These movies are absolutely adorable; every moment is exciting to watch and lovely to experience. And after five long years since Paddington 2, audiences finally have news about the third installment in the series, Paddington in Peru.
Though the movies, shows, and books involving sweet Paddington Bear have so much indescribable charm, they also have incredible villains. The first movie starred Nicole Kidman as the daughter of a banished explorer who wanted to taxidermy Paddington. The second movie starred Hugh Grant as a grandson of a circus magician searching for a treasure with the map inside Paddington’s antique pop-up book. The stories of the movies are so captivating, and the all-star cast makes it even more entertaining to watch, especially when it comes to the bad guys.
With the next movie coming up, viewers anxiously anticipate who the next antagonist might be and which British star might play the role.
Benedict Cumberbatch: A Calculating Villain
Although movie-goers have seen Benedict Cumberbatch take up the hero role in the past few years, this talented actor has played his fair share of darker characters, from Khan in the Star Trek universe to Smaug in The Hobbit trilogy. Cumberbatch has the conviction and the skills to play an exciting villain, as well as the looks and the voice. His handsomeness would make him disarming at first and allow him to come into the lives of the Brown family, just as Hugh Grant’s character was able to do, before revealing his true nature. His character would be suave yet manipulative and calculating but exciting to watch as you can never anticipate his next move.
Daniel Radcliffe: A Charming Villain
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Many people know this actor as the sweet-faced and incredibly blue-eyed soul always on the side of good (besides Elijah Wood, of course). But even though Radcliffe has often played heroes and kind souls, he’s had his turn as more ominous or antagonistic characters. He’s played villains in action-packed movies such as Now You See Me 2 and the recent film The Lost City.
Although Radcliffe plays these characters convincingly and captivatingly, most of his antagonists have a bit of goofy charm. It’s his funny little quirks and charisma that make his bad guys entertaining and a perfect fit for the world of Paddington Bear. His comedy would add to the various silly hijinks that are bound to happen in the third movie and would be a perfect complement to the other characters, as well as a continuing archetype based on his villainous predecessors.
Tim Curry: An Animated Villain
Then there’s the ever-talented Tim Curry, an icon throughout various films and shows. Tim Curry has a variety of styles and characters under his belt, although since suffering a stroke about a decade ago limits most of his acting roles to voice acting. His roles in voice acting have spanned generations, everything from The Wild Thornberrys to Over the Garden Wall.
Even though he may not be able to physically appear in a Paddington movie, he could still appear as another animated character alongside the beloved bear. His villain could be another animal that tries to infiltrate Paddington’s life or even rival him in a way that puts the bear’s goodness to the test.
Julie Andrews: An Unassuming Villain
Though the beloved Julie Andrews is known for particularly light-hearted roles, a good number of which are some iconic Disney roles, that’s precisely what makes her perfect to be a villain in the movie – she would be the unexpected wild card. Her lady-like poise and charm would make her unassuming and keep her hidden in plain sight as she secretly plots her scheme in the background.
She could be anything from a corporate villain set on cutting down the forests of Peru to an evil con artist set after Paddington himself. Anything is possible when it comes to Julie Andrews. Audiences know she plays all of her roles convincingly. Who’s to say she couldn’t be a villain?
Florence Pugh: A Sillier Villain
Then there’s the gorgeous and talented Florence Pugh, who has risen to stardom for her roles in horror movies and superhero movies and will be seen starring alongside Harry Styles later this year. Even though her usual roles tend to be more intimidating or action-packed than the Paddington movies, her sweet face and gentle voice would make her a perfect fit for the world of our Peruvian bear. Much like Daniel Radcliffe, Pugh also has a certain silliness to herself when she wants to and could also make for a good villain that leans towards the goofy side.
Europe has an abundance of famous actors that have the potential to appear in the upcoming Paddington movie; whether they’ve been beloved for a long time or have risen in stardom in the past decade, there is no shortage of skilled actors to take on the role. As audiences await more details on the cast and plot, we wait with anticipation to see what kind of villain we’re getting this time around.