Summary

• Harrison Ford shines as a villain in What Lies Beneath, showing his potential beyond heroic roles.
• Despite What Lies Beneath's mixed reviews, Ford's performance as the antagonist was chilling and memorable.
• Ford has not played a former villain since What Lies Beneath in 2000.

Over the course of his acting career, Han Solo in Star Wars in 1977, which was when the actor truly rose to prominence.

Harrison Ford has recently shifted from the big screen to the small screen with leading roles in Paramount+'s 1923 and Apple TV+'s Shrinking.

He later played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, which landed Ford his second mega-successful franchise after Star Wars​​​​​​. The actor would go on to appear in various notable films, from Blade Runner to Patriot Games, even scoring a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Detective Captain John Book in Witness. While Ford's resume is undoubtedly impressive, the vast majority of his movies have one thing in common — Ford always plays the hero, not the villain, which I find disappointing.

Harrison Ford Hasn't Played A Proper Villain Since 2000's What Lies Beneath

Ford Typically Plays Heroic Roles

Harrison Ford is notorious for portraying heroes on the big screen, but his performance as the antagonist in What Lies Beneath proves that should change. Ford starred as Dr. Norman Spencer in the 2000 supernatural horror film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Clark Gregg. While Ford's character isn't presented as the villain at the beginning of What Lies Beneath, his sinister ways emerge towards the end. Norman is the story's proper bad guy, which is a role that Ford rarely plays, and he truly hasn't since What Lies Beneath was released in 2000.

Following What Lies Beneath, Ford appeared in movies such as Firewall, Cowboys & Aliens, and 42. He also reprised his roles as Indiana Jones in the fourth and fifth installments of the franchise and as Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. So, Ford's reputation as a hero and very rarely a villain has continued over the past couple of decades. However, it's time for Ford to lean into his nefarious side in whatever films he stars in next.

What Lies Beneath Wasn't Great, But Showed Harrison Ford's Villain Potential

The 2000 Movie Has A 47% On Rotten Tomatoes

Even though What Lies Beneath certainly isn't the best movie in Harrison Ford's catalog, it's an important one that shows off his skills as an antagonist. The 2000 supernatural horror film was praised for its performances but criticized for its screenplay, resulting in a 47 percent Tomatometer score and 58 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes​​​​​​. Nevertheless, Ford was fantastic as the (spoiler alert) murderer in What Lies Beneath. His performance was chilling and terrifying, making the audience completely forget that Ford has played some of the most iconic heroes in cinematic history.

[Harrison Ford] proved he is capable of portraying not only a believable villain (which is half the battle, given Ford's reputation) but also one that is haunting and will leave an impression on viewers.

Perhaps What Lies Beneath's failures dissuaded Ford from taking on more villainous roles. However, that should never have stopped Ford from exploring this side of him as an actor. He proved he is capable of portraying not only a believable villain (which is half the battle, given Ford's reputation) but also one that is haunting and will leave an impression on viewers. Hopefully, Ford will play a bad guy again before he retires, and I will eagerly await if or when that day comes.

Harrison Ford's MCU Role Isn't The Villain Role I Wanted

Ford Is Playing Thunderbolt Ross In Captain America: Brave New World

One might say that Harrison Ford's role as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in the MCU counts as a proper onscreen villain, but I disagree. Yes, Ross certainly isn't a hero, and he's going to turn into Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. However, Ross is complex and falls more into the gray area instead of being a straight-up villain. Plus, it's the MCU, meaning that the vibes between What Lies Beneath and Captain America: Brave New World are very different, especially regarding the antagonists. Instead, I want Harrison Ford to play a more straight-laced villain in a thriller or drama.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes​​​​​​