9 Funniest Movie Characters Of 2021

Movie audiences really needed a good laugh in 2021, so thankfully there were a lot of funny characters who delivered the laughs in some big ways.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

More than most years, audiences needed a laugh in 2021. Luckily, while there were plenty of powerful dramatic movies and intense thrillers throughout the year, there was also lots of humor to be found in the world of cinema. And a number of hilarious characters stood out as delivering the biggest laughs.

While some of these characters come from the year's best comedy movies, there were also laugh-out-loud characters in superhero movies, thrillers, and adventure movies. Regardless of the genre, these characters helped fans escape for a little while and delivered some much-needed laughs.

9 Kano - Mortal Kombat

The violent and gory video game movie Mortal Kombat doesn't have a lot of laughs but any that are found are courtesy of the character Kano. The immoral and self-serving mercenary is the most entertaining character in the story thanks to his unfiltered views and constant sarcastic remarks.

The way he makes fun of his fellow warriors, his constant obsession over getting his own "superpowers", and the hilarious way he kept falling for the leg-sweeping move make for some laugh-out-loud moments.

8 Jason Orlean - Don't Look Up

The political satire Don't Look Up features a lot of very frustrating characters who choose to ignore the dangers staring them in the face. But the most detestable of all is Jason Orlean, the obnoxious and disgusting son of the equally ignorant president of the United States.

Jonah Hill does not shy away from making Jason awful in every conceivable way. With the end of the world on the line, he decides to give a speech about being grateful for "material things." And while he might be an exaggerated self-centered jerk, it's not hard to think of real people who are quite similar.

7 Trevor Slattery - Shang -Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Though some fans were not impressed with the Mandarin twist in Iron Man 3, it was hard to deny that failed actor Trevor Slattery was a pretty funny character. So there were many who were thrilled to see the character return once again in Shang-Chi and continue to embrace his wackiness.

Trevor is just as spacy as ever, even suggesting he thinks Planet of the Apes used real monkeys. He also has a surprisingly charming bond with a magical creature he names Morris. Trevor is an unexpected addition to the story and provides a terrific random comedic energy for the third act.

6 Peacemaker - The Suicide Squad

There are a lot of over-the-top supervillains that populate James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, but Peacemaker might be the most outrageous of them all. He is someone who sees himself as a patriotic hero fighting for peace regardless of how many men, women, and children he has to kill to achieve it.

His attempts to always be the coolest badass on the team make for some of the funniest lines in the movie. And his rivalry with Bloodsport is particularly entertaining. It will be great to see him take center stage in his own solo comedy series.

5 Estella - Cruella

Few fans could have predicted that a Disney villain known for wanting to turn dogs into clothes would be one of the most entertaining protagonists of the year. Cruella was a surprisingly fun reimagining of the classic villain which was elevated by Emma Stone's winning performance.

Stone brings considerable gravitas to the role while also embracing her terrific comedic skills. It is especially fun to see her go over the top as Estella continues to lean more into her "Cruella" persona.

Warning! Major spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home are featured in this article.

4 Red Guardian - Black Widow

Alexei aka Red Guardian is introduced as the Soviet Union's answer to Captain America. However, after years of being out of the costume and out of the super-soldier world, he is perhaps not as impressive as he once was.

David Harbor seems to be having a blast with his wild Russian accent and disheveled appearance. Alexei is also a hilarious "father figure" with a running gag in which his heartfelt speeches are interrupted and his idea of fatherly advice is a story about urinating on his hands.

3 Dude - Free Guy

While Ryan Reynolds is quite funny in his lead role as Guy in Free Guy, it is his surprising second character that really steals the show. Dude is designed to be a more muscle-bound replacement for Guy in the video game. However, with his character development not quite complete, he comes off as a hilariously dim-witted monster.

Despite his strength as he pulverizes Guy, it is impossible not to laugh as Dude says things like "catchphrase" that highlights his incomplete mind.

2 "Peter 3" - Spider-Man: No Way Home

It was such a thrill to see Andrew Garfield return as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man alongside the other wall-crawlers in Spider-Man: No Way Home. But it was even more of a treat to see him steal the show as the funniest Spider-Man.

Garfield's version was always a bit more brooding, but he gets many of the biggest laughs in the movie. From his confusing introduction to his reaction to being dubbed Peter 3 to his random declaration of love for his fellow Spider-Men, it's hard not to want to see more adventures with Garfield's Spider-Man.

1 Barb And Star - Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar

While technically two characters, Barb and Star come as a packed deal. Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar was one of the biggest surprises of the year, not just because of how funny it was, but also how bizarre it ended up being. But even as the plot gets wilder and the humor gets more absurd, it is still the lifelong friends at the center of the story that provide the most fun.

Watching these two do just about anything together is endlessly fun. Whether it is their obvious attempts at untying themselves from captivity, their detailed imagining of a woman named Trish, or their hilarious attempts to lie to each other, Barb and Star bring the laughs.

NEXT: 10 Best Movie Friendships Of 2021

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