The Top 10 Best Movie Deities

5. Gozer- Ghostbusters

Also known as Gozer the Gozerian, Gozer the Destructor, Gozer the Traveler, Volguus Zildrohar and Lord of the Sebouillia, Gozer is an ancient Summatrian deity from about 6000 BC. An interdimensional, shapeshifting entity, Gozer was worshiped by the Cult of Gozer that set in motion plans to bring their dark lord to the mortal plane. In true godly fashion, Gozer is preceded by two demi-gods, Vinz Clortho, The Keymaster and Zuul, The Gatekeeper. Once these hell hounds meet up, it’s game over for the human race. At least that’s what his cult thought. Turns out the human race had a secret weapon in the form of the Ghostbusters. Gozer’s arrogance allowed them to pick the form of their destruction, resulting in one of the best giant movie monsters and one of the most delicious midtown disasters of all time.  

4. Zeus (2010)- Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans

The Greeks are back! This time it’s the big dawg of the pantheon, the lightning slinger, mister “baby daddy,’ Zeus! There have been a lot of big-screen versions of this god over the years, but the one that really captured that callous, wrathful king of the gods feel was Liam Neeson. Overall, Clash of the Titans wasn’t the best movie ever, but even the bad ones can get some things right. That’s why Neeson is taking a place among the rest of the movie deities on this list. His version of Zeus is an angry and self-righteous deadbeat dad who only “steps up” in order to get his kid to do him a favor. It might sound like I’m being hard on the big guy, but the truth is that Zeus was kind of a jerk. Just take a look at those old myths again sometime, and you might be surprised at just how accurate Neeson’s portrayal was.     

3. God- Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty

If there is a God up there with a capital “G,” then he most definitely looks and sounds like Morgan Freeman. There have been a ton of actors who have played the heavenly father over the years, but Freeman was made for the role. He’s got a voice that’s so smooth and soothing, it could end wars, a knowing smile that never seems smug or condescending, and the sort of benevolent patience that hints at a grander plan. Plus, he’s got the kindest face in the industry. Slap a white suit on his, put him in front of the camera, and you immediately get some almighty vibes. Show me a man who claims they don’t like Morgan Freeman, and I’ll show you a liar. When it comes to movie deities, few have made such a lasting impression on me. It’s hard to picture the guy with the bushy white beard up in the clouds when Freeman just seems so much more, well, godly.    

2. The Supreme Being- Time Bandits

Before you say anything, I know that technically, Ralph Richardson’s The Supreme Being was intended to be representative of God with a capital “G.” However, agnostics out there could argue that their belief in something bigger than themselves could best be described as a supreme being. That was enough for me to justify the existence of a loophole to include both God and The Supreme Being on this list of movie deities. Like a lot of the celestial beings on this list, The Supreme Being acts in mysterious ways. Throughout Time Bandits, he appears as a menacing floating face chasing after the time travelers as they try to escape through history using the map that they stole from him. Turns out the whole thing was a stress test for all of existence (ain’t that always the way with gods?) and he allowed the whole thing to happen under his watchful eye. Guess he’s still working out the kinks in creation, but hey, we’re all a work in progress. 

1. Thor- The MCU

Thor was one of the many Norse gods worshiped by Vikings back in the days of old. These days most of his followers only worship him in the halls of cinema. The big guy was always kind of a hero, so when he joined the likes of Captain America and Iron Man, it seemed like the perfect fit. Of course, there are a lot of Asgardians that probably deserve a spot on this list, such as Thor’s deceitful brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) or the mighty All-Father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). I chose Thor (Chris Hemsworth) because, despite being a god, he’s the most human of them all. He makes mistakes and has to learn from them as he constantly tries to do his best, and I think that’s an important thing we mortals need to remember. Despite his screw-ups and uncertainty at times, when the chips are down, he’s the first one to pick up his mighty hammer and stand strong against the injustices of the universe, making him the best of the movie deities of this list.  

Animated: God- Monty Python and the Holy Grail 

I told you I’d have an animated honorable mention for this list of movie deities. It was tough since there have been some pretty great cartoon gods over the years. However, after a lot of soul searching and communing with higher powers of my own, I decided that Graham Chapman’s take on the heavenly father deserved the honor. Despite Monty Python and the Holy Grail being a live-action movie, God appears in the iconic animation style from the series and is just as smart-mouthed as you would expect from the comedy troupe. He begrudgingly doles out tasks for King Arthur and his knights, and you can just imagine him grumbling to himself the whole time among the clouds of his kingdom. It kinda hits the nail on the head how I envision the Roman-Catholic version of God up in heaven, making him a perfect addition.  

Shout-Out: God- Dogma

I said that I would only include one version of each god in the list above. However, I have to give a shout-out to Alanis Morissette’s version of the “man” upstairs in Dogma. Despite not having much screen time, she makes a perfect impression. This version of God loves the little things about her creation, the salt air, the feel of grass on her toes, skee ball… The point is that she’s happy to sit back and let humans do their thing for the most part, which is kind of a relief for all of us who believe in free will. She might not be the chattiest movie deity in history, but she can speak volumes without saying a single word. Besides, she’s got a guy for that.

Dishonorable Mention: Gods of Egypt

I mentioned white-washing above with Raiden, but he’s got nothing on God of Egypt. The film is one of the most infamous examples of the taboo in modern movie history as actors like Gerard Butler, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Geoffrey Rush are cast as Egyptian deities. Now, I’m actually a fan of Egyptian mythology, but my mind recoiled at the sight of the whitest actors in Hollywood tackling roles that very clearly should have been played by people with a bit more color to them. Despite there being a few cool visual effects in the film, these movie deities are getting a well deserved dishonorable mention.

Those are my favorite movie deities that have graced the big screen over the years. However, I know that there are not only other gods that have appeared in films, but also other versions of the gods I mentioned above. If I missed a great one, be sure to let me know in the comments above. Rest assured that I’ll be updating this list and new movie deities hit theaters. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how the rankings might change.