Here’s a complete list of every actor who appears in both DC and Marvel comics movie and TV show adaptations. While superhero movies saw a renaissance with the arrival of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008, the genre goes back several decades. DC might have been on top with their popular Batman movies in the 1980s and 90s, but since then Marvel has run away with the game and left DC trying to catch up. In 2021, Marvel expanded their MCU with TV shows airing on Disney Plus which has only strengthened their character-driven narratives.

Owing to reboots, spin-offs, and rights issues it can be hard to keep track of every continuity taking place within the world of comic adaptations. While DC is running multiple different universes, with a couple set to converge in The Batman (2022), for Marvel things are even more complicated. Their main MCU now includes the multiverse, but because they had sold some of their properties to 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures Entertainment, there is a huge question mark hanging over whether films like Venom and Morbius or the many entries in the X-Men franchise are set to become part of the wider MCU.

With so many movies being based on the comics from DC and Marvel, these studios are always in need of actors to star in their respective films. The popularity of these brands has routinely allowed studios to attract major names but has also helped to turn lesser-known actors into huge stars. Because they have such a pull, actors seem willing to take full leading roles, positions as supporting cast, or even blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos. Here is a comprehensive list of the many actors who appear in both DC and Marvel movies and TV shows.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje made his first appearance in a superhero movie in 2013. He joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Thor: The Dark World where he played the Dark Elf named Algrim. This was the end of his MCU tenure, but he then played Killer Croc in 2016’s Suicide Squad. He has yet to return in a future DCEU movie.

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett got her start with superhero movies as a cast member in DC’s Green Lantern. She played Dr. Amanda Waller in the 2011 movie, a role that was taken over by Viola Davis in David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad. Since that franchise didn’t go anywhere, Bassett then joined the MCU in 2018 as Black Panther’s mother Ramonda. She has appeared in Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame so far and is expected to return in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck first played a superhero in 2003’s Daredevil as the blind lawyer Matt Murdock. It wasn’t until over a decade later that Affleck joined DC to be the next Batman. He debuted as the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and returned to cameo in Suicide Squad and star in Justice League. Affleck is scheduled to return as Batman in The Flash.

Ben Mendelsohn

Ben Mendelsohn originally joined a superhero movie in 2012, where he played Daggett in The Dark Knight Rises. The short-lived role left room for Mendelsohn to join the MCU a few years later as the Skrull, Talos. His debut as Talos came in 2018’s Captain Marvel and he made a surprising return in Spider-Man: Far From Home the following year.

Brett Cullen

Brett Cullen has appeared in several different superhero movies. He originally played Barton Blaze, the father of Johnny Blaze, in Ghost Rider. Cullen then switched to DC to play a congressman in The Dark Knight Rises, before playing Thomas Wayne in Joker a few years later.

Brian Tyree Henry

Brian Tyree Henry recently has gone all-in on superhero movie roles. He was a surprise addition to the cast of Joker, where he played an Arkham clerk named Carl. Henry was then the voice of Miles Morales’ father, Jefferson Davis, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Next, Henry will appear in Eternals and play Phastos.

Chris Evans

Chris Evans is best known for his MCU superhero role, but he played other comic book characters before then. Evans played Johnny Storm aka Human Torch in two Fantastic Four films in the mid-2000s. But, he then played Jensen in The Losers, which is based on a DC Vertigo comic. It was in 2011 that Evans debuted as Captain America in the MCU before he eventually retired the role in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Chris Pine

Chris Pine has taken parts in both DC and Marvel movies too. He debuted as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman and is slated to return for Wonder Woman 1984, even though his character died in the original film. Pine also provided the voice for Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Christian Bale

Before the MCU existed, Christian Bale was already working to bring superheroes movies back as he appeared in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy in the eponymous role. Beginning with Batman Begins in 2005, he returned for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises before retiring from the role. In 2022 he is set to make his first appearance in Marvel property as he played the villain Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Ciarán Hinds

Ciarán Hinds has played villains in DC and Marvel movies. His first came with Marvel as he played Roarke aka Mephisto in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. More recently, Hinds was the voice behind Steppenwolf in Justice League. He’ll return to voice the character in Zack Snyder’s cut of the movie for HBO Max.

Clancy Brown

Clancy Brown hasn’t physically appeared in a Marvel or DC movie, but he has been the voice of two villains. Brown provided the voice for Parallax in Green Lantern. He then joined the cast of Thor: Ragnarok to bring Surtur to life. His comics voice acting credits go beyond the movies, however, with extensive appearances in both DC and Marvel Comics animated productions dating back to his 1996 appearance as Sasquatch in The Incredible Hulk TV series.

Danny Huston

Danny Huston is another comic book movie villain veteran for both brands. He got his start playing Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009, where he was a younger version of the character Brian Cox previously played. Huston then joined the cast of Wonder Woman to play the German general Ludendorff.

David Dastmalchian

David Dastmalchian’s introduction to the world of comic book adaptations was in a very early role for the actor as one of Joker’s thugs in The Dark Kight. He entered the MCU in 2015’s Ant-Man as one of Paul Rudd’s sidekicks and reprised the role in the sequel. He returned to the DC adaptations Abra Kadabra in The Flash TV series before taking a major role in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad as Polka-Dot Man.

David Harbour

David Harbour became a household name for his appearance as Detective Jim Hopper in Stranger Things. In 2021, he entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Russian supersoldier Red Guardian in Black Widow, a movie that was released drastically out of chronological order and promises to set up future appearances. However, before any of that he portrayed Dexter Tolliver in the 2016 Suicide Squad, a liaison between the US Government and the Suicide Squad and helps Amanda Waller to get approval for Task Force X. He also appeared in the 2019 adaptation of the Hellboy comics, however, while the character has appeared in DC crossovers, the character himself belongs to neither Marvel nor DC.

Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsou has appeared in several different DC and Marvel movies. His first appearance with DC came when he played Midnite in Constantine. Hounsou then moved to the MCU to play Korath in Guardians of the Galaxy. He later returned to DC to voice King Ricou in Aquaman, then played Korath again in Captain Marvel, and most recently jumped back to DC to play The Wizard in Shazam!

Halle Berry

Halle Berry was a prominent star of superhero movies in the early 2000s. She started off playing Ororo Munroe aka Storm in X-Men and X2: X-Men United. Before finishing the trilogy, Berry jumped to DC to play Patience Phillips in a Catwoman solo movie. Berry then returned to the X-Men franchise for X-Men: The Last Stand and came back almost a decade later to play Storm again in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving began his time with comic book movies thanks to the movie adaptation of V for Vendetta. The comic book the movie is based on wasn’t a DC comic when it was created, but it was published as a limited series by DC later on. Weaving played « V » in the 2006 movie. He later played Johann Schmidt aka Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger but did not reprise the role during the characters appearances in Avengers: Endgame or Marvel’s What If…?.

Idris Elba

Idris Elba is no stranger to comic book movies, as he’s tackled multiple roles for DC and Marvel. His first role came as Roque in The Losers in 2010 before making his MCU debut as Heimdall in 2011’s Thor. Elba then appeared in a non-MCU Marvel movie as Moreau in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, but then returned as Heimdall in both Thor sequels and Avengers: Infinity War – where his character died. While Heimdall might be dead, Idris Elba has said he doesn’t think it’s the end of the character, and with the multiverse in play anything is possible. in 2021 he returned to DC to star as Bloodsport in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

James Marsden

James Marsden joined his first superhero movie in 2000, as he played Scott Summers aka Cyclops in X-Men. He returned to play the role in the two sequels before moving to DC temporarily. Marsden then played Perry White’s son Richard in Superman Returns. He later reprised his role as Cyclops in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Jared Leto

First appearing in Suicide Squad (2016), Jared Leto’s portrayal of The Joker was a far cry from anything that had been seen before and became controversial among audiences. The character returned in Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League, and is set for a future untitled standalone project. In 2022 Leto will enter the world of Marvel comics adaptations as the lead in Morbius. The movie is being made by Sony Pictures rather than Marvel themselves and is set to be part of their own Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters alongside the Venom movies and the upcoming Kraven the Hunter. Yet trailers reveal an appearance from Michael Keaton’s Vulture, a character that appears in Spider-Man: Homecoming, suggesting that Sony and Marvel might be working on producing crossover material.

JK Simmons

JK Simmons began his time in superhero movies in 2002 with Spider-Man. He played J. Jonah Jameson throughout Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, which ended in 2007. Several years later, Simmons moved to DC to play Commissioner Jim Gordon in Justice League. However, he has since played Jameson again thanks to a cameo at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello entered the superhero movie world with Spider-Man too. He played bully Flash Thompson in the first film, didn’t return for the sequel, but was back for Spider-Man 3. More recently, Manganiello came to DC to play Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke in Justice League.

Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin has frequently appeared in comic book movies. His first role came with DC as the lead of Jonah Hex in 2010, but that was it for Brolin before moving to Marvel. He played Thanos in the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. During this time, though, Brolin also played Cable in 2018’s Deadpool 2.

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne is another actor who has appeared in a variety of comic book movies. His first credit comes from his voice, as he provided the voice of Silver Surfer in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Fishburne then joined DC to play Daily Planet’s Perry White. He made his DCEU debut in Man of Steel and then returned for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Fishburne most recently joined the MCU to play Bill Foster in Ant-Man and The Wasp.

Michael Clarke Duncan

Michael Clarke Duncan joined his first superhero movie in 2003. He played Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin in Daredevil. Several years later, Duncan moved from Marvel to join DC, even though he wasn’t physically on screen. He provided the voice for Kilowog, the protector of Sector 674, in Green Lantern.

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender has recently been one of the leads of a Marvel franchise, but he got his start with DC. He originally played Burke in 2010’s Jonah Hex. The following year, Fassbender made the jump to Marvel to play Erik Lensherr aka Magneto. His debut came in X-Men: First Class. Fassbender returned to play Magneto in three more X-Men sequels.

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton is one of the original stars of comic book movies. He made his DC debut as Bruce Wayne aka Batman in 1989’s Batman. Keaton reprised his role as the Dark Knight a few years later for Batman Returns. After staying away from comic book movies for decades, Keaton joined the MCU to play Adrian Toomes aka Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming. He’s scheduled to reprise that role in Morbius but will also play Batman again in The Flash.

Michael Rooker

There are some directors that like to work with the same actors again and again, and James Gunn is one of those directors. When making Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, Gunn brought in Michael Rooker, who has appeared in every film he has directed, to play Yondu Udonta, a role that he reprises in What If…?. When Gunn was brought in by DC to resurrect The Suicide Squad, he brought Rooker in for a brief but memorable role as Savant.

Michelle Pfeiffer

Speaking of Batman Returns, this is where Michelle Pfeiffer made her debut in a comic book movie. She played Selina Kyle aka Catwoman in the movie. Several years after, Pfeiffer joined the MCU to play Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp. She made her debut in Ant-Man and The Wasp and is expected to return for future MCU movies.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman also got her start in the comic book movie genre with DC, as she played Evey in V for Vendetta. A few years later, Portman made the transition to the MCU to play Jane Foster. She made her debut in Thor and returned for Thor: The Dark World. Portman is scheduled to return as Jane and become Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022.

Nathan Fillion

Nathan Fillion has voiced multiple DC characters in animated adaptations in the past, including Steve Trevor and Green Lantern. His appearance in the MCU and his live-action DC appearance, like Michael Rooker, come in connection to James Gunn. He voiced an inmate in the first Guardians of the Galaxy and revealed that his appearance in the sequel was left on the cutting room floor. Also like Rooker, he was brought in for a brief and hilarious appearance at the start of The Suicide Squad as T.D.K. or « The Detachable Kid. »

Pom Klementieff

A third actor that can claim appearances in not only DC and Marvel Comics movies, but specifically in ones directed by James Gunn is Pom Klementieff. Introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as the villain Ego’s sidekick, Kelmentieff portrayed Mantis and has returned to the role several times since. Her first appearance in a DC adaptation was in an extremely brief and uncredited cameo in The Suicide Squad. Sharp-eyed viewers spotted Pom Klementieff as a dancer in a bar that the main group visit in Corto Maltese.

Rachel Weisz

First appearing in another earlier DC movie, Rachel Weisz first appeared in the 2005 comic adaptation of Constantine. While the original movie received mixed reviews from longtime fans of the comics, Keanu Reeves’ comeback has led to a sequel for the movie entering the works. It is so far unclear whether Rachel Weisz will return as Angela Dodson. In 2021, Weisz made her MCU debut as she crossed over to appear as Melina, Natasha Romanoff’s deep-cover mother, in Black Widow.

Randall Park

Randall Park recently double-dipped in the superhero movie genre. He played Agent Jimmy Woo in Ant-Man and The Wasp in 2018, but then appeared in Aquaman the same year. Park played Dr. Stephen Shin in the DCEU movie. Park is expected to reprise both of these roles in the future, but so far only an appearance as Woo in WandaVision is confirmed.

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds is no stranger to comic book movie roles. His first Marvel role was as Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, but he then played Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Reynolds then moved to DC to play Hal Jordan in Green Lantern. However, Reynolds remained interested in playing Deadpool and finally got the chance to play a proper version of the Merc With a Mouth in Deadpool and Deadpool 2.

Sean Gunn

As James Gunn reuses so many actors, it is perhaps not surprising that one of the actors that made it into both his DC and Marvel Comics adaptations is his own brother. Sean and James have worked together on many projects in the past, so this is nothing new. In the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and the related MCU entries, Sean Gunn plays Kraglin but also provides the on-set motion capture for Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Racoon. Similarly, in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Sean has a brief cameo as Calendar Man and also provides the mocap for Weasel.

Sylvester Stallone

The DC and Marvel Comics names have a lot of pull when it comes to getting big names, and James Gunn presumably adds to that. Sylvester Stallone debuted in the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in a small role as the ravager captain Stakar Ogord, a character who, in the comics, has appeared in some iterations of the Guardians team itself. Stallone then went on to appear in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad providing the voice for King Shark in a manner that might remind some audience members of Vin Diesel’s portrayal of Groot.

Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi is best known as the director of Thor: Ragnarok, but he’s also had roles in both Marvel and DC movies. He also had a role in Green Lantern, where he played Hal’s best friend Tom Kalmaku. Waititi then gave himself a role in the MCU when he directed Thor Ragnarok. He played Korg in the movie and has since returned in Avengers: Endgame. He returned to the DC adaptations for a brief cameo in The Suicide Squad where he appears as Ratcatcher in a flashback giving a life lesson to his daughter, Ratcatcher 2.

Terence Stamp

Terence Stamp has also appeared in DC and Marvel movies. His first appearance came in Superman, where he played the villainous General Zod. Stamp was also seen as Zod a few years later in Superman II. 25 years later, Stamp made an appearance in a Marvel movie, as he played Stick in Elektra.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton originally joined DC instead of Marvel. She played Gabriel in Keanu Reeves’ Constantine in 2005 but has moved to the MCU more recently. Swinton joined the cast of Doctor Strange to play the Ancient One, which was a controversial choice at the time. She later returned in Avengers: Endgame thanks to time travel after her character died in Doctor Strange.

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy has already played two major Marvel and DC characters. His first outing came when he reteamed with Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight Rises to play Bane. Hardy has since joined Marvel and helped Sony launch their own villain universe with Venom. He’s set to return as Eddie Brock in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones has taken parts in both DC and Marvel movies too. His first comic book movie role was Harvey Dent aka Two-Face in Batman Forever. Jones joined the MCU several decades later to play Colonel Phillips in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe played a key part in Sony’s original Spider-Man franchise, as he debuted as Norman Osborn aka Green Goblin in the 2002 Sam Raimi film. Despite the character dying, Dafoe reprised his role as Green Goblin for both of the sequels. He recently joined the DCEU to play Vulko in Aquaman and his role in Justice League will be restored in the Snyder Cut.

Zachary Levi

Zachary Levi has also appeared in films based on DC and Marvel comics. He originally was part of the MCU, as he was cast as Fandral in Thor: The Dark World. Levi replaced Josh Dallas for the sequel and returned briefly in Thor: Ragnarok. He has most recently played the lead role in Shazam! and will return to star in Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana has spent the last several years in the MCU, but she was in a DC movie before that. Saldana played Aisha in The Losers four years she joined the MCU to play Gamora. Saldana made her MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy and reprised the role in the sequel and the last two Avengers films. She’s now slated to return for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Gamora from a different universe.

More Actors With DC & Marvel Roles

• Bambadjan Bamba in Suicide Squad and Black Panther
• Brad Kelly in X-Men: The Last Stand and Man of Steel
• Benita Ha in Catwoman and X-Men: The Last Stand
• Benjamin Bratt in Catwoman and Doctor Strange
• Brent Briscoe in Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight Rises
• Callan Mulvey in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
• Carl Lumby in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and as Martian Manhunter in multiple DC animated series
• Chin Han in The Dark Knight and Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• Christopher Fairbank in Batman and Guardians of the Galaxy
• Christopher Heyerdahl in Blade: Trinity and Catwoman
• Coolio in Batman & Robin and Daredevil
• Darryl Scheelar in Blade: Trinity and Watchmen
• David Fabrizio in X-Men 2 and Superman Returns
• Doug Abrahams in Fantastic Four and Man of Steel
• Doug Hutchison in Batman & Robin and Punisher: War Zone
• Doug Jones in Batman Returns and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
• Florence Kasumba in Wonder Woman and the MCU (Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, and Avengers: Infinity War)
• Gonzalo Menendez in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and The Dark Knight Rises
• Henry Kingi in Batman Returns and Blade
• Ian Tracey in Elektra and Man of Steel
• Jack Betts in Batman & Robin and Spider-Man
• Jill Krop in Blade: Trinity and Catwoman
• Jon Favreau in Batman Forever and the MCU
• Kenneth Choi in the MCU (Captain America: The First Avenger and Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Suicide Squad
• Kobna Holdbrook-Smith in Doctor Strange and Justice League
• Kwesi Ameyaw in Blade: Trinity and Man of Steel
• Lance E. Nichols in Green Lantern and Fant4stic
• Jeff Wolfe in Green Lantern and The Avengers
• Julian Richings in X-Men: The Last Stand and Man of Steel
• Maureen Brennan in Jonah Hex and Logan
• Michasha Armstrong in Catwoman and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
• Michael Kopsa in Fantastic Four and Watchmen
• Michael Reid MacKay in Batman & Robin and X-Men 2
• Michael Massee in Catwoman and The Amazing Spider-Man
• Michael Murphy in Batman Returns and X-Men: The Last Stand
• Michael Papajohn in Hulk and Jonah Hex
• Mike Dopud in Man of Steel and X-Men: Days of Future Past
• Ned Beatty – Superman 1 & 2 and Captain America
• Parker Posey in Blade: Trinity and Superman Returns
• Peter Wingfield in X-Men 2 and Catwoman
• Rade Serbedzija in Batman Begins and X-Men: First Class
• Ray Wise in Swamp Thing and X-Men: First Class
• Richard Brake in Batman Begins and Thor: The Dark World
• Richard Cetrone in Thor and Man of Steel
• Steve Agee as Gef in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and John Economos in The Suicide Squad
• Tao Okamoto in The Wolverine and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
• Tara Strong as Loki as Miss Minutes and as Batgirl, Raven, and others in various DC animated productions
• Tim DeZarn in Steel and Spider-Man
• Tim Robbins in Howard the Duck and Green Lantern
• Wes Bentley in Ghost Rider and Jonah Hex
• Wunmi Mosaku in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Loki

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