Jason Momoa has been cast in a new DC Universe role, and that increases the chances that other DCEU stars could come back to the franchise in exciting new roles. Momoa led DC’s highest-grossing film of all time, 2018’s Aquaman. Due to that, it was always expected that the actor would play one of the DCU’s canon characters. As such, his return was not a surprise, but the fact that he ditched Aquaman to play Lobo was the interesting part of the announcement.
DCEU stars had already returned in James Gunn’s DC Universe. However, John Cena as Peacemaker, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and most of the other returning stars reprised their characters. Momoa’s high-profile recast as Lobo sparks more possibilities for upcoming DC movies, as Gunn’s DCU could bring back some major DCEU stars in new roles, and the director has even talked to a few actors about such an idea.
10
Asher Angel As Nightwing
Played Billy Batson In The DCEU
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After Shazam! Fury of the Gods bombed at the box office, and star Zachary Levi’s performance was criticized, it is likely that the characters in the franchise will sit out of the DCU for some time. This could free stars like Asher Angel to play new DCU roles. While Levi’s performance in Shazam! Fury of the Gods faced criticism, Angel’s was the movie’s most positive aspect.
The young actor can bring a lot of emotion to his roles. Angel also made Billy Batson one of the DCEU’s most charismatic characters, and that is a key trait of DC Comics’ Dick Grayson. Since the Batfamily will appear in the DCU, Angel could play Nightwing, graduating to a superhero now and not just his regular counterpart. It also helps that Asher Angel has teased playing Nightwing and has bulked up considerably since his Shazam! days.
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Ben Affleck As James Gordon
Played Batman In The DCEU
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This one might be a controversial choice. Having Ben Affleck go from Batman, arguably DC’s most popular hero, to Jim Gordon, one of the Dark Knight’s most important supporting characters, might not land well with some fans. However, it is the kind of legacy casting that DC has done in the past, and Affleck would excel as Jim Gordon. If the DCU’s Batman was around Superman actor David Corenswet’s age — 31 — then Affleck’s Gordon would be around 20 years older than him.
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James Gunn previously revealed that he hoped Affleck would join the DCU as a director. While Affleck later said he had no interest in that, a return as Jim Gordon would allow the star to tap into his past Batman experience without the drama of the previous DC regime. Affleck loves noir stories, as seen by his passion project Live By Night, and as the gruff Gordon, he could have that with the GCPD.
8
Jesse Eisenberg As The Riddler
Played Lex Luthor In The DCEU
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Recently, Jesse Eisenberg revealed that he felt his criticized version of Lex Luthor in the DCEU hurt his career in a real way. Eisenberg is a very talented actor, as his work in movies like The Social Network show, he was just not a good fit for Lex Luthor. However, the way the actor portrayed Superman’s nemesis in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would make him the perfect pick for a Batman villain.
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While Lex Luthor is a cold, calculating character, the Riddler can be more outlandish in how he displays his intelligence. The manic energy that Eisenberg brought to his Lex would make him perfect for the Riddler in Gunn’s DCU. Since the franchise is said to be closer to the comics, the actor could fully delve into that stylized approach instead of the realistic Riddler from The Batman universe.
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Grace Caroline Currey As Wonder Woman
Played Mary Bromfield/Marvel In The DCEU
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If James Gunn’s DC Universe has no problem going back to DCEU stars for new roles, then one of those could be for one of the DCU’s biggest players. Wonder Woman has only appeared in the DCU so far in a Creature Commandos cameo, where she was dead in a vision of a bleak future alongside Batman, Superman, and many other heroes.
That was enough to confirm DC’s concrete plans to have the Trinity together again in the Justice League. Since Gunn previously said that Batman could be a couple of years older than Superman star David Corenswet, who is 31, the 28-year-old Grace Caroline Currey would be the perfect age for Wonder Woman. In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Currey showed she could nail a fierce and confident hero and make her extremely charismatic, which is perfect for Wonder Woman.
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Gal Gadot As Talia Al Ghul
Played Wonder Woman In The DCEU
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Another member of the DCEU’s Trinity that could return to DC in Gunn’s franchise is Gal Gadot. The actress had talks with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Gadot even claimed at one point that she was going to work on Wonder Woman 3 with them before reports said there was no truth to that. Since she is out as Wonder Woman, Gadot could play a role guaranteed for the DCU.
Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie will feature the live-action debut of Damian Wayne. The character is the fourth male Robin in DC Comics and the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. Like Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Talia possesses a fierce spirit and skilled fighting ability, which would make the transition easy. Gadot also had great chemistry with Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne, something she could emulate for the new Batman as Talia.
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Jeffrey Dean Morgan As Deathstroke
Played Thomas Wayne In The DCEU
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Jeffrey Dean Morgan is one of the actors the DCEU really underutilized. As Negan in The Walking Dead, Morgan has shown his ability to play a frightening villain who steals every scene he is in. Throughout his career, the actor’s physicality and ability playing brawlers, like Watchmen‘s Comedian or Supernatural‘s John Winchester, cemented his skills for superhero fare. In the DCEU, Morgan was Batman’s father, not used as Thomas Wayne’s Batman in The Flash‘s take on Flashpoint.
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James Gunn’s DC Universe could treat him a lot better. At 58, Jeffrey Dean Morgan would make for a pitch-perfect Deathstroke. Slade Wilson has gray hair and a beard, many years of combat experience, and is a threat to pretty much every hero in the DCU. Morgan could make Deathstroke an imposing character in the DCU with the potential to become a fan favorite in no time.
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Lauren Cohan As Queen Hyppolyta
Played Martha Wayne In The DCEU
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Accompanying Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the DCU could be his The Walking Dead and DCEU co-star Lauren Cohan. The actress played Martha Wayne, aka Bruce’s mother, in the DCEU. Since The Flash opted to do a new take on Flashpoint with Michael Keaton’s Batman coming back, Cohan was also relegated to just a cameo in the franchise, never playing the deranged Joker version of Martha from the classic DC Comics story.
As Maggie in The Walking Dead universe, Cohan has shown that she would be perfect for a position of leadership in the DCU. If she were a decade younger, the actress would be the DCU’s ideal Wonder Woman. Still, Cohan could be involved with that part of the franchise by playing Queen Hyppolita. Wonder Woman’s mother could be a key part of the DCU through the Paradise Lost series, and Cohan has the dramatic skills and action experience necessary for the Game of Thrones-like show focused on the Amazons of Themyscira.
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Sasha Calle As Raven
Played Supergirl In The DCEU
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Sasha Calle was originally meant to continue in the DCEU as Supergirl. However, when Gunn took over DC, those plans were scrapped. Since House of the Dragon‘s Milly Alcock will play Kara in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the DCU could bring back Calle into the fray in a new role. The actress played an alternate universe version of Supergirl, who was darker than the character normally is.
Calle showed potential as that type of hero, which makes her an interesting pick for Raven in the DCU. Since Dick Grayson is the first Robin of the Teen Titans and Damian Wayne, the fourth male Robin, is the most likely to be part of the team in the DCU’s Teen Titans movie, the 29-year-old Calle could pass for an early 20s Raven. The actress has the skills to bring Raven’s tortured persona and dark backstory to life.
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Bruna Marquezine As Batgirl
Played Jenny Kord In The DCEU
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Blue Beetle did not leave a mark at the box office. Due to that, the DCU has likely had to reevaluate plans for the character, who will no longer lead a movie series. Instead, Jaime Reyes should next be seen in the Blue Beetle animated show that is in development. Since it has been said that the movie is not DCU canon, perhaps Bruna Marquezine’s Jenny Kord will not make the jump.
Bruna Marquezine almost played Supergirl in the DCEU’s The Flash, ending the casting process as the runner-up for the role.
This way, Ted Kord could be explored in the live-action Booster Gold series while Marquezine takes on a bigger DCU role that allows her to truly shine. The actress would be a great name for Batgirl. Marquezine recently turned in a magnetic performance in Bia & Victor: Love of My Life. Coupled with her charismatic and daring turn in Blue Beetle, the actress would make Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl one of the DCU’s most engaging heroes, with her intelligence, charisma, and sense of humor on display.
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Henry Cavill As The Human Target
Played Superman In The DCEU
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Finally, former Superman actor Henry Cavill closes the list. The star had just returned to his role as the Man of Steel a few months before Gunn and Safran took over DC and chose to recast Superman. Despite that decision, Cavill could still work with the duo in the DCU, as Gunn revealed they had talks with Cavill about a few available DCU roles for him down the line.
|
Superman’s Appearances In The DCEU |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Movie |
Role |
Release Date |
|
Man of Steel |
Protagonist |
June 14, 2014 |
|
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice |
Co-Protagonist |
March 25, 2016 |
|
Justice League |
Co-Protagonist |
November 17, 2017 |
|
Zack Snyder’s Justice League |
Co-Protagonist |
March 18, 2021 |
|
Black Adam |
Cameo |
October 21, 2022 |
While there are a few characters Cavill could be great as, the lead role in a possible The Human Target limited series would be the best. Cavill’s past in projects like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. shows he would nail the suave persona of P.I. Christopher Chance in this noir tale. Since DC Comics writer Tom King is one of the DCU’s masterminds, an adaptation of his epic The Human Target with Cavill in the DCU could happen.
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The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
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Superman
Release Date
July 11, 2025
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Release Date
June 26, 2026
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The Batman Part II
Release Date
October 1, 2027
