Let’s get real: Marvel vs. DC could be the biggest comic book rivalry of all time, but the best surprise is when actors choose that they don’t need to choose a side. A few stars have gone over to the other team, gearing up in both worlds, and honestly, it makes superhero fandom totally more awesome. Imagine it like a player switching jerseys between the Yankees and the Red Sox; it’s not kosher, but sort of legendary. Here’s a list of 10 actors who made an impact in both Marvel and DC universes.
10. David Dastmalchian
He’s not a headliner, but David Dastmalchian has become a comic book MVP. He began as one of The Dark Knight’s henchmen of Joker, joked around as Kurt in Marvel’s Ant-Man films, and then stole people’s hearts as Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad. He’s the epitome of a scene-stealer who performs well regardless of which team he is playing for.
9. Laurence Fishburne
Most fans remember him as Morpheus, but Fishburne’s comic book record is not to be sneezed at. He was Perry White, the tough-talking editor at the Daily Planet in DC’s Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. He later made the switch to Marvel as Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Authority, presence, gravitas, Fishburne’s got them all in check.
8. J.K. Simmons
Say “J. Jonah Jameson,” and there’s only one voice in your head, J.K. Simmons’. He’s played Spider-Man’s favorite newsroom tyrant across multiple eras, from Raimi’s trilogy to the MCU. But he also moonlighted in Gotham as Commissioner Gordon in Justice League. Simmons is basically the go-to guy for playing leaders who yell at superheroes.
7. Jared Leto
Love him or despise him, Jared Leto’s DC and Marvel excursions have been eye-catching, to say the least. He went all-out as the Joker in Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and then starred in Morbius for Marvel. Mixed reviews notwithstanding, he’s certainly made a reputation for taking risks (and sometimes out-and-out weird) character roles.
6. Angela Bassett
Bassett dipped her toes in DC first as Amanda Waller in Green Lantern before joining Marvel royalty as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther and its subsequent sequels. Few actresses possess as much regal gravitas as Basset; she dominates the screen whether she’s ruling Wakanda or the black ops government.
5. Ben Mendelsohn
If there’s a bad guy role to be had, chances are Ben Mendelsohn’s in the mix. He appeared in The Dark Knight Rises as corporate villain Roland Daggett, then transformed into Marvel as Talos the Skrull in Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home. He’s the type of actor who can turn plotting into both nasty and endearingly handsome.
4. Chris Pine
Chris Pine has low-key successfully bridged both worlds without the same publicity as other actors. He appeared as Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman’s loyal beau, in the DC movies, and brought voice to Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Marvel’s Into the Spider-Verse. He’s shown he can do action, heart, and humor all in equal proportions.
3. Ben Affleck
Long before he donned the cowl as Batman, Affleck had already attempted to join the Marvel universe as Daredevil in 2003. Years on, he got back into costume as the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman, Justice League, and more. Portraying two of the most tortured heroes of the comic book world may not have been simple, but Affleck certainly put his stamp on both.
2. Ryan Reynolds
If there is one actor who embodies comic book endurance, it is Ryan Reynolds. He portrayed Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, bumbled his way through an early (and much-criticized) take on Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, before ultimately acing the role with the Deadpool franchise. On the DC front, he donned the notorious green ring in Green Lantern, which he now jokingly taunts at every opportunity. His career demonstrates that sometimes failure is merely the precursor to doing it right.
1. Michael Keaton
The godfather of superhero crossovers. Keaton’s Batman in Batman and Batman Returns set the standard for a generation, and decades later, he switched sides to appear as Vulture in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. Hero, villain Keaton proved he could annihilate both, and truthfully, he set the template for the rest of them on this list.
At the end of the day, these crossovers are what make superhero movies so much fun. The same performers can bring weight, mischief, or pure chaos to two completely different universes. Whether you’re a Marvel person, a DC person, or simply a fan of a good cape movie, one thing is for sure: these actors keep showing that the multiverse is big enough for us all.