With the rivalry between Marvel and DC Comics, it’s hard to believe that avid fans would accept actors moving between the two superhero worlds. And yet, as Ryan Reynolds proved with the smash hit Deadpool, sometimes it takes the perfect character in the right franchise to get things just the way they need to be. Here are 15 actors who have been in both Marvel and DC Comics movies.
James Marsden
20th Century Fox/Warner Bros./Everett
As far as we're concerned,
James Marsden doesn't get nearly enough attention. Though we fell in love with him as Allie's jilted fiance in
The Notebook, he has also been quietly slaying as Cyclops in four of the
X-Men films. With all of this fanfare, you probably didn't even notice when Marsden jumped from Marvel to DC when he starred in 2006's
Superman Returns as Richard White. (To be quite frank, we forgot about that film alltogether.)
Chris Evans
20th Century Fox/Paramount/Everett
We all know and adore
Chris Evans as the yummy Captain America. However, we're sure you didn't forget he starred in the mid '00s
Fantastic Four films as Johnny Storm. But he also starred in the
DC/Vertigo film,
The Losers which was unfortunately rather forgettable. Let's just say that Evans best look has been when he's holding a shield.
Idris Elba
Columbia/Warner Bros/Paramount
While we're still crossing our fingers that he is the future James Bond,
Idris Elba first stepped in the superhero world in 2010's DC/Vertigo film
The Losers. In the film, Elba played Captain William Roque, an expert in detonating and deactivating explosives. Two years later, Elba starred in the tragedy that is
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance . Luckily the hunky Brit found his comic book footing in another Marvel franchise, as Heimdall in the
Thor films and
Avengers: Age Of Ultron.
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Ben Affleck
20th Century Fox/Warner Bros/Everett
It's no secret that some of
Ben Affleck's early career choices were...questionable. Perhaps even more than
Gigli, his performance in 2003's
Daredevil was one of the lowest points of his career. Therefore, many people were not thrilled to learn that Affleck was going to put on the bat-suit and embody the caped crusader in DC's
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Luckily, Affleck's seasoned, salt and pepper haired Bruce Wayne was one of the highlights of the polarizing film. We'll see Affleck as Batman again in
Suicide Squad and
The Justice League films.
Tim Robbins
Warner Bros/ Universal
Academy Award winner
Tim Robbins has had the worst luck in both the DC and Marvel Universes. Back in 1986, he starred in the tragic
Howard the Duck as Phil Blumburtt. To this day, the film is still the lowest rated
Lucasfilm of all time. Sadly things didn't improve much for Robbins in the superhero world when he starred in 2011's
Green Lantern as senator Robert Hammond. We all know how wretched that turned out.
Djimon Hounsou
Warner Bros./Disney
Back in 2005,
Djimon Hounsou starred in
Constantine, the DC/Vertigo film adaptation of "Hellblazer", as Papa Midnite, a former witch-doctor who once fought against Hell. Papa's nightclub served as a neutral meeting ground for both heaven and hell. Leaving DC behind, Hounsou moved into the Marvel Universe by starring as intergalactic bounty hunter Korath in 2014's
Guardians of the Galaxy.
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Josh Brolin
Warner Bros/Disney
Jonah Hex is not a film that anyone wants to remember, especially since it only made $11 million dollars on a $45 million budget.
Josh Brolin starred in the titular role even though he initially hated the script. He probably should have gone with his gut feeling. Leaving DC behind, Brolin has been doing small cameos as the devilish mad titan Thanos, in
Guardians of the Galaxy and
Avengers: Age of Ultron. Thanos is set to really stir shit up in the upcoming
Avengers: Infinity War films.
Laurence Fishburne
20th Century Fox/Warner Bros/Everett
Michael Fassbender
Warner Bros/ 20th Century Fox
No one probably even realized that
Michael Fassbender spent some time in the DC Comics Universe, especially considering the fact that
Jonah Hex tanked so badly in the box office back in 2010. It's rated 12% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Luckily, Fassbender has left the psychopathic Burke behind, and has gone on to play a young Magneto in the
X-Men prequels including the upcoming,
X-Men: Apocalypse.
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Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
20th Century Fox/Paramount
From
G.I. Joe to the
Bourne films,
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has proven that he is the king of franchises. His work in the both the Marvel and the DC Universes are no exception. In 2013's
Thor: The Dark World he played Dark Elf Algrim. Hopefully, his upcoming role as Killer Croc in
Suicide Squad is a bit more devious, especially considering all of the extensive makeup he had to wear for the role.
Natalie Portman
Warner Bros/Paramount/Everett
Before she was scientist Jane Foster and Thor's bae in 2011's
Thor and 2013's
Thor: The Dark World,
Natalie Portman starred in 2006's
V for Vendetta as Evey Hammond who finds herself caught up in freedom fighter's V's web. Now that Portman is being replaced by
Tessa Thompson in the upcoming
Thor: Ragnarok, we wonder if Portman will hop back over to DC Comics.
Tao Okamoto
Warner Bros/20th Century Fox
After playing our favorite clawed X-Men's love interest Mariko Yashida in 2013's
The Wolverine, Tao Okamoto said bye-bye to Marvel and headed over to the DC Universe where she recently starred as Lex Lutor's ill-fated assistant Mercy Graves in
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We're sure this isn't the last we're going to see of Okamoto in the superhero world.
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Ryan Reynolds
New Line Cinema/ 20th Century Fox/Everett/Warner Bros.
Like Ben Affleck, it took a hot second for
Ryan Reynolds to hit his stride in terms of his career. Reynolds first starred in Marvel's
Blade: Trinity back in 2004 as Hannibal King of the Nightstalkers. Um...let's just say that the entire film left little to be desired. After the disaster that was 2011's
Green Lantern, we thought we'd never see Reynolds as a superhero ever again. Luckily this year, he revitalized his role of Wade Wilson/Deadpool, which he first took on in 2009's
X-Men Origins: Wolverine. With the full suit, perfect humor, and amazing script, 2016's
Deadpool proved that the fourth time was the charm for Reynolds.
Tommy Lee Jones
Paramount/Warner Bros.
Acting veteran
Tommy Lee Jones was no fan of his
Batman Forever character, Harvey Dent aka Two-Face. The experience was so irritating for Jones that it took him 15 years to return to the world of superheros. This time it was as Colonel Chester Phillips in Marvel's
Captain America: The First Avenger. The lack of extensive makeup and
Jim Carrey probably helped this time around.
Hugo Weaving
Warner Bros/Paramount
We know you had no idea that it was
Hugo Weaving behind either of these iconic characters. In 2006's
V for Vendetta, Weaving played the anarchist V who thwarted his government. Leaving DC behind, Weaving became the villainous Red Skull in 2011's
Captain America: The First Avenger. He legit gave Voldemort a run for his money with that horrendous nose!