Marvel Cinematic Universe und DC Comics
These stars move between worlds
Table of Contents
- Marvel Cinematic Universe und DC Comics
These stars move between worlds - Ben Affleck: Batman and Daredevil
- Ryan Reynolds: Deadpool und Green Lantern
- Halle Berry: Storm and Catwoman
- Jared Leto: Joker und Morbius
- Tom Hardy: Bane and Venom
- J. K. Simmons: J. Jonah Jameson und James Gordon
- Michael Keaton: Batman and Vulture
Ben Affleck as DC’s Batman (l.) and Marvel’s Daredevil.
© Moviestore Collection / Landmark Media Press and Picture
Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds and Halle Berry: These stars switched between Marvel and DC even before Sebastian Stan.
Sebastian Stan, 43, will take on a role in “The Batman Part II.” So he will be starring in a film based on a DC Comics character. For some fans, this is a sacrilege. After all, Stan portrayed Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. The Problem: The question “Marvel or DC?” is a question of faith in the comic world. But Sebastian Stan is by no means the first actor to be at home in both universes.
Ben Affleck: Batman and Daredevil
Before Robert Pattinson donned the cape in “The Batman,” Ben Affleck, 53, was the dark knight in the DC cinematic universe. Even if many fans would like to suppress them.
Ben Affleck’s involvement in the Marvel cosmos has been almost forgotten. In 2003 he played the blind avenger Matt Murdock aka “Daredevil”. The film flopped and Affleck was punished with the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was only founded five years later with “Iron Man” (2008).
Ryan Reynolds: Deadpool und Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds, 49, is currently one of the most important pillars of the troubled Marvel Cinematic Universe as Deadpool. Even though his first solo films as an anti-hero were outside of the MCU and his start in a supporting role in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” was lost.
Reynolds would probably like to erase his past in the DC Universe from collective memory. “Green Lantern,” with the Canadian in the title role, failed, as did Affleck’s Marvel outing “Daredevil.” By the way, Ryan Reynolds appeared in another Marvel film before his “Deadpool” engagement. In 2004’s “Blade: Trinity” he portrayed the neo-vampire Hannibal King.
Halle Berry: Storm and Catwoman
In 2000, the first “X-Men” film from 20th Century Fox sparked the modern superhero boom. Right in the middle of the Marvel mutant team was Halle Berry, 59, as weather manipulator Storm.
In 2004 she switched to competitor DC for a solo appearance. However, her performance as “Catwoman” went down in film history as a legendary flop.
Incidentally, Michelle Pfeiffer, 67, took the opposite approach. She played the Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns and joined the MCU as Wasp in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Jared Leto: Joker und Morbius
Jared Leto, 54, has achieved the feat of being hated by fans of both camps. His Joker in “Suicide Squad” and “Justice League” at DC is just as controversial as his Marvel anti-hero “Morbius”.
Tom Hardy: Bane and Venom
Tom Hardy, 48, portrayed the antagonists of two of DC and Marvel’s most popular heroes. In “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) he fought as Bane against DC figurehead Batman. In three films he played “Venom”, Spider-Man’s old rival in the Marvel comics. Even if Spidey himself doesn’t appear in it.
J. K. Simmons: J. Jonah Jameson und James Gordon
In addition to “X-Men,” the “Spider-Man” trilogy with Tobey Maguire (from 2002) was the driving force of the superhero hype. JK Simmons, 70, played J. Jonah Jameson, the tough editor of the Daily Bugle newspaper, in all three films.
In “Justice League” (2017), JK Simmons crossed over into the DC Universe. After J. Jonah Jameson, he played another of the most popular non-superpowered supporting characters in comic history: James Gordon, the police chief of Batman’s home Gotham City. In the Spider-Man trilogy with Tom Holland, Simmons ruefully returned to Marvel as J. Jonah Jameson.
Michael Keaton: Batman and Vulture
In Tim Burton’s style-defining film adaptation from 1989, Michael Keaton, 74, was the first serious Batman in cinema history. This did not prevent the actor, who parodied his image in “Birdman”, from making a trip to Marvel. In “Spider-Man: Homecoming” he played the villain Vulture, a character also inspired by a flying animal.
In addition to the stars mentioned, there are of course a number of actors who played small roles in both Marvel adaptations and DC films. Laurence Fishburne, David Dastmalchian and Djimon Hounsou should be mentioned here. However, none of their characters were so iconic that switching to the enemy camp would have been seen as treason.
