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(#1) Chris Evans
- 37
DC: Jenson in The Losers (2010)
Marvel: Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007);
Steve Rogers/Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Chris Evans has appeared in more superhero movies than anyone else on this list, and while most of those appearances came as Captain America in the MCU, he crossed universes before landing that role with Jenson in The Losers. He was also Johnny Storm, AKA the Human Torch, and while the movies weren't beloved by critics, he nailed his performance.
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(#2) Ryan Reynolds
- 39
DC: Hal Jordan/Green Lantern in Green Lantern (2011)
Marvel: Wade Wilson/Deadpool (also the voice of Juggernaut) in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018); Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity (2004)
Ryan Reynolds is all about playing superheroes, but few would argue that his performance as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was particularly good. He made up for it with his return to the character in his eponymous film, and he even voiced the Juggernaut in Deadpool 2. Reynolds also played reformed vampire Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, which makes him a four-time Marvel superhero.
For DC, he was given the role of Hal Jordan in Green Lantern, but the movie failed to achieve much recognition.
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(#3) Zoe Saldana
- 40
DC: Aisha in The Losers (2010)
Marvel: Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Zoe Saldana has been in so many mega-hits over the years that she's become the casting equivalent of printing money. For DC, she played Aisha in The Losers, and while that movie didn't perform particularly well, that didn't slow her down. She jumped to Marvel as Gamora, which is a role she's played in four films. She's likely to continue reprising that role for some time, which means she should be popping up in the MCU's Phase 4.
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(#4) Josh Brolin
- 51
DC: Jonah Hex in Jonah Hex (2010)
Marvel: Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019); Cable in Deadpool 2 (2018)
Josh Brolin's initial entry into the world of comic book films came in the widely panned 2010 film Jonah Hex. The character wasn't well known outside of comic book readers before the movie, and he still isn't, as few people watched the movie. However, he redeemed himself over in the MCU with award-worthy performances as Thanos in the Avengers films and Cable in Deadpool 2.
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(#5) Michael Keaton
- 67
DC: Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992)
Marvel: Adrian Toomes/Vulture in Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)
When Michael Keaton was cast to play Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 1989 Batman film directed by Tim Burton, there were plenty of people who thought it was a terrible idea. He proved everyone wrong and played a perfect Dark Knight for two films.
Twenty-five years later, he returned to comic book films with the portrayal of Adrian Toomes, otherwise known as the Vulture, in Spider-Man Homecoming.
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(#6) J.K. Simmons
- 64
DC: Commissioner Gordon in Justice League (2017)
Marvel: J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
When J.K. Simmons showed up in the first Spider-Man film from Sam Raimi, he looked as if he had jumped off the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man. He played the character perfectly, which is why it was such a treat to have him hop Spider-Man franchises to appear as the same character in Spider-Man: Far From Home 17 years later.
Of course, he hasn't remained solely with Marvel, as he took on the role of Commissioner Gordon in Justice League. While it wasn't required for his character, he trained to put on the superhero look and got ripped in the process.
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(#7) Ben Affleck
- 46
DC: Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Justice League (2017)
Marvel: Matt Murdoch/Daredevil in Daredevil (2003)
Ben Affleck gave Daredevil his best shot, but the movie failed to entertain most fans, and his performance was panned as a result. Thirteen years later, he was given the chance to prove his superhero chops by taking on the role of Batman, and while the films didn't perform as well as expected, Affleck's performance was outstanding.
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(#8) Jared Leto
- 47
DC: The Joker in Suicide Squad (2016)
Marvel: Dr. Michael Morbius in Morbius (2020)
Jared Leto's first foray into the world of superheroes came with his portrayal of the Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad. Unfortunately, he was cut from much of the final print of the film, leaving fans wanting more than the minimal Joker that made it out of the cutting room. He landed the role of Dr. Michael Morbius in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will appear as the character in Morbius, which is one of the first films Marvel will release as part of the MCU's Phase 4.
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(#9) Natalie Portman
- 37
DC: Evey in V for Vendetta (2005)
Marvel: Jane Foster in Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor: Love and Thunder (2021)
Natalie Portman isn't necessarily the type of actress most would associate with a superhero film, but let's not forget, she did star in the Star Wars prequels.
In 2005, Portman took on the role of Evey in V for Vendetta, where she pretty much outperformed Hugo Weaving. Years later, she hopped from DC to Marvel by playing Dr. Jane Foster, Thor's love interest. She is returning to the franchise to take on the role of Lady Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, where she'll be able to prove she isn't just a supporting character; she's a hero.
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(#10) Zachary Levi
- 38
DC: Shazam in Shazam! (2019)
Marvel: Fandral in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Interestingly, Zachary Levi's role as Fandral didn't come until Thor: The Dark World, as Joshua Dallas wasn't able to return for the role. He played the character in Thor and Thor: Ragnarok, which saw him slain by Hela. His time in the MCU may be at an end, but his work in the DC universe is just beginning. He was cast to play Billy Batson's older alter ego, Shazam. That movie did well enough to warrant more, and it wasn't long before DC/Warner Bros. announced a sequel, which is set to release in 2022.
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(#11) Tommy Lee Jones
- 72
DC: Harvey Dent/Two Face in Batman Forever (1995)
Marvel: Colonel Chester Phillips in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
While Batman Forever wasn't the best Batman movie ever made, Tommy Lee Jones's performance as Harvey Dent/Two-Face was arguably well done. The actor stayed away from the genre for quite some time before taking on the role of Colonel Chester Phillips in Captain America: The First Avenger, playing an officer pivotal in the creation of the Super Soldier Serum, which turned Steve Rogers into Captain America.
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(#12) James Marsden
- 45
DC: Richard White in Superman Returns (2006)
Marvel: Cyclops in X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
James Marsden played Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops, in the first three X-Men films. He returned to the role in a cameo for Days of Future Past, and throughout the franchise, he played an amazing X-Man.
His work for DC came with his portrayal of Richard White, the man who romantically replaced Clark Kent in Superman Returns.
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(#13) Tom Hardy
- 38
DC: Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Marvel: Eddie Brock/Venom in Venom (2018) and Venom 2 (2020)
Throughout his career, Tom Hardy has made a name for himself by being a chameleon. The man can take any role and make it work. He played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, and stole the movie without even showing his face. He swung over to the Marvel Universe to play Eddie Brock, AKA Venom, in his eponymous film, and will return for the sequel to reprise his role.
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(#14) Halle Berry
- 52
DC: Patience Phillips/Catwoman in Catwoman (2004)
Marvel: Ororo Munroe/Storm in X-Men (2000), X2 (2003) X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Halle Berry's first time in tights came with her performance as Ororo Munroe, otherwise known as Storm, in the X-Men film franchise. She played the character in four films, though she took a break to jump into the DC Universe for 2004's critically derided Catwoman. Unfortunately, the character was barely a facsimile of her comic book counterpart and the movie was awful, greeted with disdain by critics and fans alike.
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(#15) Michelle Pfeiffer
- 60
DC: Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992)
Marvel: Janet van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Michelle Pfeiffer wasn't the first woman to play Catwoman in a live-action film, but she was arguably the best. She took on the role in 1992's Batman Returns, and it's hard to forget her incredible performance from that movie. It would be more than 20 years before she showed up in a superhero film, but she finally arrived as Janet van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
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(#16) Michael Fassbender
- 41
DC: Burke in Jonah Hex (2010)
Marvel: Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto in X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
Michael Fassbender's first role in a comic book movie came outside of DC and Marvel in 300, but he wasn't out of the genre for long. He played Burke in Jonah Hex, though that movie failed at the box office. However, his performance as a young Erik Lehnsherr, AKA Magneto, was phenomenal, as he was perfectly cast to play the longtime X-Men villain.
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(#17) Terence Stamp
- 80
DC: General Zod in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980)
Marvel: Stick in Daredevil (2003)
It's difficult to look at Terence Stamp and not refuse to kneel before him. The guy was General Zod, and he played one of the greatest Superman villains of all time. He showed up briefly in the first film but took on the role of the main antagonist in the second. He has worked for Marvel, as well, having played Daredevil's mentor and trainer, Stick, in the 2003 film.
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(#18) Idris Elba
- 46
DC: Roque in The Losers (2010) and Deadshot in The Suicide Squad (2021)
Marvel: Moreau in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011); Heimdall in Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Idris Elba is an actor who's been showing up in just about every franchise of late, but that doesn't mean his work in the Fast & Furious or Star Trek franchises has kept him from Marvel and DC. In the latter, he played Roque in The Losers and will take over the role of Deadshot from Will Smith in 2021's The Suicide Squad. His time in the MCU has seen him play Moreau in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, but most recognize him as Heimdall, Thor's friend and ally in multiple movies.
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(#19) Djimon Hounsou
- 54
DC: Wizard in Shazam! (2019)
Marvel: Korath in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Captain Marvel (2019)
Djimon Hounsou played Korath, the first person to meet Star-Lord in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. He reprised that role in Captain Marvel, which was set decades earlier. For the DC Universe, he played the mysterious Wizard, who gives his power to Billy Batson, turning him into Shazam!
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(#20) Danny Huston
- 56
DC: General Erich Ludendorff in Wonder Woman (2017)
Marvel: Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
It seems that Danny Huston is required to play a villain when he shows up in a superhero film, and that's not a bad thing; the guy is great at playing it bad. His performance as William Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was phenomenal. He followed up that performance by moving over to the DCEU with his portrayal of General Erich Ludendorff in Wonder Woman.
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(#21) Benjamin Bratt
- 55
DC: Tom Lone in Catwoman (2004)
Marvel: Jonathan Pangborn in Doctor Strange (2016)
Benjamin Bratt got to play two different versions of the same character in Catwoman, seeing as he was at one time the love interest of the titular character, and an enemy of the same later in the movie. He made his way over to the MCU 12 years later as Jonathan Pangborn in Doctor Strange. He was the man who told Strange of the Ancient One, and pointed him toward his future role as the Sorcerer Supreme.
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(#22) Angela Bassett
- 60
DC: Dr. Waller in Green Lantern (2011)
Marvel: Ramonda in Black Panther (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Green Lantern may have been a failure, but Angela Bassett certainly wasn't. She played Dr. Amanda Waller in the movie, and she did a remarkable job, so it was something of a bummer when the franchise was cut short. Fortunately, she found her way back into the world of superheroes with her portrayal of Ramonda, the Queen Mother of Wakanda in Black Panther.
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(#23) Laurence Fishburne
- 57
DC: Perry White in Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Marvel: The Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) and Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Laurence Fishburne's first work in the superhero film community came with only his voice, which he provided to give the Silver Surfer life in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He returned to the MCU as Dr. Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and while he didn't get a lot of screentime, there were plans to have him show up as Goliath via a flashback. In the DCEU, he's played Perry White in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where he played a large role in setting up the post-Man of Steel destruction, and how it impacted the world.
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(#24) Hugo Weaving
- 58
DC: V in V for Vendetta (2005)
Marvel: Johann Schmidt/The Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Whether you knew it or not, Hugo Weaving was not only in a superhero movie, but he also played the titular character in V for Vendetta. At no point in the film was his face exposed, and while he could have done voice-over work for another actor, that's him behind the Guy Fawkes mask. He put on a different sort of mask as the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger. He wasn't interested in reprising the role in Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame, though it's difficult to tell that it isn't him.
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(#25) Tim Robbins
- 60
DC: Hector Hammond in Green Lantern (2011)
Marvel: Phil Blumburtt in Howard the Duck (1986)
You have to go back a ways to find Tim Robbins's work in the Marvel Universe, but when you do, you will uncover one of the strangest movies of all time, Howard the Duck. In the film, he played Phil Blumburtt, a lab assistant who is friends with the anthropomorphic duck. He later returned to the world of comics with his role as the villain's father, Senator Hammond, in Green Lantern.
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(#26) Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- 51
DC: Killer Croc in Suicide Squad (2016)
Marvel: Algrim in Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje nailed his role as Kurse, formerly Algrim the Strong, in Thor: The Dark World, though he is almost unrecognizable with all the makeup on. He must have liked that feeling, because it's impossible to identify him in his DC role as Killer Croc in Suicide Squad. While the movie failed to perform as well as the studio hoped, they can't blame it on Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's performance as the longtime foe of the Dark Knight.
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(#27) Taika Waititi
- 43
DC: Tom Kalmaku in Green Lantern (2011)
Marvel: Korg in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Taika Waititi had his first role in a comic book movie in 2011's Green Lantern, where he played Tom Kalmaku, a friend to Hal Jordan. He returned to the world of superhero flicks in a big way as the director of Thor: Ragnarok, but he didn't limit his time to the director's chair. He gave his voice to Korg in Thor: Ragnarok, and returned to do the same in Avengers: Endgame.
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(#28) Ned Beatty
- 81
DC: Otis in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980)
Marvel: Sam Kolawetz in Captain America (1990)
Ned Beatty may not be someone most people think of in terms of superhero movies, but he's been in two of the best ones ever made. He played Lex Luthor's somewhat dopey minion Otis in the first two Superman films. For Marvel, it's likely you never caught his performance as Sam Kolawetz in Captain America because the first movie to bear that name came out in 1990, and it was terrible.
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(#29) Willem Dafoe
- 63
DC: Nuidis Vulko in Aquaman (2018)
Marvel: Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Willem Dafoe managed to take a character like the Green Goblin, who is a guy in a mask in the comics, and make him into an evil, sadistic monster the fans absolutely loved in Spider-Man. He perished in the film but returned with some voice work in the two sequels. For the DC Universe, Dafoe took on the role of Nuidis Vulko in Aquaman, which is a role he's likely to reprise in subsequent DCEU films based around the aquatic character.
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(#30) Parker Posey
- 50
DC: Kitty Kowalski in Superman Returns (2006)
Marvel: Danica Talos in Blade: Trinity (2004)
For years, Parker Posey was known as the Queen of the Indies due to her showing up in numerous independent films. She has moved into larger film territory from time to time, which is one of the reasons she was cast to play Danica Talos in Blade: Trinity. She later took on the role of Kitty Kowalski in Superman Returns, where she played Lex Luthor's feminine minion, whom he uses to trick Superman.
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About This Tool
Superhero movies have never been as popular as they are right now, but the history of the genre goes back several decades. With so many movies being made based on comics from DC and Marvel, there are many impressive characters that appeared over the years. Robert Downey Jr. is one of the biggest celebrities in the world because of his role in Iron Man.
Which is your favorite superhero? You may see your favorite who has appeared in both DC and Marvel movies. The generator collected 30 actors, you could find more detailed information about them, such as Chris Evans, Ryan Reynolds, etc.
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