Actors Who Have Played More Than One DC Character

The DC universe loves to make the circle bigger. With every show and film released, new actors join the pantheon of greats to bring iconic comic book personalities to life. In some instances, familiar faces from the past return — but not always as the characters they formerly portrayed. Whether it be the challenge of a new part or an homage to their previous roles, a number of actors have played more than one DC character over the years.

For a few actors, their second chance in the DC universe has proved to be more successful than their first rodeo. Look at "Reacher" star Alan Ritchson as an example: He may catch the eye as Arthur Curry in "Smallville," looking like a dead ringer for the classic Aquaman from the comics, but he never ascends beyond being an occasional guest on the show. "Titans," on the other hand, provided him the chance as a regular to dig deeper into the character of Hank Hall, aka Hawk.

Let's take a journey through the multiverse — hopefully, not in the weird CGI way showcased in "The Flash" — and see the actors who have appeared as multiple DC characters.

While Anthony Carrigan might be better known for tickling the funny bone as NoHo Hank in HBO's "Barry," he has a history with comic book characters — especially in the DC universe. In the "Gotham" TV series, he shines as Victor Zsasz — a gun for hire and a criminal who loves to carve the number of victims he slaughters on his body.

Carrigan also received a villainous part in The CW's "The Flash" series as another mobster: Kyle Nimbus, who turns into the human cloud known as the Mist. Unlike the role of Zsasz, the Mist isn't a regular antagonist on the show, so Carrigan only appeared sporadically after debuting in the Season 1 episode "Things You Can't Outrun."

In July 2023, Carrigan was officially announced as Metamorpho for James Gunn's "Superman: Legacy." Speaking about the role to The Hollywood Reporter and how he took note of comic book characters he could portray, the actor said, "I remember seeing Metamorpho and I think he had like a giant like hammer for a hand and I was like, that guy's badass."

There's an argument to be made that John Glover remains one of the MVPs of the entire DC universe. For over three decades, he's brought a number of pivotal and established characters to life on television and in film. Glover voiced the enigmatic and charismatic villain the Riddler in "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Superman: The Animated Series," before being cast as Dr. Jason Woodrue in 1997's "Batman & Robin." As Dr. Woodrue, Glover doesn't transform into the scientist's leafy alter ego Floronic Man on screen, but he is the person responsible for Bane evolving into a Venom-fuelled brute.

However, Glover's most famous turn as a DC character came in "Smallville," where he played Lionel Luthor across multiple seasons and stole the show whenever he appeared. Throughout his tenure on the series, Luthor develops from the main antagonist to an eventual ally of Clark Kent in a memorable and heartbreaking arc. In 2019's "Shazam!" Glover shows up in a minor role as the CEO of Sivana Industries and Thaddeus Sivana's abusive father.

The late Christopher Reeve's name remains synonymous with the role of Superman. Across four films, he made viewers believe a man could fly and inspired the entire genre of comic book movies. It's safe to say that if it weren't for Reeve's Man of Steel, other superheroes may not have had the chance to land on screen.

Reeve served as the iconic character for close to a decade, so he really had nothing left to prove to audiences when he hung up the cape once and for all. However, he returned to the DC universe in "Smallville," appearing as Dr. Virgil Swann and interacting with Tom Welling's Clark Kent. According to Welling, Reeve was gracious and kind with his time on set. "Meeting him was really great," Welling told The Hollywood Reporter. "He was only supposed to be there for a couple hours. He ended up staying for like six or eight hours until his nurses were like, 'We're going to unplug the lights, you guys. He's got to go.'"

Considering that Tim Burton directed 1985's "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," is anyone surprised that the filmmaker found a spot for Pee-wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens, in his "Batman" movies? While Reubens wasn't cast as a villain or even in a meaty role filled with screen time, he plays a short but crucial part in the intro to "Batman Returns," where he appears as Oswald Cobblepot's unkind father Tucker. However, this wasn't Reubens' last stint with DC, as he later turned up for the animated show "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," voicing the interdimensional imp known as Bat-Mite.

Reubens got the opportunity to play the Penguin's dad once again in "Gotham," debuting in the Season 2 episode "Wrath of the Villains: Mad Grey Dawn." In this version, he isn't named Tucker, but Elijah Van Dahl. As a rich socialite, Elijah welcomes Oswald into his life when he discovers he is his son from his affair with Gertrud Kapelput. He loves him with all his heart, even when he finds out his son is embroiled in a life of crime.

Patrick Wilson stars as Dan Dreiberg, aka Nite Owl II, in Zack Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' "Watchmen." While the 2009 film underwhelmed at the box office upon release, it has come to be remembered much more fondly in recent years, with even Wilson stating it was ahead of its time and far more influential than people give it credit for.

The relationship with Snyder stuck, though, as Wilson worked with the filmmaker again on 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," playing the U.S. President. In the film, the president is never seen on screen, but his voice is heard. This allowed a natural segue for Wilson to play another DC character without too many questions being asked about continuity.

Wilson appears as Arthur Curry's mercurial brother Orm (aka Ocean Master) in 2018's "Aquaman," which is directed and co-written by another longtime collaborator, James Wan. He reprises his role in the 2023 sequel, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

Actor Billy Crudup has an impressive body of work, starring in films such as "Almost Famous" and "Public Enemies." In 2009, he added to it by playing Jon Osterman, aka Dr. Manhattan, in "Watchmen." Dr. Manhattan acts as one of the central characters in the story as he becomes caught up in Adrian Veidt's master plan. More importantly, a majority of fans agreed that Crudup more than did justice to the character in his portrayal.

In 2017, Crudup revisited superhero cinema in the highly publicized "Justice League," where he plays Barry Allen's incarcerated father, Henry. Even in the infamous Snyder Cut, Crudup's role remains relatively small in the story, with the intention always being that it would be fleshed out in "The Flash" movie.

However, Crudup didn't return to play Henry Allen in 2023's "The Flash," citing scheduling conflicts with filming for the Apple TV+ series "The Morning Show." In the end, Ron Livingston replaced him as Henry in the movie.

Before Joaquin Phoenix danced his way to an Oscar as Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker, in Todd Phillips' "Joker," he had an early experience in a DC show that only diehard fans will remember. Phoenix guests as Billy Hercules in the "Superboy" Season 1 episode titled "Little Hercules." In this episode, Clark Kent befriends the young Billy, who happens to be a boy genius. Trying to impress a girl, Billy sets off a self-destruct program on a submarine, so it's up to Clark to get Billy back onto the submarine and deactivate the program before it all goes boom.

Phoenix shocked the world years later when he accepted the part of the Joker. The actor's filmography isn't what anyone would term blockbuster or commercial fodder, and a comic book movie role always seemed out of the realm of possibility for him. Phoenix admitted at a Q&A that he was uncertain about taking the part at first. However, he changed his mind as he became more involved in it. "But then there was something that was drawing me toward it," he said (via Variety). "It just evolved as we worked together. It started becoming something more than I anticipated. It was one of the greatest experiences of my career."

From "Blade Runner" to the cast of "True Blood," the late Rutger Hauer had a long and storied career. He found his way into the DC universe as well. "Smallville" Season 3 introduces Hauer as Morgan Edge. In this iteration, Edge is a slippery crime boss and an old friend of Lionel Luthor who shows up and gets into all sorts of mischief. Later in the series, Edge undergoes plastic surgery to change his face, which allowed for Hauer to be replaced with Patrick Bergin for a future appearance.

Hauer swapped Metropolis for Gotham in 2005 when he was cast as William Earle in Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins." In the film, Earle takes over as Wayne Enterprises CEO after the death of Thomas Wayne. While he promises Bruce that he's only keeping the seat warm for him when he's ready to take over, it's clear that Earle is driven by greed and doesn't harbor the same attitude to help the world that the Waynes did. Eventually, Bruce regains control of his company and replaces Earle as CEO with Lucius Fox.

After 1987's "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," there was a long stretch until the Man of Steel returned to cinema in 2006's "Superman Returns." However, fans received a live-action version of the character in the 1993 television series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," where Dean Cain played the Last Son of Krypton. The show ran for four seasons, even being nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards along the way.

In "Smallville" Season 7, Cain also guests as Dr. Curtis Knox, who is revealed to be an eternal warrior in the same vein as Vandal Savage. The part of Knox wasn't a long-term deal, so Cain popped in and out of the series fairly quickly. In 2015, Cain was cast as Jeremiah Danvers — Kara's Earth father — in "Supergirl." The actor appears in a handful of episodes, dodging death and receiving cybernetic upgrades throughout his run. Eventually, in Season 5, it's revealed that Jeremiah died after Lex Luthor tricked Eve Teschmacher into killing him.

Cain has also dipped his toes into the world of DC animation, voicing Jonathan Kent in 2016's "DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year."

To call Brett Cullen a busy actor would be putting it mildly. From cameos to leading roles, Cullen has a long list of credits in television shows and movies. The actor has also made time to appear in DC films — first in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises," and again in 2019's "Joker."

In "The Dark Knight Rises," Cullen portrays Congressman Byron Gilly. It's a small but memorable part, as Selina Kyle "kidnaps" the drunken congressman and takes him to the bar with her as she conducts business. Gilly remains smitten with her, even as the SWAT team descends on their location. As Selina escapes, he says to her, "Call me."

For Todd Phillips' "Joker," Cullen plays a much bigger role as Thomas Wayne. In the movie, Arthur Fleck comes to believe that Thomas is his birth father and tries to connect with him. Thomas explains how Arthur's mother lied to him and says he isn't his father, eventually punching the man who becomes the Joker in the face. Ultimately, Thomas and his wife, Martha, meet their demise later in the movie.

John Wesley Shipp came to the attention of DC fans after portraying the live-action Barry Allen in the 1990 "The Flash" television show. That series lasted only a single season, failing to outrun the network executives who canceled it. Yet, despite it being short-lived and only having 22 episodes, the series still found the time to gather an outstanding cast, featuring the likes of Mark Hamill, Denise Crosby, Jeri Ryan, Bryan Cranston, and Mark Dacascos in various supporting and guest roles.

Years later, Shipp got the opportunity to play the Flash once again. He was cast as Dr. Henry Allen in The CW's "The Flash" in 2014, but Shipp doesn't just play Barry's father in the show or other Arrowverse programs. Thanks to the multiverse shenanigans and infinite timelines in the story, he also portrays Jay Garrick — the first Flash — and even revives his role as Barry Allen from the 1990 show.

There are a small number of actors who've portrayed Lex Luthor in live-action DC stories. Despite the elite competition — boasting names like Gene Hackman and John Shea – Michael Rosenbaum remains a fan favorite for his portrayal of the Superman villain on "Smallville." Even DC Studios head James Gunn has called him the best version of the character.

Yet, Rosenbaum's time in the DC universe predates "Smallville," as he voiced several supporting characters in "Batman Beyond" and "Static Shock." Even while starring in "Smallville," the actor lent his voice to Wally West's Flash in the "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited" cartoons. In addition, Rosenbaum has voiced Kid Flash in "Teen Titans," Deadman in "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," and Barry Allen in "Justice League: Doom" and several video games, among other DC voice roles. Needless to say, the actor has had a steady flow of work from Warner Bros. and DC since the turn of the millennium.

Much like how Christopher Reeve and Michael Keaton became synonymous with Superman and Batman, Lynda Carter will forever be connected to Wonder Woman. For three seasons, Carter played Diana Prince in the 1975 "Wonder Woman" television show, bringing the Amazon warrior to life on the small screen. For decades, she was the only live-action actor associated with the role, until Gal Gadot revived the character in 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

Despite playing such an iconic superhero, Carter didn't say no when approached to play other DC characters. She appears as Chloe Sullivan's mother, Moira, in the "Smallville" Season 6 episode "Progeny." Carter also has a recurring role as U.S. President Olivia Marsdin in "Supergirl."

In 2020's "Wonder Woman 1984," Carter makes an appearance in a mid-credits scene as the goddess Asteria. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Carter revealed how much she enjoyed her brief cameo in the movie. "I was there on the set with Gal and her family, and me and my family, and Patty [Jenkins] and her family," she said. "It was just this intimate time with an epic film and an epic journey."