What These DC Comics Movie Aliens Look Like Without Makeup

The DC Universe is full of aliens. In fact, its most famous superhero, Superman (David Corenswet), is one from Planet Krypton. Still, Superman quite easily passes for a human being. The same cannot be said of all the other alien figures in the franchise. When you extend that scope from the DCU to all DC movies and TV shows out there, things become even stranger.

There's a whole bunch of extremely exotic-looking aliens running around the DC comics, and the various live-action adaptations of these stories have often interpreted them in an equally outlandish fashion. In fact, it gets to a point where you might actually have a hard time recognizing the actor who's portraying the character under all the makeup, prosthetics, and special effects. Today, we will give the people who portray these DC Comics aliens their just desserts, and find out exactly what they look like without makeup.

Krem of the Yellow Hills is the central antagonist of the 2026's "Supergirl," and to call him a bad guy is an understatement. A merciless bounty hunter and slave trader, he's exactly the kind of nasty villain that the comparatively grim superhero movie needed while correcting one recurring flaw from Zack Snyder's DC Extended Universe by virtue of not being a soulless CGI creation. 

Krem's design matches the character's cruel nature. While he's clearly humanoid, the Brigand leader boasts vast superpowers and dark fantasy-style armor, complete with an ominous axe that acts as his weapon of choice. His face is full of metal stud markings that practically scream supervillainy even if his attitude and fashion sense hadn't already clued you in. In other words, he's not the kind of guy you'd expect to walk down the street on a Tuesday afternoon.

If Krem from "Supergirl" looks familiar, there's a reason for that. The man behind the makeup is Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts, who has perfromed in quite a few notable projects before his DCU stint. However, he usually leans toward artsier affair like the 2011 crime drama "Bullhead," the 2012 romance "Rust and Bone," and the 2015 period piece "The Danish Girl." He has also appeared in big, action-heavy Hollywood movies before — notably in the 2018 Jennifer Lawrence spy pic "Red Sparrow" and Netflix's "The Old Guard" movies.

The DC Extended Universe folded before he could truly make an impact, but the Martian Manhunter does hover around "Zack Snyder's Justice League." We only see the shapeshifter's true form at the very end, but boy, is it a sight to behold. 

Martian Manhunter may have replaced another superhero in "Zack Snyder's Justice League," but the director still does the character justice. He befittingly brings his comics-accurate green skin, bald head, and ominous red eyes into live action, while updating his look to embrace the DCEU's famously dark and gritty aesthetic. The X-shaped straps across his chest have been updated into a sleeveless shirt that connects to his cape, with the X represented by glowing red lines across the chest. The overall look has more lines and wrinkles than Manhunter's comic incarnation, and his costume is somewhat edgier, but that's par for the course for this particular franchise.

The Martian Manhunter, whose real name is J'onn J'onzz, has appeared in more than one live action project. His armor-clad Arrowverse incarnation is portrayed by David Harewood of "Homeland" fame, but the DCEU iteration is played by Harry Lennix — who also plays the general J'onn is posing as in both "Man of Steel" and "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice." Lennix's acting résumé extends back to the 1980s, and he is familiar as Harold Cooper on "The Blacklist," as well as movies like "Ray" and "The Matrix Revolutions." 

Mobius the Anti-Monitor is the centerpiece of the Arrowverse's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" mega story arc. His sole mission is to use an antimatter weapon to destroy the entire Multiverse, and his bold, ominous look is an easy indicator that he very much isn't a good guy; in fact, he's the ultimate bad guy.

The Anti-Monitor is another one of those characters whose actors are buried under so much makeup that you can only guess what he really looks like. Even though the same actor also portrays his good counterpart – Mar Novu, the Monitor – their features are simply too obscured to get a full idea of how the person behind the Monitor's questionable grooming choices and the Anti-Monitor's clammy skin truly looks like.

The man behind the makeup is LaMonica Garrett, whose acting CV features quite a few other interesting projects, as well. You may remember him as Deputy Sheriff Cane from "Sons of Anarchy," the capable Pinkerton operative Thomas from the "Yellowstone" Prequel "1883", or any number of other prominent roles — like Mike Ritter on "Designated Survivor," Bill Cox on "The Terminal List," or Tucker on "Lioness."

The DCU spin on a "True Detective" style murder mystery, "Lanterns," is a fun, noir-themed show. It features lots of usual superhero banter, but also a truly dogged and dark plot that explores themes of responsibility and letting go, among many others. 

Because of the show's style, it's only fitting that one of the most openly villainous character designs in DC Comics, Sinestro, also receives a realistic makeover. In the comics, the powerful Thaal Sinestro is a thin-mustached, dark-haired, wicked-looking guy with a purplish red skin and a widow's peak hairline, invoking images of the devil and Snidely Whiplash in equal measure. While elements of this design are intact on "Lanterns," this Sinestro is far more realistic, with less exaggerated features and a muted purplish skin tone. Here, the character comes across as something of a Hannibal Lecter figure; an unnerving yet charismatic gentleman monster who's dangerous despite his imprisonment and follows his own, peculiar moral code.

Behind the "Lanterns" Sinestro's purple skin is Ulrich Thomsen, a Danish actor who has made his mark in Hollywood before. Most prominently, you may remember Thomsen as central antagonist Kai Proctor on "Banshee," Alexander Kirk on "The Blacklist," or Doctor Helmer Lindegard on "The New Pope."

Major "Supergirl" supporting character Lobo is a unique entry on this list. While his black-and-white makeup certainly covers his whole face, it's still so evocative of Jason Momoa that when you see the above pictures side by side, you can't help but think. "Yep, that's Jason Momoa in corpse paint." 

Of course, the character's history might partially explain why this is the case. Momoa was rumored to become Lobo for a long time before "Supergirl," and it's no wonder. After all, the actor's everyday look is already halfway toward the Main Man's space biker chic. So, despite Momoa being fresh off playing an effective DCEU take on Aquaman, it felt only natural for him to jump back in the DC Universe reboot — this time playing the character that, let's face it, he was born to play.

Lobo is a foul-mouthed bounty hunter with extreme healing powers that render him virtually immortal, and his strength and durability are more than enough to take on Kryptonians. He's the last member of his species after causing the death of every single other Czarnian, which hasn't exactly hurt his reputation as a hard man. As for the actor portraying him, Momoa really needs no introduction. After all, he's been a part of some of the biggest franchises out there, including "Fast & Furious," "Dune," "Game of Thrones," — and, indeed, the DCEU. 

Brainiac is a long-standing Superman villain who's up there with Lex Luthor in sheer notoriety, and might actually be more dangerous. With Lars Eidinger tackling the role in James Gunn's "Man of Tomorrow," the antagonist's star is on the rise, too. However, Eidinger has his work cut out, considering the effectiveness of this particular live action Brainiac.

Most versions of the character are some combination of a super-scientist, an alien with mental powers, and a tech-based being. The same applies to his incarnation on Syfy's "Krypton." This Brainiac is an android from Colu, and as tends to be custom, he's in the habit of collecting miniaturized cities from various planets. 

A particularly ominous-looking iteration of the classic character, the "Krypton" Brainiac is clad in a black high-tech suit and retains the classic green skin and head ports for various cables and tech appendages. His sharp features and Joker-esque smirk, on the other hand, are not part of the classic design. This deviation toward the monstrous gives the character a horror villain look that's highly effective.

You would not necessarily believe it, but the "Krypton" Brainiac is portrayed by the same actor who plays the religious leader the Coluan possesses — the masked Voice of Rao. If you want to check out Blake Ritson with significantly less make-up and prosthetics, watch his turns as Girolamo Riario on "Da Vinci's Demons," Oscar Van Rhijn on "The Gilded Age," or Andrew Gailey on "The Crown."

The 2011 Ryan Reynolds film "Green Lantern" might be one of the worst superhero movies ever made, but it does feature impressive and colorful alien designs. Among the greatest examples is Abin Sur, a legendary Green Lantern who crashes on Earth after an attack by the fear entity Parallax (Clancy Brown). Realizing that he won't survive, Abin Sur bestows Hal Jordan (Reynolds) his ring, effectively jump-starting the protagonist's superhero journey. 

On the surface, Abin Sur is one of many purple aliens, and let's face it — his DC Comics version looks pretty plain. However, his stern design in the "Green Lantern" movie makes him look both distinctly alien and oddly trustworthy, as befits his status as a powerful, experienced Lantern. 

The movie cast a perfect actor to play the role. Temuera Morrison rose to prominence in the New Zealand Maori family drama "Once Were Warriors" as the violent Jake Heke, and has since become a go-to choice for hard-looking guys who can nevertheless bring gravitas and emotional depth to a role. You likely know Morrison best from the Star Wars franchise, where he plays both Jango and Boba Fett (along with the assorted clone troopers based on the former). After playing Abin Sur, Morrison returned to the DC well in the DCEU, portraying Aquaman's father Tom. He's worked with Aquaman actor Jason Momoa other times as well, including the 2025 miniseries "The War Chief" and the 2026 buddy action film "The Wrecking Crew."

"Titans" reimagines the DC team Teen Titans into young adults with assorted chips on their shoulders, adding a heaping helping of violence and darkness in the mix. The series is notable for featuring "Reacher" star Alan Ritchson as Hank "Hawk" Hall, but it also features plenty of other interesting characters — including the team's resident alien, Kory Anders (aka Koriand'r, aka Starfire).

An orange-skinned alien princess with super strength and energy powers in the comics, the "Titans" version of Kory is a Black woman with bright red hair. The character's signature naivety from the comics is represented as an accident that renders her amnesiac. Her true purpose is to assassinate her team mate Raven (Teagan Croft), but fortunately for everyone, things don't play out that way.

The "Titans" Starfire is actually among the DC live-action alien characters who most closely resembles their performer — at least, when the character isn't using her rather literal firepower and turning into a green-eyed energy being. Anna Diop achieves the majority of the look with truly impressive red hair and an outfit that resembles the comic Starfire's uniform color scheme. Outside "Titans," Diop has appeared in several projects. Among the most notable of these are Jordan Peele's 2019 horror movie "Us," The CW supernatural drama "The Messengers," and Fox's "24: Legacy."

The 10-season The WB/The CW drama "Smallville" is a particularly long-running DC show, and over time, it featured plenty of interesting villains. One of the strangest will likely ring a massive bell for a contemporary viewer, provided you can look past the gnarly teeth and the contact lenses.

A massive alien who dresses in rags and feeds on bone marrow, Aldar was one of the many characters who escaped the show's take on the Phantom Zone — effectively a Kryptonian supervillain prison dimension. This Season 6 villain provides a formidable challenge to young Clark Kent (Tom Welling), which is no surprise considering who plays him. 

Yes, this is none other than Dave Bautista, sporting unnerving contact lenses and a set of rotting gnashers that look like they have tasted their share of marrow. An early-game turn by the pro wrestler who went on to become one of the most soulful big man actors in the business, Bautista makes the most of what he's given here. Little did he know that he'd go on to portray multiple other hulking aliens, albeit his future parts would be considerably more high-profile than the marrow-oriented one-episode wonder. After all, Bautista's best-known roles include the likes of "Guardians of the Galaxy" standout Drax and the horrible Beast Rabban of "Dune."

James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" famously features a laundry list of supervillains who may or may not survive the mission at hand. Many members of the film's iterations of Task Force X are quite absurd, with the meat-headed and misguided Peacemaker (John Cena) emerging as the standout who received his own spin-off show. 

On the extraterrestrial front, the full-on alien warrior representative of the group is Mongal, a Warzoon from the planet Warworld. High on aggression but unfortunately low on tactical acumen, she's a fearsome orange-skinned alien who's extremely strong. With a similar color scheme as Starfire but a far more extraterrestrial look, she's an impressive sight and a dangerous, though not undefeatable presence. 

Mongal's role in the movie is fairly small, but the actress behind the makeup is more than a fitting choice to play a powerful warrior. Mayling Ng is a Shaolin kung fu black belt and a fitness champion who performed stunt work and played the uncredited role of Orana in "Wonder Woman," which technically makes Mongal her second live action DC role. Her other movie roles include the 2018 adventure film "The Scorpion King: Book of Souls," the 2019 action movie "Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids," and the 2020 Scott Adkins martial arts action comedy "Debt Collectors."