A third Arrowverse villain will appear in James Gunn's DC reboot after a new casting announcement. As Gunn's DCU moves far beyond what was delivered in either the former DCEU or the Arrowverse, plenty of DC's most iconic heroes and villains can be seen all across the greater multiverse on TV and in theaters. As this saga expands into 2027 and beyond, new corners of the DC Comics spectrum are being brought to life.
It's been confirmed that Jimmy Tatro will play Gorilla Grodd in DC Studios' Jimmy Olsen-centric series on HBO Max, rumored to be titled American Villain. This marks the first character with major ties to the Flash to be cast in James Gunn's DCU, as the wait continues to see the Scarlet Speedster himself join the saga.
Additionally, this marks the third time the DC Universe has brought in a villain previously used in The CW's Arrowverse. Gorilla Grodd was utilized as a minor antagonist in The Flash, with David Sobolov voicing the character in 17 episodes across the show's nine seasons (mostly in Seasons 1-6).
Brought to life from DC Comics, The Flash's Gorilla Grodd was a super-intelligent, telepathic gorilla created by a STAR Labs particle accelerator explosion. He often tried to conquer Central City, went up against Grant Gustin's Barry Allen on multiple occasions, and was eventually relocated to Gorilla City on Earth-2 in Season 2. Ahead are the three other major villains who appeared in live-action in the Arrowverse before playing big roles in James Gunn's DC Universe:
3 Arrowverse Villains Used in James Gunn's DCU
Lex Luthor
In 2025, Nicholas Hoult made his long-awaited DCU debut as one of the most famous villains in DC history, Lex Luthor, in James Gunn's Superman. Also making a cameo in Peacemaker Season 2 and set to return in 2027's Man of Tomorrow, Lex is known as the smartest mind in this universe and showed an intense desire to take down Superman.
Before Hoult's DC arrival, Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer took on the responsibility of playing Lex Luthor in The CW's Arrowverse. Cryer appeared in 20 episodes of Superman & Lois and later returned in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Portrayed as a cold and calculating sociopath, he presented Lex Luthor as a master tactician, combining intense narcissism with intellectual brilliance in his battles against DC's top heroes. Michael Cudlitz then took over the role for Supergirl's third and fourth seasons.
Amanda Waller
Coming over to the new DCU from the former DC Extended Universe, Viola Davis continues to shine as Amanda Waller, the former director of ARGUS who helped bring the two versions of the Suicide Squad together. Originally introduced in David Ayer's Suicide Squad in 2016, Davis came back in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2021), Black Adam (2022), Peacemaker Season 1 (2022), and Creature Commandos Season 1 (2024).
Meanwhile, Cynthia Addai-Robinson brought this character to life in the Arrowverse, starring in 17 episodes of Arrow from Season 2 to Season 4. This version of the character also served as the director of ARGUS and founded Task Force X after forcing Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen to work black-ops missions for her. Her version of the Suicide Squad featured villains like Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, and Cupid.
BONUS: Brainiac
2027's Man of Tomorrow will introduce what should be the most intimidating villain yet in James Gunn's DCU, Brainiac, who will be played by DC newcomer Lars Eidinger. This villain will threaten Earth to such a serious extent that it will force David Corenswet's Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor to join forces to stop him. Classically, Brainiac is a hyperintelligent android known for shrinking and stealing major cities for his collection before destroying their host planets.
While the usual Brainiac was not in the Arrowverse, CBS and The CW's Supergirl brought Jesse Rath's Brainiac-5 into the equation as a heroic figure. Coming from the 31st century, this descendant of the original Brainiac joins the Legion of Super-Heroes to help Kara fight major threats such as the Worldkiller Reign.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
