As James Gunn prepares his DC reboot, the director-turned-studio-executive turned to a few Marvel actors for the new universe.
The former Marvel filmmaker made it clear that is he willing to cross company lines to round out the DCU, saying that much of his Guardians of the Galaxy cast would "probably" pop up in his DC story at one point or another.
While he is not going to force anyone into anything, Gunn noted what matters most is the "actor fits the role" and they are "easy to work with." He has made it a habit of bringing in talent he is familiar with when working on something new.
So with DC's Gunn-verse set to kick off in the not-so-distant future, here is every Marvel actor who will appear in the reimagined franchise.
Every Marvel Star To Appear in James Gunn's DC Reboot
David Harbour - Red Guardian/Eric Frankenstein
Not only will David Harbour have appeared in both the DCU and MCU, but he will seemingly star in both franchises simultaneously. The Stranger Things star made super-powered waves when he debuted as Alexi Shostakov (aka Red Guardian) in Black Widow.
Harbour's Marvel character will also pop up in next year's Thunderbolts before he crosses company lines by taking on the DC role of Eric Frankenstein, an original take on Frankenstein's monster, in the animated series Creature Commandos.
Pom Klementieff - Mantis
French actress Pom Klementieff will be most familiar to fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Klementieff plays intergalactic empath Mantis in the MCU, having made six appearances in the franchise thus far.
While the actress has no confirmed role in James Gunn's DCU, she previously revealed she and the DC executive have "had conversations" and are "making plans." She added, "There would be one specific character" she would be excited about playing but did not get into specifics.
Maria Bakalova - Cosmo/Princess Ilana Rostovic
Oscar-nominee Maria Bakalova only recently made her Marvel Studios debut, popping up as Cosmo the Space Dog in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
After seemingly making quite an impression on James Gunn, the actress will hop aboard the DCU train as well. She will lend her voice to Creature Commandos under the watchful eyes of Gunn, as the original character made for the series Princess Ilana Rostovic.
Isabel Merced - Role in Madame Web/Hawkgirl
Isabel Merced was recently revealed to be a part of the new DCU, as she is set to appear as Hawkgirl in James Gunn's Superman: Legacy. Traditionally depicted as a winged warrior from the planet Thanagar, Merced's DC hero will be one of many to inhabit the world around the Man of Steel.
However, before the Transformers: The Last Knight takes on Hawkgirl, she will play a part in Sony Pictures' Spider-Man spin-off, Madame Web. Her role in Madame Web is still unknown, but she has been officially cast in the film.
Nathan Fillion - Various Marvel Roles/Guy Gardner
Where James Gunn goes, Nathan Fillion seems to follow. The Firefly star has appeared in every one of Guardians of the Galaxy films in smaller parts. In Guardians 1, he played the Monstrous Inmate during the prison sequence, Simon Williams in a Guardians Vol. 2 deleted scene, and took on the role of Karja in Guardians 3.
Fillion will also come over to DC with James Gunn (after briefly appearing in Gunn's The Suicide Squad film), playing the obnoxious Green Lantern Guy Gardner in 2025's Superman: Legacy.
Frank Grillo - Crossbones/Rick Flag Sr.
After playing Crossbones in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War (a role he has some choice words about), Frank Grillo will join the DCU as Creature Commandos' Rick Flag Sr.
Grillo previously teased he will have a big part in the DCU, playing the father of Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag, a character who was seen in both Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad.
Sean Gunn - Kraglin & Rocket/Weasel & G.I. Robot
Not only is Sean Gunn the brother of DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, but he is also one of his most common collaborators. Sean Gunn played both the Ravager-turned-Guardian Kraglin and did the performance capture for Rocket Raccoon in Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy film.
On the DC side, Sean Gunn will reprise his The Suicide Squad role of Weasel in Creature Commandos as well as play the deadly robotic warrior G.I. Robot in the same animated series.
Alan Tudyk - Alistair Krei & Luke/Doctor Phosphorus
Alan Tudyk is another actor that has played more than one Marvel role before jumping over the DCU. Tudyk voiced Alistair Krei in the beloved animated Marvel film Big Hero 6 and a small cameo in 2018's Deadpool 2 as Luke (aka Redneck #1).
The American character actor will also lend his voice to Creature Commandos as the iconic DC supervillain Doctor Phosphorus.
Edi Gathegi - Darwin/Mr. Terrific
Edi Gathgi previously took on the super-powered role of Darwin in Fox's X-Men: First Class. His character was a prospective candidate to join Charles and Erik's first iteration of their mutant team. The shape-shifting mutant was then taken out by the villainous Sebastian Shaw, only getting a few seconds of screen time.
On the DC side of things now, Gathegi will play the cult-favorite comics hero Mr. Terrific, a super-genius who wields mysterious robotic devices known as T-spheres, in the upcoming Superman: Legacy.
Actors Rumored To Make the DC Jump
These actors have not been confirmed to join James Gunn's newly re-imagined DCU, but, given the director's history with them, it seems more than likely they will pop up.
Chris Pratt (Likely)
Chris Pratt has not been confirmed to be joining the DC Universe, but it feels like an inevitability at this point. The Parks and Recreation actor spent the last decade playing Guardians of the Galaxy's Peter Quill/Star-Lord under the watchful eye of James Gunn.
Pratt has not been attached to a role in the DCU yet (aside from some wanting him to play Booster Gold in James Gunn's universe), but the actor has said that he will "let the fans" tell him which character they would like him to play in the super-powered universe.
Dave Bautista (Likely)
Another Guardians star seemingly set for DCU glory is Dave Bautista. The former WWE superstar is best known for his work as Drax the Destroyer in the MCU, having worked with James Gunn on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
According to Bautista, he "would love to be a part of the DC universe" but had not talked to Gunn about his involvement yet.
Karen Gillan (Likely)
Karen Gillan has not been linked to James Gunn's DCU as of yet, but given the director's past comments about any of the Guardians cast joining the franchise, Gillan has as good a chance as any. Gillan plays Nebula in the MCU, having jumped from villain to hero over the course of six canon appearances.
Gillan made it known (via Game Rant) that - if given the chance - she would love to play the DCU's Poison Ivy. She said she "always thought that Poison Ivy was really fun" but would take just about anything Gunn would be willing to give her.
Zoe Saldaña (Likely)
If there was a co-lead to the Guardians films alongside Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, it was Zoe Saldaña's Gamora. Under the watch of James Gunn, Saldaña has had quite the Marvel tenure, joining the Guardians, dying at one point, and then returning from the dead (via time travel) and becoming a full-fledged member of the Ravagers.
Should the actress want to join Gunn in his DCU, she would likely be welcomed with open arms. Some have pondered the actress could be perfect for DC roles like Zatanna, Big Barda, or Star Saphire.
James Gunn's DCU is set to kick off with the upcoming Creature Commandos animated series.
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