After James Gunn took on his role running the DCU with Peter Safran, it became clear that he would likely not be the only person to work with both Marvel and DC movie franchises.
This is already coming true, as is particularly evident when looking at the cast for DC's upcoming Superman movie. In fact, there are seven actors with roles in Superman who have previously appeared in Marvel movies.
Many of them worked with Gunn in various Guardians of the Galaxy projects, but that is not the case for all seven.
Superman will be the first movie of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU franchise, and it is set to feature at least seven actors who have also had roles in Marvel movies.
Isabela Merced - Hawkgirl
Isabela Merced appeared as Anya Corazon in 2024's Madame Web. Anya was one of the three girls Cassie spends the movie trying to save, and she briefly appears in a superhero suit. The movie was a critical and financial flop, but Merced is not finished with superheroes quite yet.
Merced will be playing Hawkgirl in Superman. Specifically, she will be playing Kendra Saunders.
Though Kendra is not the original Hawkgirl, she has gotten particular spotlights recently thanks to her appearance in the Arrowverse (played by Ciara Renée) and in her Dawn of DC solo comic by Jadzia Axelrod and Amancay Nahuelpan.
Nathan Fillion - Guy Gardner
Nathan Fillion played minor roles in both Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the first movie, he played a Blue Alien Prisoner who tried to hurt Peter Quill before Groot steps in and turned the tables on him. In the third Guardians movie, Fillion appeared as Master Karja, a leader on the Orgoscope.
Fillion will play the Green Lantern Guy Gardner in the upcoming Superman movie. With his quips, brash and obnoxious attitude, and ability to be taken down by Batman with just one iconic punch, Guy is one of those characters people tend to absolutely love or absolutely hate.
Edi Gathegi - Mr. Terrific
Edi Gathegi played Darwin in X-Men: First Class, and his character is often discussed as one of the most baffling decisions made in the Fox Marvel movies.
In the comics, Darwin's primary power is the inability to die. Whatever happens to him, he adapts as necessary to survive it. Still, this character that cannot be killed was killed off in X-Men: First Class.
Gathegi's next superhero role is as Mr. Terrific, specifically Michael Holt, the second person to take on the mantle.
He does not have powers, but he does use T-spheres, which allow him a wide range of abilities including flight and invincibility from technology, among many others. An adaptation of the character named Curtis Holt appeared in the Arrowverse, played by Echo Kellum.
Nicholas Hoult - Lex Luthor
Nicholas Hoult appeared as Beast in multiple Fox X-Men movies, playing Hank McCoy in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. Though Hank does have powers as a mutant, his blue, animalistic form was the effect of a serum he injected into himself later in life.
Hoult will be playing the main antagonist of Superman, Lex Luthor. Known as Superman's arch-enemy, Lex is a rich, evil genius who uses technology and fear-mongering to try and destroy the hero.
He hates that Superman is an alien, and constantly tries to portray himself as simply looking out for humanity when he is truly some of the worst humanity has to offer.
Mikaela Hoover - Cat Grant
Like Fillion, Mikaela Hoover played two roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
She appeared as Nova Prime's Assistant in the first Guardians movie but had a far more prominent role as Floor in the third movie. Hoover did both the motion capture and voice work for the bunny who named herself Floor because she was on the floor.
Hoover is set to play Cat Grant in Superman. While many fans may be familiar with the version of Cat from the Arrowverse (played by Calista Flockhart) who runs her own magazine, she is usually a reporter for the Daily Planet in DC comics.
With the Daily Planet seemingly playing a large role in Gunn's Superman movie, it is more than likely this is the version of the character Hoover will play.
Sean Gunn - Maxwell Lord
Sean Gunn has appeared in several of James Gunn's movies, including as Kraglin in all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Sean Gunn has also done motion capture work for various characters in the Guardians franchise, including Young Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Sean Gunn is set to voice a character in the animated Creature Commandos show (the debut project of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU), but for Superman, he will play Maxwell Lord, an evil business mogul who eventually acquires mind control powers.
Sean Gunn told The Wrap that even though Maxwell Lord has appeared in live-action before, this version will not take inspiration from those live-action adaptations. Rather, he is using "written materials" as one point of reference for his take.
Frank Grillo - Rick Flag Sr.
Frank Grillo played Crossbones in the MCU, and is the only entry on this list to have been in the MCU, but not in something Gunn directed. He appeared as Crossbones in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame.
Like Sean Gunn, Grillo will be voicing a character in Creature Commandos before his appearance in Superman.
Unlike Sean Gunn, though, Grillo will be playing the same character (Rick Flag Sr.) in both animation and live-action. In the comics, Rick Flag Sr. has been a leader of the Suicide Squadron and is also Rick Flag Jr.'s father.
Honorable Mentions
Skyler Gisondo is technically the eighth actor in Gunn's Superman movie to have also appeared in a Marvel movie, as he played Gwen Stacy's brother Howard in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. However, his role in those movies is extremely minimal.
Regardless, Gisondo will be playing Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen in Superman. As Clark Kent's best friend, Jimmy is one of the most prominent supporting characters in Superman comics.
Most recently, Alan Tudyk - who has already been cast as the voice of the radiation-manipulating baddie Doctor Phosphorus in Creature Commandos - was reported to be part of the cast of Superman. Tudyk voiced Alistair Krei in the Marvel-adapted Big Hero 6 Disney animated film before cameoing in Deadpool 2 as a redneck who gets tasered by Josh Brolin's Cable.
Additionally, several actors who worked on Guardians of the Galaxy movies with Gunn have said they are open to (if not already planning on) joining the DCU. Though none have been able to offer details about who they may play, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, and Pom Klementieff have all indicated interest in some capacity.
Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
Read more about Superman on The Direct:
2025 Superman Movie: James Gunn Reveals the Exciting Scene He Just Filmed
Henry Cavill's Superman Replacement Confirmed to Have 'Sense of Humor' On Screen
Superman Gets Arrested In New Video from 2025 James Gunn Movie Set (Exclusive)
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
