Marvel Studios' upcoming Black Panther show brought on a new actor who previously made a name for himself in DC's Arrowverse. Numerous stars have appeared for the red and blue brands over the decades, particularly with both companies' rise to prominence in recent years.
Marvel Studios hired Cress Williams to voice a character known as the Lion in the animated Eyes of Wakanda show coming to Disney+. While William is a Marvel newcomer, he is best known for playing the titular role in Black Lightning. A series that was initially adjacent to the Arrowverse, Black Lightning's world would formally collide with The Flash and Batwoman in 2019's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" television event.
Williams starred in four seasons of his own solo show, made appearances in The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and even returned to the Arrowverse after Black Lightning's cancellation in the "Armageddon" crossover.
This report comes from Entertainment Weekly, which revealed Williams' role in the upcoming animated Black Panther spin-off series. The report also confirmed Winnie Harlow's new character, Noni, while listing Patricia Belcher, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Lynn Whitfield, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Gary Anthony Williams, and Zeke Alton for other roles.
As of writing, there are no details about Williams' new Marvel character. However, based on his appearance, he is likely one of the Wakandan warriors from an earlier era who will be featured in stories told across the globe.
Eyes of Wakanda is a four-episode animated anthology series that will take inspiration from the world of the Black Panther for a new story on Disney+. The series will feature warriors from the hidden nation of Wakanda through different periods of world history, traveling the planet in search of stolen vibranium artifacts to bring back home. Eyes of Wakanda debuts on Disney+ on August 6.
History of Actors Working for DC & Marvel
Looking back at comic book movie history, Cress Williams is far from the only actor to dip his toes into both Marvel and DC.
Recently, following James Gunn's promotion to DC Studios co-CEO (after his nine-year stint directing for Marvel Studios), over a dozen Marvel stars made their way into his new DC Universe. Some of the biggest names include David Harbour (Red Guardian/Eric Frankenstein), Frank Grillo (Crossbones/Rick Flag Sr.), Nicholas Hoult (Beast/Lex Luthor), and Nathan Fillion (multiple Marvel roles/Guy Gardner).
Previously, Ryan Reynolds also made his name in DC as the Green Lantern years before he made Deadpool a household name in the Marvel universe. Also on the list for legacy actors are examples like Michael Keaton (Batman/Vulture), Tommy Lee Jones (Two-Face, Colonel Phillips), and Ben Affleck (Daredevil/Batman).
For Cress Williams, the real question is, what will the extent of this Marvel role be for him after years of playing a leading DC superhero on TV for The CW?
It is still unknown if or when the characters from Eyes of Wakanda will be brought into live-action, or whether Williams could be in line to play another hero for Marvel. For now, fans will look forward to hearing his efforts as a voice actor when Wakanda returns to the forefront of Marvel storytelling.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. 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.
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