Sebastian Stan has etched his name into comic book movie history by becoming the ninth Marvel actor to cross the comic book aisle and join DC. The two comic book companies, which have recently made headlines for a collaboration between Superman and Spider-Man, have quietly built a growing roster of shared talent across their competing cinematic franchises. Stan's transition stands out as one of the most notable instances where the actor began with Marvel, this shifted to DC.
Sebastian Stan is making the leap from the MCU to, with the actor set to join Matt Reeves' highly anticipated The Batman 2. While his exact role has yet to be confirmed, rumors are swirling that Stan is set to portray Harvey Dent, the Gotham district attorney, whose tragic arc famously leads him to become the villainous Two-Face.
The move is particularly fascinating given that Stan remains an active hero in the MCU as Bucky Barnes, having just starred in 2025's Thunderbolts* with a return already set for Avengers: Doomsday, meaning Stan could soon hold major roles in both comic book universes simultaneously.
If the Harvey Dent casting proves true, it would mark a compelling return to Stan's villainous roots, echoing his breakout role as the Winter Soldier, though Dent's story is far more morally layered than a straightforward antagonist.
With The Batman 2 scheduled for October 1, 2027 (just two months before Avengers: Secret Wars) and the Reeves' Crime Saga operating outside James Gunn's rebooted DCU, the full scope of Stan's DC future remains an open question, though a third Batman film appearance would seem like a natural path forward, especially if Dent's transformation into Two-Face is saved for a later chapter.
Joining Stan will be another MCU alum in The Batman 2, growing a list of actors transitioning from Marvel to DC over the years.
MCU Actors Who Have Jumped to DC
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is joining Sebastian Stan in making the MCU-to-DC jump, as she is also reported to be joining the cast of The Batman 2.
Johansson is one of the most iconic figures in MCU history, having played Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow, across more than a decade of films, from Iron Man 2 all the way through her solo film Black Widow in 2021.
Idris Elba
Idris Elba first entered the MCU as Heimdall, the all-seeing guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, appearing across the Thor franchise before the character was killed off in Avengers: Infinity War.
Elba then made a high-profile jump to DC with James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2021), this time headlining the film as Robert DuBois, aka the sharp-shooting Bloodsport, who the actor would love to return to one day.
Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi has the rare distinction of going from a supporting MCU role to leading his own DC franchise. He briefly played the Asgardian warrior Fandral in Thor: The Dark World.
Levi then landed the title role in Shazam!, playing the adult superhero form of teenager Billy Batson in the now-defunct DCEU. He reprised the role in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, though the sequel underperformed at the box office, leaving the character's future unlikely in the new Gunn-led DCU.
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone made a cameo MCU debut as Stakar Ogord, a legendary Ravager leader, in Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
He then crossed over to DC in Gunn's The Suicide Squad, lending his unmistakable voice to the lovably dim but deadly King Shark. It's a fun bit of trivia that both of Stallone's comic book universe roles came through his friendship with Gunn, who often casts actors he's worked with before and admires.
Barry Keoghan
Barry Keoghan played Druig, an Eternal with mind-control abilities, in Marvel Studios' Eternals. Just a few months later, he delivered an Easter Egg DC debut as the Joker in Reeves' The Batman.
His appearance was brief, largely confined to a chilling deleted scene and a glimpse through a cell door, but it left an impression, with many fans hoping to see him in The Batman 2.
Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Hounsou appeared in the MCU as Korath the Pursuer, a Kree mercenary and ally of Ronan who served as a minor antagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy before landing a supporting role in Captain Marvel as the same character set many years before.
He also built a major presence in the DCEU, playing the ancient Wizard who bestows Billy Batson with his powers in both Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis is best known for his pioneering motion-capture work, but his live-action comic book roles showcase an impressive range. In the MCU, he played Ulysses Klaue, who appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther.
He then took a tonal turn in The Batman, playing Alfred Pennyworth, bringing a parental warmth and weariness to the role that grounded Reeves' darker version of the character. Serkis will be back in The Batman 2 alongside Robert Pattinson and more.
Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker became a fan favorite in the MCU as Yondu, the blue-skinned, fin-wearing Ravager captain whose complicated relationship with Peter Quill made his farewell in Vol. 2 one of the franchise's most unexpectedly tearful moments.
Rooker then reunited with director James Gunn for The Suicide Squad, playing Savant. He also appeared in Gunn's Peacemaker Season 2 on HBO Max. The Rooker-Gunn collaboration across both universes speaks to the director's loyalty to his trusted ensemble of actors.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper voiced the wisecracking Rocket Raccoon across the entire Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and multiple Avengers films, becoming one of the MCU's most iconic characters under the guidance of James Gunn.
Gunn then found a characteristically clever way to bring Cooper into his new DCU, casting him as Jor-El, Superman's legendary Kryptonian father. The Superman appearance was a controversial one, deviating from basic DC lore, but that also made it memorable.
Pom Klementieff
Pom Klementieff made her presence known as the empathic and endearingly awkward Mantis, appearing from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 through Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a few pit stops with the Avengers.
Gunn brought her along to the DCU as well, casting her as a robot voice in Superman, a small but telling cameo that could later turn into a larger role.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
In the MCU, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje portrayed Algrim the Strong, a brutal enforcer for Malekith in Thor: The Dark World.
The actor was also in the DCEU as Killer Croc, in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. While the film wasn't very well received, Akinnuoye-Agbaje's physical transformation for the role was a major win in makeup and design.
