2026's Supergirl will break a major DC rule due to the casting of one of its major villains. The upcoming DCU movie will properly introduce Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-el after her brief appearance alongside David Corenswet's Kryptonian hero in 2025's Superman. Supergirl is set to duke it out with dangerous villains in her upcoming movie, namely Krem of the Yellow Hills and the cosmic foe known as Lobo.
What's interesting about Lobo's casting in Supergirl is the fact that the DC villain will be portrayed by Jason Momoa, the same actor who brought Aquaman to life in the DCEU. Aside from Momoa jumping ship from the DCEU to the DCU, the actor's portrayal of a villain in Supergirl has a deeper meaning than fans realize.
Jason Momoa's casting as Lobo in Supergirl is historic because it breaks the 48-year rule of an actor playing both a DC superhero and a DC supervillain in live-action DC movies. This has never happened since the first proper DC live-action movie, Superman, in 1978.
The decision to include Momoa as Lobo two years removed from his Aquaman stint in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is interesting because it marks the shortest turnaround ever for a DC actor to transition from a DC hero to a DC villain. It is also the DCU's deliberate way of straying away from what made the DCEU great, since many would argue that Momoa's casting as Aquaman was a fan-favorite under Zack Snyder's regime.
Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, Supergirl is a space adventure similar to Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, as it follows the titular Kryptonian in her cosmic quest for revenge. The movie stars Milly Alcock, David Krumholtz, Jason Momoa, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Eve Ridley. Supergirl premieres in theaters on June 26, 2026.
Every Actor Who Played Both Heroes & Villains in Movies
Michael Keaton
- Batman and Vulture
Michael Keaton first entered the superhero world when he brilliantly portrayed Batman (Bruce Wayne) in 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns. The actor managed to showcase a tormented version of the Dark Knight, and some would argue that he brought to life one of the best versions of the DC hero on the big screen. He later reprised the role of Batman in 2023's The Flash.
Keaton then jumped ship to the MCU to portray Vulture, a villain opposite Tom Holland's Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The grounded antagonist was a key villain in the MCU because he was one of the first to learn Peter Parker's secret identity, but chose not to reveal it to the others.
Josh Brolin
- Cable and Thanos
Josh Brolin is part of this unique lineup because he played the time-traveling mutant, Cable, in Deadpool 2. While he didn't return in future Deadpool movies, Brolin terrorized the MCU as the Mad Titan Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Thanos is a historic villain because he defeated the Avengers and wiped out half of all life in the universe (read more about Josh Brolin's comments about Thanos' MCU return here).
Michael B. Jordan
- Human Torch and Killmonger
Michael B. Jordan first joined Marvel in 2015 when he played a version of the Human Torch in the widely criticized Fantastic Four. Despite the poor reception to the 2015 movie, Jordan redeemed himself by delivering a career-defining performance as Killmonger in 2018's Black Panther. Killmonger became one of the MCU's iconic villains, and his unexpected return in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which led to cheers, further cemented his importance to Wakanda lore.
Michelle Pfeiffer
- Catwoman and Janet van Dyne
Michelle Pfeiffer embodied the mischievous Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) in 1992's Batman Returns. The actress' solid performance as the DC villain led to many to consider her as one of the defining versions of Catwoman in live-action. In 2018, Pfeiffer joined the MCU as Janet van Dyne, the franchise's original Wasp, who was stuck and rescued from the Quantum Realm.
Christian Bale
- Batman and Gorr
Christian Bale delivered a definitive portrayal of Batman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, showcasing a morally complex version of the Caped Crusader. The actor then joined the MCU, where he embraced a physical transformation to play Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Samuel L. Jackson
- Nick Fury, The Octopus, and Mr. Glass
Samuel L. Jackson is perhaps most recognizable for his role as Nick Fury in a wide array of MCU movies in the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga. Outside the MCU, the actor played the octopus-armed crime lord, The Octopus, in The Spirit, and he also brought Elijah Price (aka Mr. Glass) to life in Unbreakable and 2019's Glass.
Scarlett Johansson
- Black Widow and Silken Floss
Scarlett Johansson spent over a decade portraying Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) in the MCU, with her final appearance showcased in the 2021 prequel solo movie, Black Widow. Aside from playing a hero in the MCU, the award-winning actress portrayed a deadly and villainous assistant, Silken Floss, in The Spirit.
Hugo Weaving
- V and Red Skull
Hugo Weaving brilliantly portrayed the anarchist freedom fighter, V, in 2005's V for Vendetta (which is already set for a revival as a series on HBO Max). The actor also joined the MCU to bring the Red Skull to life in Captain America: The First Avenger to rival Chris Evans' Steve Rogers.
Tom Hardy
- Venom and Bane
Tom Hardy's first foray into the world of superheroes was playing the Batman villain, Bane, in The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. After his menacing performance as the DC villain, Hardy led his own Venom trilogy by delivering a memorable portrayal of Eddie Brock that even briefly crossed over in the post-credits scene of Tom Holland's Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Idris Elba
- Heimdall and Bloodsport
Idris Elba played the mild yet cunning Heimdall, the Asgardian gatekeeper, across several MCU films. The actor also joined DC by portraying Bloodsport in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, teaming up alongside John Cena's Peacemaker and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- Quicksilver, Kick-Ass, and Kraven
Aaron Taylor-Johnson had a lone yet impactful stint in the MCU by playing Pietro Maximoff (aka Quicksilver) in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. Before playing the mutant hero, Taylor-Johnson brought the nerd-turned-vigilante, Kick Ass, to life in Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2. In 2024, the actor transitioned into a villain by playing Kraven the Hunter under the umbrella of Sony's Marvel Universe.
Jim Carrey
- The Riddler and Colonel Stars and Stripes
Jim Carrey's DC debut came in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, when he brought Edward Nygma (The Riddler) to life to battle George Clooney's version of the Dark Knight. The comedian then returned to the world of comic book movies as a vigilante named Colonel Stars and Stripes in Kick-Ass 2.
James McAvoy
- Charles Xavier and The Horde
James McAvoy portrayed the young version of Charles Xavier across the X-Men prequel movies. Aside from being a lead hero, McAvoy's acting prowess was further showcased when he played Kevin Wendell Crumb (aka The Horde) in Split and Glass. What made The Horde unique in McAvoy's resume was the fact that the character has at least 20 other personalities, and the actor managed to show several of them with ease.
