Both the Marvel and DC universes have had dozens of films over the years. With the popularity if super hero films almost every character who wore tights has gotten their own movie. Even though these characters are timeless you often get multiple adaptations and different actors playing those characters.

With the film industry being the way it is you usually see actors going from studio to studio whenever there’s an opportunity for a role. Sometimes that even means staring in a franchise that rivals one that you were in previously. Today let’s take a look at five actors from Marvel films who were also in a DC film.

1 – Ryan Reynolds 



Let’s start off with an obvious choice. Ryan Reynolds became super popular with his 2016 depiction of the mark with a mouth Deadpool. But you may recall that in 2011 he wore green spandex as the Green Lantern. While Reynolds wasn’t bad in the role the film’s script clearly needed work, so he traded in his ring for katanas.

2 – Michael Keaton



Before becoming the villainous bird themed villain The Vulture in the 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming he was well known for being the first actor to play the caped crusader in 1989’s Batman directed by Tim Burton. He is arguably still the only actor to balance both Batman and Bruce Wayne in a believable way.

3 – J.K. Simmons



J.K. Simmons is well known for playing the loud mouthed and short tempered J. Jonah Jameson in both the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films and the Tom Holland Spider-Man series. But he also appeared as Commissioner Gordon in 2017’s Justice League. But with the Snyder-verse seemingly dead we might not see that version again.

4 – Zachary Levi



While not the first actor to play Fandral (Josh Dallas played him in 2011’s Thor) Zachary Levi did give us a decent performance in Thor: The Dark World, though he was killed off. Now Levi plays the super hero alto ego to Billy Batson debuting in 2019’s Shazam! as the original Captain Marvel (though they don’t call him that in the film).

5 – Christian Bale



Most people probably know Christian Bale from the iconic Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy from 2005 – 2012. But Bale recently played the villain Gorr the God Butcher in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Despite the film not being that great Bale was arguably one of the highlights. 

Though there are many more Marvel actors who were also in DC films this was just a small sample. It just goes to show you that when you’re an actor you can have your cake and eat it too when it comes to playing either a Marvel or DC character.