Every Superhero That's Been Cast In James Gunn's DCU So Far

There's no denying that the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) didn't go according to plan, leading to Warner Bros. hiring producer Peter Safran and director James Gunn to relaunch the franchise with an entirely new vision as co-CEOs of DC Studios. By the end of 2024, the DC Universe (DCU) was taking shape with the animated "Creature Commandos" series getting things going before the first teaser for "Superman" revealed even more superheroes and villains.

While DC's initial slate of films and shows was made public in January 2023, the actors playing the franchise's major superheroes have only trickled out of Tinseltown. Still, while most casting announcements have yet to be made public, more than a dozen have been revealed, giving the DCU a bedrock of exceptional talent.

The "Superman" teaser introduced numerous superheroes and the stars playing them, while announcements covered by the trades have revealed actors' names for other projects. As 2025 kicks off, here are all the superheroes who've been cast in James Gunn's DCU so far, with many more on the way as the franchise's many projects continue to pick up speed.

January 2023 saw the announcement of the DCU's first feature film, "Superman: Legacy," though the "Legacy" has since been dropped from the title. It took a while before DC Studios revealed any names attached to the project, but in June 2023, the studio announced David Corenswet as its new Superman, while Rachel Brosnahan was cast as Lois Lane.

Corenswet landed the role with less than a decade of experience in Hollywood, having launched his professional acting career with 2014's "Moe & Jerryweather," which he also produced. His breakout role came in 2019 when he played River Barkley in "The Politician." He's had some film work as well, notably playing Scott in 2024's "Twisters." Unlike some previous Men of Steel, Corenswet got ripped to play Superman, so he's not sporting a muscle suit under the blue, red, and yellow.

Reactions to the film's first teaser suggest that the actor will knock it out of the park when the film debuts, which makes sense as he's been preparing for the role for years. In 2019, the actor told Entertainment Weekly that playing Superman was his "pie-in-the-sky ambition," and after being cast as the iconic hero, he revealed that he drew inspiration from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's critically acclaimed "All-Star Superman" for his interpretation of the character.

Not long after the major leads for "Superman" were announced, other casting news followed. In July 2023, DC Studios revealed that Edi Gathegi would play Mister Terrific in the film, and now that the teaser is out, there's much that can be gleaned from his appearance. 

The original Mister Terrific debuted in 1942, but the one featured in the film is the second man to take up the mantle, Michael Holt, who premiered in 1997's "The Spectre" #54. Gathegi has said that he takes his role as Mister Terrific seriously, and he certainly got jacked to play the part. The costume and iconic t-shaped mask he wears are taken straight out of the comics, giving him a look that's incredibly accurate to the source material, as is true of several characters in "Superman."

This isn't the first time Gathegi has played a superhero, having portrayed Armando Muñoz, otherwise known as Darwin, in 2011's "X-Men: First Class." Outside of his superhero performances, Gathegi has had notable roles in "House, M.D." and the "Twilight" films. Regarding his casting, Gathegi wrote on Instagram that he's "[b]eyond grateful a master storyteller [James Gunn] has invited me to contribute to an iconic property and this artistic conversation."

Nathan Fillion's name was announced alongside Edi Gathegi's in July 2023, with the veteran actor playing Guy Gardner, one of Earth's Green Lanterns. Guy appears briefly in the "Superman" teaser, and yes, that iconically bad bowl cut is 100% comic-accurate despite looking objectively awful. Guy debuted in 1968's "Green Lantern" #59 and is easily one of DC Comics' most powerful Lanterns. He's egocentric and kind of a jerk to work with, but he's a true superhero at heart and a great addition to the DCU.

Fillion is no stranger to comic book roles or working with director James Gunn. Their long list of collaborations includes "Super," "The Suicide Squad," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." When he's not playing a character in a superhero movie, Fillion is busy on the small screen, where he's currently the lead in "The Rookie," though he's probably best known for playing Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds in "Firefly" and Richard Castle in "Castle." Fillion isn't new to playing a Green Lantern either, as he's provided the voice for another Lantern, Hal Jordan, in multiple animated DC projects.

DC's Hawkgirl was revealed in July 2023 alongside Guy Gardner and Mister Terrific, with Isabela Merced cast as the superhero. She appears in the "Superman" teaser, but it's unclear what her role will be in the film. Hawkgirl is a complicated character, with a backstory that involves centuries of reincarnation, and Merced is portraying the Kendra Saunders incarnation, who first appeared in 1999's "JSA: Secret Files & Origins" #1. Saunders' body is inhabited by the spirit of the first Hawkgirl, Shiera Hall, but she retains Kendra's mind and memories.

Merced entered the film industry via 2013's "The House That Jack Built." She's appeared in several high-profile projects since then, including Sony's much-derided "Madame Web" and the more successful "Alien: Romulus." She also spends some of her time on the small screen, where her next role is Dina in HBO's "The Last of Us" Season 2.

Merced approached the casting process for "Superman" without knowing much about the project. When she landed the role, she says she burst into tears and immediately called her mom to let her know. She's on the record as being a big fan of her character's costume, telling Empire, "Honestly, inside, I'm just a nerdy guy. I feel like that's how I actually am. I'm geeking out every time I try on the supersuit! It's just the coolest thing in the world to me."

The day after the above Justice League casting announcements were made, DC Studios revealed that Anthony Carrigan would play Metamorpho in "Superman." Carrigan has been acting since the late 2000s, including two stints in DC projects, playing Mist in "The Flash" and Victor Zsasz in "Gotham."

Carrigan's DC hero first appeared in 1965's "The Brave and the Bold" #57, and he's somewhat ... unusual. Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho, can transmute his body into any element on the periodic table, though he typically exists as four elements at the same time, giving his body a patchwork appearance. Metamorpho's unique abilities make him a highly skilled combatant, as he can reshape his limbs into tools and weapons and is able to withstand attacks that would kill most people. Only his face is shown in the "Superman" teaser, and it's unclear what his role will be in the film.

Carrigan has expressed his excitement over playing Metamorpho, telling Variety, "It'll certainly be a bit of jump. I'm excited just to shake things up. Noho Hank [his role in "Barry"] is such a specific character, and I'm excited to play someone completely different and surprise people with just being unrecognizable." He's certainly difficult to identify under all of that makeup, which offers a touch of anonymity that he's excited to explore.

One thing that most fans know about Superman is that he has a cousin named Kara Zor-El, though she's better known as Supergirl. The character was first introduced in 1958's "Superman" #123, and she's been a major player in DC's comics, movies, TV series, and more ever since. In January 2024, DC Studios announced that Milly Alcock of "House of the Dragon" fame will play Supergirl in the DCU.

The casting announcement centered around the character's solo film, "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," which is slated to hit theaters sometime in 2026 and will tell the character's origin story on Krypton before she makes her way to Earth. Alcock's IMDb page also lists "Superman" as a forthcoming project, so she's likely to appear in that film too, though the first teaser doesn't include her.

Alcock began her professional acting career in 2014 and is best known for playing a young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's "House of the Dragon." When Alcock's casting as Supergirl was announced, Melissa Benoist, who portrayed the hero on The CW's "Supergirl" TV series from 2015-2021, offered her advice on playing the character. "I think any and all takes on the character are valuable because of what she stands for," she told Screen Rant. "I personally think that every iteration of her is valuable for young women to see."

While Guy Gardner will make his debut in "Superman," he's far from the only Green Lantern in the DC Universe. The original Silver Age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, previously portrayed in live-action by Ryan Reynolds, has also been cast, with DC Studios announcing in September 2024 that Kyle Chandler landed the role.

Hal Jordan, who first appeared in 1959's "Showcase" #22, is technically DC Comics' second Green Lantern, with the original being Golden Age character Alan Scott. One of DC Comics' first Silver Age superheroes, Jordan is a test pilot-turned-space cop who's been in the Justice League and other organizations. While the casting announcement came prior to "Superman's" teaser trailer release, he won't be in the film. Chandler will instead play the character in the forthcoming TV series "Lanterns," which will be centered around an Earth-based murder mystery in the United States.

Chandler has been working in movies and TV since the 1980s and is probably best known for his work in "Homefront," 2005's "King Kong," and "Friday Night Lights." His casting received immediate backlash from fans over his age, as Chandler was born in 1965. James Gunn laughed off these concerns, pointing to the nature of the story, which calls for an older, grounded, and more seasoned Jordan than the one typically depicted in the comics.

It was revealed in October 2024 that Aaron Pierre will play John Stewart in "Lanterns." Like Hal Jordan, the character isn't expected to appear in "Superman" or other projects prior to the Green Lantern series' debut in 2026.

John Stewart first appeared in 1971's "Green Lantern" #87, and he's been a staple in numerous games, animated series, and comics ever since. Stewart is a more focused Lantern than most, as well as a natural-born leader, making him an ideal superhero. Since his introduction, he's been one of DC's most popular Green Lanterns and one of the most beloved African-American superheroes in the comic book medium. Fans have wanted to see him in live action for a long time, and it's finally happening, thanks to James Gunn's DCU.

Pierre is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, having launched his acting career in 2016. In addition to starring in Netflix's 2023 hit movie "Rebel Ridge," he's probably best known for playing Dev-Em in "Krypton," so he's already experienced DC's superhero world prior to this casting. Regarding his verdant-hued superhero role, Pierre told ComicBook, "I'm gonna do my very best to serve and honor and elevate in any way I can, John Stewart and the Corps."

One of the most anticipated casting announcements in DC film history hit on December 30, 2024, when DC Studios revealed that Jason Momoa will play Lobo. Folks have been fancasting Momoa as DC's Main Man for years, but it looked as if it would never happen when he landed the role of Aquaman in the DCEU. Fortunately, James Gunn isn't worried about the double-DC casting and is making Momoa's — and a lot of fans' — dream come true.

Lobo is an anti-hero if there ever was one — having killed his entire species, he's guilty of genocide, making him the last Czarnian. Lobo once died and mucked up the afterlife so badly that he was kicked out, effectively making him immortal. Though he does work alongside DC's heroes as often as he fights them, he's a space dolphin-loving bounty hunter with a bad attitude who's appeared in animated series and a whole mess of comics since his debut in "Omega Men" #3 in 1983.

Lobo will appear in "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," and Momoa is an ideal choice for the role. After all, the actor whose career exploded when he played Khal Drogo in "Game of Thrones" has been involved in a variety of comic book-related fare for years. Prior to his latest DC casting, Momoa said, "So Lobo was ... I collect comics, and I don't do so much anymore, but he was always my favorite, and I always wanted to play Lobo because I'm like, 'Hello? It's the perfect role.'"

The project that officially launched the DCU in December 2024 is "Creature Commandos," an animated series airing on Max. The first season introduces the main characters, nearly all of whom are monsters recruited by Amanda Waller (voiced by Viola Davis, reprising her "Suicide Squad" role) to take on shady missions under the command of General Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo).

Reviews for "Creature Commandos" have been excellent, and it's proved to be an impressive lead-in to the DCU. The show features an excellent ensemble cast and the elements common in a James Gunn project, which makes sense since he's the show's creator and writer. Bringing Davis back as Waller cements the show in the DCU and makes her one of only a handful of actors to portray their characters in both Warner Bros.' new cinematic universe and the DCEU.

Joining Davis are Indira Varma as The Bride, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, Sean Gunn as both G.I. Robot and Weasel, Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky, and David Harbour as Frankenstein. Technically, the Creature Commandos aren't so much superheroes as they are monsters who kill Nazis, though this does place them on the heroes' side. Interestingly, Gunn pitched the series prior to landing his gig co-running DC Studios; he approved the pitch himself when he accepted his much larger job.

James Gunn began working with DC prior to the establishment of the DCU with 2021's "The Suicide Squad," which introduces John Cena as Peacemaker. The success of that film and the fans' love of Cena's character led to the development of the "Peacemaker" series in 2022, but it wasn't clear if he would be a part of the DCU once it launched. Fortunately, Gunn found a way, and "Peacemaker" Season 2 will fit into his overarching narrative for the new universe.

Not only will Cena retain his role as Peacemaker moving forward, but Viola Davis will also return, along with another superhero we'll get into shortly. Gunn has also revealed that "Peacemaker" Season 2 takes place after the events in "Superman," and the film will have an impact on the story depicted in the TV show.

It appears that not every element of the first season will make the leap into the DCEU, however. As Gunn explained on Threads, "Many strands will remain consistent as far as Peacemaker's story goes." "Peacemaker" has been incredibly well received, so it's unsurprising that another season is on the way, and fans can rejoice in knowing the character has a future in the new DCU.

"Peacemaker" introduced several characters that resonated with fans, so it's likely several will make the leap into the DCU alongside John Cena. One of the few who's been confirmed is Freddie Stroma's Vigilante, Peacemaker's best friend — after Eagly, of course — who appears in all eight episodes of the first season.

Stroma has been acting since 2006. Some of his most notable work prior to donning a mask includes his role as Cormac McLaggen in three "Harry Potter" films and Prince Friedrich in "Bridgerton." Stroma took over his DC role after Chris Conrad left the show over creative differences. As a result of the recasting, Stroma had to reshoot the character's scenes from the first five episodes to replace Conrad's work.

In 2023, Gunn posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that, "Yes, Freddie as Vigilante is still around." It's unclear if he was specifically referring to "Peacemaker" Season 2 or the DCU as a whole. Still, since Gunn revealed that the show's second season connects to other projects in the franchise, it seems that Stroma isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Of all the actors who appeared as leads in DCEU films, only one is confirmed to be making the leap to the DCU. Xolo Maridueña portrayed Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle, in 2023's movie of the same name, which ended up being the penultimate film of the DCEU. While it was critically acclaimed, the film wasn't a financial success, though that might have been due to fans' belief that the character wouldn't go anywhere when James Gunn took the reins at DC Studios.

However, those fans were incorrect; just over a month after the film's theatrical debut, Gunn posted on Threads that "Xolo Maridueña will continue playing Blue Beetle in the DCU." That makes the "Cobra Kai" actor the only one to reprise a headlining superhero role in Warner Bros' new superhero universe. Jason Momoa and others are returning, but as different characters or in parts that aren't holding top billing in any announced feature films.

As of right now, the only announced plan for Blue Beetle is to star in an untitled animated series that is still in development. It may be a while before it surfaces, but until then, fans can rest assured knowing that the character's story didn't end when the DCEU closed its doors to make way for the DCU.