Actors Who Played Two (or More) Different DC Characters
Sometimes one trip to the DC universe just is not enough for an actor. Over the years, quite a few stars have stepped into more than one DC role, crossing continuities, tones, and even mediums to bring very different characters to life. Some moved from villains to heroes, others jumped from live action to animation, and a few returned to DC through its imprints.
Here is a friendly tour through the most interesting double dips. Each entry highlights exactly which characters they played, where to find them, and how those roles fit within the larger DC world. You will see mainline DC films alongside projects based on DC imprints, since those are part of the same publishing family and often made by the same studios.
Mark Strong in ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Shazam!’
Mark Strong played Sinestro in ‘Green Lantern’, appearing as a seasoned member of the Corps who mentors Hal Jordan before revealing a more authoritarian streak. He later returned to DC as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana in ‘Shazam!’, a scientist who gains powers through the Seven Deadly Sins and becomes Billy Batson’s primary adversary. Both films were produced for Warner Bros with different creative teams and separate continuities.
These two roles show how the same actor can anchor very different corners of DC. Sinestro is a cosmic lawman with a complex code while Sivana is a human antagonist driven by resentment and ambition. The switch placed Strong at the center of two distinct origin stories, each introducing a new lead hero to the screen.
Nicole Kidman in ‘Batman Forever’ and ‘Aquaman’
Nicole Kidman first joined DC as Dr. Chase Meridian in ‘Batman Forever’, a Gotham City psychologist who works closely with Bruce Wayne and the GCPD during the Riddler and Two-Face cases. She later returned as Queen Atlanna in ‘Aquaman’, playing the Atlantean mother of Arthur Curry and a key figure in the politics of the underwater kingdoms.
Both appearances came from major Warner Bros tentpoles but belong to different eras and timelines. The earlier film sits within the Burton and Schumacher cycle while the latter launched the oceanic side of the modern DC slate under director James Wan, with Atlanna’s backstory framing Arthur’s path to the throne.
Temuera Morrison in ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Aquaman’
Temuera Morrison appears in ‘Green Lantern’ as Abin Sur, the dying Lantern who passes his ring to Hal Jordan and sets the Earth hero’s journey in motion. He also plays Thomas Curry in ‘Aquaman’, the human lighthouse keeper whose relationship with Atlanna grounds Arthur’s family story on the surface world.
These roles exist in separate continuities yet connect two pivotal origin moments in DC films. Abin Sur’s handoff introduces the ring choosing concept, and Thomas Curry’s steadfast presence ties Atlantis to the everyday world. Warner Bros and DC used Morrison in both cosmic and coastal settings to open their respective narratives.
Peter Sarsgaard in ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘The Batman’
Peter Sarsgaard portrays Hector Hammond in ‘Green Lantern’, a scientist who acquires powers and becomes a telepathic threat tied to the central conflict. He later turns up in ‘The Batman’ as Gotham District Attorney Gil Colson, a public official drawn into the Riddler’s campaign against city corruption.
The two roles land on very different ends of the DC spectrum, one in a spacefaring adventure and the other in a grounded detective thriller. They also live in unrelated timelines, with ‘The Batman’ operating as a standalone continuity under director Matt Reeves for Warner Bros.
Keanu Reeves in ‘Constantine’ and ‘DC League of Super-Pets’
Keanu Reeves headlined ‘Constantine’ as the chain smoking exorcist drawn from DC’s Vertigo imprint, battling demons in a noir supernatural setting. He later voiced Batman in ‘DC League of Super-Pets’, joining an animated ensemble that features the Justice League and their animal counterparts.
This combination covers two mediums and two tones, live action occult storytelling and family friendly animation. Both projects come from the same corporate family tied to DC and Warner Bros, and together they show how DC characters span adult supernatural tales and broad comedic adventures.
Djimon Hounsou in ‘Aquaman’ and ‘Shazam!’
Djimon Hounsou appears in ‘Aquaman’ as King Ricou of the Fishermen, giving voice to one of the undersea realms that form the political map of Atlantis. He also plays the ancient Wizard in ‘Shazam!’, the guardian who chooses Billy Batson as his champion and unlocks the film’s central power set.
The casting links two distinct origin mechanisms within DC films, a royal undersea council in one story and a magical lineage in another. Both roles support worldbuilding, with Ricou establishing the scope of Atlantis and the Wizard introducing the mythic rules behind the Shazam powers.
Patrick Wilson in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Aquaman’
Patrick Wilson provides the voice of the United States President in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, a brief but notable placement within the broader conflict. He then takes a leading live action role as Orm in ‘Aquaman’, Arthur Curry’s half brother and a central figure in the struggle for control of the seas.
These appearances illustrate how DC productions reuse talent across roles when moving from ensemble crossovers to franchise specific stories. The voice cameo belongs to the Snyder directed storyline for Warner Bros, while the Orm role anchors the Atlantean saga under James Wan’s direction.
Nathan Fillion in ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Superman’
Nathan Fillion plays TDK in ‘The Suicide Squad’, a member of the Task Force X lineup with a very unusual power set. He is also cast as Guy Gardner in ‘Superman’, bringing a Green Lantern from the comics into a new big screen continuity led by James Gunn.
This pairing connects two eras of DC filmmaking under the same creative leadership. Fillion has long history with DC in animation, frequently voicing Hal Jordan, and these live action roles place him first in a mission gone wrong and then in a new take on Metropolis that expands the roster of powered characters.
David Dastmalchian in ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’
David Dastmalchian appears in ‘The Dark Knight’ as Thomas Schiff, a disturbed henchman linked to the Joker during the height of the Gotham crime wave. He later returns to DC as Abner Krill, better known as Polka Dot Man, in ‘The Suicide Squad’, a character pulled from deep in the comics library.
Both roles are supporting parts that became memorable pieces of their ensembles. The first ties into Christopher Nolan’s grounded take on Gotham, and the second places the actor within a chaotic international mission for Task Force X under James Gunn and Warner Bros.
Taika Waititi in ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’
Taika Waititi plays Tom Kalmaku in ‘Green Lantern’, a friend and colleague of Hal Jordan who works in aerospace engineering. He later appears in ‘The Suicide Squad’ as Ratcatcher 1, father to Daniela Melchior’s character, seen in flashbacks that explain the emotional core of the team.
These roles sit on opposite sides of DC storytelling, one a present day Earth based science setting and the other a backstory thread that informs a modern mission. The performances bridge two different creative eras at the studio while referencing deep character histories.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in ‘Watchmen’, ‘The Losers’, and ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’
Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays Edward Blake, the Comedian, in ‘Watchmen’, a violent government operative whose death sets the story in motion. He also stars as Clay in ‘The Losers’, based on a Vertigo series about a black ops team. He later appears as Thomas Wayne in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, adding a brief but impactful turn within the opening sequence.
These three roles cross DC imprints and mainline continuity. Two belong to properties published under DC’s Vertigo and WildStorm families, and one anchors a key identity in the Batman mythos. All were produced within the Warner Bros orbit, showing the breadth of DC adaptations.
Billy Crudup in ‘Watchmen’ and ‘Justice League’
Billy Crudup portrays Dr. Manhattan in ‘Watchmen’, a super powered being created through a laboratory accident and central to the film’s themes about power and control. He later appears in ‘Justice League’ as Henry Allen, father to Barry Allen, in scenes that help define the Flash’s personal stakes.
The actor moved from motion capture and advanced visual effects to a grounded dramatic role within the same corporate family of productions. The two parts exist in completely separate continuities, one within an adaptation of a self contained graphic novel and the other within the shared world of DC heroes.
John Glover in ‘Batman and Robin’ and ‘Shazam!’
John Glover plays Dr. Jason Woodrue in ‘Batman and Robin’, a mad scientist tied to the creation of Poison Ivy through illegal experiments. He later shows up in ‘Shazam!’ as the father of Dr. Sivana, whose harsh treatment of his sons sets up the villain’s path.
These characters sit in different tonal spaces, with one rooted in stylized Gotham excess and the other grounded in a modern family drama within a superhero story. Both projects came through Warner Bros and DC, linking two distinct decades of Batman and Shazam storytelling.
Share the other double duty DC performances you love in the comments so everyone can compare notes.
