Superman Actors Who Appeared In Previous DC Comics Movies And TV Shows

James Gunn's "Superman" heralds the beginning of a new era. While it kickstarts the first chapter of the DC Universe titled "Gods and Monsters," it still features a number of familiar faces who are no strangers to Smallville, Metropolis, Gotham City, or even Central City. Yes, more than a few "Superman" actors have appeared in previous DC Comics-related movies and TV shows.

Considering the sheer amount of films and series produced over the past two decades, it was always a likely occurrence, but it's surprising how many cast members of the 2025 film already have solid DC experience. In fact, when you get down to the nitty-gritty detail of it all, you'll find that the Guy Gardner role isn't the first time that Nathan Fillion played a Green Lantern. Unsurprisingly, Alan Tudyk's turn as Superman Robot #4, aka Gary, isn't his debut as the voice of a robot in this world either.

With that being said, let's check out all the "Superman" actors who graced prior DC projects with their presence. And before anyone asks, no, Dwayne Johnson doesn't reprise his role from 2022's "DC League of Super-Pets" to provide the barking voice for Krypto in Gunn's live-action movie.

In "Superman," Michael Rosenbaum shows up as one of Lex Luthor's Raptor henchmen. Since the Raptors are masked, you don't see Rosenbaum's face, but if you pay attention, you'll hear his unmistakable voice. He's the goon who comments about Eve Teschmacher sending selfies behind Luthor's back. Inevitably, he's also likely to be one of the Raptors smashed by Superman or Krypto in the final act.

The cameo proves to be a neat tip of the hat to the actor who played Lex Luthor in "Smallville." Rosenbaum is often cited as the gold standard when it comes to the devious villain, with even James Gunn declaring Rosenbaum as "the best Lex" on the "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" podcast. While it was always unlikely that Gunn would think about casting Rosenbaum as Luthor in the "Superman" movie, the filmmaker figured out a way to still pay homage to the past while embracing the future and attaching Rosenbaum to the Luther mythos somehow.

Luthor isn't the only role that Rosenbaum previously played in DC, as he famously voiced the Wally West version of the Flash in the animated series "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited." That isn't all, though, as he also voiced Barry Allen in "Justice League: Doom" and a variety of other characters in other animated films and shows, such as "Batman Beyond" and "Teen Titans." All things considered, don't be too surprised if you hear Rosenbaum's voice again in Gunn's DCU somewhere down the line.

Along with the Justice Gang (the name is still being workshopped), Nathan Fillion rocks up as Guy Gardner in "Superman," showing off all the attitude and a terrible bowl haircut as one of the most (in)famous members of the Green Lantern Corps. Fillion doesn't disappoint, applying the right amount of comedic elements to the snarky but heroic character who in the brightest day and blackest night doesn't allow evil to escape his sight.

As a long-time James Gunn collaborator, Fillion joined the filmmaker for his 2021 DC movie, "The Suicide Squad." He didn't stick around for too long as the Detachable Kid, though, meeting his maker in the early stages of the film — which should have been a hint that Gunn might have had bigger plans for the actor.

Fillion also appeared as Vigilante in several episodes of "Justice League Unlimited," while he voiced Steve Trevor in 2009's "Wonder Woman" animated film. Another role that Fillion became known for was as the voice of Green Lantern Hal Jordan in several animated movies, such as "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights" and "Justice League: Throne of Atlantis," in the 2010s. In fact, his outstanding performance had fans wondering if he might not be cast as the live-action version of the character too. In the end, he was cast as a Green Lantern — just maybe not the one everyone expected.

Wendell Pierce brings the Daily Planet's editor-in-chief Perry White to life in "Superman." White and his team play a pivotal part in exposing Lex Luthor's dastardly schemes to the public, while he also demonstrates his journalistic sixth sense by sniffing out that Lois Lane and Superman have been having a relationship for a while.

Pierce is a Marvel actor who appears in James Gunn's "Superman," as he previously showed up in "Thunderbolts*" — or "The New Avengers" — as Congressman Gary. Yet, he also holds another credit in the DC Universe. Pierce voiced Lex Luthor in season 5 of the "Harley Quinn" animated series. Previously, Giancarlo Esposito had voiced the character before Lance Reddick took over the role for the spin-off series "Kite Man: Hell Yeah!" due to scheduling conflicts.

After Reddick passed away, Pierce was asked to voice the character for the next season of "Harley Quinn." Speaking to Mojocore, Pierce revealed how upon researching the part of Luthor, he found out that Luthor had a relationship with White's wife in the comics, adding yet another intriguing layer of drama to both the characters he portrayed.

In "Superman," Anthony Carrigan portrays Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho. Possessing the ability to transform his body into different elements, Lex Luthor blackmails Metamorpho into weakening Superman by conjuring Kryptonite in the pocket universe. Eventually, Metamorpho decides he wants no part of Luthor's scheme, so the Man of Steel and him escape their prison, rescue Joey (Metamorpho's son), and Metamorpho ends up joining the Justice Gang.

Carrigan is also one of the "Superman" actors who appeared in previous live-action DC stories. In fact, most fans best remember him for playing Victor Zsasz in "Gotham." Considering the show's oft-campy tone, Carrigan was able to pay with and infuse a more comedic element in the unhinged serial killer/hitman. In a way, this was a trial run for his critically acclaimed performance as NoHo Hank in "Barry."

In the 2010s, there was something in the water in terms of casting Carrigan as a hitman, since he also appeared as Kyle Nimbus, aka Mist, in "The Flash." The character, who's also a hitman, gets caught in the particle accelerator, transforming his body and allowing him to turn into gas. Not exactly the most exciting superpower, but hey, Galactus in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" was a fart cloud, so it could be worse.

Pruitt Taylor Vince might not be as big of a name as someone like Kevin Costner, but the character actor more than justifies his casting as Jonathan Kent in "Superman." While he doesn't feature much in the movie, his heart-to-heart conversation with Clark doesn't only turn on the waterworks for everyone watching, but it also proves to be exactly what Clark needs to hear to become the hero everyone knows he is.

"Superman" isn't Vince's first rodeo in DC. The actor starred in 2005's "Constantine," alongside Keanu Reeves. In the film, Vince portrays the priest Father Hennessy, who drinks to stop hearing the voices of the dead. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to survive until the end credits, as Gavin Rossdale's Balthazar drowns him in alcohol.

While Vince's casting as Pa Kent didn't light up the headlines when it was first announced, the warmness and kindness of his character toward Clark ensures that everyone wants to see him return, since this is a key relationship that James Gunn gets exactly right in "Superman." Considering how there are major plans afoot for the DCU, it's likely that Vince's Pa Kent pops up somewhere again.

Listen closely in "Superman" and you'll hear Alan Tudyk as the voice of Superman Robot #4, aka Gary. Out of all the robots in the Fortress of Solitude, it's Gary who receives the bulk of the lines and proves to be the most memorable, as he has various interactions with the Man of Steel.

At this point, seeing Tudyk's name in any DC movie or TV show should surprise no one. In fact, I could write an entire feature-length article about every single role he has had in the DC franchise, because he often portrays multiple roles. So, let's try to summarize the top ones here.

In the live-action world, Tudyk portrayed Mr. Nobody in "Doom Patrol," as well as Van Wayne (Bruce Wayne's cousin) in the Batman-adjacent sitcom "Powerless." On the animation side of the business, he voiced Joker, Clayface, and a variety of other characters in "Harley Quinn." In "Creature Commandos," he added to the insanity as Doctor Phosphorous, Clayface, and Will Magnus. Further to this, Tudyk has also voiced Justice League members like Green Arrow, Flash, and Superman in DC projects like "Young Justice," "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," and "Justice League: War," respectively. Look, if you think "Superman" will mark Tudyk's last role in the DCU, think again.

In "Superman," Frank Grillo (along with his glorious head of hair) appears as Rick Flag Sr. While largely on the periphery of the film, Flag demonstrates society and government's complex relationship with metahumans, hinting that there's more friction to come in the DCU. "Superman" also marks the second time that Grillo played the role of Flag, since he previously voiced the character in the animated series "Creature Commandos."

Now, Grillo is best known for his stint as Brock Rumlow, aka Crossbones, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he also found time to squeeze in an appearance in another DC animated movie before his official debut as Flag. In "Justice League: Warworld," Grillo voices Agent Faraday, a federal agent who connects with Clark Kent as they explore a crashed UFO. Even in the comics, King Faraday isn't considered a major character by any means, so this was a real deep cut for Grillo to portray.

That being said, it appears like Rick Flag Sr. isn't going anywhere in the DCU, with Grillo set to play a major role in "Peacemaker" season 2, so he might be sticking around in this franchise for quite some time.

Stephen Blackehart rocks a perfect 10 mustache as Sydney Happersen in "Superman." Happersen is a scientist for LutherCorp, who also doubles up as a boot-licking stooge for Lex Luthor. Have I mentioned how amazing his mustache is? Henry Cavill probably wishes his one from "Justice League" looked as bushy as this — too soon to joke about that?

Blackehart proves to be one of James Gunn's most reliable collaborators, as he's appeared in everything from "Guardians of the Galaxy" to "Tromeo and Juliet" and "Brightburn." He's also had two roles in previous DC properties, which were both helmed by Gunn. Told you that they love working together.

In "The Suicide Squad," Blackehart had a cameo as the pilot Briscoe, who transports Task Force X to Corto Maltese. Blackehart's more memorable role arrived in "Peacemaker" season 1, in which he plays Charlie the Gorilla. Poor Charlie suffers, though, after one of the butterflies uses his body as a vehicle for destruction. Much like our ape-lord and savior, Harambe, Charlie didn't survive the incident — in fact, the gorilla's death in "Peacemaker" was quite gory.

Much like in previous productions, Sean Gunn receives a role in his big brother's "Superman" movie. The younger Gunn shows up as Maxwell Lord, who also happens to be a backer of the Justice Gang and is sure to have an some influence on future events in the DCU, especially if you're familiar with his character.

Sean Gunn also happens to be one of the "Superman" actors who appeared in previous DC Comics movies and TV shows. When James Gunn helmed "The Suicide Squad," he found two roles for his brother — as Calendar Man and Weasel. Sean reprises his role as Weasel — well, making weird noises for the character at the very least — in "Creature Commandos," while he also lent his voice to a new character in G.I. Robot.

Maxwell Lord will be seen again in the DCU, while it's highly likely that Sean Gunn will return to voice G.I. Robot and Weasel in further seasons of "Creature Commandos." The question is, which other DC characters could Gunn play too?

Michael Rooker — another regular James Gunn collaborator — swoops into "Superman." The actor, though, doesn't have a major role in this movie. Instead, he lends his voice to the lesser-featured Superman Robot #1 in the Fortress of Solitude. The most likely reason for this is because Rooker was already eyed for another DCU part as Red St. Wild, an eagle hunter who wants to take down Eagly in "Peacemaker" season 2. Gunn still brought him into "Superman," but not as an MVP of the movie.

Yet, none of these parts were Rooker's first dance in the world of DC. In 2010, Rooker provided the voice of Red Doc for the short film "DC Showcase: Jonah Hex." Then, in 2021, he made his live-action bow in "The Suicide Squad," where he portrayed Savant, despite the rumors that Rooker was set to play King Shark. Unfortunately, Savant didn't last past the first action scene after Amanda Waller detonated the bomb in his head as he tried to escape the island.

Rooker would also receive a minor role in an episode of "Creature Commandos" season 1. In "Cheers to the Tin Man," Rooker voices Sam Fitzgibbon, a man who buys G.I. Robot and befriends him. However, matters take a turn for the worse when G.I. Robot notices that Sam and his pals are neo-Nazis. Needless to say, it doesn't end well for Sam and company.

The internet often melts down over nothing. Case in point: the vocal minority of doomsayers suggesting that James Gunn would apply nepotism when taking over the DCU and cast his wife, Jennifer Holland, as a major character like Supergirl or Lois Lane. Well, Gunn proved that the noisy chatter means nothing, since Holland didn't secure any pivotal part in "Superman." In fact, she isn't even credited for her work, even though she provides the voice of one of the unnamed robots in the Fortress of Solitude.

Holland isn't a newcomer to DC, however. She starred as A.R.G.U.S. agent Emilia Harcourt in both "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker," while also cameoing in "Black Adam" and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." In fact, those two cameos irked Gunn, who took to Threads to state that he didn't believe the 11th Street Kids, including Harcourt, had anything to do with underwater prisons or the Justice Society. Fans can watch Holland's Harcourt tearing it up again in "Peacemaker" season 2.

Mikaela Hoover plays Daily Planet reporter Cat Grant in James Gunn's "Superman." Unlike certain versions of the character, she seems to be on good terms with pretty much everyone in the office, even sharing a good-natured relationship with Lois Lane.

This isn't the first time that Hoover collaborated with Gunn, as she played in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and "Super." Plus, she's a "Superman" actor who appeared in a previous DC comics movie, and as it turns out, it was also a Gunn production: "The Suicide Squad."

In the 2021 film, Hoover plays Camila, who lives in Corto Maltese and serves as an assistant to the president. It's not a big role by any means, and it's safe to say that Hoover gets more to do as Cat Grant in "Superman" than she did as Camila in "The Suicide Squad." It remains to be seen if the role of Cat will be expanded upon in further films, or if she's only a one-and-done deal in the DCU.