Nothing gets a conversation and/or debate going faster than an alternate casting. Everyone has their own opinion about what actor should play which role and, more importantly, nobody can ever agree with anyone else’s picks. If it’s even slightly different than what you pictured in your head, you will immediately disregard it and ridicule the person who suggested it. The FanCast aims to inspire conversation, create debate, and provide ammo for the bloodthirsty nerds who can’t ever be wrong.
Despite James Gunn’s DC Universe existing as a soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe, it’s pretty much an entirely new universe save for The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. This means that actors who were wasted in the DCEU can reappear in the DCU in entirely new roles. With Jason Momoa recently joining the cast of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow as Lobo (not Aquaman), I thought it would be fun to imagine other major DCEU actors in new roles for the DCU.
Here are my choices for who Henry Cavill, Asher Angel, Margot Robbie, Dwayne Johnson, and Sasha Calle should play in the DCU.
Henry Cavill | Hitman
Who he played in the DCEU: Superman
Why he’d be perfect for Hitman: Look, Cavill is done as Superman. You Snyder bros have got to move on. Whether or not Cavill heads to Marvel to play Captain Britain (or Wolverine again), it’s unlikely that Gunn will bring him back to the DCU in a role that is similar to the Man of Steel. So, instead, let’s give him a role that is the opposite. Cavill is known to star in the odd action movie, with last year’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare being an overlooked delight, so let’s make him Tommy Monaghan / Hitman, an ex-Marine Gulf War veteran turned contract killer from the Cauldron, a lower-class Irish district of Gotham City. Gunn has stated he wants there to be all types of movies in the DCU, so let’s see Cavill headline a mid-budget action movie that’s basically John Wick in the DCU.
Asher Angel | Nightwing
Who he played in the DCEU: Billy Batson
Why he’d be perfect for Nightwing: Saddled with Zachary Levi’s Shazam performance, who refused to mature even though Angel’s Billy did, Angel deserves a better role in the DCU. With the man already in superhero physique, I’m not the first to suggest Angel for Dick Grayson / Nightwing, but I’m the one shouting it out into the Wasteland. Nightwing is my favorite DC character, and I want him to be done right in the DCU. Bring in Angel and let’s see what happens!
Margot Robbie | Lady Blackhawk
Who she played in the DCEU: Harley Quinn
Why she’d be perfect for Lady Blackhawk: If Robbie isn’t brought back as Harley Quinn, there are not many roles that I could envision her agreeing to play in the DCU. Enter: Lady Blackhawk. In the pages of DC Comics, the Blackhawk Squadron is a team of World War II-era ace pilots who operate from a hidden base, fly Grumman XF5F Skyrocket fighter aircraft, and shout their battle cry of “Hawk-a-a-a!” as they descend from the skies to fight tyranny and oppression. Lady Blackhawk is the first woman member of the Blackhawks. After playing the title doll in 2023’s female empowerment movie Barbie, I could see Robbie agreeing to produce and star in a Lady Blackhawk movie. Hey, if it means getting Greta Gerwig to direct a DCU movie, sign me up. And then… crossover Lady Blackhawk with Luca Guadagnino’s Sgt. Rock movie for the ultimate DCU World War II movie.
Dwayne Johnson | Blockbuster
Who he played in the DCEU: Black Adam
Why he’d be perfect for Blockbuster: The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe did not change with Johnson’s Black Adam movie, meaning that it’s unlikely that he’ll be back anytime soon as Teth-Adam. It’s also unlikely that Johnson will want to have a major role in the DCU moving forward, so why not allow him to play against type with a meaty villain role in a potential Nightwing solo movie? Rolan Desmond / Blockbuster is a crime lord based in Blüdhaven who possesses superhuman strength, stamina, and durability, as well as a genius-level intellect. Johnson certainly has the brawn, but what I want to see is the return of the pre-2010s The Rock who actually tried to act and not just play a variant of himself. If what we’ve seen from the upcoming biopic The Smashing Machine is any indicator, I may just get my wish.
Sasha Calle | Cassandra Cain
Who she played in the DCEU: Supergirl
Why she’d be perfect for Cassandra Cain: Calle didn’t really get a chance to prove herself as Supergirl, and with Milly Alcock already cast (and filming) as the DCU’s Supergirl, she never will. So, if she can’t play Supergirl, why not give her Batgirl? Specifically, Cassandra Cain, who has also gone by Black Bat and Orphan in the comics. The daughter of the assassin Lady Shiva, Cassandra was initially deprived of speech and human contact as a child and conditioned into becoming the world’s greatest assassin. Calle already played a cold and emotionless Supergirl in the DCEU, so why not let her bring some of that into Cassandra Cain.
Which DCEU actors do you hope to see reappear in the DCU as a new character?