The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been running rings around the DC Extended Universe for several years now, but DC properties have had a far longer run in terms of movies and television shows than the ones created by Marvel. The first true blockbuster superhero movie belonged to DC in the form of Superman: The Movie, while the Batman movie that was released in 1989 proved that darker tales could be told using established characters.
The DC characters have also had a long history on television, with shows like Wonder Woman dating back to the '70s, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman being a big hit in the '90s, and Smallville lasting for a decade in the '00s. The Arrowverse is also doing far better than the Marvel TV projects in terms of their popularity and scope, especially now that the Netflix shows are wrapping up their respective runs.
A starring role in one of DC's many movies and TV shows does not guarantee that an actor will become a Hollywood success story, however, nor do some actors even pursue the route of the blockbuster film star, as some prefer the steady work schedule of a TV show or theatre production.
We are here today to see which DC actors have been unfairly ignored by the big studio executives in Hollywood - from the guy who escaped prison in order to face the Flash to the famous lawyer who moved into politics. Here are the 20 DC Actors Hollywood Refuses To Cast!
Wentworth Miller (Captain Cold In Legends Of Tomorrow)
Wentworth Miller is best-known for starring in Prison Break, which was a role that had many pundits proclaiming him as the next big movie star. It seems that Miller wasn't fated for stardom in the movie industry, as his most notable roles included the likes of Chris Redfield in Resident Evil: Afterlife and a movie called The Loft that was plagued with production and distribution issues.
While Miller hasn't had much success in front of the camera on movies, he has written and produced movies like Stoker and The Disappointments Room. In recent years, Miller has played Leonard Snart, who is better known as Captain Cold in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.
Gavin Rossdale (Balthazar In Constantine)
Gavin Rossdale probably never cared much about his lack of success as an actor, as it wasn't the career that made him famous. Rossdale's connection to DC comics is through the role of Balthazar in Constantine, who battles Keanu Reeves' non-blonde/non-UK version of the titular character.
While Rossdale has appeared in a few TV shows and television movies, he is mainly known for being the lead singer of Bush, which was a rock band that produced a bunch of hits in the '90s, such as "Glycerine" and "Swallowed." The fact that Rossdale was the lead singer of a popular band and was married to Gwen Stefani for fourteen years meant that he probably didn't care too much about the success of his acting career.
Chris O’Donnell (Robin In Batman & Robin)
If Batman & Robin was the movie that buried the superhero genre for several years, then Chris O'Donnell was one of the guys who dug the hole, as he played Robin in the awful Power Rangers-style farce of a movie. George Clooney managed to prevent the stigma of starring in Batman & Robin from affecting his career, but O'Donnell wasn't so lucky, as his film roles dried up in favor of TV work.
O'Donnell has seen a lot of success in shows like NCIS: Los Angeles, where he has played G. Callen for almost a decade now. He has also had recurring roles in shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Company.
John Newton (Superboy In The Superboy TV Show)
There are some people who believe that Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Supergirl had destroyed the chances of Superman returning to the screen until the debut of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, but there was another successful Superman TV show before that, called Superboy.
The reason you may not have heard of Superboy is due to legal issues that have prevented it from being rerun since the '90s, but the first season starred John Newton as a young Clark Kent. Newton was replaced by Gerard Christopher for the remaining three seasons of the show and he has mainly had bit parts in movies and TV shows since then.
Justin Whalin (Jimmy Olsen In Lois Clark)
Justin Whalin played Jimmy Olsen in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which is the role that he wishes he was famous for. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a hit in the '90s but it never left much of an impact on audiences, which is why Whalin is better-known for the terrible movie that he starred in: Dungeons & Dragons.
Dungeons & Dragons is regarded as one of the worst movies of all time and can barely even be considered an adaptation of its source material... and Whalin was the star. Whalin tried to make it as a movie star following Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, but Dungeons & Dragons destroyed his career before it had a chance to flourish.
Mia Sara (Harleen Quinzel In Birds of Prey)
The role of Harley Quinn in live-action form is now closely associated with Margot Robbie, as anyone who has witnessed the crowds of Suicide Squad Harley cosplayers at conventions can attest to. The first actress who played Harley Quinn in a live-action project was Mia Sara, however, who portrayed Harley in the short-lived Birds of Brey TV show, where Harley was the main recurring villain.
The role of Harley Quinn is Sara's biggest claim to fame outside of appearing in Timecop, though she did have lots of one-shot roles in TV shows and a few other bit parts in movies before retiring from the industry in 2013.
Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang In Smallville)
Kristin Kreuk played the role of Lana Lang in Smallville, which suggested to many fans that she would not remain in the show for long, as everyone expected that Lois Lane would show up to supplant her role as the main woman in Clark Kent's life.
Lana Lang remained in Smallville for eight seasons and Kreuk would remain on television, where she had recurring roles in Beauty and the Beast, Chuck, and Edgemont. She is currently playing Joanna Hanley in Burden of Truth. Kreuk may have Justin Whalin beat when it comes to starring in terrible movies, as she played Chun-Li in the awful Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn In The Arrowverse)
It's difficult to tell why you may be familiar with John Barrowman -- most may know him best as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowverse, while those who are fans of UK TV may know him as Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and Torchwood. If you are a fan of nerd culture in general, then you most likely know Barrowman as one of the nicest guys in the industry and as someone who has a lot of affection and time for the fans.
Barrowman does a lot of TV and theatre work in the UK and this has prevented him from appearing in Hollywood movies, which is a shame considering what a great guy he is -- can't Marvel slot him in somewhere?
Sean Pertwee (Alfred Pennyworth In Gotham)
Sean Pertwee is the son of actor Jon Pertwee, who played the third incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who and the title role in Worzel Gummidge. It seems that acting ability runs in the family, as Pertwee followed his father into the industry and has had regular TV and movie roles in the UK since the late '80s.
Pertwee is best-known outside of the UK for playing the role of Alfred Pennyworth in Gotham, but he has had a long and storied career in his home country. When it comes to Hollywood movies, the only significant role Pertwee ever held was in Equilibrium alongside Christian Bale.
Danielle Panabaker (Killer Frost In The Flash)
Danielle Panabaker is best-known for playing Killer Frost in the Arrowverse, where she is one of the main villains in The Flash. Panabaker has appeared in numerous television shows since her debut in the early '00s, but her movie roles have mostly been contained to horror movies, to the point that she is considered to be a scream queen due to appearing in movies like Friday the 13th and The Ward.
Outside of horror movies and the Arrowverse, Panabaker has appeared in shows like Law & Order: LA, Mad Men, Malcolm in the Middle, and Grey's Anatomy.
Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen In Smallville)
Aaron Ashmore is the identical twin brother of Shawn Ashmore, and the two of them have both had roles in DC and Marvel properties, with Aaron playing Jimmy Olsen in Smallville and Shawn playing Iceman in the X-Men movies.
Aaron has remained in the television industry with recurring roles in shows like Killjoys, Cardinal, Warehouse 13, and In Plain Sight. He recently appeared in a movie from Canada called 22 Chaser, which means that more movies may be in his future.
Audrey Marie Anderson (Harbinger In Arrow)
The version of Harbinger that appeared in the Arrowverse is far different than the one from the comics, to the point that the name is only used as a codename for the purposes of fanservice. Harbinger is played by Audrey Marie Anderson, who has portrayed the character in Arrow and The Flash.
Anderson also played the role of Lilly Chambler in The Walking Dead, where she became the one who finally finished off the villainous Governor. Anderson has mostly appeared in TV shows such as Castle and The Unit, as well as just finishing a two-year run in Ice.
Camren Bicondova (Catwoman In Gotham)
It's not unheard of for dancers to make the move into acting, which has been the career trajectory of Camren Bicondova, who is best known for playing a younger version of Catwoman in Gotham.
Bicondova started out as a dancer and would go on to land a role in Battlefield America, which was a critically panned dance movie. Bicondova would go on to appear in an all-female dance troupe in the show America's Best Dance Crew. Bicondova is only nineteen years old and with Gotham entering its final season in 2019, there is still plenty of time for this young actress to move into the world of movies.
Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers In Supergirl)
Chyler Leigh used to be known for playing Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie, which was a comedy movie that parodied the films that made up the revival of the teen comedy, starting with American Pie.
In recent years, Leigh has become known for playing Alex Danvers in Supergirl, as well as appearing in the other Arrowverse shows. Supergirl hasn't been Cyler Leigh's only major role, however, as she played Dr. Lexi Grey in Grey's Anatomy, Detective Cat Sullivan in Taxi Brooklyn, and June Tuesday in That '80s Show.
Hartley Sawyer (Ralph Dibney In The Flash)
DC fans waited for years for Ralph Dibney (aka the Elongated Man) to show up in a live-action project, as he is one of the most beloved members of the Justice League and has worked alongside the Flash on many occasions. The creators of The Flash finally gave DC fans what they wanted in 2017 when Hartley Sawyer was cast as Ralph Dibney on the show.
Sawyer has worked almost exclusively in the television industry, including recurring roles in I Am Not Infected and Glory Daze, with most of his movie work being limited to short films.
Arthur Darvill (Rip Hunter In Legends of Tomorrow)
John Barrowman isn't the only Doctor Who alumni who has appeared in the Arrowverse, as Arthur Darvill from Legends of Tomorrow is probably best-known for playing Rory Williams, who served as a companion to the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor.
Darvill plays Rip Hunter in Legends of Tomorrow, but the bulk of his career has involved theatre work in the UK and appearing in shows on television, including Broadchurch, Little Dorrit, and The White Queen. Darvill also has a career performing voice-overs for radio projects and writing musicals, as well as composing his own music. It doesn't really matter if he never lands any huge movie roles, as the guy seems set for life when it comes to working in the industry.
Carlos Valdes (Vibe In The Flash)
The Arrowverse has proven that actors from older DC properties will always have more roles with the company, as people like Dean Cain, Brandon Routh, and Lynda Carter have all been given roles in the various shows that make up the Arrowverse. If there is one actor who is assured more roles in future DC projects it's Carlos Valdes, who has played Vibe in Arrow, The Flash, Vixen, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl.
Valdes has appeared almost exclusively in DC superhero-related projects throughout his career, to the point that we are surprised that he hasn't landed a role in the DCEU yet.
Candice Patton (Iris West In The Flash)
It's not unheard of for actors to win their first major role through local, online, or televised competitions, as this is exactly how Candice Patton landed a role in The Young and the Restless. She took part in CBS' Soap Star Screen Test and was one of the winners, which helped to start her career in the television industry.
Patton is best-known for playing Iris West in The Flash and other Arrowverse shows, but she has appeared in other shows, such as Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and The Game. Patton has only appeared in a handful of movies over the course of her career, with her most notable project being the 2014 horror movie The Guest.
Erica Durance (Lois Lane In Smallville)
Smallville finally introduced Lois Lane in its fourth season, with Erica Durance arriving on the show to take on the long-awaited role of Clark Kent's true love. Durance remained on Smallville until the end of its run, but she quickly landed another major role as the lead character in Saving Hope, which was a show that she also produced.
The majority of Durance's movie roles involved low-budget horror films at the early parts of her career, which may be why she has stuck with television for so long. Durance would eventually return to the world of DC superheroes when she took on the role of Alura Zor-El in Supergirl.
Calista Flockhart (Cat Grant In Supergirl)
Ally McBeal was one of the biggest shows of the late '90s, where it competed with other comedy shows like Friends and Frasier and managed to win a ton of awards in the process. The titular character in Ally McBeal was played by Calista Flockhart, who was lauded for her comedic chops and saw her role both praised and condemned for its stance on the issue of women in the workplace.
Flockhart was propelled to stardom by Ally McBeal, but she was never able to follow it up with success in movies and mostly remained in the world of television. Flockhart has since entered the Arrowverse, where she plays Cat Grant in Supergirl.
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Are there any other DC actors who haven't been cast by Hollywood in recent years? Let us know in the comments!