Older films based on DC comics as well as the present-day DC Extended Universe have boasted of talented acting ensembles, some of which also included notable Oscar winners in the past. While most of them are acting winners, ranging from Christopher Walken (Batman Returns) to Viola Davis (Suicide Squad), some of the supporting actors have also won the golden statuette in other capacities.
For instance, Man of Steel's Kevin Costner won as a director and a producer for Dances With Wolves while rapper-turned-actor Common (who had a brief appearance in Suicide Squad) won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Nicole Kidman: Atlanna (Aquaman)
American-Australian actress Nicole Kidman is the recipient of not just an Oscar but also five Golden Globes and two Primetime Emmys.
With four Oscar nominations, Kidman took one home for Best Actress in 2003. She was awarded for her portrayal of author Virginia Woolf in The Hours. In the DCEU, Kidman had a guest appearance in Aquaman as Atlanna, the queen of Atlantis and the titular character's mother.
JK Simmons: Jim Gordon (Various)
In both Joss Whedon and Zack Snyder's version of Justice League, JK Simmons plays the part of Jim Gordon, the Gotham City Police Department official who serves as an ally to Batman.
A versatile actor with years of experience, Simmons finally became a household name after he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his terrific turn as the dominating, foul-mouthed bandleader Terence Fletcher in Whiplash.
Jeremy Irons: Alfred Pennyworth (Various)
Since Batman was introduced in the DCEU, his loyal butler and tech-expert Alfred Pennyworth has been a constant side-character. Jeremy Irons continues staying relevant in the popular imagination with roles like that of Alfred or Ozymandias in the Watchmen series but not everyone might remember that he's also an Oscar-winning actor.
He won Best Actor in 1990 for his performance as the real-life figure Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune. The protagonist was a socialite who was later accused of killing his wife, a crime that he didn't commit.
Marion Cotillard: Miranda Tate/Talia Al Ghul (The Dark Knight Rises)
Two-time Oscar nominee Marion Cotillard won a Best Actress Oscar for her turn as singer Edith Piaf in the French biopic La Vie en Rose, making her the first actor to win an Academy Award for a French-language performance.
Cotillard has, of course, found fame in Hollywood too. After Inception, she collaborated with Christopher Nolan for the concluding chapter of The Dark Knight trilogy. Her character is introduced as a Wayne Enterprises executive who later backstabs Bruce Wayne when she reveals herself to be the daughter of Ra's al Ghul and Bane's accomplice.
Kevin Costner: Jonathan Kent (Man Of Steel)
Playing the part of Superman's foster father Jonathan Kent, Kevin Costner had a major supporting role in Man of Steel while also appearing briefly in films like Dawn of Justice.
Already a box-office star, 1991 was a great year for Costner as he tried his hand at directing with the epic Western Dances With Wolves. Even though Costner was also nominated for Best Actor, he won for Best Director and Best Picture.
Holly Hunter: Senator June Finch (Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice)
Nominated for four Oscars, Holly Hunter won for her performance as Ada McGrath in The Piano. One of her more mainstream roles includes that of June Finch in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Finch served as Senator from Kentucky who oversees the Congressional hearing over Superman's powers and actions. She believed that a powerful being like Superman should be kept under certain limitations. However, the political dynamics change when Lex Luthor orchestrates an explosion in the Congress building, killing her in the process.
Common: Monster T (Suicide Squad)
Rapper Common picked up the Oscar for Best Original Song along with John Legend for their heart-touching, socially relevant collaboration Glory for Ava DuVernay's historical drama Selma.
Common has also had several acting credits, the likes of which include Now You See Me, Wanted, and John Wick: Chapter 2. In Suicide Squad, he shares screentime with Jared Leto's Joker as his henchman Monster T. As the Joker himself has a brief role in the film, Common's screen presence is also minimal.
Christopher Walken: Max Shreck (Batman Returns)
Christopher Walken is a Hollywood mainstay, appearing in popular films like Pulp Fiction, Hairspray, and Catch Me If You Can. Early on in his career, he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1978, for his portrayal of a troubled Vietnam War veteran in The Deer Hunter.
His tryst with DC includes the role of villainous millionaire Max Shreck in Batman Returns, a businessman hellbent on setting up a power chemical plant in Gotham. For this purpose, he also ensures that the Penguin serves as Gotham City's mayor.
Russell Crowe: Jor-El (Man Of Steel)
Russell Crowe won at the 2000 Oscars for playing the Roman general-turned-gladiator Maximus in the epic historical drama Gladiator.
For DC fans, he would be better known as Superman's birth father Jor-El, a Kryptonian scientist who blasts off his son to Earth as his own planet crumbles to ruins. Interestingly, the last actor to play Jor-El in a live-action film was also an Oscar winner (Marlon Brando in Superman).
Michael Caine: Alfred Pennyworth (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
Much like his successor Jeremy Irons, The Dark Knight trilogy's Alfred is also an Academy Award winner. Out of six nominations, legendary British actor Michael Caine has won two.
His first win came as a Supporting Actor for the comedy-drama Hannah and Her Sisters. He earned another in the same category for The Cider House Rules, in which he played a doctor at an orphanage. Often playing optimistic feel-good characters, the role of Dr. Wilbur Larch was no exception.
Viola Davis: Amanda Waller (Suicide Squad)
One of the most acclaimed actresses in current times, Viola Davis has had a stellar history with the Oscars, starting with her supporting performance in Doubt. She won for Fences in the same category while her latest nomination was for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom this year.
Davis plays the government official, Amanda Waller, in Suicide Squad. She serves as the director of the antihero group known as Suicide Squad whom she assembles and controls and is set to reprise the role in James Gunn's upcoming sequel.
Julie Andrews: Karathen (Aquaman)
In Aquaman, Karathen is a gigantic leviathan who guards the Atlantean trident and later fights on the superhero's side in the War for Atlantis.
In a totally unexpected cameo, Julie Andrews voiced the creature. The actress, best known for The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins (for which she won an Oscar), continues to have brief voice roles these days including Marlena Gru in the Despicable Me series and the narrator in the Netflix series Bridgeton.