The DCEU is filled with some of the most iconic superheroes of all time. While some of these heroes are darker versions than fans are used to, it is still thrilling to see them brought to life and there are some talented actors taking on these roles.
It's fascinating to see these actors playing such famous heroes, like Ben Affleck's Batman and Henry Cavill's Superman, and comparing them to other roles in their careers that are not as noble. Every actor likes to mix it up and some of the DCEU's biggest heroes have also shown they can play the bad guys just as effectively.
Laurence Fishburne - Predators (2010)
Though nothing in the Predator franchise holds up against the original, the sequel Predators is actually a good bit of fun. It finds a collection of humans from various deadly backgrounds dropped onto an alien planet to be hunted. There, they encounter Noland (Laurence Fishburne), a survivor who has been living on the planet for years.
Noland initially seems like he is helping the group, bringing them back to his hidden lair. But it is revealed he actually plans to murder them and steal their supplies. The deranged and treacherous role is very different than Fishburne's stoic Perry White.
Jeremy Irons - The Lion King (1994)
Every Batman needs his Alfred to help guide him along the way, and Jeremy Irons fits the role perfectly with a combination of dry-wit and wisdom. While Irons has a long and acclaimed career, perhaps his most famous role only features his voice.
In The Lion King, Irons voices Scar, the uncle to Simba. Scar laments his brother Mufasa having all the power, and plans to kill both his brother and his nephew. Irons infuses the part with a playful menace and helps to create one of the best Disney villains of all time.
Amber Heard - Machete Kills (2013)
Amber Heard's Meera was first introduced in the DCEU in Justice League before becoming Aquaman's closest ally in his solo movie. In Machete Kills, she also starred alongside a long-haired, musclebound hero, only this time she was his enemy.
Heard plays Miss San Antonio, a beauty pageant queen who is also a double agent. It is a cheesy and cliched character that fits well into the exploitation movie feel of the Machete universe. However, those elements feel more forced in this sequel.
Russell Crowe - Unhinged (2020)
Russell Crowe's time in the DCEU was short, only appearing as Jor-El in Man of Steel. However, as a testament to his acting skills, Crowe makes a lasting impression and continues to guide Superman. It also speaks to Crowe's skills that he could play such a noble character and such a terrifying one in Unhinged.
The intense thriller finds Crowe playing an unnamed madman who has a random road rage encounter with a woman and makes it his mission to destroy her entire life. The movie is fairly forgettable overall, but Crowe makes for a very unsettling force of nature.
Chris Pine - Smokin' Aces (2006)
While Diana clearly steals the show in the Wonder Woman movies, Chris Pine adds his own heroic charm as Steve Trevor. However, one of his earliest movie roles was drastically different than the typical dashing heroes he is used to playing.
In Smokin' Aces, Pine plays Darwin Tremor, a sadistic and deranged member of a trio of neo-Nazi assassins. In a movie that is constant madness from beginning to end, Pine creates perhaps its wildest character and is a real highlight.
Nicole Kidman - Paddington (2014)
Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman is known for intense dramatic roles which she excels at, but occasionally it is fun to see her have some fun with a different type of part. She certainly delivered that with her butt-kicking role as Queen Atlanna in Aquaman, and her role in Paddington is another fun one.
The charming family-friendly movie follows the titular bear traveling to London and forming a new family. Kidman plays a scheming taxidermist who is hellbent on capturing the rare bear and adding him to her collection.
Ezra Miller - We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
The DCEU is sometimes criticized for being too dark, but Ezra Miller brings a comedic spark as Barry Allen, aka The Flash. And given how funny he is in that role, it is very unsettling to see him play such a dark character in the drama We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Tilda Swinton plays a mother of a young boy, Kevin, whose behavior becomes increasingly disturbing as he ages. Miller portrays Kevin as a teenager when his violent tendencies manifest in a shocking and horrific way.
Jason Momoa - Bullet To The Head (2012)
Before being cast as Aquaman in the DCEU, Jason Momoa was mostly known for playing tough guys in various shows and movies. One of those roles was as the main villainous henchman opposite Sylvester Stallone in Bullet to the Head.
The movie ranks among Stallone's most forgettable action movies, but there is one memorable sequence in which Momoa's villain has an ax fight with Stallone. Other than that, it's a movie worth skipping.
Ben Affleck - Dogma (1999)
Ben Affleck had a long a varied career before stepping into the iconic role as Batman in the DCEU. Along with many notable movies, Affleck frequently collaborated with Kevin Smith, with Dogma being one of their better projects together.
Affleck and Matt Damon co-star as fallen angels who attempt to use a loophole to escape Earth and rejoin heaven. Along the way, they brutally murder every sinner they come across. While Affleck gets to be funny, he also shows his darker side as his angel becomes more vengeful, wanting Earth and the heavens to pay for wronging him.
Henry Cavill - Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Henry Cavill was a relatively unknown actor when he became Superman but since then he has been making a name for himself in various projects. This included going head to head with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Cavill plays Walker, a CIA agent assigned to join Ethan Hunt on his latest world-saving mission. However, Walker is eventually revealed to be the actual villain who plans to detonate a nuclear weapon to change the world order.