Many of the actors in Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2 have appeared in live-action Marvel and DC properties. Live-action comic book adaptations have been popular for more than two decades already, but even though Marvel and DC seem to have a chokehold on the industry with the advent of their shared cinematic universes, there have been plenty of different movies that have brought different stories and characters to life. Such is the case with Kick-Ass, which explored a realistic take on vigilantism in 2010 and spawned a similarly cynical sequel in 2013.
Kick-Ass follows Dave Lizewski, a teenager who dreams of becoming a superhero and getting all the benefits that come with it. Without Spider-Man's powers or Batman's wealth, he transforms into Kick-Ass, a weak but determined vigilante. However, he soon realizes how tough and dangerous it really is. With the help of Hit-Girl and Big Daddy, he barely succeeds in defeating the D'Amicos, a mob family who blames their failing operations on him. Following Dave's unlikely victory, Kick-Ass 2 introduces a whole team of self-appointed superheroes, Justice Forever, led by Colonel Stars. In response, Kick-Ass' former ally Red Mist assembles his own team of villains, who fail to compare to Justice Forever's dedication to superheroics.
With the superhero genre expanding exponentially in the last decade, more and more reputable actors have recently joined a comic book blockbuster. While the Kick-Ass movies were the first taste of this genre for some of its stars, others already had a similar role in their credits. Here's where Marvel, DC, and Kick-Ass overlap.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Dave Lizewski, the lead in both Kick-Ass movies. His lack of notoriety and a love life lead him to take up the green wetsuit and the batons to fight criminals as the superhero Kick-Ass, but his lack of formal preparation often makes him a living punching bag. Nevertheless, Kick-Ass never gives up, and against all odds, he's able to take down Frank D'Amico's entire empire before leaving his supervillain son, Chris, on the verge of death. Only two years after his last appearance in Kick-Ass 2, Taylor-Johnson portrayed the complete opposite of Dave Lizewski in Avengers: Age of Ultron. As Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver, Taylor-Johnson embodies a cocky villain-turned-superhero who could tear apart Ultron's army of robots in a matter of seconds. Although none of the Avengers stand a chance against Quicksilver's speed, his lack of experience makes him an easy target. Unfortunately, Quicksilver dies before the end credits, but his influence in the MCU is still felt through his twin sister Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch.
Evan Peters
Evan Peters plays Todd Haynes, Dave Lizewski's friend, in Kick-Ass. Like Dave, Todd is a geeky teenager who loves comic books but hadn't found any luck with women until the birth of Kick-Ass. While he gets a girlfriend due to Katie and Dave's new relationship, he doesn't gather the courage to become a vigilante himself. In Kick-Ass 2, Todd finally becomes Ass-Kicker, a hero similar to Kick-Ass in skills and appearance, but this time, he's played by Augustus Prew. At the time, Evan Peters was busy with his work in American Horror Story and X-Men: Days of Future Past, where he played Peter Maximoff aka Quicksilver.
Comic book fans delight in the knowledge that both Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Evan Peters played Quicksilver in the MCU and the X-Men universe, respectively, shortly after playing two friends who loved comic books and wished to become superheroes in Kick-Ass. Curiously, Peters took over Taylor-Johnson's role as Pietro Maximoff in WandaVision, but even though it seemed that the MCU was finally incorporating characters from Fox's X-Men films, it was revealed that Peters was actually playing Ralph Bohner, an actor who is given superspeed by the witch Agatha Harkness in order to impersonate the real Quicksilver.
Mark Strong
Mark Strong portrays mob boss Frank D'Amico, in Kick-Ass. D'Amico thrives in the cocaine business until Hit-Girl and Big Daddy start thwarting his plans, to which he retaliates with an unrestrained amount of violence. However, he directs his vengeance against Kick-Ass, as he's convinced that the novice superhero is behind the death of several of his goons. In the end, Kick-Ass and Frank D'Amico finally meet, and Kick-Ass kills him with a bazooka to save Hit-Girl. Mark Strong also played a villain in the DCEU — Doctor Sivana in Shazam!. Like D'Amico, Sivana also holds a grudge against a child hero, Billy Batson, because he feels that he was more worthy of the power of Shazam than Billy. Unlike Frank D'Amico, Sivana survives the events of the movie, and is later recruited by Mister Mind while he slowly loses his sanity in prison.
Nicolas Cage
Notorious comic book superfan Nicolas Cage masterfully portrays Damon Macready aka Big Daddy in Kick-Ass. Big Daddy is a former police officer turned ruthless vigilante who fights crime alongside his daughter, Hit-Girl, after being framed as a drug dealer by Frank D'Amico. Big Daddy is both a comic book artist and the first real superhero in the Kick-Ass universe, but unfortunately, his impressive skills aren't enough to save him from D'Amico's wrath. In Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Nicolas Cage plays Johnny Blaze, a famous stunt motorcycle rider who sells his soul to Marvel's Devil, Mephisto, to save his dying father. Instead of healing his dad, the Devil imbues Johnny with the Spirit of Vengeance, turning him into the demon Ghost Rider. Also, Nicolas Cage almost played Superman in Tim Burton's canceled project Superman Lives, where the Man of Steel was set to fight Brainiac.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey appears as Sal Bertolini aka Colonel Stars in Kick-Ass 2. Colonel Stars and Stripes. Colonel Stars is the founder and leader of the superhero team Justice Forever, with whom he goes on various successful missions before he meets with the former Red Mist. Chris D’Amico reveals that Bertolini used to work for his father’s organization and orders him killed. While Carrey’s performance as Colonel Stars is appropriately unhinged, it pales in comparison to his over-the-top portrayal of The Riddler in Batman Forever, where the classic Batman villain overshadowed the most overblown of Joker performances.
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya plays Black Death in Kick-Ass 2. Black Death is a UFC fighter who joins Chris D'Amico's team of supervillains. Despite being one of the least dim-witted members of the group, he's quickly dispatched by Hit-Girl with a blade to the eye. In Black Panther, Kaluuya portrays W'Kabi, T'Challa's best friend and Okoye's romantic partner. W'Kabi sides with Killmonger to dethrone T'Challa as the ruler of Wakanda, but he surrenders once he realizes that Killmonger is only destabilizing the kingdom.
Benedict Wong
Benedict Wong plays Mr. Kim in Kick-Ass 2. Mr. Kim, a criminal who runs a prostitution ring, is the first successful capture Justice Forever can be proud of. Colonel Stars manages to liberate Kim’s victims by ordering his dog Eisenhower to bite his groin. Benedict Wong is most famously known for playing Wong in the MCU. First appearing in Doctor Strange, the Master of the Mystic Arts has become a connecting tissue, as he helped Stephen Strange learn sorcery, brought the Avengers to the final battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, and befriends Abomination, Shang-Chi, and Katy in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Jason Flemyng
Jason Flemyng doesn’t have a major role in Kick-Ass, but his appearance is still a memorable one. He portrays the goon who confronts Hit-Girl in the lobby at Frank D’Amico’s headquarters. Since he doesn’t recognize her, Hit-Girl is easily able to shoot him in the mouth. Under a heavy layer of makeup, Flemyng plays Azazel in X-Men: First Class. Azazel is a mutant with teleporting powers and a member of the Hellfire Club. Although he dies shortly after joining Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, it’s believed that he had a son with Mystique — the son being none other than the famous X-Man Nightcrawler.
Iain Glen
Iain Glen plays Ralph D’Amico in Kick-Ass 2. Ralph is Frank’s brother and Chris’ uncle, who is suggested to be even crueler than any other member of the family. He tries to scare Chris into dropping his supervillain schtick but fails. Glen portrays an older Bruce Wayne in Titans, where the Dark Knight takes a backseat while Dick Grayson and his fellow vigilantes try to step out of Batman’s shadow to protect Gotham City their own way.
Tom Wu
Tom Wu plays Genghis Carnage in Kick-Ass 2. Genghis Carnage, a member of Chris D’Amico’s supervillain team, kidnaps Dave Lizewski and almost kills him, right before Hit-Girl comes in and shoots him in the head. Tom Wu had a very brief cameo in Batman Begins as a prison guard, narrowly qualifying him as an actor of both Kick-Ass and DC merits.