The DCU Should Let All of Its Actors Play Multiple Roles

The new DC Universe will attempt to win audiences from all over the world with the release of this summer’s Superman. After David Corenswet makes his debut as one of the most popular heroes in history, the franchise should attempt to shake things up by allowing its actors to portray multiple roles on both the big screen and on television. That doesn’t mean that only three people should bring every hero and villain to life – but if a performer is the perfect fit for multiple roles, there’s no reason why the DCU can’t allow talented stars to shine more than once.

The first example of multiple characters being portrayed by the same actor in the DCU was set when Jason Momoa was cast as Lobo in the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Technically, Momoa hasn’t appeared in the new franchise yet, but audiences have come to know him as Aquaman over many years. That likely won’t affect the story that will feature Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El; instead, Jason Momoa’s casting could prove to audiences how casting two people, in two different DCU roles, could turn out to be fun. Especially when these franchises expand beyond recognition over the years.

Two Characters, One Actor

Jason Momoa will make a statement when he portrays Lobo in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the upcoming blockbuster will follow the titular hero as she makes her way through the galaxy on an epic adventure. It’s currently unknown what role Lobo will play in that narrative, but it’s refreshing to see Momoa giving himself a chance to have fun in the DC brand outside of what he built as Aquaman in the previous iteration of the franchise. But Lobo will have to be very different from Arthur, for audiences to get used to the change.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will allow Jason Momoa to show a different side of himself to audiences. If the DCU gives this chance to its other stars, the amount of potential when it comes to discovering great performances expands significantly. What if Milly Alcock’s portrayal of Kara turns out to be comedic? House of the Dragon has already proven that Alcock is perfectly capable of delivering a dramatic performance; allowing her to play a different DCU character down the line could improve the overall performance average of the franchise, by relying on breakthrough talent to bolster multiple projects.

Of course, in order for this strategy to work, the characters would have to look very different from one another. Colin Farrell is currently in talks to portray Sgt. Rock in the movie DC Studios is currently working on, centered around the character. Farrell is known around the world for playing Oz Cobblepot in both The Batman and The Penguin. If the actor does end up starring in the project directed by Luca Guadagnino, the prosthetics used in The Penguin have created an iconic look that wouldn’t be confused with the protagonist of Sgt. Rock. Even if audiences haven’t gotten used to seeing the same actors playing different characters, James Gunn and Peter Safran are considering the idea as a possibility.

Getting Ahead of the Competition

Marvel Studios broke the internet when they announced that Robert Downey Jr. will be portraying Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. After more than a decade of bringing Tony Stark to life on the big screen, the Academy Award winner will now portray one of the toughest threats the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have faced. The decision proved to be controversial. Some fans of the franchise thought it was the right thing for the studio to do. Other fans believed the decision to be creatively bankrupt, with them believing that a new actor should have taken on the role of the dangerous villain. The controversy took place because the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made a big effort to establish actors as only one respective character.

If DC Studios decides to cast actors in multiple roles from the beginning, it could be a creative asset audiences will quickly get used to. Who cares if Lobo is portrayed by the same guy who played Aquaman a few years ago, if the performance proves to be worthy? It wouldn’t be strange for viewers to learn that some performers could be seen in the franchise more than once. This has already happened in the DCU, as Creature Commandos allowed Sean Gunn to voice multiple characters throughout its first season – one of whom (Weasel) Gunn has already portrayed in both live-action and animation, with the other (G.I. Robot) potentially set to follow suit. That’s one actor who’s already created two fan-favorite breakout characters in multiple formats (animation, live-action) across multiple platforms (movies, television). “Bang for your buck” doesn’t get much better than that.

DC Studios head James Gunn previously mentioned the studio’s intention to have the same actors playing their characters throughout film, television, and video games. Casting the same actors in multiple roles would certainly give audiences something they aren’t used to, and even something to look forward to once the gears start turning in upcoming productions like The Brave and the Bold and The Authority. Time will tell if Jason Momoa as Lobo will set a precedent or become an exception.

Superman has a release date of July 11th. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will follow on June 26, 2026.