The plight of superhero fatigue has left the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a sticky situation. With Phase Four of the MCU kicking up a stink bomb — and Phase Five dangerously following suit thanks to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — it’s hardly any wonder whether there’s a place for superheroes at the box office anymore. If you ask James Gunn, the new co-CEO and co-chairman of DC Studios, the answer is a big, fat, resounding yes.
Gunn, along with his right-hand man Peter Safran, introduced an 8 to 10 year plan for the DCU earlier this year, which includes projects in film, television, and gaming. Some of the most notable have been Superman: Legacy, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Creature Commandos, to name quite literally just a few. The full slate of DC projects coming to the big and small screen can be found here.
With The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom fast approaching, not to mention Creature Commandos releasing shortly after Superman: Legacy in 2025, the task of hiring actors to play all these roles is also officially underway. As stated by Gunn in his big announcement, his and Safran’s job is to make sure everything is connected across all forms of media with a huge emphasis on making sure “that the characters are consistent, played by the same actors, and it works within one story.”
Which leads us to this pivotal point in time where Hollywood actors up and down the boulevard, especially those already familiar with the superhero genre — say, the MCU for example — are gearing up for casting calls, auditions, and job offers. Currently, Creature Commandos is the only DCU project with a set cast, but even still, it’s hard not to notice how many of them previously belonged to the MCU.
Here are all the MCU actors who have either already jumped ship to the DCU or expressed interest in jumping ship. Let’s dive in.
David Harbour (confirmed)
David Harbour burst onto the MCU scene when he made his grand debut as The Red Guardian in Black Widow. Although he is expected to reprise his role in Thunderbolts, which he said is “really good” and commended Marvel on “changing it up,” it is unclear where his character will go from there. What we do know is that Harbour is heading to the DCU as Eric Frankenstein in Creature Commandos. His grit and growl are perfect for the part, and since Gunn said he wants voice actors to be able to play their live-action counterparts, who knows? Maybe Harbour will double-dip as both The Red Guardian and Eric Frankenstein. Or, maybe he’s laying the groundwork for a full-blown switcheroo. We’ll have to wait and see.
Frank Grillo (confirmed)
Frank Grillo played a significant role in the MCU as one of Captain America’s most popular enemies, Brock Rumlow aka Crossbones. However, if you ask him, he was totally underutilized. In fact, Grillo threw some major shade at Marvel when he announced that he was jumping ship to the DCU, saying he was “disappointed” with the way Marvel handled his character, “which is why I went over to DC.” Grillo is set to play Rick Flag Sr. in Creature Commandos where, to his delight, he is guaranteed more screen time. Or so he prays.
Maria Bakalova (confirmed)
Maria Bakalova might not be the first name that readily comes to mind when you think of the MCU, but the Bulgarian actress was indeed the voice behind Cosmo the Spacedog in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as well as the 2022 Holiday Special. Like Harbour and Grillo, she will appear in Creature Commandos. Her character, Ilana Rostovic, is completely new to the Creature Commandos lore, as confirmed by Gunn. As such, we just might end up seeing Bakalova in a live-action role since Gunn has made clear he wants his actors open to both mediums, and especially since Bakalova said she wants to work with Gunn for the rest of her life.
Sean Gunn (confirmed)
What kind of brother would Sean Gunn be if he didn’t follow his older brother to the DCU? Like his Guardians of the Galaxy compatriots, Gunn will headline Creature Commandos as the one and only G.I. Robot. Aside from brotherly alliance, Gunn’s switch might be due to the fact that he could be soon out of a job at Marvel if the conspiracy theories surrounding Rocket are true. Even though Bradley Cooper voices Rocket, Gunn wears the MoCap on set and does all the character’s physical motions. He also plays Kraglin, who has operated exclusively within the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. So, if Rocket does kick the can, it’s unlikely there will be a role for Kraglin in the MCU’s future. Meaning Gunn is wide open for a plethora of work in the DCU.
Chris Pratt (unconfirmed)
From Parks and Recreation to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Jurassic Park (to The Mario Bros. Movie to The Lego Movie to the upcoming Garfield movie), Chris Pratt is basically everywhere. Like, literally everywhere. Although he is arguably last on the fans’ list to play Booster Gold — who will headline his own HBO series when the time comes — Pratt has already said he is open to the part if James Gunn asks him to do it… which he probably will. So, if you’re not a Pratt fan, you better pray Gunn doesn’t ask him because at this rate it’s looking like the new head of DC Studios is making his rounds through the entire Guardians of the Galaxy team to fill his DCU roster.
Karen Gillan (unconfirmed)
I mean, are we even surprised another cast member from Guardians of the Galaxy has said they’d follow James Gunn to the DCU? He might as well just cast them all and get it over with. Although Gunn hasn’t responded to Karen Gillan’s proposal to play one of Batman’s most iconic villains, Poison Ivy, the actress also said she’d follow Gunn to the ends of the earth just to work with him again. She is famously known for playing Thanos’ adopted daughter and Gamora’s sister Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Thankfully for her, there just so happens to be room for Poison Ivy in The Bold and the Brave should Gunn decide to include her. So… yeah, another Guardians cast member — check!
Pom Klementieff (unconfirmed… sort of)
You can’t have a full Guardians of the Galaxy switcheroo without Mantis. On the red carpet of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premiere, actress Pom Klementieff let slip that she’s not only interested in joining the DCU but that she already had conversations with James Gunn and has begun “making plans.” According to her, she already knows exactly who she wants to play, and the fans have a sneaking suspicion about who that might be. So, even though Klementief’s place in the DCU is unconfirmed at this time, it feels like only a matter of time until it becomes a reality.
The Russo brothers (unconfirmed)
Some of the best Marvel movies out there have Anthony and Joseph Russo attached to them: America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. The pair, known by many as the Russo brothers, haven’t exclusively said they won’t come back to the MCU, but they recently expressed excitement at the prospect of playing around in James Gunn’s DCU playground… so there’s that. The movie they’d be most excited to get their hands on? Well, that’d be none other than The Bold and the Brave. They called it a “no-brainer,” so, uh, yeah — if Gunn wants a good movie made, he’s probably going to reach out to the Russo brothers. Maybe we’ll get another Endgame-style Blockbuster hit, who knows?
Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldana (possible candidates)
Hey, why not just add the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy to the mix? Both Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista have said they’re done with the MCU, but Bautista has expressed interest in playing Bane in the past (and Lex Luthor), and Gunn himself said he would work with Saldana and all the Guardians again in some capacity; that is, “probably at my other job.” So, while neither has explicitly said they’ll follow in their castmates’ footsteps, if Gunn asked them to hop on board they’d probably do it. So, yeah, who’s ready for The Guardians of the Galaxy DCU style?
It’s only a matter of time before Gunn and Safran fill their DCU roster. When the time comes, stay tuned for updates. We have a feeling this list is going to get much, much longer.