Several major supervillains have already been confirmed for James Gunn’s DC Universe. In the wake of Supergirl’s release, which featured Krem of the Yellow Hills and the villain/anti-hero Lobo, some much bigger names and far more sinister threats are on the horizon, including some villains who were severely snubbed in Zack Snyder’s unfinished DCEU.
Set to feature in major blockbusters, streaming series, live-action, and animation, the number of supervillains on the way in the DCU is quite impressive. While some are massive cosmic threats, others are more street-level. Regardless, all of them are incredibly exciting as hype continues to build around upcoming DCU projects releasing in the next few years.
With multiple projects officially announced with release dates and more in active development, here’s every major villain confirmed for James Gunn’s DCU so far and what audiences can likely expect from each.
8
Clayface (Clayface)
One of the DCU’s most surprising upcoming films is Clayface, starring Tom Rhys Harries as the iconic Batman villain. Based on early details and the movie’s first teaser trailer, Clayface is clearly set to embrace full-body horror, following a tragic actor named Matt Hagen who undergoes a horrifying experimental transformation after he was stabbed in the face, inadvertently becoming a monstrous mass of shape-shifting clay.
While Clayface may seem odd as the third movie in the DCU after Superman and Supergirl, James Gunn reportedly wasn’t planning on a Clayface movie releasing so early until he read the script, liking it so much that it received an immediate green light. As such, it’s going to be fascinating to see a movie centered on one of Batman’s most dangerous and tragic foes, and how it might potentially set up events in the upcoming Brave and Bold movie, which is expected to debut the DCU’s Batman and Robin.
7
Brainiac (Man of Tomorrow)
Few Superman movie villains have been requested more than Brainiac over the years, and the Coluan conqueror/collector of worlds will be making his big-screen live-action debut in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, played by Lars Eidinger.
Without a doubt, Brainiac’s inclusion immediately raises the stakes following Superman’s first film, especially with the confirmation that Superman and Lex Luthor will be joining forces, presumably against the Coluan supervillain.
Likewise, Brainiac also has ties to Krypton’s destruction, having shrunk and bottled the lost city of Kandor before the demise of Superman’s homeworld (at least in most continuities). As such, it should be absolutely fascinating to see Brainiac in the upcoming DCU sequel, one of the most powerful and dangerous cosmic foes in Superman’s rogues gallery.
6
Sinestro (Lanterns)
After years of waiting, Sinestro is finally joining live action once again in HBO’s upcoming Lanterns series releasing in August, played by Ulrich Thomsen.
One of DC’s greatest villains, Sinestro began as one of the Green Lantern Corps’ finest officers and Hal Jordan’s mentor before he ultimately became one of the Corps’ greatest foes after he chose to wield the yellow light of fear instead, creating his own corps of members capable of instilling great fear across the universe. However, it’s currently unknown where in his career the DCU will find Sinestro when he debuts in Lanterns.
Given Hal Jordan’s status as more of a veteran Lantern, it follows that Sinestro might already be leading his Sinestro Corps of Yellow Lanterns in the DCU. Then again, it might be nice to see Sinestro’s corruption firsthand, making up for the arc we never fully got with Mark Strong’s version that was teased at the end of 2011’s Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds. Either direction would be exciting to see in live action after all this time.
5
Gorilla Grodd (Jimmy Olsen Series)
Although Gorilla Grodd only appeared briefly in the first season of the animated Creature Commandos series, his debut confirmed that one of DC’s smartest and most dangerous villains already exists within the DCU and will likely be a major force to be reckoned with. After all, his appearance was part of a dark vision of the future where the superpowered and highly intelligent gorilla conqueror helped Princess Ilana Rostovic conquer the world, enslaving humanity via mind control and killing the world’s heroes, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and many more.
While Task Force M prevented this dark future from happening, it’s already been confirmed that Gorilla Grodd is set to appear in the upcoming Jimmy Olsen series currently in development from DC Studios, which is where he’ll presumably make his live-action debut. Likewise, one can imagine that if Grodd is set to have a major role in the DCU, The Flash can’t be far behind.
4
Deathstroke (Deathstroke & Bane)
A Deathstroke & Bane movie reportedly remains a major priority for DC Studios and James Gunn’s DC Universe. Details are scarce, though the unique pairing of two of Batman’s greatest foes sounds all kinds of awesome.
Slade Wilson’s Deathstroke is one of DC’s greatest and most skilled mercenaries, a peak physical rival to Batman himself. He’s also been a major foe of the Teen Titans, which feels important, seeing as how the group of younger heroes has their own DCU movie in development as well. Perhaps Deathstroke & Bane could help set up Slade’s future role in the Teen Titans movie?
Actor Joe Manganiello never truly had the opportunity to portray Deathstroke beyond two brief appearances in Zack Snyder’s DCEU. As such, it’d be pretty cool to see him return to play Slade for real in James Gunn’s rebooted DCU. After all, the same has happened for other DCEU characters.
3
Bane (Deathstroke & Bane)
Bane is another legendary Batman villain who’s just as popular and formidable as Deathstroke. Likewise, a new iteration of Bane has the opportunity to embrace the comics’ origins more than Tom Hardy’s version in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, particularly with Bane’s dependence on the drug known as Venom, which turns him into an absolute hulking beast.
Bane is also a tactical genius who has systematically broken Batman both physically and mentally in multiple continuities, so it follows that the same should be true for the DCU as well. While casting is similarly unknown, Dave Bautista has expressed interest in playing Bane in the past. Likewise, he’s also a good friend of Gunn’s, having played Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
That said, Michael Mando is set to voice Bane in DC’s upcoming animated Knightfall trilogy, adapting the iconic comic of the same name. While the trilogy isn’t canon to the DCU, it might be interesting to see Mando potentially playing a live-action Bane as well.
2
Darkseid (Mister Miracle)
While James Gunn has emphasized that Darkseid won’t immediately become the DCU’s overarching Justice League villain, the cosmic foe won’t have to wait long to make his DCU debut all the same. This is because Darkseid has already been confirmed for Tom King’s upcoming animated Mister Miracle series, appearing alongside the New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips. As such, it’s the perfect project for introducing one of DC’s greatest villains without rushing him into major crossover events (at least not yet).
1
Amanda Waller (Waller)
Amanda Waller may not possess superpowers, but she’s arguably one of the most dangerous villains currently operating in the DCU at the same. One of the DCEU characters whose portrayal is being maintained in the new DCU canon, Viola Davis is set to return as the ever-ruthless Amanda Waller in her own series.
Following the events of Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, and Superman, congressional investigations have significantly weakened Waller’s authority, and Rick Flag Sr. now oversees A.R.G.U.S., seemingly stripping away much of the power she once wielded in past appearances. As such, Waller’s upcoming new series will likely see her fighting to reclaim her influence by whatever means necessary, which will likely make her even more dangerous than before.
- Cast
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Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
- Created by
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Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- Character(s)
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Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
- Movie(s)
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Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
