Henry Cavill might have moved on from DC after James Gunn’s arrival, but we cannot help but reminisce about his time as Superman every now and then. While the actor was perfect as The Last Son of Krypton, you could say that his casting went to waste as the studio was unable to utilize him as it should have. Henry Cavill was always passionate about Superman, but unfortunately, things were a bit underwhelming, especially when compared to other actors and their characters’ stories.
While Henry Cavill’s Superman might be the most wasted character in DC history, this wasn’t the only time the studio fumbled the bag. There are countless great actors with a lot of potential whose talents were wasted in the superhero universe. Let’s talk about some of them.
Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate
Black Adam brought Pierce Brosnan into the DCEU as Doctor Fate and his performance was met with unending praise from both fans and critics alike. Despite the fact that there were tons of other actors in the film, including the leading man Dwayne Johnson, Brosnan’s portrayal of the sorcerer stood out from the rest.
His character could have gone far in the superhero universe as there was a lot of potential to extend Doctor Fate’s storyline, especially thanks to his involvement in the Justice Society. Alas, things didn’t work out quite like we wanted to and the character was killed off in Black Adam, bringing Brosnan’s superhero career as soon as it got off the ground.
Stream Black Adam on Max.
Karen Fukuhara as Katana
Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys has become a worldwide sensation and fans are collectively in love with Karen Fukuhara’s Kimiko. However, not many might know that the extremely talented actress was a part of the 2016 Suicide Squad where she played the small role of Katana. The actress brought a sense of depth and mystery to the unique character and while we loved her portrayal of the sword-wielding Katana, her only mistake was being a part of a below-average film.
Suicide Squad has a devastating 26% to its name on Rotten Tomatoes. After the franchise was revamped and served to us by James Gunn, Fukuhara’s Katana was nowhere to be found. Katana sure was able to trap souls into her sword, but Fukuhara’s potential was wasted by the studio by keeping her trapped in a film like Suicide Squad.
Stream Suicide Squad on Max.
Ray Fisher as Cyborg
Ray Fisher brought Cyborg to life with such perfection that it was sometimes impossible to differentiate between the actor and the character. He gave the role his all but what he got in return was nothing but disappointment. First of all, most of Cyborg’s scenes were removed or reshot in the theatrical cut of Justice League.
Zack Snyder once admitted his regret of not setting up a solo film for the character before filming Justice League as he had done with Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Why didn’t he? Well, he believed that it was “a no-brainer that a Cyborg movie would be in the works.” Of course, nothing of the sort actually happened!
Stream Justice League on Max.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne
Jeffrey Dean Morgan seems to be all the rage right now after his portrayal of Joe Kessler in The Boys. The actor has always played every single one of his iconic roles to perfection whether it is John in Supernatural or Negan in The Walking Dead. This is why, it was heartbreaking to see his character in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice go to waste.
Morgan played the role of Bruce Wayne’s father but his character was so underutilized that fans were left begging for more. When The Flash introduced the Flashpoint arc, fans hoped to see Thomas Wayne return since it was such a crucial moment in the comic books. Despite Morgan apparently expressing his interest in reprising the role, DCEU did not bother to go down this road and another great character-actor duo was wasted.
Stream Dawn of Justice on Max.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
There is no doubt regarding Viola Davis’ talents as an actor. With films like The Woman King, she became the only African-American who was awarded the EGOT – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. Despite playing the hell out of Amanda Waller in quite a few projects, her role has always been pushed to the background, which is not where someone like Amanda, and definitely not Viola Davis, belongs.
Fortunately, Gunn’s DCU will see Davis reprising her iconic role she is among the many few who will be moving into the new and revamped version of the superhero universe.
Stream Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad, Peacekeeper, and Black Adam on Max.
DC’s Road to Redemption with James Gunn
These were just a few actors who have been done dirty by the studio and there are countless more who could have been utilized better. With the superhero universe stepping into a new era under Gunn, here’s hoping that the DCU is able to do justice to its actors going forward. One can only anticipate that the lessons from these missteps lead to a brighter and more successful future for the franchise.
