Top 10 British Actors Who Could Kick Start The DCEU

Top 10 British Actors Who Could Kick Start The DCEU

Shine the Union Jack signal inTO the sky, the DCEU needs saving! Welcome to WatchMojo UK and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 British actors who could kick start the DCEU.

For this list, we’re looking at British performers who could really bring something special to the at-present unsteady DCEU. The “Dark Knight” trilogy had the likes of Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman; The MCU has featured amongst others Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland and Paul Bettany. So, clearly, a strong British cast can provide the foundations of a successful superhero franchise.

#10: Andy Serkis

Serkis has already proven himself in superhero fare, appearing as the villainous Ulysses Klaue in the MCU. As great as he is in live-action however, it’s his motion capture performances that really stand out. Serkis has nailed it as Gollum, King Kong, Caesar and Snoke. Just think of what he could do for a CGI character in the realm of DC. Gorilla Grodd may be a bit too obvious a choice, but a tragic villain such as Clayface would also be ideal and a major coup for the DC Extended Universe.

#9: Nathalie Emmanuel

Emmanuel is no stranger to big, brazen, action-packed franchises, having shown up in the “Fast and the Furious” and “Maze Runner” series. Nathalie may just be the injection of youth and vivacity that the DCEU needs. Plus, there’s an abundance of female characters whose boots she could fill, but with rumours of “Batgirl” and “Birds of Prey” movies ongoing, perhaps Barbara Gordon is the perfect match. It would go a long way toward erasing the memories of Batgirl’s last big screen live action appearance, in “Batman & Robin”!

#8: Jack O’Connell

The young up and comer has lit up Hollywood since his humble beginnings, but is still yet to star in a major blockbuster franchise. The DCEU could be the big-time gig he needs. Synonymous with playing the bad boy role from his appearances in the likes of “Skins” and “Starred Up”, O'Connell just screams Jason Todd - the troubled young Robin who grew up to be the badass vigilante Red Hood. Todd’s existence has already been teased in the DCEU, now it’s time for Jack to bring him to life or rather… back to life.

#7: Felicity Jones

Felicity demonstrated that she can hold her own in a global juggernaut property when she claimed the leading role in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”. With “Wonder Woman”, a female-fronted film, being the DCEU’s most successful instalment to date, perhaps another would be just the tonic. Jones was teased as Black Cat in “The Amazing Spider-Man” series, but with the franchise dying a premature death, she unfortunately never got to sport the costume orhold a prominent role. That could be rectified, with an even better known, cat inspired anti-hero - Catwoman!

#6: Charlie Heaton

Yes, he’s been cast in Fox’s “New Mutants”, but he’d hardly be the first actor to play different superhero roles for multiple studios. And so, with that in mind, Heaton would be a great fit for the DCEU. The youthful actor has been a stand out performer on “Stranger Things” and given that he’s still in his mid-20s, Warner Bros. would do well to snap him up before Disney gets a hold of him. As for who he could play is anyone’s guess. A psychopathic Riddler in an especially sinister “Batman” movie, perhaps?

#5: Alfred Molina

One of the all-time revered supervillain portrayals, up there with Ledger as the Joker and McKellen as Magneto, is Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus. To this day, the second entry in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy is considered one the greatest superhero movies ever made, thanks largely to Molina’s performance. Therefore, it’d be a safe bet to cast him as one of the plethora of notorious villains DC has to offer. Ultimately, he’s just a top hat and umbrella away from becoming the Penguin.

#4: Richard Armitage

Armitage is familiar with both major superhero flicks and rich film franchises, having been seen in “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “The Hobbit” series. With that on his CV, he has all the experience needed to dive into DC and make a big splash. Should Ben Affleck decide to hang up his cape, Armitage would be a more than adequate replacement as Batman. He’s of similar age to Ben and has the ideal look for the caped crusader – in fact, he was reportedly considered alongside Affleck during the original casting process. Failing that, Armitage is a flexible talent, and could equally make for a spectacular villain.

#3: Emilia Clarke

Popping up in the “Terminator” and “Star Wars” movies, Emilia Clarke packs plenty of star power, which DC would be fairly foolish not to take advantage of. As Daenerys Targaryen, we’ve seen Clarke play a “Game of Thrones” character who starts off seemingly quite timid, before rapidly rising to become an all-conquering, determined and ruthless ruler. She could follow a similar trajectory if she were to step into the role of Caitlin Snow, aka The Flash villain, Killer Frost. If she ends up anywhere near as brutal as the Khaleesi, she’ll do well!

#2: Daniel Kaluuya

Kaluuya already has a role in the MCU, playing a pal of Black Panther. However, we all know by now that Daniel is leading man material, proven by his Oscar nominated performance in “Get Out”. DC could get one up on Marvel here by giving Kaluuya a meatier, more central role. The Green Lantern franchise certainly needs some redeeming, and that’s where the Brit could step in as John Stewart, a fan favourite bearer of the power ring, and a character that we’ve been longing to see on the big screen for years.

#1: Taron Egerton

Being the star of the comic book adapted “Kingsman” series, it’s time Egerton takes the next step and makes the transition to fully-fledged superhero. With his take on Robin Hood also demanding critical attention, Taron is an action movie lead in definite demand, so he’d be a more than solid acquisition for the DCEU. His work on “Robin Hood” may conjure up Green Arrow comparisons, but given his age and the fact that DC have a Nightwing movie on their slate, Dick Grayson could be the way to go.