20 DC Comics Movie Actors Who Played Queer Roles

This week's new movie release is the latest from the DC Comics film slate, Superman. The Man of Steel returns to the big screen, this time played by leading man David Corenswet. Queer audiences may recognize Corenswet for his queer series role on Netflix's The Politician. He's not the only actor in the film with a queer role on his resume, as the cast also includes Nicholas Hoult, Bradley Cooper, Anthony Carrigan, Michael Ian Black, and Beck Bennett. This week's listicle puts the spotlight on 20 other notable DC Comics movie actors who also played gay roles. Leave a comment below if we missed any of your favorites. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
 

Brandon Routh (Superman Returns)
David Corenswet follows in the footsteps of several previous actors to portray Superman, including Brandon Routh. After his turn as the hero in Superman Returns, Routh would go on to play multiple queer roles. He starred on the short-lived sitcom Partners, where he played the boyfriend of Michael Urie. He also appeared as one-half of a same-sex couple with Justin Long in the raunchy 2008 comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Most recently, Routh reprised his role from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World for the animated sequel series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, where his character Todd experienced a sexual awakening, falling in love with Scott's best friend Wallace (Kieran Culkin).

 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom)
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II began his DC Comics movie career playing the antagonist David Kane who becomes the villain Black Manta in the Aquaman films. He goes to war with the titular hero (Jason Mamoa) whom he blames for his father's death. In between the two comic book movies, Mateen starred in an episode of the hit Netflix series Black Mirror. The first episode of the fifth season of the sci-fi anthology series featured Mateen and Anthony Mackie as college friends who reunite eleven years later. When they begin playing a virtual reality game together, it unlocks a new form of intimacy between them, leading to a kiss that has them questioning the nature of their bond. 

 

Christopher Meloni (Man of Steel)
Christopher Meloni played a supporting role in the DC Comics movie Man of Steel, as Colonel Nathan Hardy, an Air Force officer who gets drawn into Superman's conflict with Zod (Michael Shannon). Meloni has always been more known for his television history, thanks to his two iconic roles on either side of the law. As Detective Elliot Stabler, he solved crimes as part of the historic Law & Order franchise. As Chris Keller, he presented the portrait of a bisexual serial killer locked behind bars on Oz. Keller's infamous on-again/off-again romance with fellow prisoner Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen) would be at the center of a majority of the prison drama's compelling storytelling, including it's final ending.

 

Peter Sarsgaard (Green Lantern, The Batman)
Emmy nominated actor Peter Sarsgaard is one of the few actors to play two different characters in DC Comics films. He played Hector Hammond, a scientist who becomes an antagonist for the titular hero Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) in 2011's Green Lantern. Eleven years later, Sarsgaard took on the role of district attorney Gil Colson in The Batman. Prior to his roles in the comic book movies, Sarsgaard played Cleveland Arning in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. The film followed Art Bechstein (Jon Foster), a college graduate who experiences a summer of self-discovery as he navigates turmoil with his gangster father and explores his sexuality with Cleveland and his girlfriend Jane (Sienna Miller). 

 

Jesse Eisenberg (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League)
Jesse Eisenberg took on the role of the iconic villain Lex Luthor for two DC Comics film franchise movies, beginning in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He reprised the role for the follow-up Justice League. In 2023, Eisenberg starred in the drama Manodrome as Ralphie. The film presented a character study focused on the young gym rat taxi driver who becomes a victim of toxic masculinity as he struggles through his girlfriend's pregnancy, leading to him questioning his sexuality after he joins a cult-like group of incels. Ralphie's mounting tension ultimately explodes into a sexual encounter with Ahmet (Sallieu Sesay), a member of his gym whose body he secretly envies. 

 

Taika Waititi (Green Lantern, The Suicide Squad)
Academy Award winner Taika Waititi has proven he can do just about everything. He's a writer, director, and producer. Waititi has also put his acting talents to good use for DC Comics films, appearing in both 2011's Green Lantern and 2021's The Suicide Squad. The year after his second DC Comics film outing, Waititi took on the starring role of Blackbeard, the pirate Edward Teach, in Our Flag Means Death. The series chronicled the on-again/off-again romance between Blackbeard and wealthy land-owner Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) after Bonnet gives up his cushy life to become a pirate as part of a midlife crisis in the year 1717. The critically-acclaimed comedy series ran for two seasons. 

 

Joe Morton (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League)
Veteran actor and Emmy winner Joe Morton joined the DC Comics movie universe with his role as Silas Stone in the live-action Justice League films. The father of Justice League team member Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), Silas played a major role in his son's transformation into the superhero Cyborg. In 2019, Morton took on the recurring role of Marcus Standish on the Ryan Murphy Netflix series The Politician. Marcus was the husband of conservative Senator DeDe Standish (Judith Light). The series revealed that the couple were engaged in a throuple with the handsome younger William Ward (Teddy Sears). Dede looked to keep the threeway romance out of the public eye, in her bid for re-election.   

 

Michael Shannon (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Flash)
Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon brought one of the most infamous villains in DC Comics to the big screen, playing the Kryptonian Zod. Shannon appeared in three DC Comics films beginning with 2013's Man of Steel. Two years earlier, Shannon starred in the independent drama The Broken Tower, alongside James Franco. Presented in black & white, the film was based on the life story of queer poet Hart Crane (Franco). Shannon played Emile, a love interest for the American poet prior to Crane's suicide at age 32. The experimental art film, co-written and directed by Franco, was filmed in just 15 days and did not shy away from showing intimacy between Crane and Emile.

 

John Turturro (The Batman)
John Turturro took on the role of iconic comic book gangster Carmine Falcone for the 2022 DC Comics film The Batman. These days Turturro stars on the hit science-fiction thriller Severance, where he's played the role of Irving Baliff for two seasons. The series follows employees of a biotech company who have undergone severance, a procedure that causes them to have no memories of their lives outside of work while on duty, and vice versa when they leave the office behind. Irving develops a romantic connection to his co-worker Burt (Christopher Walken), putting him into conflict with their existence as severed employees. Soon Irving finds himself drawn to Burt outside of the office as well. 

 

Christopher Walken (Batman Returns)
Popular character actor Christopher Walken has taken on a variety of unique roles during his career. He dipped his toe into comic book movies with his supporting role as Max Shreck in Batman Returns. Shreck was one of multiple antagonists to cause trouble for the Dark Knight (Michael Keaton) during the film. Currently, Walken stars on the science-fiction thriller Severance, alongside previous entry John Turturro. Walken portrays Lumon Industries employee Burt Goodman, head of the Optics & Design division, who finds himself drawn to his co-worker Irving (Turturro). With both men having undergone severance, splitting their lives between the office and the outside world, the duo's connection is often threatened on the series. 

 

Chris Pine (Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984)
Chris Pine is best known to DC Comics movie fans as Steve Trevor, the love interest for the iconic superhero Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) in her two live action solo films. Pine is best known for his roles in action and science-fiction projects though he first rose to prominence via the romantic comedy The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Pine followed that up with his first and only gay role to date. He had a supporting role in Surrender, Dorothy, a family drama where Pine played Shawn, the love interest of Adam (Tom Everett Scott), a man mourning the loss of his close friend Sara, along with their circle of friends, who bond with Sara's grieving mother Natalie (Diane Keaton).

 

Patrick Wilson (Aquaman, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom)
Emmy nominated actor Patrick Wilson starred in 2018's Aquaman, playing Orm, the half-brother of the titular hero (Jason Mamoa). The first film pits the siblings against one another in a war for the throne. For the 2023 sequel, the half-brothers were forced to work together to stop the greater threat of Black Manta (Yahya Abdul Mateen II). Wilson first made his acting splash in the miniseries Angels in America, where he played Joe Pitt, a closeted conservative who is forced to confront his sexuality and his loveless marriage. He engages in a gay romance with Louis (Ben Shenkman), while reckoning with his religious turmoil and the ideological differences he shares with his male lover in the 1980s.   

 

Jeffrey Wright (The Batman)
Patrick Wilson's Emmy loss in 2004 came at the hands of Jeffrey Wright's Emmy victory for his supporting role in their miniseries Angels in America. Wright played Belize, a drag queen and close friend to main character Prior Walter (Justin Kirk), a gay man living with AIDS who provides a connection point to all the film's important characters after he is visited by an angel. Wright joined the live-action DC Comics film franchise in 2022 when he took on the role of police lieutenant James Gordon who looks to uphold the law in the corrupt city of Gotham in The Batman. Gordon allies with Batman (Robert Pattinson) in his war against the manic killer known as The Riddler (Paul Dano). 

 

Willem Dafoe (Aquaman)
While Willem Dafoe played the villain for Marvel's Spider-Man, in the DC Comics movie universe he took on the more heroic role of Vulko, a mentor to Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa), helping train him in his youth for his future as Aquaman in the 2018 movie. More recently, Dafoe took on a queer role for the anthology film Kinds of Kindness from writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos. The 2024 dark comedy's first vignette featured Dafoe as an overbearing boss Raymond, controlling the life and career of his employee and lover, Robert (Jesse Plemons). Their toxic relationship is chronicled as Robert unsuccessfully attempts to break free of Raymond's control after he orders him to commit murder. 

 

Ezra Miller (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Justice League, The Flash)
Ezra Miller took on the role of iconic superhero The Flash for the DC Comics film franchise beginning with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, holding the role until his 2023 solo film The Flash. As one of the only openly queer actors on this list, it's no surprise that Miller has also played gay on the big screen. He starred in the 2012 award-winning teen drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Based on the Stephen Chbosky novel, the story follows introvert Charlie (Logan Lerman), who enters high school and makes a connection with two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and the gay Patrick (Miller), who help him move on from the loss of his best friend to find peace and a new love. 

 

Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises)
Cillian Murphy joined the DC Comics movie franchise beginning with his villainous turn as Dr. Jonathan Crane in 2005's Batman Begins. That same year, he took on a completely different role, playing Patrick 'Kitten' Braden in Breakfast on Pluto. Set in the 1970s, the coming of age tale told the story of Kitten, a young trans woman who leaves her small-minded Irish town, heading to London on a search for acceptance of her gender identity and her long-lost mother. In an interesting casting twist, Murphy was joined in both films by Liam Neeson. The role brought Murphy his first Golden Globe nomination. He would ultimately win that award in 2024 for his starring role in Oppenheimer.

 

Will Smith (Suicide Squad) 
Academy Award winner Will Smith joined the DC Comics movie franchise for one film, playing the anti-hero Deadshot for his starring role in Suicide Squad. Smith got his acting start playing a fictionalized version of himself on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air beginning in 1990. Three years into the series' run, Smith hit the big screen, starring in Six Degrees of Separation. Based on the play of the same name, Smith played Paul, a young man who fakes his identity to get into the good graces of an upper-class couple, showing up injured on their doorstep, claiming to be a friend of their children. The couple later finds him in bed with another man, leading to drama, along with his ultimate disappearance.

 

Terence Stamp (Superman, Superman II)
Veteran character actor Terence Stamp left his mark on superhero films in 1978 with his introduction as the villainous General Zod in Superman. He would become the lead antagonist for the titular hero (Christopher Reeve) in 1980's Superman II. Stamp's lengthy resume has featured all types of roles. In 1994, he starred in the Academy Award winning road comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Based on a true story, the film followed a trio of drag performers traveling across the Australian desert in their bus Priscilla on the way to perform their cabaret act. Stamp played a member of the trio, Bernadette, a trans woman performing alongside Tick (Hugo Weaving) and Adam (Guy Pearce). 

 

Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Heath Ledger posthumously won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, a rarity for the comic book movie genre. However, Heath's first Academy Award nomination came a few years earlier when he was nominated for Best Actor for his queer role in Brokeback Mountain. The drama follows two men working in the mountains as shepherds when they fall in love. The tragic love story between Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) drove the narrative of the film, as the two men contended with their unwavering feelings while juggling marriage to their wives and the fiscal plight of their lives, all while keeping their love a secret.

 

Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises)
Academy Award winner Christian Bale brought the origin story of Batman to the big screen for the 2005 DC Comics feature film Batman Begins. Bale reprised the role for two acclaimed sequels. Prior to that, Bale starred in the Academy Award winning drama Velvet Goldmine in his native UK. Taking place in 1984, the film followed gay British journalist Arthur Stuart (Bale) in his exploration of the life and career of glam rock superstar Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and the influence on his life by rebellious American singer Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor). Stuart's efforts to investigate Slade's disappearance are driven by his love of Slade's music, which gave him strength in his coming out.