60 Fun Facts About DC Movie

Who played Superman in Richard Donner's 1978 film?

Christopher Reeve, a little-known stage actor, was cast as Superman in Richard Donner's 1978 film; Marlon Brando (Jor-El) and Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor) received top billing above him.

Which novelist was credited with the story of Superman (1978)?

Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, wrote the story and first-draft screenplay for Superman (1978); David Newman, Leslie Newman and Robert Benton reworked his script.

Which Kryptonian general, played by Terence Stamp, escapes the Phantom Zone in Superman II?

Zod, the Kryptonian general played by Terence Stamp, escapes the Phantom Zone in Superman II with his followers Ursa and Non and demands that the US President kneel before him.

Which comedian co-starred in Superman III as computer programmer Gus Gorman?

Richard Pryor plays Gus Gorman in Superman III (1983); Gorman substitutes tar for an unknown element when synthesising kryptonite, which turns Superman bad rather than killing him.

Who played the title role in the 1984 film Supergirl?

Helen Slater was a 19-year-old newcomer when she played Kara Zor-El in Supergirl (1984); three decades later she returned as the heroine's adoptive mother in the 2015 TV series.

In the 1966 Batman film, which actress replaced Julie Newmar as the feline villainess?

Lee Meriwether played the feline villainess in the 1966 Batman feature because Julie Newmar was unavailable; Eartha Kitt later took the role in the TV series' third season.

Which director cast a comedy actor as the lead in the 1989 Batman, prompting an outcry from comic-book fans?

Tim Burton, then known for Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, gave the lead to his Beetlejuice star; fans feared a campy film in the style of the 1960s TV series.

Which pop star wrote songs for the 1989 Batman film?

Prince wrote and performed the Batman (1989) soundtrack album; its single 'Batdance', built around dialogue sampled from the film, topped the US chart, while Danny Elfman composed the orchestral score.

In Batman Returns, who plays the Penguin, raised in the sewers by a colony of birds?

Danny DeVito played Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin, in Batman Returns (1992); his bird army mixed real penguins with thirty Stan Winston puppets, performers in penguin suits and computer animation.

Who took over the cowl in Batman Forever?

Val Kilmer took over as Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever (1995); he said yes while travelling in Africa, without reading the script or knowing who would direct.

Which action star played Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin?

Arnold Schwarzenegger played Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin (1997), billed above George Clooney's Batman; no live-action Batman film followed for eight years, until Batman Begins in 2005.

Which Batman: The Animated Series film is the only DC Animated Universe film given a full cinema release?

Mask of the Phantasm (1993) was planned as a direct-to-video release before Warner Bros. sent it to cinemas; Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprised Batman and the Joker.

Who plays Ra's al Ghul, the League of Shadows leader, in Batman Begins?

Liam Neeson plays Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins (2005), introduced under the alias Henri Ducard; the man first presented to Bruce as Ra's turns out to be a decoy.

Which villain does Cillian Murphy play in Batman Begins?

Cillian Murphy plays Dr. Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, in Batman Begins (2005); he had screen-tested for Batman himself and returned as Crane in cameos in both sequels.

The Dark Knight was the first major motion picture to shoot sequences with which format?

IMAX cameras, until then used mainly for documentaries, were Christopher Nolan's choice for The Dark Knight's biggest sequences; blockbusters such as Mission: Impossible and Star Wars later followed suit.

Heath Ledger's Joker earned him a posthumous Academy Award in which category?

Best Supporting Actor went to Heath Ledger at the 2009 Academy Awards, 13 months after his death; his parents and sister accepted it on behalf of his three-year-old daughter.

Which villain, played by Tom Hardy, threatens Gotham with nuclear destruction in the last film of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy?

Bane, played by Tom Hardy, holds Gotham hostage with a neutron bomb in the 2012 trilogy finale; Nolan drew on the 1993 'Knightfall' comics, in which Bane breaks Batman's back.

Which film launched the DC Extended Universe in 2013?

Man of Steel grew out of a brainstorm for a Batman sequel, when writer David S. Goyer pitched Christopher Nolan a modern take on Superman; Zack Snyder was then hired to direct.

Who plays Superman in Zack Snyder's 2013 film?

Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent in the 2013 film as a wanderer hiding his powers, until an invasion by survivors of his home planet forces him to reveal himself.

What shared name stops Batman from killing Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?

Martha is the first name of both heroes' mothers, Martha Wayne and Martha Kent; when Superman begs him to 'save Martha', Batman hesitates and the fight ends.

Which is the only DCEU film to have won an Academy Award?

Suicide Squad (2016) won Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 2017 Academy Awards despite mostly negative reviews; no other DC Extended Universe film won an Oscar.

Who directed Wonder Woman (2017)?

Patty Jenkins, director of Monster (2003), took over Wonder Woman after Michelle MacLaren left the project over creative differences in 2015.

In Wonder Woman, Diana leaves her home island after a spy tells her about which war?

World War I is the conflict Steve Trevor, played by Chris Pine, describes after crash-landing off Themyscira; Diana leaves believing Ares is behind the war.

Which director took over Justice League (2017) in post-production after Zack Snyder stepped down?

Joss Whedon oversaw post-production and reshoots after Snyder left in May 2017 following his daughter's death; Snyder still kept the sole directing credit.

On which streaming service was Zack Snyder's Justice League released in March 2021?

HBO Max released the four-hour cut after fans campaigned for years under the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, and Warner Bros. spent about $70 million finishing it.

Which horror director made Aquaman (2018)?

James Wan, the director of Saw and The Conjuring, made Aquaman (2018) and cast his Conjuring lead Patrick Wilson as the villain Orm, Arthur Curry's half-brother.

Which film did Aquaman (2018) overtake as the highest-grossing movie based on a DC character?

The Dark Knight Rises had held the record since 2012; Aquaman passed it with roughly $1.15 billion, helped by Warner Bros.' biggest opening yet in China, two weeks before its US release.

In Shazam!, which actor plays the adult superhero form of 14-year-old Billy Batson?

Zachary Levi plays the adult champion in Shazam! (2019), with Asher Angel as teenage Billy; Levi had first auditioned for a smaller part, the grown-up form of Billy's foster brother Freddy.

Which award did Joker (2019) win at the Venice Film Festival?

The Golden Lion, Venice's top prize, went to Joker in 2019, days after its premiere there drew an eight-minute standing ovation.

Joker (2019) was the first film with which US rating to gross over $1 billion worldwide?

Joker's R rating did not stop it passing $1 billion worldwide in 2019, the first R-rated film to do so; it stayed the top-grossing R-rated film until Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024.

Who plays Harleen 'Lee' Quinzel in Joker: Folie à Deux?

Lady Gaga plays Lee Quinzel opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), a musical sequel that cost about $200 million and took about $207 million worldwide, a fifth of the first film's haul.

Which director helmed Birds of Prey (2020)?

Cathy Yan had made only one small indie, Dead Pigs, when she won Birds of Prey (2020) over established directors, becoming the first Asian woman hired to direct a superhero film.

In Wonder Woman 1984, which two villains does Diana face?

Maxwell Lord and Cheetah, played by Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig, are the villains of Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), which opened in US theaters and on streaming the same day.

In James Gunn's 2021 Task Force X sequel, the team is sent to destroy which giant alien?

Starro the Conqueror, a giant starfish that controls people by clamping small copies of itself over their faces, is the creature Task Force X must destroy on Corto Maltese in James Gunn's 2021 film.

Who plays the Riddler as a serial killer in The Batman (2022)?

Paul Dano plays Edward Nashton, the Riddler, in The Batman (2022); director Matt Reeves modelled him on the Zodiac Killer, who taunted police with ciphers.

Which superhero team does Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam clash with?

The Justice Society, here Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone, is sent to capture Black Adam after he is freed in Kahndaq and starts killing a crime syndicate's troops.

Which past Batman actor returned in The Flash?

Michael Keaton returned as his 1989 Batman three decades on; he also filmed the role for Batgirl, which Warner Bros. shelved unreleased in 2022 as a tax write-down.

Which actor plays Superman in James Gunn's 2025 film that launched the new DCU?

David Corenswet won the role over rivals including Nicholas Hoult, who auditioned for Superman and was then cast as Lex Luthor instead.

What is the title of the first chapter of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU?

Gods and Monsters is the title of DCU Chapter One, unveiled by James Gunn and Peter Safran in January 2023; actors who voice its animated characters are meant to play the same roles in live action.

Which comic-book film won the Razzie for Worst Picture of 2004?

Catwoman (2004) took four Razzies including Worst Picture, and Halle Berry collected her Worst Actress award in person while holding the Oscar she had won for Monster's Ball.

Who played test pilot Hal Jordan in the 2011 Green Lantern film?

Ryan Reynolds played Hal Jordan in Green Lantern (2011), a box-office disappointment he later mocked repeatedly in the Deadpool films.

Which director made Superman Returns (2006), starring Brandon Routh?

Bryan Singer left the X-Men series to direct Superman Returns (2006), with Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor and Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane; a planned sequel was scrapped.

V for Vendetta's screenplay was written by which filmmaking siblings?

The Wachowskis wrote and produced V for Vendetta from Alan Moore and David Lloyd's comic; James McTeigue directed, and the release slipped from the Guy Fawkes weekend of November 2005 to March 2006.

Who voices Batman in The Lego Batman Movie?

Will Arnett voices Batman in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), reprising the role from The Lego Movie; Ralph Fiennes, Voldemort in the Harry Potter films, voices Alfred here, while Voldemort is voiced by Eddie Izzard.

What did the 1966 Batman famously use to fend off an attacker clinging to his leg below the Batcopter?

Bat-shark repellent dislodges a shark that has clamped onto Batman's leg as he dangles from the Batcopter's ladder; the shark then explodes.

In The Flash, Ezra Miller's Barry Allen travels back in time to prevent whose death?

His mother's death is what Barry undoes: he saves Nora Allen, which also keeps his father out of prison but strands him in an altered world without the heroes he knows.

In Batman Returns, who plays Selina Kyle?

Michelle Pfeiffer played Selina Kyle in Batman Returns (1992) after Annette Bening, originally cast, dropped out when she became pregnant; Sean Young famously lobbied for the role in costume.

Which Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely comic did James Gunn cite as inspiration for his 2025 DCU launch film?

All-Star Superman, Morrison and Quitely's 2005-08 series, was named by James Gunn as a touchstone for Superman (2025), a film first announced as Superman: Legacy before the title was shortened in 2024.

Which actor from the Aquaman films plays the bounty hunter Lobo in Supergirl (2026)?

Jason Momoa plays Lobo in Supergirl (2026); a comics collector, he had called Lobo his favorite character and the role he always wanted a year before DC Studios cast him.

Peter Safran compared the tone of the 2026 body-horror film Clayface to which 1986 movie?

The Fly, David Cronenberg's 1986 horror film, was Safran's comparison for Clayface, which he said would not be campy; Mike Flanagan wrote the script but could not direct, so James Watkins took over.

Which villain did James Gunn announce in 2025 for Man of Tomorrow?

Brainiac is the villain of Man of Tomorrow, announced by James Gunn in 2025 for a July 2027 release, in which Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor are forced to work together.

Which composer scored all three films of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy?

Hans Zimmer shared the first two scores with James Newton Howard, then wrote the finale alone, building its chant from recordings that thousands of fans sent in online.

Which comedian plays Jaime Reyes's uncle Rudy in Blue Beetle (2023)?

George Lopez plays Rudy Reyes, who helps Jaime break into Kord Tower after an alien Scarab fuses with his nephew and turns him into the armoured hero.

Which cursed weapon does David Kane obtain in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?

The Black Trident, found by David Kane in an Antarctic cavern, possesses him and unleashes an ancient evil in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).

Who plays Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)?

Jesse Eisenberg plays a young Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman (2016); director Zack Snyder said casting him let the film take the villain 'in some new and unexpected directions'.

Who plays Green Lantern Guy Gardner in Superman (2025)?

Nathan Fillion insisted on keeping Guy Gardner's bowl cut from the comics when other hairstyles were discussed, warning that fans would complain if the film dropped it.

In which Nordic country did Superman (2025) start filming its Fortress of Solitude scenes?

Norway's Svalbard archipelago was chosen because James Gunn wanted somewhere that felt like the middle of the Arctic; its scenes were the first shot, before the production settled into studios near Atlanta.

Which animated DCU series, set before Superman, introduced Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.?

Creature Commandos starts with Amanda Waller barred from risking human lives on her missions, so she sends Rick Flag Sr. out with a squad of monsters instead; James Gunn wrote the series himself.

Which filmmaker directed Blue Beetle (2023), DC's first film centred on a Latino superhero?

Ángel Manuel Soto was hired in 2021 to make Blue Beetle for a streaming service, but Warner Bros. changed course that December and gave it a cinema release instead.

Which actor, cast as Superman in the cancelled 1990s film Superman Lives, finally played the hero in a 2023 cameo?

Nicolas Cage got as far as costume tests before Superman Lives was shelved; a quarter of a century later The Flash put him in the suit at last, battling the giant spider that the unmade film's producer had wanted.