Despite James Gunn’s Superman having wrapped production earlier this summer, casting news is still coming out, as a fan-favorite actor is joining the film. Superman’s ensemble is already filled with an impressive array of actors playing iconic DC roles that include key components of the DC franchise like Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olson, Perry White, and Ma and Pa Kent alongside other DC characters like Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, and The Engineer. Well, you can now add one more character, as Alan Tudyk is reportedly a part of the DCU film.
Deadline reports that Alan Tudyk is part of the cast of Superman in a currently “undisclosed role.” Tudyk is a fan-favorite character actor famous for playing the role of Walsh on the short-lived series Firefly and its spin-off film Serenity. Tudyk’s film work includes movies like I, Robot, 3:10 to Yuma, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and he currently leads the hit series Resident Alien. He has also become a good luck charm for Walt Disney Animation as he has a voice role in every Disney Animated film since Wreck-It Ralph and will next be heard in the upcoming sequel Moana 2.
Alan Tudyk’s Long-Running History With DC
Alan Tudyk has a long history with adaptations of DC Comics. His first was in Batman: Brave and the Bold, where he voiced Barry Allen/The Flash, and the following year, he voiced Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on Young Justice. In 2017, he played the role of Van Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s incompetent cousin, in the short-lived workplace comedy series set in the DC Universe titled Powerless, and in 2019 he played the role of Mr. Nobody, the villain in Doom Patrol Season 1. He currently voices various Harley Quinn characters, including The Joker and Clayface.
Tudyk is also already part of James Gunn’s DC Universe, as he will voice Doctor Phosphorus in Creature Commandos. The Creature Commandos will somewhat tie into Superman as Frank Grillo will reprise his role as Rick Flag Sr. in Superman, making the leap from animation to live-action. While that would suggest Tudyk plays Doctor Phosphorus in Superman, he may be playing another character. Sean Gunn will voice both G.I. Robot and Weasel on Creature Commandos and will play the role of Maxwell Lord in the DCU, establishing that actors who voice characters can play separate characters in live-action.
So, Tudyk could be playing Doctor Phosphorus, but he could also play an entirely different character in the DCU. Perhaps he will be a villain like Mister Mxyzptlk? A supporting character like Bo “Bibbo” Bibbowski? Or even another DC hero? Whatever the outcome, Tudyk’s casting is just one more reason to be excited about Superman.