In Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, we saw several indications that Darkseid will be the villain for Justice League. However, this begs the question of who could play the most intimidating character in the DC universe. I’ve compiled a list of actors that I think could live up to this task, and I hope you agree with my picks.
1. Ving Rhames
Ving Rhames is known for his deep voice and strong build, and those are the two most important factors in playing Darkseid. Granted Rhames is getting older nowadays, I’m sure they’ll be using a good amount of CGI on Darkseid anyways. Rhames doing the voice and motion capture plus CGI being used in all of the fight scenes should bring us an amazing version of Darkseid.
2. Idris Elba
Idris Elba has an incredible and intimidating body stature, and is known for having a deep voice that could be manipulated into sounding evil. Besides that, Elba has incredible acting prowess. You need a talented actor to pull of Darkseid, and I think he is more than talented enough. Besides all of the CGI, Darkseid still needs to be brought to the screen by the proper actor, and I think Elba should be on top of the shortlist for this character.
3. Daniel Craig
You all probably know Daniel Craig as the current and possibly most popular James Bond, but I think he could give up that suave demeanor and give us an amazing Darkseid. He has a strong jaw and an extremely demanding acting presence, and I think with a bit of CGI he could certainly pull off the most menacing villain we’ve ever seen.
4. Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler seems to have fallen off the face of the Earth in recent years, but I think he could come back in a big way if he were to play Darkseid. Butler has a particularly menacing voice and the body of a Spartan (literally, he was the lead in 300), so I think he has every aspect needed for the character down.
5. Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is fantastic at playing darker characters, as shown by his performance on Mad Men, and could certainly bring Darkseid to the big screen. He has the kind of strong jaw and body stature needed for the character, as well as a beefy voice and an acting prowess that can’t be matched. If he were given the chance to play this role, then I don’t think anybody would be disappointed.
6. Liev Schreiber
We’ve seen how perfect of a villain Schreiber can play as Sabretooth, and I think he could upgrade to an even bigger villain just fine. He’s certainly menacing enough, and he has the strong jaw and the voice for the character. With a bit of CGI, he could be the most sinister villain we’ve ever seen on the big screen.
7. Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is an extremely different choice, but I think he has what it takes to pull off a role like this. He’s 6’5″ and is in the shape of a superhero (or villain), could give Darkseid his iconic deep and sophisticated voice, and already has chemistry with Henry Cavill. This role could perfectly exemplify Hammer’s acting skills, and I think he could do Darkseid justice.
8. Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy has been itching to play another DC role since the DCEU has been established, and who better than Darkseid? We’ve already seen how well he can play villains with Bane, and Hardy still has the body needed to play a supervillain. With a little CGI to alter his height and things like that, and his undeniable acting abilities, I’m sure this role would be in safe hands.
9. Richard Armitage
Richard Armitage is probably best known for playing Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit, but I think he could turn that performance around into one of the most sinister villains of all time. Thorin commanded respect and was feared by many people, and that’s an important presence to have in Darkseid. Besides that, Armitage has the height, jaw line, voice, and body for this character, so he really is an all-around perfect fit!
10. Michael C. Hall
Many people wanted Hall to play the next Batman, but since Affleck swooped up that roll, I think Darkseid is the next best option. Hall has such an amazing and demanding acting prowess that I think he would have no problem with a role of this demeanor. He has experience playing dark characters, and I have no doubt that with a little CGI he could nail a role of this caliber.