[Opinion] There’s room in the DCEU for the rest of the ‘Spider-Man’ cast

Bill Nunn as Lucius Fox

            Bill Nunn managed to capture Robbie’s reserved, but forthcoming assertion and loyalty to Jameson in all three ‘Spider-Man’ films. It shouldn’t be hard to imagine him taking that same attitude and using it to help Bruce Wayne in the role once made iconic by Morgan Freeman.

Dylan Baker as Winslow Schott/Toyman

            Dylan Baker played Dr. Curt Connors in ‘Spider-Man 2 & 3’. Unfortunately, the movies ended before he was able to make his mark as the monstrous Lizard, as he was supposed to eventually become. Given the opportunity, it might be fun to see him venture down the role of villainy in a different, much more sinister way as the creepy Superman villain, the maniacal Toyman.

Alfred Molina as Gorilla Grodd

            While it might be primarily voice over work and a lot of mocap, Molina could bring his trademark brilliance and sophistication (‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ aside) to the tyrannical denizen of Gorilla City. He managed to portray Dr. Octopus with a bit of a tragic nuance that might translate to a much more sympathetic, but still dangerously intelligent counter to Ezra Miller’s Flash.

Bryce Dallas Howard as Laurel Lance/Black Canary

            Assuming they plan to widen their bench on the Justice League, one of the team’s trademark femme fatales, Black Canary, might find her fishnets filled by former Gwen Stacey, Bryce Dallas Howard. Howard knows how to play sweet and kind when she needs to be, as much as loyal and tough, both traits that attract the Justice League to her in the first place.

Topher Grace as James Jesse/The Trickster

            It needs to be said that Venom was not an ideal placement for Topher Grace in ‘Spider-Man 3’. While the movie in itself was what ultimately ended the series, he was wasted on a role that he had no right to play. That doesn’t mean, however, that a villain role is out of the question altogether. If he brings that trademark Eric Forman wit to the part, Grace might be a better fit as The Flash’s deadly master of pranks, The Trickster.

Thomas Haden Church as Mongul

            The tyrannical ruler of War World needs someone with a commanding presence and gruff demeanor to boot. Thomas Haden Church would have been the perfect fit for Sandman, had his role not been butchered beyond recognition by a terrible screenplay. If the Superman villain is going to find his voice in the expanding cosmic roster that already plans to include Darkseid and Steppenwolf, maybe Church can lend his own brand of heavy-handed brutality and give the Justice League just as much of a threat to their cause.

It seems that the continuing casting process for the DC Extended Universe is pointing towards producers seemingly fishing from the same lake. First, it was the casting of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon. Then, it was announced that Willem Dafoe will be playing Vulko in the upcoming ‘Aquaman’ movie. With the recent announcement that the footage shown of Deathstroke courtesy of Ben Affleck is, in fact, Joe Manganiello, it became clear that Warner Bros. is recruiting the former alumni from the original ‘Spider-Man’ movie.

Taking this into consideration, one can’t help but think “why stop there?” Imagine if you will, some of DC Comics’ legendary heroes and villains having their roles filled by the rest of the ‘Spider-Man’ cast. The DCEU is growing. If this talented roster were to encompass it, these are the likeliest places they could end up:

Tobey Maguire as Tim Drake/Red Robin

Assuming the point in time we’re looking at coincides with the 20 years deep Batman we saw in ‘Batman v Superman’, it would make sense that Tim Drake, one of the many Robins, would be an adult. In the comics, he eventually outgrows the guise and becomes a hero in his own right, Red Robin. Who better to embody him than the original hero himself?

Kirsten Dunst as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl

Whether her involvement would be well into her role as Batgirl, or after the events of ‘The Killing Joke’, making her the Oracle, Kirsten Dunst should have no trouble portraying Barbara Gordon, whether she’s rocking the red wig or not. Her lively spunk could pair nicely with a version of Dunst that can actually fight and be a hero without constantly needing saving.

James Franco as Harvey Dent/Two-Face

Yes, Franco would be skewing a bit younger than the Two-Face of this universe probably should be, but regardless of his outlandish comedy roles, he’s proven himself worthy of the more dramatic portrayals. If that weren’t enough, ‘Spider-Man 3’ gave us a pretty good taste of what his version of Harvey Dent might look like…you know, face-wise.

Elizabeth Banks as Selina Kyle/Catwoman

If anyone deserves a larger role from the original ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy, it has to be Elizabeth Banks. Many tend to forget that she was Mr. Jameson’s faithful receptionist, Betty Brant, but with her range as an actress and undoubted sex appeal, who better for her to portray than the sultry minx, Catwoman.

Ted Raimi as Dr. Edward Nygma/The Riddler

One of the unmistakable traits Ted Raimi brought to Hoffman was his awkward geekiness and tendency to be overlooked. In a darker world like the DCEU, it might be pretty terrifying to see him turn that around and use it against the ones who’ve shunned him as the twisted and brilliant, Riddler.

Bruce Campbell as Leonard Snart/Captain Cold

The only character to return for every movie who stood apart from the main cast is the larger than life, Bruce Campbell. Having a faithful standing in the geek community, it’s hard to imagine anyone objecting to any role they decide to give Campbell. That being the case, why not use his star power to fuel one of The Flash’s primary villains, the ice-hearted Captain Cold.