DC could be quick to follow this same path, as they find their footing and begin to learn what works for their universe and what doesn’t. Movies like The Batman have even shown that DC can put out films that are distinctive yet unique, which is what will really help them make their stamp on Hollywood. That being said, there are still a lot of individual performances that are excellent throughout even the most divisive DC movies. The DCEU also boasts a lot of Oscar winners in its pantheon of characters, some of whom the general public might have forgotten were DC alums. Here is every Oscar winner in the DCEU and what film (or films) they’ve won for.

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While some might know him for his take on Batman’s ever-present butler and support system Alfred in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, Jeremy Irons has a long, illustrious career in Hollywood. Surprisingly, he’s only won one Oscar so far, for his work in Reversal of Fortune. Irons won Best Actor at the 1991 Academy Awards for his portrayal of Claus von Bulow in the drama film.

Holly Hunter may have had a smaller role in the DCEU as Senator June Finch in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but she is well known to anyone who loves film, partially for her very distinct voice. Ironically, her Oscar win came from a role in which she is completely silent. In 1994, she won Best Actress for her performance in Jane Campion’s The Piano as the mute character of Ada McGrath, who travels with her daughter to New Zealand in the mid-1800s for an arranged marriage to a frontiersman.

Russell Crowe was a big name to get for Man of Steel for his turn as Jor-El, mostly because of the absolutely iconic roles he’s conquered in the past. Of these, one of the most well-known might also be the one that garnered him an Academy Award win. The 2001 Oscars awarded Crowe Best Actor for his work in Gladiator, which also won several other awards that night, including Best Picture.

A true queen of Hollywood, Nicole Kidman made her entry into the DCEU in Aquaman as Atlanna. Though she’s been nominated 5 times to date, Kidman has only ever won one Oscar. At the 75th Academy Awards in 2003, she won Best Actress for her performance as Virginia Woolf in The Hours.

Love him or hate him, Jared Leto joins the league of actors who have managed to be award-winners while also getting to be in superhero movies (or in his case, supervillain movies). He is likely best known for his (very divisive) take on the Joker in Suicide Squad, but he also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2014 for his role as Rayon in Dallas Buyer’s Club.

Though he may be well-known for his work with Marvel as the iconic J. Jonah Jameson, J.K. Simmons has dipped his toe into the DCEU as well, playing the iconic role of Commissioner Gordon in Justice League. He also won Best Supporting Actor at the 2015 Academy Awards for his work in Whiplash, playing a cut-throat drum instructor.

As she’s one of the biggest names in Hollywood at the moment, it’s no surprise that Viola Davis has played a part in the DCEU. However, it might be shocking for some to learn that she’s only won one Oscar, despite many nominations. She has appeared in multiple entries of the DCEU as Amanda Waller, and won Best Supporting Actress in 2017 for her captivating performance in Fences.

Ben Affleck is one of the few DCEU stars who has collected multiple Academy Awards wins. Though DC fans might know him for his take on the Dark Knight throughout the DCEU, Affleck has obviously been in countless other films, some of which he had a hand in making. He was the recipient of Best Screenplay at the Oscars in 1998 for Good Will Hunting alongside collaborator Matt Damon, and he also got an Oscar in 2013 as a producer for Argo, which won Best Picture.

Costner is the other DC alum who has multiple awards, both of which are for more behind-the-scenes work rather than on-screen performance. In 1991, he won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his film Dances With Wolves. In the DCEU, he appeared in Man of Steel as Jonathan Kent, Clark Kent’s adoptive father.

Will Smith is one of the biggest household names in the industry, and he has lent his talents to the DCEU as Deadshot in Suicide Squad. His Oscar win is the most recent, and perhaps one of the most infamous due to the events of the 2022 ceremony. Despite getting caught in a major controversy for slapping Chris Rock onstage, Smith still took home the Oscar for Best Actor for his work in King Richard playing the titular character.

As Dame Helen Mirren will be appearing in Shazam! Fury of the Gods which has not yet been released, she has not technically appeared in the DCEU yet, but as she’ll have a major role in the upcoming film, it still counts. Mirren is, of course, a celebrated actress in her own right, and has in fact taken home an Academy Award in 2007 for her performance in The Queen, where she played Queen Elizabeth II.

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