DC Has Already Shown You 4 Times Who Its Best DCU Superman Movie Villain Could Be (& It’s Not Lex Luthor)

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2025’s Superman will initiate the DC Universe franchise, and although Lex Luthor will debut alongside David Corenswet’s Man of Steel, a villain from the DC Extended Universe could be an even better first villain. The DC Extended Universe ended in 2023 with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but the DCU will be a soft reboot, not a complete reset. Although Corenswet will replace Henry Cavill’s Superman, characters from the DCEU, such as Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle and John Cena’s Peacemaker will carry over into the new franchise, along with perhaps some elements of their DCEU storylines.

Despite the partial announcement of the DCU’s opening slate of movies and TV shows in early 2023, more properties may be set in Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Moreover, more characters from the DCEU may carry over into the DCU. One reoccurring antagonist from multiple DCEU properties and numerous other DC Comics adaptations will join the DCU. This character could be an excellent antagonist for Superman in his first DCU outing if these properties – as well as the character’s forthcoming DCU roles – are any indication.

Amanda Waller made her DCEU debut in 2016’s Suicide Squad, and while the film was infamously poorly received, Viola Davis’s performance as the unscrupulous Director of A.R.G.U.S. was a stand-out part of the universe. Waller then returned to the DCEU in another major role in 2021’s The Suicide Squad, as well as two minor roles in Peacemaker and Black Adam, respectively. Viola Davis and her iteration of Amanda Waller will carry over into the DCU, despite being so closely tied to the previous franchise’s lore and having interacted with major characters who are due to be recast.

Waller has a rich history in DC’s comics, founding and serving as the handler for Task Force X (aka the Suicide Squad) and serving as the antagonist for numerous DC heroes, including, collectively, the Justice League itself in some properties. Waller was a leading member of Cadmus in the DC Animated Universe and even orchestrated (albeit partially) the events that led Terry McGinnis to become the new Batman.
Waller has continued to serve as an antagonist in more recent properties, like Arrow and the ongoing animated series My Adventures with Superman, maintaining her prominence in DC-based media.