It’s one week until the highly anticipated Justice League film and in honour of that, I decided to do a live-action fancast for one of my favourite DC animated films: Batman/Superman: Apocalypse. Now, I know what you’re thinking – ‘how is this one of your favourites?!’ Well, to put it simply it includes DC’s Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, as well as Darkseid, Granny Goodness and The Furies. Plus, it puts an interesting spin on Clark meeting Kara for the first time.

The movie was released back in 2010 and was based on the ‘Supergirl from Krypton’ storyline from the Superman/Batman comic book (issues 8-13), a storyline written by Jeph Loeb with art by Michael Turner. For any of you who are comic book readers, I’d recommend giving this storyline a read.  It differs from the film, most specifically the last part of the of the story arc but it was an entertaining read and the art is beautiful.

We already have Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and from what we know about the Justice League film, it seems like there are elements of the planet Apokolips, so why not another team effort that brings us Darkseid, The Furies and Supergirl? With that being said, here’s the fancast!

*All graphics made by Britany Murphy

Yara Shahidi as Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl

The cousin of Kal-El aka Superman, Kara Zor-El is still getting used to her powers after her ship crashes to Earth. Initially found by Batman, Kara struggles with earning Bruce’s trust, even when Clark assures Bruce that Kara is his cousin from Krypton. Bruce eventually enlists the help of Wonder Woman and Kara is taken to Themyscira to train with the Amazons.

I picked Yara Shahidi because I think she’d be perfect for the role. She is a teenager just like Kara and with that comes the knowledge of things all teens struggle with: confidence, self-esteem, making friends, learning new things and trying to figure out just what they’re meant to do. If you’ve seen her on Black-ish, you’d know exactly what I mean. Not only that, but Shahidi always has a strong presence and active voice on issues of social justice. Fighting for those whose voices are not heard is a staple of super heroics, so I couldn’t pass up on choosing Yara Shahidi.

Glenn Close as Granny Goodness

Granny Goodness made her first appearance in Mister Miracle #2 in 1971, she is cold, ruthless and calculating. A New God, her powers include: immortality, superhuman speed, reflexes, endurance and strength and as a member of Darkseid’s elite, she is certainly not someone you’d want to mess with. Granny is the leader of The Furies – a team of deadly warrior women who have been trained since childhood in Granny’s orphanage to defend the almighty Darkseid.

Now, if you have to ask why I chose Glenn Close for the role, I will have to assume that you haven’t seen her in Fatal Attraction or as one of Disney’s best villains, Cruella De Vil in the live-action 101 Dalmatians remake. She can definitely play crazy and evil well, and I could also see her holding her own against Darkseid – so, I think she’d be up to the task of taking on Granny.

Chris Obi as Darkseid

Making his first full appearance in Forever People #1 back in 1971, Darkseid is the tyrannical ruler of Apokolips and as such, is one of (if not the best), DC comic book villains. Being the main villain of the story, Darkseid is commanding every time he’s on screen. His strength and fortitude needs to be portrayed with perfection as Darkseid is larger than life.

Naturally, I picked Chris Obi. His voice alone can be chilling; the exact effect needed for a portrayal of Darkseid. If you need to know what I mean, check Obi out as Anubis in American Gods. Much like Darkseid, his presence commands attention. I think it would be perfection.

Zulay Henao as Lyla Michaels aka Harbinger

Lyla Michaels made her first DC Comics appearance in New Teen Titans annual #2 in 1983. She was saved from a doomed fate by the Monitor and was later offered membership by the Amazons to fill the role of official historian. With powers that include self-duplication, flight, superhuman strength, as well as possessing an orb that records every part of history in the multiverse, and allows teleportation between dimensions. She is a key player in bringing Kara back to Themyscira and she becomes Kara’s first real friend.

Zulay Henao has a diverse filmography and served three years in the US military, so she would have a firm grasp on not only the physical aspect of work needed for a superhero film, but she’d be great with the emotion that Lyla captures in the film. See her work in: If Loving You Is Wrong, Single Moms Club and Love Thy Neighbor to see why she’d make a great Lyla.

Moon Bloodgood as Big Barda

Big Barda used to be one of The Furies but she defected. Making her first appearance in Mister Miracle #4 in 1971, Barda plays a huge role in the Batman/Superman: Apocalypse. The Trinity seeks out her help in order to rescue Kara from Apocalypse. It was Barda’s home, so who better than she to show Clark, Diana and Bruce the ins and outs of The Furies’ home world? Aside from that, she was key in training The Furies, so who better to beat them at their own game?

Big Barda is one of my favourite comic book characters, so finding someone to play her was daunting. I chose Moon Bloodgood because she is no stranger to action. She starred in Terminator Salvation as Lt. Blair Williams, Anne Glass in Falling Skies and can currently be seen on Code Black as Rox Valenzuela. I can easily see her kicking butt and taking names as Big Barda.

The Furies

Natalie Dormer as Gilotina

Gilotina is ruthless and one of the leaders of The Furies. First appearing in Mister Miracle #8 in 1972, Gilotina is on of the best hand-to-hand combat fighters amongst her peers. Her immortality paired with the ability to slice through objects with her bare hands and expertise in weaponless fighting makes her fearless on the battlefield. She also has a hate for Barda since her abandonment of The Furies that knows no bounds.

If you’ve seen Natalie Dormer on Game of Thrones or The Tudors, you’ll see why I chose her for Gilotina. In both, she is calculating and will stop at nothing to gain or maintain power. She could embody Gilotina with ease and it would be great to see her wielding pair of double swords while fighting enemies of Apokolips which include The Trinity.

Gina Carano as Stompa

Stompa is the strongest of The Furies and first appeared in Mister Miracle #6 in 1972. Her name comes from her ability to create earthquakes with just a stomp of her boots. She’s also immortal and has super strength, and durability. Her boots are anti-matter and the fearless warrior has been known to use them in order to stomp or crush her enemies to death.

Gina Carano would make a great Stompa. Carano is a former MMA fighter and had a role in as one of the villains in Deadpool, so she is in no stranger to action and physicality. Even though she doesn’t have many other acting credits under her belt, I think she could shine as Stompa, the most formidable of The Furies.

Maggie Q as Lashina

Lashina is one of the most fearsome of The Furies. She made her first appearance alongside Stompa in Mister Miracle #6 in 1972. Raised in Granny Goodness’ orphanage, Lashina has enhanced durability, strength, speed and agility, Lashina’s weapon of choice are electrically charged whips – yes, a whip that can be seen giving the lasso of truth a run for it’s money in some scenes in Batman/Superman: Apocalypse.

Maggie Q is an action movie/series queen. She has had roles in Mission Impossible III, Live Free or Die Hard, The Divergent Series and was was the title character in The CW’s, Nikita. Maggie Q is also no stranger to DC Animation. She voiced Wonder Woman in two episodes of Young Justice. So, it would be cool to see her come back to the DC Universe in a live-action role.

Angela Sarafyan as Mad Harriet

Mad Harriet was a deeply disturbed child when she was raised in Granny’s orphanage. She was a standout to Granny because of her vicious temper and need for violence. Harriet’s weapon of choice are energy gauntlets/claws she wears that are so powerful, they can cause damage to even the strongest metahumans of the DC universe. Her ferociousness knows no bounds which makes her one of the deadliest of The Furies.

Angela Sarafyan has been around for a while, but I feel like she doesn’t get the shine she deserves. She’s had appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, American Horror Story and now she has a main role as Clementine Pennyfeather on Westworld. With a vast array of acting credits to her name, she’d make a great Mad Harriet. She also had a role on Nikita, so it would be cool to reunite her with cast mate, Maggie Q.

Bonus: The Trinity

The Trinity: Batman, Superman & Wonder Woman

I did not recast these members, as my thinking would be the live-action version of Batman/Superman: Apocalypse would be part of the current DCEU. As we already have Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot in their respective roles as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman for the foreseeable future, I chose to keep the casting as is.

That’s it for the fancast! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed creating it. Let me know what you think about it in the comment section below!

Published by Britany Murphy

Twitter & Instagram: @britany_murphs Freelance photographer, artist and writer. Sidenote: I have a love for all things nerdy, artistic, literary and musical. View all posts by Britany Murphy