Characters of the DC Extended Universe

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on superhero films and other series starring various titular superheroes produced by DC Films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. Despite numerous film series in the past on characters such as Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern, none of those film series were connected. The DCEU debuted in 2013 with "Man of Steel", centered on Superman, and has grown to include other characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and several others included in this list. The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters, and may cross over with separate timelines from other DC-licensed film series in the future in order to create a "multiverse".
Central characters.
The DCEU centers mostly on superhero characters, including the members of what would become the Justice League, but also features antiheroes such as Deadshot and Harley Quinn and will feature Teth-Adam / Black Adam once that character's epinonymous film is released in 2022. While the franchise was originally set to mimic the Marvel Cinematic Universe's format of interconnected solo films along with occasional team-up films, the mixed reception and commercial failure of the theatrical cut of "Justice League" led to Warner Bros. and DC Films re-evaluating their formula and focusing on developing films around individual characters.
Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman.
Clark Kent (portrayed by Henry Cavill), born Kal-El, is a Kryptonian refugee sent to Earth by his parents Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van prior to the planet's destruction and is raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Kansas. As the sun's radiation enhances his cells, Clark develops superhuman abilities, but struggles with his identity when Jonathan reveals his otherworldly origins. After Jonathan's death, Clark travels the world trying to find himself and eventually discovers his true identity after finding a Kryptonian scout ship. He eventually embraces his powers after learning from his biological father's hologram, gaining the military codename Superman as he uses his powers to protect Earth's citizens. Superman eventually comes to odds with Batman before finding commonality and inspires Batman and other vigilantes and metahumans to band together and protect the world from greater threats.
Cavill is the first non-American actor to portray Superman in film. In addition, Zack Snyder has aimed to give Superman a more realistic arc in his DCEU films as opposed to in the past and not be a "one-dimensional Boy Scout".
Bruce Wayne / Batman.
Bruce Wayne (portrayed by Ben Affleck) is the multibillionaire CEO of Wayne Enterprises, but secretly moonlights as the feared vigilante Batman in an effort to battle crime in Gotham City, taking inspiration from his parents' deaths and his fear of bats to crack down on criminal activity. He has been active as Batman for 20 years prior to Clark Kent's emergence as Superman, becoming jaded and disillusioned over time, especially after the murder of his protégé Dick Grayson. Bruce antagonizes Superman after personally witnessing the Battle of Metropolis, in which the ruckus caused by the Kryptonians destroys a considerable part of the city, including the destruction of Wayne Tower and the deaths of a large portion of Wayne's workforce in Metropolis. He is determined to kill the Man of Steel until finding commonality with him and later becomes inspired by Superman's selflessness and sacrifice, later recruiting other metahumans around the globe to form the Justice League and embarking on a path to redemption after years of moral ambiguity.
The DCEU iteration of Batman is notably older and more battle-weary than previous cinematic portrayals. Affleck's Batman is described as the "angriest we'd ever seen" by "Screen Rant", and was inspired by Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" comic storlyline.
Diana of Themyscira / Diana Prince / Wonder Woman.
Princess Diana of Themyscira (portrayed by Gal Gadot), commonly known by her civilian name Diana Prince, is an immortal Amazon warrior from the hidden island of Themyscira who is the daughter of Hippolyta and the Greek God Zeus. Upon venturing to the world of Men after Steve Trevor crash-lands on Themyscira and warns of a global conflict threatening the world, Diana begins protecting mankind as Wonder Woman, secretly living amongst humanity while ending conflicts for nearly 100 years and gradually learning more about the world after living a sheltered life on Themyscira. Diana is inspired by Steve's bravery and learns to find the goodness in mankind, despite evil existing in the world. She is brought back to the forefront after an extraterrestrial threat emerges, with Bruce Wayne recruiting her and other metahumans to fight against the forces of Apokolips.
Despite being part of DC Comics' main "trinity" of superhero characters alongside Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman did not debut on the silver screen until her appearance in "Batman v Superman" in 2016. Gadot was originally offered the role of Faora in "Man of Steel", but turned it down due to pregnancy at the time. This paved the way for her casting as Wonder Woman, with Zack Snyder saying she had the "magical quality" that made her perfect for the role.
Floyd Lawton / Deadshot.
Floyd Lawton (portrayed by Will Smith) is introduced in "Suicide Squad" as the "most wanted hitman in the world", Deadshot. Trained to kill with precision using a wide variety of weapons, including even a potato cannon, Deadshot maintains a professional persona as long as he is paid, holding a moral code to never kill women or children, and has a tough, sarcastic personality. However, he is also torn between his career as a mercenary and his compassion for others, also having a strained relationship with his ex-wife and the mother of his daughter, Zoe. Lawton is apprehended by Batman while shopping with Zoe, and is blackmailed by Amanda Waller into joining the Suicide Squad during his incarceration. He strikes up a friendship with fellow squad members Harley Quinn and Chato Santana / El Diablo, and despite the squad not getting along at first, its members appear to have a high respect for Deadshot, something that even Rick Flag points out. After Deadshot helps take down Enchantress, Waller rewards Lawton with ten years taken off his sentence and visitation hours with his daughter.
The DCEU version of Deadshot is African-American as opposed to Caucasian in the comics. Smith signed on to reprise the role in a multi-film deal, but will not appear in the sequel film "The Suicide Squad" due to scheduling conflicts, with Idris Elba's Bloodsport being given a prominent role in that film in Smith's absence, though the window remains open for Deadshot to return in the future.
Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel (portrayed by Margot Robbie) first appears in "Suicide Squad" as an upcoming psychiatrist who works with the Joker, falling madly in love with him and being swayed to insanity and a life of crime by the "Clown Prince" of crime. Picking up the moniker Harley Quinn, she and Joker terrorize Gotham City until she is apprehended by Batman. She is later recruited by Amanda Waller along with Deadshot and other criminals into the Suicide Squad before Joker breaks her out. "Birds of Prey" explores Harley's misadventures and personal development after she breaks up with Joker.
Arthur Curry / Aquaman.
Arthur Curry (portrayed by Jason Momoa) is a brooding metahuman with aquatic superpowers, later gaining the moniker Aquaman. The son of a human lighthouse keeper and Atlanna, queen of Atlantis, Curry is portrayed as a reluctant hero. Dealing with his dual identity, he chooses to hide among humanity despite helping in small doses. After being sought out by Batman to join the Justice League and stop Steppenwolf, Arthur is later called by his old mentor Nuidis Vulko and Mera to claim his rightful spot as King of Atlantis, regaining confidence in himself.
Aquaman was heavily redesigned in the DCEU, sporting tattoos and a gruff demeanor as opposed to his comics counterpart who is often ridiculed due to his campy depiction in previous adaptations of the source material. Critics have described this iteration of the character as an extension of the "larger than life actor who portrays him, Jason Momoa".
Barry Allen / Flash.
Barry Allen (portrayed by Ezra Miller) is a college student and a metahuman with the ability to move at supersonic speeds, along with time-traveling abilities. As his father Henry was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and Barry's mother Nora, Barry seeks to prove his father's innocence while occasionally engaging in vigilantism with his superpowers. Batman discovers Barry upon recruiting metahumans to join the Justice League upon the forces of Apokalips arriving on Earth.
Aside from being the first cinematic iteration of the Barry Allen / Flash character, Ezra Miller's portrayal is also the first version to be Jewish, making the DCEU Flash the first Jewish superhero in film history. First cast in 2014, Miller will reprise the role in a "Flash" film centered on his character, and has also assisted with re-writing the script for that film.
Victor Stone / Cyborg.
Victor Stone (portrayed by Ray Fisher) is a former college football player who suffers devastating injuries in a car accident that also kills his mother, Elinore. Rebuilt into a cyborg by his estranged father, Silas, Victor seeks to rediscover himself while being recruited by Wonder Woman and Batman to join the Justice League, discovering his true potential after being reborn as Cyborg.
Cyborg's character development in the theatrical cut of "Justice League" was controversially cut down and minimalized by the studio and replacement director Joss Whedon, despite the character being described as the "heart of the movie" in Zack Snyder's original version, which has since been released as "Zack Snyder's Justice League". Fisher's performance in the latter version of the film has received critical acclaim. Prior to landing the role, Fisher was a little-known theater actor.
Billy Batson / Shazam.
Billy Batson (portrayed by Asher Angel) is a mischievous and troubled teenager from Philadelphia in the foster-care system. Having been abandoned at a carnival at a young age by his single mother, Marilyn, Billy has gained a reputation as a "problem child", repeatedly escaping from foster homes and hijacking police cruisers to locate his mother. After being apprehended again, Billy is placed into the home of the Vazquez family, which also has other adoptees such as Freddy Freeman and Mary Bromfield. Upon returning from school on the subway, he is contacted by the dying wizard Shazam, who bestows his powers to Billy after deeming him worthy as his champion. 
Gaining the ability to transform into an adult superhero (portrayed by Zachary Levi) upon calling the name "Shazam", Billy creates a YouTube channel with Freddy to display his superpowers and continues to act mischievously until friction occurs with his foster siblings and Doctor Sivana emerges, being envious of Billy's powers and wanting them himself after being denied by Shazam earlier. Billy realizes the importance of using his powers for good, battling Sivana and the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man with little success at first. After he learns why his mother abandoned him, Billy accepts his foster family as his true family, sharing his superpowers with his siblings and creating the Shazam Family, which allows them all to defeat Sivana and imprison the Seven Deadly Enemies and fully staff Shazam's temple.
Antagonists.
Zod.
General Dru-Zod (portrayed by Michael Shannon) is the supreme military commander of Krypton who attempts a coup and is imprisoned along with his forces in the Phantom Zone prior to the planet's destruction. He and Jor-El both agree that their world is doomed, but have different methodologies in trying to save their race, leading to their fall-out. After the planet's destruction, Zod and his followers are released from their imprisonment but left to float among the remains of Krypton until they repurpose their prison ship, the "Black Zero". 
When Jor-El's son Kal-El, now going by the name Clark Kent and later dubbed "Superman", activates a scout ship on Earth, Zod's forces detect a distress signal sent by the ship and demand that Earth's citizens hand Kal over. After Clark discovers that Zod intends to terraform Earth into a new Krypton, killing all its inhabitants in the process, Clark sides with the people of Earth and helps the U.S. military take down Zod's forces, sending all of them except Zod himself back to the Phantom Zone after a destructive battle. An enraged Zod, having lost his purpose for life after losing his troops and means to create a new Krypton, uses his newly gained superhuman abilities, similar to Clark's, to engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat across the city of Metropolis, resulting in more human casualties until Clark kills him by snapping his neck.
Zod's corpse appears in "Batman v Superman" after Lex Luthor gains access to Kryptonian artifacts left over from the battle of Metropolis, with Luthor taking advantage of Zod's fingerprints to access the scout ship. Zod's body itself is used by Luthor to create a Kryptonian deformity to combat Superman, which Luthor calls Superman's "Doomsday". The creature is stronger than the Man of Steel and impervious to nuclear weapons, but Superman and Batman realize its vulnerability to kryptonite, with Superman sacrificing himself to kill the monster with a kryptonite spear crafted by Batman.
Faora-Ul.
Sub-commander Faora-Ul (portrayed by Antje Traue) is Zod's second-in-command. Like Zod, she is sentenced with him and his followers into the Phantom Zone after their coup is foiled. Faora is portrayed a highly skilled but sadistic warrior with a disdain for her enemies and overconfidence in her dogmatic beliefs, though she is highly patriotic to her home world of Krypton, expressing great sorrow when she sees its ruins upon being freed from the Phantom Zone.
Faora lands on Earth to take Kal-El as her prisoner when Zod's forces land on Earth, though she also demands Lois Lane accompany them. She and another Kryptonian grunt fight Superman back on the surface when he escapes their ship, with Superman narrowly defeating her when he breaks open her helmet, exposing her to Earth's atmospherics and temporarily weakening her. Though she expresses no emotion when dispatching several soldiers from the U.S. Army, she gains some respect for Colonel Hardy when he stands up to her, deeming him a worthy opponent. Faora is sent to take down Hardy's transport aircraft when it and other fighter jets attack the "Black Zero", ambushing the craft when it nears the mother ship. However, Hardy crashes the plane into the "Black Zero" as she nears the cockpit, causing an explosion that sends Faora and the rest of Zod's troops back to the Phantom Zone for good.
In preparation for the role of Faora, Traue underwent an intense four-month training and dieting program. Gal Gadot, who would later be cast as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman starting in "Batman v Superman", revealed that she had previously been offered the role of Faora, but turned it down due to pregnancy.
Lex Luthor.
Lex Luthor (portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg) is the multi-billionaire CEO of LexCorp. While he displays a welcoming but frantic "tech bro" persona in public, he is in actuality a scheming, diabolical figure who despises Superman and is obsessed with killing him. Luthor manipulates several events in the film, including the scuffle in Nairomi and the eventual bombing of the U.S. Capitol, to tarnish Superman's public image. He also finds methods to pit Superman and Batman against each other, taking advantage of Batman's rage and subsequent questionable acts to get Superman enraged at the former, and manipulates members of the U.S. Senate to get access to the Kryptonian scout ship left over from the battle of Metropolis. He eventually entices Superman and Batman to fight each other to the death after kidnapping Martha Kent, but Superman and Lois Lane convince Batman to join forces with them against Luthor before Batman is able to kill Superman. With this plan foiled, Luthor unleashes a Kryptonian deformity that he had created from Zod's body and the scout ship, resulting in Superman giving his own life to kill it. Luthor is then arrested and sent to Arkham Asylum, but gloats at Superman's death, which results in the forces of Apokolips arriving to Earth. 
This iteration of Lex Luthor is noticeably different than in the comics, as well as Gene Hackman's portrayal of the character in the 1978–87 Superman film series. He is also characterized as a misotheist, hating God and other god-like beings such as Superman as he perceives the gods failed to protect him from abuse received from his father. Eisenberg made an effort to differentiate his take on the character from that of Hackman and Kevin Spacey, and also states that his character views Superman as a genuine threat to humanity rather than simply someone to destroy.
Anatoli Knyazev.
Anatoli Knyazev (portrayed by Callan Mulvey) is a Russian mercenary, terrorist, and smuggler working on behalf of Lex Luthor. He first appears working with General Amajagh, opening Jimmy Olsen's camera to find out he is a spy with the CIA. This leads to Lois Lane being held hostage until Superman arrives to rescue her. Knyazev and his men then betray Amajagh's soldiers and cross them, burning their bodies to give the illusion that Superman killed them, leading to his public fallout. Bruce Wayne tracks down Knyazev at an underground fight while trying to track down kryptonite, cloning his phone while conversing with him. Bruce discovers Knyazev's affiliation with Luthor and is able to continue tracking the kryptonite. Meanwhile, Knyazev arranges for Cesar Santos to be murdered in prison, then also assassinates Kahina Ziri when she rats out Luthor to Senator Finch. Knyazev is later responsible for kidnapping Martha Kent and is poised to kill her, but Batman, who comes to an understanding with Superman, arrives at Knyazev's compound and extracts Martha alive while killing Knyazev by shooting his flamethrower tank. Knyazev does not appear as KGBeast and is only a hired gun in the film.
June Moon / Enchantress and Incubus.
The Enchantress is a dark spirit that possesses archeologist June Moon (portrayed by Cara Delevingne) when Moon encounters a totem pole containing the spirit.
Ares.
Ares (portrayed by David Thewlis) is the Olympian God of War and the last surviving member of the Old Gods by the events of "Wonder Woman". Despite originally aiding the forces of Earth against the first invasion from Apokolips as seen in both versions of "Justice League", Ares turns on his fellow gods and goddesses as he comes to resent humanity, causing mankind to wage war among itself and killing his brothers and sisters until Zeus drives him off Mount Olympus and uses the last of his life force to hide the Amazons on Themyscira and create the "Godkiller". After hiding for millennia and continuing to corrupt mankind upon regaining his strength, Ares resurfaces using the guise of British politician Sir Patrick Morgan and gives off a welcoming, pacifistic demeanor as part of the British Imperial War Cabinet while secretly manipulating the Central Powers, leading to World War I.
As Sir Morgan, Ares provides some secret aid to Diana and Steve Trevor's team as they venture to the front lines of the war in an attempt to destroy the gas being concocted by General Ludendorff and Dr. Maru, despite the War Cabinet vehemently disapproving. After Diana kills Ludendorff, whom she mistakenly believes is Ares, Morgan reveals himself and attempts to sway her to help him in destroying humanity, also revealing her true parentage as her paternal half-brother and her nature as the "Godkiller". Diana fights off the temptation, seeing the good in mankind, and overpowers Ares after Steve's death, killing the God of War by redirecting his lightning at him with her Bracelets of Submission.
In "Justice League" and its director's cut, stuntman Nick McKinless physically played the role, with Thewlis's face digitally superimposed over his.
General Erich Ludendorff.
A highly-fictionalized version of the real-life German general who fought in World War I, Erich Ludendorff (portrayed by Danny Huston) is a pragmatic, iron-fisted tactician who leads the Imperial German Army during the waning days of the war, enlisting Dr. Maru to create a deadlier, hydrogen-based variant of mustard gas in an attempt to turn the tide of battle. Ludendorff is portrayed as ruthless and unforgiving, willing to kill combatants and civilians on both sides of the war to achieve his goals, including fellow German generals negotiating to surrender. Diana believes he is Ares at first after hearing Steve Trevor's account of the war. She attempts to assassinate him at a gala he hosts until Steve stops her to avoid blowing their cover. When Ludendorff deploys his mustard gas on an innocent village during a demonstration at the gala, Diana confronts him again as he prepares to attack London with a larger dose, getting her vengeance on him. However, the war does not end when Diana kills him, leaving her confused and disillusioned until Sir Patrick Morgan reveals himself as the God of War.
Huston described his version of Ludendorff as a "pragmatist, realist, patriotic, fighting for his country", further explaining, "he lost his son on the German front lines and was just quite tortured, diabolical, stubborn and believes that what he's doing is for the betterment of mankind." On his character, Huston said "Ludendorff is a believer that war is a natural habitat for humans" and also states that "somebody like Ludendorff would probably think that the idea that love conquers all is quite a naive concept.
Dr. Isabel Maru / Dr. Poison.
Dr. Isabel Maru (portrayed by Elena Anaya) is a Spanish chemist enlisted by General Ludendorff to create a deadlier, hydrogen-based variant of mustard gas, also managing to create strength-boosting elixirs for him. Maru's vicious nature earns her the nickname Doctor Poison by the Allied forces and Ludendorff's "witch" by the Germans. She wears a ceramic mask that hides her disfigured cheek. While infiltrating the Central Powers, Steve Trevor sees first-hand the lethality of Maru's experiments and steals a notebook with her formulas, smuggling it to the British War Council after fleeing and encountering Diana and the Amazons. Steve later tries to seduce Maru at Ludendorff's gala to get more of her secrets, but his attempt is foiled when Maru sees him notice Diana also infiltrating the event. Ares later tempts Diana to kill Maru after the German base is destroyed, but Diana spares her and allows her to flee out of mercy, instead focusing on defeating Ares.
The Isabel Maru incarnation of Doctor Poison is also the character's first live-action appearance, though the "Wonder Woman" film places Doctor Poison and other Wonder Woman characters as originating in World War I as opposed to World War II.
Steppenwolf.
Steppenwolf (portrayed by Ciarán Hinds) is a New God general from the planet Apokolips and the uncle of Darkseid. First debuting in the Ultimate Edition of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" as Lex Luthor views holograms in the Kryptonian scout ship, Steppenwolf appears in both versions of "Justice League" as the main antagonist, leading an army of parademons and seeks to invade Earth and destroy all life on the planet. In both versions of the latter film, Steppenwolf seeks the three Mother Boxes to carry out Earth's destruction with the newly-formed Justice League proving no match for him and his forces at first, but they are able to defeat him with help from a resurrected Superman. 
Due to extensive retoolings of the film by Warner Bros., numerous differences exist in Steppenwolf's characterization and arc in the theatrical cut and the director's cut. Steppenwolf's design and motivations in the theatrical cut were highly criticized as ridiculous and over-simplified, while the director's cut gives him a more imposing and sinister demeanor and appearance, also having him speak less and letting his actions speak for themselves. The theatrical cut has him in place of Darkseid during the first invasion of Earth by the forces of Apokolips, while the director's cut gives further backstory to the character as he had unsuccessfully attempted to betray Darkseid and is now trying to gain his nephew's favor back by destroying 150,000 worlds, including finishing the attempted destruction of Earth, and discovers the presence of the Anti-Life Equation. In addition, his demise was changed; the theatrical cut has Steppenwolf give in to fear after Superman and Wonder Woman destroy his axe, retreating while presumably being consumed by his own parademons, while in the "Snyder Cut", he is overpowered by Superman, stabbed by Aquaman, and beheaded by Wonder Woman, with his head and body rolling to Apokolips via boom tube to land at Darkseid's feet.
Hinds described his character as "old, tired" and trying to find a way to escape his role of servitude under Darkseid. He had sought advice from fellow actor Liam Neeson for the role. Hinds was reportedly unhappy with the final theatrical cut of the film, which trimmed down the backstory and characterization of Steppenwolf. The character's original design was restored in the director's cut of the film.
Darkseid.
Darkseid (portrayed by Ray Porter), originally known as Uxas, is a New God who is the tyrranical ruler of Apokolips and the master of Steppenwolf and DeSaad. While he is merely mentioned in the theatrical version of "Justice League", the character makes his first on-screen appearance in the director's cut, with his scenes being restored. The "Snyder Cut" portrays Darkseid, then named Uxas, leading the invasion of Earth prior to his rise to power. As Uxas prepares to use the Anti-Life Equation and the three Mother Boxes to conquer Earth, a coalition of warriors, which includes mankind, Atlanteans, Amazons, Old Gods, and a Green Lantern, counterattack, forcing his retreat after grievously injuring him and separating the boxes. While he recovers and takes over the throne of Apokolips over the course of millenia, the location of the equation is lost and the Mother Boxes are hidden by the Amazons, Atlanteans, and humans.
After Steppenwolf is alerted to the presence of the boxes and equation on Earth, he informs Darkseid, who entices his disgraced uncle and lieutenant to seize both so he can use the equation to take over the multiverse. Darkseid opens a portal to Earth when the Mother Boxes are nearly synchronized, only to see Barry Allen undo the Unity by entering the Speed Force. This allows the Justice League to separate the boxes and kill Steppenwolf, throwing his body back through the portal to Darkseid's feet. A enraged Darkseid then tells Desaad to "ready the armada" and use the "old ways" to reclaim the Anti-Life Equation, with the Mother Boxes no longer able to be used to conquer planets.
Porter played Darkseid through the use of motion capture and "went through a few different vocal gymnastics trying to figure out the voice". Porter was unfamiliar with the Darkseid character upon being cast, but Zack Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio helped guide him with their knowledge of the comic book lore.
Orm Marius.
King Orm Marius (portrayed by Patrick Wilson) is the second son of Queen Atlanna and maternal half-brother of Arthur Curry. Orm seeks to become the Ocean Master by uniting the Seven Kingdoms of the Atlanteans and despises the surface world for polluting the seas, aiming to eradicate humanity in revenge. He also hates Arthur for his mixed heritage, blaming him for their mother's banishment, and like General Zod, has an dogmatic view of his people while being mostly ruthless to those he perceives as enemies. Having taken the throne of Atlantis by the events of "Zack Snyder's Justice League" and "Aquaman", Orm is described as stubborn by Nuidis Vulko and Mera, opting to devote all resources to wage war with the surface world instead of guarding the Atlantean Mother Box, indirectly leading to its seizure by Steppenwolf.
After hiring Jesse and David Kane to hijack a submarine and stage a fake attack on Atlantis, Arthur foils the attack and sinks the submarine. Orm later confronts Arthur when he sneaks into Atlantis with Mera and Vulko, offering him the chance to leave forever, but Arthur engages in a duel with him. Orm nearly kills Arthur until Mera intervenes and narrowly escapes with the latter. Following this, he gives David the Black Manta equipment to hunt down Arthur and convinces four kingdoms to join his regime through brute force and deception, but is ultimately defeated and dethroned by Arthur when he finds Atlan's Trident. Arthur spares Orm despite the latter enticing his brother to finish him off, but once Atlanna emerges alive, Orm accepts his punishment and is arrested, beginning to consider reconciling with Arthur.
Wilson previously portrayed Dan Freiberg/Nite Owl II in the 2009 film "Watchmen" and voiced the President of the United States in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", making "Aquaman" his third DC Comics film appearance.
David Kane / Black Manta.
David Kane (portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a pirate and mercenary working alongside his father, Jesse. The two lead a strike force contracted by King Orm to hijack a Russian "Akula"-class submarine, which is foiled by Aquaman sometime after the Justice League defeats Steppenwolf. Arthur dispatches the pirates and inadvertently traps Jesse in the submarine when Jesse and David attempt to kill him, leaving Jesse to drown despite David's pleas. A vengeful David escapes the submarine and is later given advanced Atlantean armor and command of a strike force of Atlantean soldiers by King Orm after Arthur and Mera escape Atlantis. David rechristens himself Black Manta after modifying the armor and attacks Arthur and Mera with his strike force in Sicily, though the two fend off the attack. After heated one-on-one combat, Arthur damages David's armor and sends him careening off a cliff into the sea. David is later found and rescued by Stephen Shin, and makes a deal with Shin to tell him more about Atlantis in exchange for helping him track down Aquaman.
In the DCEU's continuity, the title "Black Manta" was first conferred on Kane's grandfather as a nickname when he was working as a frogman for the U.S. Navy during World War II; Kane's grandfather turns to piracy when he was not recognized for his accomplishments due to his African-American heritage and passes his illicit trade to his son and grandson. Mateen is set to reprise his role as David Kane / Black Manta in "Aquaman 2".
Roman Sionis / Black Mask.
Roman Sionis / Black Mask (portrayed by Ewan McGregor) a ruthless Gotham City crime lord who owns the "Black Mask Club".
Victor Zsasz.
Mr. Zsasz (portrayed by Chris Messina) is the right hand man of Roman Sionis. He was one of the gunmen who took part in the Bertinelli massacre. He also has tally marks carved onto his body for each person he's killed over the years.
Maxwell "Max Lord" Lorenzano.
Max Lord (portrayed by Pedro Pascal) is a struggling yet charismatic oil businessman and tv personality. He is the owner of Black Gold Oil and hopes to gain possession of a powerful ancient relic which has the power to grant wishes known as the "Dream Stone". He also has a young son named Alistair Lord.
Supporting characters.
Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van.
Jor-El (portrayed by Russell Crowe) and Lara Lor-Van (portrayed by Ayelet Zurer) are Kal-El/Clark Kent's biological parents from Krypton. Jor-El is the planet's chief scientist while Lara is part of the planet's Thinker Guild. Both were genetically engineered from Kryptonian technology like the rest of the planet's population and assigned roles in society including their occupation and marriage, but decide to conceive a child from natural means, resulting in Kal-El's birth.
After vainly trying to persuade the Kryptonian High Council to evacuate the doomed planet, Jor-El steals the Codex containing genetic information for future Kryptonians and infuses it with his son before he and Lara send Kal-El to Earth in a spacecraft, fending off a coup by General Zod long enough for their son's ship to escape. Zod executes Jor-El before he and his followers are captured and sentenced to the Phantom Zone, while Lara survives until the planet's implosion from over-mining its core.
Jor-El and Lara leave their son with a holographic computer program embedded in the ship's key, which simulates Jor-El's knowledge and personality. Clark uses the key to activate a dormant Kryptonian scout ship, after which his father's uploaded Artificial Intelligence teaches him the history of Krypton and explains why he and Lara sent Kal to Earth. When Zod and his followers escape the Phantom Zone, locate Clark, and begin to invade Earth, Clark gives the key to Lois while onboard Zod's ship, uploading Jor-El's program into the mainframe, allowing the program to aid Clark and Lois in escaping and informing them on how to defeat Zod's forces. Zod encounters Jor-El's AI when stealing the scout ship, wiping the program off the ship after some banter. The key with Jor-El's AI is ultimately destroyed when Emil Hamilton uses it to activate Kal-El's spacecraft and crash with Zod's mothership, sending the Kryptonians except for Superman and Zod back to the Phantom Zone.
Jonathan and Martha Kent.
Jonathan (portrayed by Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (portrayed by Diane Lane) are Clark Kent's adaptive parents on Earth. They are farmers from Smallville, Kansas, who discover Kal-El in his ship shortly after arriving on Earth. Both Jonathan and Martha are loving parents, caring for Clark as their own despite his superhuman abilities and otherworldly origins that result in isolation from his classmates and shaping his morality. Jonathan believes that Clark was sent to Earth for a reason, but encourages his adaptive son to conceal his powers until the opportune time. He ultimately dies in a tornado while directing trapped motorists to safety and rescuing the family dog, refusing to be saved by Clark in order to protect his son's secret, a departure from the comics and previous adaptations that have him die of a heart attack.
Martha remains optimistic despite her and Jonathan's inability to have biological children and her husband's death. After Clark travels the world to find his identity following Jonathan's death, he visits Martha in Smallville after discovering his roots. Their reunion is short-lived as General Zod's forces arrive on Earth, and they make their way to the Kent farm, demanding Martha to tell them where Clark's spaceship is, which she refuses. Clark comes to his mother's aid and attacks Zod when he threatens her life, though her house is damaged. Martha continues to be a confidant to Clark when he moves to Metropolis to take a journalist job with the "Daily Planet" and starts serving more as Superman. She is kidnapped by Lex Luthor, who forces Superman to kill Batman in exchange for her life, but Lois Lane allows the two superheroes to come to an understanding and team up, with Batman rescuing Martha. She is devastated when Clark loses his life fighting Doomsday as Superman, sharing her grief with Lois. By the events of "Justice League", Martha's home is foreclosed by the bank and she is forced to move out. She is reunited with her son after the Justice League revives him, and Bruce Wayne manages to buy her house back from the bank after the team, including Superman, defeats the forces of Apokolips.
Lois Lane.
Lois Lane (portrayed by Amy Adams) is an investigative reporter for the "Daily Planet" who first encounters Clark Kent in "Man of Steel" as she is covering the discovery of a Kryptonian scout ship in Northern Canada. When Clark saves her from the ship's technology, she becomes intrigued by him, going far lengths to discover his identity and superpowers and falling in love with him in the process. She and Clark start dating after he takes a job at the "Planet" following the battle of Metropolis, which sees him rescuing her several times as Superman as she aids him and the U.S. Military in quelling the invasion by General Zod. Lois is instrumental in discovering Lex Luthor's deceptiveness in "Batman v Superman", risking her own life several times to uncover evidence against him and standing up to him even as he captures her to lure Superman out of hiding. She is also instrumental in keeping Clark motivated to do the right thing in all three films in which he is a primary character.
Adams became the eighth actress to take on the role of Lois in live action upon landing the part in "Man of Steel". Despite not having as much fighting prowess as previous depictions, the DCEU version of Lois is depicted as more intelligent and level-headed than in the past.
Calvin Swanwick / Martian Manhunter.
Calvin Swanwick (portrayed by Harry Lennix) is introduced as a lieutenant general in the United States Northern Command in "Man of Steel", later becoming Secretary of Defense by the events of "Batman v Superman". He initially does not trust Superman upon interrogating him prior to turning in the Man of Steel to General Zod, but later proves to be an ally to both Superman and Lois Lane, as he provides Lois with evidence against Lex Luthor and provides Superman with military aid against Zod and the Kryptonian monstrosity created by Luthor. Swanwick is revealed as the Martian Manhunter in "Zack Snyder's Justice League", having the ability to shapeshift and impersonate others and being the last surviving member of the Martian race. He masterquades as Martha Kent while encouraging Lois to reenter society and resume her job after Superman's death, and visits Bruce Wayne in his true Martian form after Bruce forms the Justice League, thanking him for doing so and promising to be in touch to plan for Darkseid's inevitable return to Earth after Steppenwolf is defeated.
Fans began speculating that Swanwick was the Martian Manhunter after viewing Superman's interrogation scene in "Man of Steel", in which Swanwick continues to confront Superman after he effortlessly breaks his chains and walks towards the window while everyone else backs away. While Swanwick was not initially meant to be the Martian Manhunter in the film, Lennix stated that "someone else" wanted him to be in a future film. Director Zack Snyder stated that Swanwick would be retconned to be the Manhunter in his original cut of "Justice League", but that the scene was not completed until additional filming for the director's cut, in which Lennix took part.
Alfred Pennyworth.
Alfred Pennyworth (portrayed by Jeremy Irons) is Bruce Wayne's personal butler, having raised him since his parents' murders. This iteration of the character is portrayed as a former member of the Special Air Service and has a cynical and sarcastic personality, offering playful banter with Bruce in addition to providing high-tech support for him while in action as Batman. Unlike the often-tunnel-visioned Bruce, Alfred is more perceptive and serves as a devil's advocate, recognizing that Superman may not be as hostile as Batman believes, but is unwaveringly loyal to Bruce. He in turn helps the Justice League when they combat Steppenwolf and his parademon minions.
June Finch.
June Finch (portrayed by Holly Hunter) is a United States Senator from Kentucky who heads the Senate Committee questioning Superman's actions. While she notes Superman's good intentions, she is wary of allowing him to be unrestrained and act without government involvement, given the casualties suffered during the "Black Zero" event in Metropolis and allegedly with the Nairomi incident. She invites Superman to a public hearing as a result. Lex Luthor invites her to his company and later his quarters to try and persuade her to get an import license for kryptonite, but Finch sees through his altruistic façade and denies his request, angering him. During the trial, which sees Wallace Keefe, a casualty of the "Black Zero" event, set to testify against Superman, Finch notices Luthor's absence and a jar of urine on her pulpit as she makes her opening statement. This leads to her realizing Luthor's treachery a split second before a bomb concealed in Keefe's wheelchair explodes, killing hundreds inside the U.S. Capitol including Finch.
On her character's views on Superman, Hunter stated, "What is her problem with Superman? That absolute power corrupts absolutely. When power is acting autonomously, unilaterally with no legislation, with no boundaries, with no law, except for the ones that he deems in his own mind, that can be detrimental." Describing her character, Hunter said, "I thought that, you know, as a senator, she brought her female-ness to the job in how she listened, in her curiosity, in her ability to evaluate", adding, "[It] felt very female to me." Hunter also compared the fight between Batman and Superman in the film to that of Greek Gods.
Joker.
The Joker (portrayed by Jared Leto) is the archenemy of Batman, a one-time lover of Harley Quinn, and a ruthless crime lord in Gotham City. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" alludes to Joker murdering Batman's protégé Dick Grayson prior to the events of the movie. Joker first meets Harley, then a budding psychiatrist named Dr. Harleen Quinzel, while imprisoned during a flashback seen in "Suicide Squad". She falls madly in love with him and goes great lengths to be with him after he escapes prison, and the two begin to terrorize Gotham City as its most notorious criminals. After Harley herself is imprisoned and recruited into the Suicide Squad, Joker aims to free her from her predicament. He later breaks up with her prior to the events of "Birds of Prey", and can be seen in Batman's premonitions of a potential future world ruled by Darkseid.
Amanda Waller.
Amanda Waller (portrayed by Viola Davis) is the head of the Suicide Squad and a government agent.
Rick Flag.
Colonel Rick Flag (portrayed by Joel Kinnaman) is a U.S. Army officer and Special Forces commander and one of the leaders of Task Force X.
Hippolyta.
Hippolyta (portrayed by Connie Nielsen) is the immortal Amazon queen of Themyscira (DC Comics) and the mother of Diana. She is overly protective of her daughter, who aspires to become one of the Amazon warriors, telling her that she was "sculpted from clay and given life by Zeus" when in actuality Zeus is Diana's biological father, and thus Diana is the "Godkiller" that was left by the Old God. Despite sheltering Diana, Hippolyta reluctantly has her daughter trained harder than any other Amazon after her sister, Antiope, convinces her otherwise. Hippolyta interrogates Steve Trevor after he is caught with Diana and inadvertently leads the Germans to Themyscira, which sees many Amazons die in battle. 
The queen is seen as a capable warrior and commander in both versions of "Justice League" in flashbacks and the present day. She leads the Amazons into battle with Antiope against the forces of Apokolips during the first invasion of Earth, and leads stiff resistance to Steppenwolf in the present day though he overpowers the Amazons, taking the Mother Box guarded on Themyscira. She then fires a warning shot into the shrine of the Amazons to inform her daughter of the new invasion.
Steve Trevor.
Captain Steve Trevor (portrayed by Chris Pine) is an American Air Force pilot working as a spy on behalf of the British secret service during World War I. After stealing a notebook from Dr. Isabel Maru while undercover at an Ottoman base, Steve steals a plane and crash-lands on Themyscira, being rescued by Diana while inadvertently leading a German fleet onto the hidden island. After a bloody battle ensues between the Germans and the Amazons, in which Antiope dies, Steve is captured by the Amazons, revealing his occupation as a spy and describing the Great War. Moved to act, Diana breaks him out and leaves Themyscira with him in an attempt to stop the war, which she presumes is caused by Ares. The two are inspired by each other's bravery and fall in love in the process while stopping a plot by the God of War, General Ludendorf, and Dr. Maru to prolong the war. 
Though Steve sacrifices his life destroying the deadlier form of mustard gas being concocted by Dr. Maru at the end of "Wonder Woman", Diana remembers him dearly to the point that she inadvertently brings him back to life upon encountering the Dream Stone in "Wonder Woman 1984" before realizing the grave consequences of her wish. Steve convinces her to let go of him and renounce her wish, helping her regain her powers and defeat Max Lord and Cheetah.
Antiope.
General Antiope (portrayed by Robin Wright) is Hippolyta's sister, right-hand woman and head of Themyscira's armed forces as its most renowned warrior. Unlike her sister, Antiope believes that Diana should be told the truth of her parentage and be trained to fight, which Hippolyta reluctantly allows despite not telling Diana about her true origins. After millennia of fierce training, Diana becomes a greatly skilled warrior under Antiope's tutoring, even surpassing Antiope's skills. After the Germans invade Themyscira during World War I, Antiope takes a bullet for Diana, urging her niece to take action before dying. This leads to Diana and Steve sneaking off the island to try and stop the war, and though they are caught, Hippolyta lets them go, gifting Diana with Antiope's tiara as a memento.
Antiope is seen in a flashback in both versions of "Justice League", leading the Amazons into battle alongside her sister, mankind, the Atlanteans, Zeus, Ares, and Artemis against the forces of Apokolips.
Silas Stone.
Silas Stone (portrayed by Joe Morton) is the head of S.T.A.R. Labs and the father of Victor Stone. Due to his job, Silas is often held up at work and unable to spend time with his wife and son, causing a rift between Silas and Victor. After the accident that kills his wife, Elinore, and gravely injures Victor, Silas, unable to see his son die, uses the Mother Box being studied at S.T.A.R. Labs to revive Victor and regenerate his lost body parts, though this turns him into a cybernetic being. Silas helps hide Victor at his apartment and declares him dead to ward off attention, but is unable to reconnect with his son, who despises his new form and blames Silas for Elinore's death. Silas leaves Victor with a tape on how to utilize his abilities. When Steppenwolf kidnaps Silas and other S.T.A.R. Labs employees in search of the Mother Box, Victor springs to action and joins Bruce Wayne's team, managing to save them.
In both versions of "Justice League", Silas is portrayed as remorseful for not being able to spend time with his family and showing exceptional courage, as he refuses to tell Steppenwolf the location of the Mother Box despite being tortured. The theatrical cut and the director's cut portray his arc differently: in the former, Silas survives the events of the film and works with Victor to adjust his cybernetic parts at the end, though much of his role is reduced, while in the director's cut, Silas allows the Justice League to enter the S.T.A.R. Labs facility with Superman's body in an attempt to resurrect him. When Steppenwolf is alerted to the Mother Box's presence after it is used to revive Superman, Silas runs back into the facility with the box, sacrificing his own life to superheat it with Ryan Choi's laser heating device before Steppenwolf inevitably retrieves it. This allows Victor and Bruce Wayne to track it to Russia and prevent the Unity. Victor later listens to his father's encouragement on the tape after the latter's death, and Ryan is promoted to take over Silas' oversight of nanotechnology and the Kryptonian scout ship.
Mera.
Y'Mera Xebella Challa (portrayed by Amber Heard), also known as Mera, is a princess from the underwater kingdom of Xebel who was raised by Queen Atlanna of Atlantis for part of her childhood. She has aquatic superpowers like Arthur Curry. She is originally betrothed to Orm Marius, but later rejects him when he refuses to reconsider waging war with the surface. After she meets Arthur for the first time as they unsuccessfully attempt to keep Steppenwolf from taking the Atlantean Mother Box, Mera convinces Arthur to fight the New God with the Justice League and following Steppenwolf's defeat, comes to him again to pursuade him to fight for the throne. After she gains Arthur's trust by saving his father, Thomas, from a tsunami summoned by Orm, Mera ventures with Arthur as he seeks the Trident of King Atlan, with the two falling in love in the process despite constantly bickering early on. She is by Arthur's side when he takes the throne. Mera also appears in Bruce Wayne's second "Knightmare" premonition, joining Batman's insurgency after Arthur is slain by Darkseid in that timeline.
Amber Heard was first cast as Mera in 2016. In "Zack Snyder's Justice League", the director's cut of the 2017 theatrical release, Mera noticeably speaks with a British accent whereas in the theatrical cut and "Aquaman", Heard utilizes her usual American accent in her portrayal of the character.
Nuidis Vulko.
Nuidis Vulko (portrayed by Willem Dafoe) is Queen Atlanna's trusted enforcer and Arthur's mentor. Though he later becomes King Orm Marius's right-hand man, Vulko discreetly trains Arthur after Atlanna's banishment to the Trench, believing Arthur to be the rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis, though Arthur runs away and begins resenting the Atlanteans after Vulko reveals Atlanna's sentence and presumed death. Vulko gives Arthur his mother's trident in "Zack Snyder's Justice League" when Steppenwolf hunts for the Atlantean Mother Box, enticing him to defend the device when Orm refuses to send more resources to guard it. He later provides aid to Arthur following Steppenwolf's defeat despite giving the impression of advising Orm, though he is arrested and detained when Orm deduces Vulko's true allegiance. After Mera frees him, Vulko personally arrests Orm after Arthur defeats the latter for the crown.
Vulko's appearance in the theatrical version of "Justice League" was removed, but restored in the director's cut.
Thomas Curry.
Thomas Curry (portrayed by Temuera Morrison) is Arthur Curry's father and the human lover of Queen Atlanna. A lighthouse keeper in Maine, Thomas rescues Atlanna from the shore and nurses her back to health, with the two eventually falling in love and conceiving Arthur. After Atlantean soldiers attempt to kidnap Atlanna, she fends them off, but leaves Thomas and Arthur behind, promising to one day return. Thomas visits the piers every morning awaiting Atlanna's return to no avail, but is eventually reunited with her after Arthur and Mera rescue her from the Trench. Thomas is portrayed as having a higher alcohol tolerance than his son despite Arthur's half-Atlantean genetics.
Morrison revealed that Jason Momoa had advocated for his casting as Thomas Curry, especially as he had starred in one of Momoa's favorite films growing up, "Once Were Warriors".
Atlanna.
Queen Atlanna (portrayed by Nicole Kidman) is the exiled queen of Atlantis, lover of Thomas Curry, and mother of both Arthur Curry and Orm Marius. She escapes her arranged marriage to King Orvix and is rescued by Thomas, after which they fall in love and conceive Arthur. However, after a strike force of Atlantean soldiers attempts to bring her back to Atlantis, Atlanna voluntarily returns to protect Thomas and Arthur, promising to return one day. She goes through the marriage and conceives Orm, also adopting and mentoring Mera during the Xebel wars, but after Orvix discovers the presence of Arthur, he sentences Atlanna to the Trench. Despite being presumed dead, Atlanna survives in the Trench for 20 years before Arthur and Mera discover her there. Arthur, as the true king of Atlantis, is able to find and possess the Trident of Atlan, allowing the three to return to the surface. Atlanna appears to Orm after he entices Arthur to kill him following their duel for the throne, convincing Orm to accept his imprisonment. She reunites with Thomas at the end of the film as Arthur takes the throne. Kidman was convinced to take the role by director James Wan.
Helena Bertinelli / Huntress.
Helena Bertinelli (portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is the last surviving member of the Bertinelli crime family who's parents, brother and her entire family were murdered in a mob sanctioned hit by Roman Sionis. She later grows up to become a crossbow wielding assassin nicknamed "The Huntress".
Minor characters.
Debuting in "Man of Steel".
Pete Ross.
Pete Ross (portrayed by Jack Foley as a teen, Joseph Cranford as an adult) is a classmate of Clark Kent in Smallville. While initially bullying Clark, he later gains respect for him after he rescues him from drowning when their school bus runs off a bridge into a river. Ross is later spotted by Lois Lane working at an IHOP restaurant as she seeks to interview people close to Clark. He observes Clark's fight with Faora and other Kryptonians and later attends his private funeral.
Lana Lang.
Lana Lang (portrayed by Jadin Gould as a teen, Emily Peterson as an adult) is another classmate of Clark from Smallville. She stands up for him when he is bullied and is one of several classmates he saves when their school bus drives into a river. She later attends Clark's private funeral along with Pete Ross. Jonathan Kent mentions the Lang farm when he tells Clark a story about his own childhood during Clark's vision on a mountain. 
Father Leone.
Father Daniel Leone (portrayed by Coburn Goss) is a priest at a church in Smallville which Clark visits after General Zod arrives on Earth. Clark seeks guidance from Leon after revealing he is the one Zod is looking for, asking if humanity is worth saving, with Leon advising Clark to take a "leap of faith". Father Leon is present at Clark's funeral at the end of "Batman v Superman".
Perry White.
Perry White (portrayed by Laurence Fishburne) is the chief of staff at the "Daily Planet" and the superior of Lois Lane, Jenny Jurwich, Steve Lombard, and later Clark Kent. He is portrayed as a pragmatic manager and is wary about what the newspaper publishes, criticizing both Clark and Lois at times when they opt to work on riskier stories, though he is shown to have morals and believes Lois' first story on Superman despite persuading her to drop it. White is caught in the battle of Metropolis, assisting Lombard and Jenny in staying safe. He later mourns the reported deaths of both Superman and Clark (unaware they are one and the same) and attends Clark's funeral with Lois and Jenny at the end of "Batman v Superman". Fishburne is the first African American actor to portray Perry White in film.
Glenn Woodburn.
Glenn Woodburn (portrayed by Chad Krowchuk) is a tabloid reporter whom Lois leaks her story on Clark Kent to. He turns on her when questioned by the FBI after Zod announces his arrival on Earth, revealing she is one of the few people who knows about Clark's true identity. Woodburn is later shown among the media personalities criticizing Superman in "Batman v Superman".
Col. Nathan Hardy.
Nathan Hardy (portrayed by Christopher Meloni) is an officer in the United States Air Force who first appears when Lois arrives in Canada to cover the discovery of the Kryptonian scout ship. He later assists the FBI in tracking her down when it is discovered she knows of Clark's origins. When the Kryptonians start attacking Earth, Hardy is part of the military response, and as his helicopter is shot down, faces Faora one-on-one despite her enhanced physical abilities and combat skills, gaining her respect. Hardy recognizes Superman's allegiance to mankind rather than Zod's forces, and helps stage an attack on Zod's mother ship, the "Black Zero", when Lois and Superman explain how to take it down. When Faora ambushes his air carrier during the attack, Hardy crashes the plane and the activated Phantom Drive of Clark's spacecraft into the mothership in a suicide attack, sending all the Kryptonians except Superman and Zod back to the Phantom Zone.
Dr. Emil Hamilton.
Emil Hamilton (portrayed by Richard Schiff) is a scientist with DARPA also appearing with Col. Hardy and General Swanwick as Lois arrives in Canada. He is also present during Superman's interrogation, in which the latter is able to see his name tag and a tranquilizing agent being prepared through the reflective glass in the interrogation room. Hamilton is the first to realize Zod and his troops are terraforming the Earth, and plays a key role in activating the Phantom Drive on Clark's ship before the plane carrying him and Hardy is forced to crash into the "Black Zero" in a suicide attack, resulting in his and Hardy's deaths in addition to banishing Zod's troops back to the Phantom Zone.
Jax-Ur.
Jax-Ur (portrayed by Mackenzie Gray) is General Zod's chief science officer, originally being sentenced to the Phantom Zone as one of his followers. After Zod's troops escape the Phantom Zone and locate Kal-El/Clark Kent on Earth, Jax-Ur draws some of Clark's blood and discovers the presence of Krypton's genetic codex in his cells, giving the Kryptonians the genetic information needed to create new Kryptonian colonists. However, before Zod's troops can terraform Earth into Krypton-like conditions and create new colonists, the U.S. military and Superman successfully find a way to send them back to the Phantom Zone, including Jax-Ur.
Jenny Jurwich.
Jenny Jurwich (portrayed by Rebecca Buller) is introduced in "Man of Steel" as an intern at the "Daily Planet", later becoming a full-time reporter and assistant to Perry White in "Batman v Superman". She, Perry, and Steve Lombard are trapped in rubble during the battle of Metropolis before Superman shuts down the World Engine, and the three also see Superman rescue Lois out of the Air Carrier after it crashes into Zod's Mothership. She later attends Clark Kent's private funeral along with Lois and Perry. Jenny's character largely fills in the role traditionally held by Jimmy Olsen in the comics as a mentee of Lois.
Steve Lombard.
Steve Lombard (portrayed by Michael Kelly) is a reporter for the "Daily Planet", appearing in "Man of Steel". He, Perry White, and Jenny Jurwich are trapped in rubble during the Battle of Metropolis before Superman saves them. At the end of the film, he unsuccessfully attempts to ask out both Lois and Jenny prior to Clark's arrival at the news agency.
Maj. Carrie Farris.
Carrie Farris (portrayed by Christina Wren) is an officer in the United States Air Force serving as an assistant to General Swanwick. She assists Swanwick and Dr. Hamilton at a command center when General Zod's forces begin terraforming Earth and also during Doomsday's rampage in "Batman v Superman". She comments that Superman is "kinda hot" after she and Swanwick encounter him after he destroys a surveillance drone to prevent the U.S. government from spying on him, and also attends his public funeral.
Farris is loosely named after Carol Ferris, another U.S. Air Force pilot who becomes a love interest to Hal Jordan in the comics.
Debuting in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice".
Thomas and Martha Wayne.
Thomas (portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Martha Wayne (portrayed by Lauren Cohan) are Bruce Wayne's deceased parents, slain by an armed mugger in front of a 12-year-old Bruce as the family leaves a movie during a flashback in the film. Their deaths, especially Thomas's last words, "Martha", continue to haunt Bruce in the present day, as he seeks to honor his parents by fighting crime and injustice as Batman in Gotham City. The name "Martha" proves to be a pivotal element in Batman's change of heart in the film as Superman's adoptive mother coincidentally has the same first name, causing a PTSD episode that prevents Batman from carrying out his killing of the Man of Steel when he hears the latter utter the name.
Morgan was previously considered to play Bruce Wayne in the film before being cast as Thomas. The film reunites Morgan with Cohan, as the two are cast members of "The Walking Dead".
Cesar Santos.
Cesar Santos (portrayed by Sebastian Sozzi) is a human trafficker who is apprehended and brutally beaten by Batman at the beginning of the film, being one of 18 criminals given the "Bat Brand", which marks a criminal to be beaten to death in prison. After Santos' death, Lex Luthor sends images of his bruised and stabbed body to the "Daily Planet", which Clark Kent sees. Many of Santos' scenes are cut from the theatrical version but appear in the Ultimate Edition.
Jimmy Olsen.
Jimmy Olsen (portrayed by Michael Cassidy) is a CIA operative, but poses as a photographer during Lois Lane's journey to Africa. During her interview with General Amajagh, he is exposed as an agent and killed after terrorists find a tracking device hidden within his camera. Olsen plays a very minor role in the film, and the character of Jenny Jurwich has largely taken his traditional comics role in the DCEU.
General Amajagh.
Armajagh (portrayed by Sammi Rotibi) is a warlord from the Sub-Saharan nation of Nairomi. He holds Lois hostage after his men discover her companions are spies with the CIA, but is quickly subdued by Superman after he discovers Lois's plight and rescues her. Amajagh's men are crossed and murdered by Anatoli Knyazev and other operatives working secretly for Lex Luthor as part of a plan to incriminate Superman.
Senator Barrows.
Senator Barrows (portrayed by Dennis North) is a colleague of Senator Finch. While he visits LexCorp with Finch, Barrows is convinced by Lex Luthor to grant him access to the Kryptonian scout ship and General Zod's body. Barrows is killed in the explosion at the U.S. Capitol during Superman's trial.
Kahina Ziri.
Kahina Ziri (portrayed by Wunmi Mosaku) is a woman from Nairomi who has settled in Gotham City. She testifies to the U.S. Congress that Superman himself was responsible for burning Amajagh's men, which included her parents. Clark, troubled by the accusation, attempts to track her down while investigating for a story but is told that she had left some time ago. The Ultimate Edition of the film reveals that Kahina was blackmailed by Lex Luthor into lying, and that she reveals the truth to Senator Finch, but is subsequently killed by Anatoli Knyazev, who pushes her onto an oncoming train on Luthor's orders.
Wallace Keefe.
Wallace Keefe (portrayed by Scoot McNairy) is a former security guard for Wayne Enterprises who lost his legs and daughter during the battle of Metropolis when Wayne Tower collapses. Keefe blames Superman for his injuries and is manipulated by Lex Luthor, who intercepts his compensatory payments from Wayne. After his wife leaves him and he hits rock bottom, Keefe vandalizes the statue of Superman and is arrested, though Luthor then pays his bail and entices him to testify against Superman at his public trial, also providing a high-tech wheelchair. However, this is revealed to be a farce as the wheelchair contains a concealed bomb which detonates during the trial, killing Keefe and hundreds of others while making Superman look guilty.
Mercy Graves.
Mercy Graves (portrayed by Tao Okamoto) is Lex Luthor's personal assistant and one of his closest aides, accompanying him throughout much of the film. A woman of few words, Graves is killed in the explosion at the U.S. Capitol during Superman's trial, as Luthor views her as disposable in that situation despite greatly valuing her.
Jenet Klyburn.
Jenet Klyburn (portrayed by Jena Malone) is a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist contacted by Lois Lane as the latter investigates several incidents that lead to her incriminating Lex Luthor. Klyburn's scenes were cut in the theatrical release of "Batman v Superman" but were restored in the Ultimate Edition.
Debuting in "Suicide Squad".
Christopher Weiss / Slipknot.
Christopher Weiss (portrayed by Adam Beach), also known as Slipknot, is a criminal recruited by Amanda Waller to join the Suicide Squad, being depicted as a mercenary "who can climb anything". Slipknot dies relatively quickly in the film as Rick Flag executes him with a bomb planted in his neck upon trying to escape, a nod to his arc with the Suicide Squad in the comics.
Debuting in "Justice League" and "Zack Snyder's Justice League".
Ryan Choi.
Ryan Choi (portrayed by Zheng Kai) is a scientist working at S.T.A.R. Labs under Silas Stone. Ryan introduces Silas to his laser heater capable of making its target the "hottest thing on Earth", hotter than the surface of the Sun. Following Silas' death, in which he uses the laser heater to superheat the last remaining Mother Box at the cost of his own life to help the Justice League, Ryan is promoted to the director of nanotechnology at S.T.A.R. Labs. His scenes were removed in the theatrical cut of the film but restored in the director's cut. Zack Snyder revealed that he had pitched a China-produced film centering on Ryan as Atom following the character's intended debut in the theatrical cut, as part of his original DCEU plans.
Zeus.
Zeus (portrayed by Sergi Constance) is the King of the Olympian or "Old" Gods and the biological father of Diana and many other gods and demigods. Originally appearing in "Wonder Woman" rendered in CGI as Hippolyta tells Diana an abridged version of the Amazons' origin story, Zeus makes his live action debut in "Justice League", appearing in a flashback to the first Apokoliptian invasion of Earth as he fights alongside Ares, Artemis, mankind, the Amazons and the Atlanteans in defending the world. The "Snyder Cut" shows his role in the fight in greater detail, as Zeus uses his lightning-generating power to separate the Mother Boxes, also aiding Ares in wounding Darkseid and forcing his retreat. As told in "Wonder Woman", Zeus is later forced to attack and banish Ares as the latter kills the other Old Gods in resentment of humanity, using the last of his life force to hide the Amazons on Themyscira and create the "Godkiller", later revealed to be Diana herself.
DeSaad.
DeSaad (portrayed by Peter Guinness) is Darkseid's master torturer and also serves as a medium between him and Steppenwolf. He and Steppenwolf keep tabs on each other as the latter hunts for the Mother Boxes. DeSaad is scornful towards Steppenwolf for his attempted betrayal of their master, reminding him that he still has 50,000 worlds to conquer before he can regain Darkseid's favor, though he summons Darkseid himself after Steppenwolf reveals the discovery of the Anti-Life Equation on Earth. Following Steppenwolf's defeat and death, DeSaad laments to Darkseid that he had foreseen Steppenwolf's failure to unite the Mother Boxes and defeat the Justice League after Superman's resurrection. The character's scenes were removed from the theatrical cut of the film but restored in the director's cut.
James Gordon.
Commissioner James Gordon (portrayed by J.K. Simmons) is the head of the Gotham City Police Department.
Elinore Stone.
Elinore Stone (portrayed by Karen Bryson) is the mother of Victor Stone and wife of Silas Stone. She is seen in flashbacks, defending Victor after he allegedly hacks into his college's servers to alter the grades of a struggling classmate, then attending her son's football game against the Wisconsin Badgers despite her husband being unable to attend. As Victor and Elinore have an emotionally heated discussion about why Silas is always absent, they get into a car accident that kills Elinore and gravely injures Victor. After being reconstructed as Cyborg, Victor struggles to cope with his mother's death. Elinore's scenes were removed from the theatrical cut of "Justice League" but restored in the director's cut.
Iris West.
Iris West (portrayed by Kiersey Clemons) is introduced in the director's cut of "Justice League" as Barry Allen bumps into her on his way to a job interview at a dog-sitting business, with the two becoming instantly smitten with each other. As she drives off, she gets into an accident with a distracted truck driver and Barry leaves his interview midway to protect her from injury with his speed before rushing back. Iris will have a more extended role in "The Flash".
Henry Allen.
Henry Allen (portrayed by Billy Crudup in both versions of "Justice League") is Barry's father. Having been wrongly accused and jailed for murdering his wife and Barry's mother, Nora, Henry has accepted his fate, telling Barry to stop visiting him in prison and move on with his life, despite Barry pursuing a degree in criminal justice to work in law enforcement and one day prove his father's innocence. Crudup is uncredited for his appearance in the both versions of the film. He will be replaced by Ron Livingston in the role for "The Flash" due to scheduling conflicts.
Slade Wilson / Deathstroke.
Slade Wilson / Deathstroke (portrayed by Joe Manganiello) is a mercenary who has had an acrimonious relationship with Batman. He appears in a post-credits scene at the end of the theatrical cut, as Lex Luthor entices him to create a "League of [their] own" after the Justice League forms and defeats Steppenwolf. The director's cut has a different version of this scene in the epilogue, as Deathstroke simply gets the identity of Batman when visiting Luthor. He also appears in Batman's second "Knightmare" vision, joining forces with him, Victor Stone, Barry Allen, Mera, and Joker as they prepare to fight an evil Superman in that world.
Deathstroke was originally slated to appear in numerous DCEU projects, including the original version of "The Batman", which was to star and be directed by Ben Affleck. Since Affleck's departure from the project, however, Matt Reeves has taken his place as director and re-wrote the script, terminating the film's DCEU connections and thus Deathstroke's involvement as well.
Other projects included a film centering on the character with Gareth Evans in talks to write and direct and Mangaiello reprising the role of Deathstroke. Warner Bros. greenlit the film after Evans impressed executives with his story pitch, which he described as dark and unforgiving, similar to Korean noir films. However, in October 2018, Evans stated that he is yet to be attached to the project contractually. By April 2020, Evans announced that the project had been delayed, and that he was no longer actively involved with its development. The filmmaker revealed that the story that was developed was to portray the character's origin. In December 2020, after reprising the role in the Snyder Cut, Manganiello stated that are ongoing projects involving the character being developed with Zack Snyder involved, noting that over the years, at least seven projects involving Deathstroke had been cancelled. Manganiello admitted to feeling frustrated by the number of cancelled projects surrounding his character.
Debuting in "Shazam!".
Shazam (wizard).
Shazam (portrayed by Djimon Hounsou) is the last surviving member of the Council of Wizards.
Debuting in "Wonder Woman 1984".
Asteria.
Asteria (portrayed by Lynda Carter) is a legendary Amazon warrior. According to the legend, Asteria was given a suit of armor strong enough to singlehandedly take on the forces of mankind, staying behind to engage the armies of Men while the other Amazons escape their enslavement to Themyscira. Wonder Woman discovers this armor and dons it when fighting against Cheetah. At the end of the film, it is revealed that Asteria is still alive, living amongst humanity with a low profile.
Handsome Man.
An unnamed man credited in the film as "Handsome Man" (portrayed by Kristoffer Polaha) is possessed by Steve Trevor when the latter is unwittingly brought back from the dead by Diana Prince's wish, with only Diana seeing him as Steve. After Diana reluctantly renounces her wish, letting Steve go and freeing the man, she later bumps into him and meets him for real.
References.
 Character arcs were adapted from respective character pages on the DC Extended Universe Wiki, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.