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The DC Universe is crowded with extraterrestrial heroes and villains. Its most recognizable champion, Superman (David Corenswet), comes from Krypton, yet his human appearance allows him to blend in almost anywhere. Many of the franchise’s other aliens are far less convincing at a glance. Expand the view beyond the DCU to the wider world of DC films and television, and the characters become even more visually extraordinary.
DC Comics has introduced countless aliens with wildly unconventional appearances, and live-action adaptations have often embraced that strangeness through elaborate makeup, prosthetics, and digital effects. In some cases, the transformations are so extensive that identifying the performer underneath becomes a challenge. Here is a closer look at the actors who brought some of DC’s most unusual aliens to life—and what they look like without their otherworldly disguises.
Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts)
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Krem of the Yellow Hills serves as the primary antagonist in 2026’s “Supergirl,” and describing him as merely villainous hardly does him justice. A ruthless bounty hunter and slave trader, Krem is precisely the kind of brutal threat suited to the film’s darker superhero story. He also avoids one of the former DC Extended Universe’s recurring problems: unlike several past villains, he is not simply a lifeless CGI creation.
Krem’s appearance reflects his vicious personality. Though recognizably humanoid, the leader of the Brigands possesses formidable abilities and wears imposing, dark-fantasy armor, complete with a menacing axe. Metal studs mark his face, adding another unmistakable signal that he is not someone to trust. With his intimidating look and equally grim attitude, Krem hardly seems like the sort of figure who would go unnoticed on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon.
If Krem looks familiar in “Supergirl,” that is because Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts is hidden beneath the makeup. Schoenaerts had already built an impressive résumé before joining the DCU, particularly through acclaimed dramas such as the 2011 crime film “Bullhead,” the 2012 romantic drama “Rust and Bone,” and the 2015 period movie “The Danish Girl.” He is no stranger to larger-scale productions, either, having appeared in the 2018 Jennifer Lawrence thriller “Red Sparrow” and Netflix’s “The Old Guard” films.
Martian Manhunter (Harry Lennix)
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The DC Extended Universe ended before Martian Manhunter could become a major presence, but the shapeshifting hero appears in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” His true form is kept hidden until the film’s final moments, making the eventual reveal especially striking.
Martian Manhunter may have taken the place of another hero in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” but Zack Snyder’s interpretation remains faithful to the character in key ways. The live-action version features the familiar green skin, bald head, and glowing red eyes, while adding the hard-edged visual style associated with the DCEU. The comic-book X-shaped chest straps become a sleeveless costume that joins the cape, with glowing red lines forming the X across his torso. More wrinkles and facial detail give him an older, grittier appearance, while the redesigned armor pushes the character toward the franchise’s signature darker aesthetic.
Martian Manhunter, whose true identity is J’onn J’onzz, has appeared in multiple live-action adaptations. David Harewood, known for “Homeland,” plays the armored Arrowverse version, while Harry Lennix portrays the DCEU incarnation. Lennix also plays the military general whose identity J’onn adopts in both “Man of Steel” and “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.” A working actor since the 1980s, Lennix is also recognized for roles such as Harold Cooper on “The Blacklist” and appearances in “Ray” and “The Matrix Revolutions.”
The Anti-Monitor (LaMonica Garrett)
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Mobius, better known as the Anti-Monitor, stands at the center of the Arrowverse’s massive “Crisis on Infinite Earths” storyline. His objective is nothing less than the destruction of the entire Multiverse using an antimatter weapon. His imposing design makes his allegiance clear: this is the ultimate threat, not a misunderstood hero.
Like many DC characters transformed by heavy prosthetics, the Anti-Monitor’s appearance leaves little of the actor visible. LaMonica Garrett also plays the Anti-Monitor’s heroic counterpart, Mar Novu, the Monitor, but both roles conceal so much of his face that viewers get only a limited sense of the performer beneath the makeup. The Monitor’s unusual grooming and the Anti-Monitor’s unsettling, clammy appearance make the two characters nearly impossible to connect to their actor at first glance.
LaMonica Garrett brings both roles to life, adding another striking entry to an already varied acting career. Viewers may know him as Deputy Sheriff Cane from “Sons of Anarchy,” Pinkerton agent Thomas on the “Yellowstone” prequel “1883,” or Mike Ritter on “Designated Survivor.” He has also appeared as Bill Cox in “The Terminal List” and Tucker in “Lioness.”
Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen)
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The DCU’s “True Detective”-inspired murder mystery “Lanterns” combines superhero banter with a bleak, noir-inflected investigation. Beneath the familiar genre trappings is a relentless story about responsibility, loss, and the difficult process of letting go.
That grounded tone makes Sinestro’s more realistic redesign an appropriate choice. In the comics, Thaal Sinestro is a sinister figure with dark hair, a thin mustache, a widow’s peak, and purplish-red skin—part devil, part Snidely Whiplash. “Lanterns” preserves some of those recognizable elements but tones down the exaggeration. This version has a more naturalistic appearance and a subdued purple complexion, evoking a Hannibal Lecter-like presence: refined, magnetic, and deeply unsettling. Even while imprisoned, he remains dangerous, guided by a personal moral code that only he fully understands.
Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro in “Lanterns.” Thomsen has already established himself in several notable television roles, including the central villain Kai Proctor on “Banshee,” Alexander Kirk on “The Blacklist,” and Doctor Helmer Lindegard on “The New Pope.”
Lobo (Jason Momoa)
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Lobo is a particularly distinctive case among the “Supergirl” supporting characters. His black-and-white makeup covers Jason Momoa’s entire face, yet the resemblance remains unmistakable. Seeing the actor beside the finished character creates the immediate impression that someone simply put Momoa in corpse paint and sent him into space.
The casting makes sense given Lobo’s long association with Momoa. The actor had been rumored to play the character for years before “Supergirl,” and his rugged everyday appearance already suited the Main Man’s space-biker image. Although Momoa had previously played Aquaman in the DCEU, returning to the DC Universe reboot as Lobo feels like a natural progression. In many ways, the role appears tailor-made for him.
Lobo is a foul-mouthed bounty hunter with extraordinary regenerative abilities, making him functionally immortal. His immense strength and durability also allow him to challenge Kryptonians. He is the last Czarnian alive after wiping out the rest of his species, a history that has done little to soften his reputation as one of the galaxy’s toughest outlaws. Momoa, meanwhile, needs little introduction after appearing in major franchises including “Fast & Furious,” “Dune,” “Game of Thrones,” and the DCEU.
Brainiac (Blake Ritson)
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Brainiac has been one of Superman’s most enduring enemies for decades, rivaling Lex Luthor in name recognition and potentially surpassing him in danger. Lars Eidinger is set to play the character in James Gunn’s “Man of Tomorrow,” putting Brainiac back in the spotlight. However, the new film will have a formidable standard to meet after the character’s memorable live-action treatment on “Krypton.”
Across most versions, Brainiac combines the traits of a brilliant scientist, a mentally powerful alien, and an advanced technological entity. Syfy’s “Krypton” follows that familiar formula. Its version of Brainiac is an android from Colu who travels the universe collecting and preserving shrunken cities from different worlds.
The “Krypton” version presents Brainiac as an especially threatening figure. He wears a sleek black technological suit and retains the character’s classic green skin, along with ports in his head for cables and other mechanical extensions. His sharply defined features and Joker-like smile depart from the traditional design, but the shift toward horror makes the portrayal even more effective. Rather than looking like a conventional supervillain, this Brainiac resembles a creature from a science-fiction nightmare.
You would not necessarily believe it, but the “Krypton” Brainiac is portrayed by the same actor who plays the religious leader the Coluan possesses — the masked Voice of Rao. If you want to check out Blake Ritson with significantly less make-up and prosthetics, watch his turns as Girolamo Riario on “Da Vinci’s Demons,” Oscar Van Rhijn on “The Gilded Age,” or Andrew Gailey on “The Crown.”
Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison)
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The 2011 Ryan Reynolds film “Green Lantern” might be one of the worst superhero movies ever made, but it does feature impressive and colorful alien designs. Among the greatest examples is Abin Sur, a legendary Green Lantern who crashes on Earth after an attack by the fear entity Parallax (Clancy Brown). Realizing that he won’t survive, Abin Sur bestows Hal Jordan (Reynolds) his ring, effectively jump-starting the protagonist’s superhero journey.
On the surface, Abin Sur is one of many purple aliens, and let’s face it — his DC Comics version looks pretty plain. However, his stern design in the “Green Lantern” movie makes him look both distinctly alien and oddly trustworthy, as befits his status as a powerful, experienced Lantern.
The movie cast a perfect actor to play the role. Temuera Morrison rose to prominence in the New Zealand Maori family drama “Once Were Warriors” as the violent Jake Heke, and has since become a go-to choice for hard-looking guys who can nevertheless bring gravitas and emotional depth to a role. You likely know Morrison best from the Star Wars franchise, where he plays both Jango and Boba Fett (along with the assorted clone troopers based on the former). After playing Abin Sur, Morrison returned to the DC well in the DCEU, portraying Aquaman’s father Tom. He’s worked with Aquaman actor Jason Momoa other times as well, including the 2025 miniseries “The War Chief” and the 2026 buddy action film “The Wrecking Crew.”
Starfire (Anna Diop)
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“Titans” reimagines the DC team Teen Titans into young adults with assorted chips on their shoulders, adding a heaping helping of violence and darkness in the mix. The series is notable for featuring “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson as Hank “Hawk” Hall, but it also features plenty of other interesting characters — including the team’s resident alien, Kory Anders (aka Koriand’r, aka Starfire).
An orange-skinned alien princess with super strength and energy powers in the comics, the “Titans” version of Kory is a Black woman with bright red hair. The character’s signature naivety from the comics is represented as an accident that renders her amnesiac. Her true purpose is to assassinate her team mate Raven (Teagan Croft), but fortunately for everyone, things don’t play out that way.
The “Titans” Starfire is actually among the DC live-action alien characters who most closely resembles their performer — at least, when the character isn’t using her rather literal firepower and turning into a green-eyed energy being. Anna Diop achieves the majority of the look with truly impressive red hair and an outfit that resembles the comic Starfire’s uniform color scheme. Outside “Titans,” Diop has appeared in several projects. Among the most notable of these are Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror movie “Us,” The CW supernatural drama “The Messengers,” and Fox’s “24: Legacy.”
Aldar (Dave Bautista)
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The 10-season The WB/The CW drama “Smallville” is a particularly long-running DC show, and over time, it featured plenty of interesting villains. One of the strangest will likely ring a massive bell for a contemporary viewer, provided you can look past the gnarly teeth and the contact lenses.
A massive alien who dresses in rags and feeds on bone marrow, Aldar was one of the many characters who escaped the show’s take on the Phantom Zone — effectively a Kryptonian supervillain prison dimension. This Season 6 villain provides a formidable challenge to young Clark Kent (Tom Welling), which is no surprise considering who plays him.
Yes, this is none other than Dave Bautista, sporting unnerving contact lenses and a set of rotting gnashers that look like they have tasted their share of marrow. An early-game turn by the pro wrestler who went on to become one of the most soulful big man actors in the business, Bautista makes the most of what he’s given here. Little did he know that he’d go on to portray multiple other hulking aliens, albeit his future parts would be considerably more high-profile than the marrow-oriented one-episode wonder. After all, Bautista’s best-known roles include the likes of “Guardians of the Galaxy” standout Drax and the horrible Beast Rabban of “Dune.”
Mongal (Mayling Ng)
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James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” famously features a laundry list of supervillains who may or may not survive the mission at hand. Many members of the film’s iterations of Task Force X are quite absurd, with the meat-headed and misguided Peacemaker (John Cena) emerging as the standout who received his own spin-off show.
On the extraterrestrial front, the full-on alien warrior representative of the group is Mongal, a Warzoon from the planet Warworld. High on aggression but unfortunately low on tactical acumen, she’s a fearsome orange-skinned alien who’s extremely strong. With a similar color scheme as Starfire but a far more extraterrestrial look, she’s an impressive sight and a dangerous, though not undefeatable presence.
Mongal’s role in the movie is fairly small, but the actress behind the makeup is more than a fitting choice to play a powerful warrior. Mayling Ng is a Shaolin kung fu black belt and a fitness champion who performed stunt work and played the uncredited role of Orana in “Wonder Woman,” which technically makes Mongal her second live action DC role. Her other movie roles include the 2018 adventure film “The Scorpion King: Book of Souls,” the 2019 action movie “Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids,” and the 2020 Scott Adkins martial arts action comedy “Debt Collectors.”
