Last week, Playbill ran a story about how the newest on-screen Superman, David Corenswet, actually has a deep background in regional theatre in Philadelphia. That made us wonder, what are the other times that there's been a stage actor/superhero crossover?
Well, Superman actor Isabela Merced (who plays Hawkgirl and fights zombies in The Last of Us) actually made her Broadway debut in Evita in 2012. Back then, her name was Isabela Moner.
Then there's this past season, when former Ironman Robert Downey Jr. made his Broadway debut in McNeal, while former Batman George Clooney headlined Good Night, and Good Luck. And there are many, many more. Basically, most of the Avengers have done Broadway. And who can forget Hugh Jackman, who is both a Music Man and Wolverine?
Below, see which actors have done stage work and spandex work. Note, we're not counting stage musicals about superheroes (It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman! or Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark).
Though it's safe to say, there have been more former superheroes on the stage than there are actual superheroes on Broadway. When it comes to flying and special effects, some things are best left to the screen and CGI.
X-Men's Alan Cumming made his Broadway debut in Cabaret (1998), and most recently appeared in Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age (2024)
Batman and Robin's Alicia Silverstone made her Broadway debut in The Graduate (2002), and most recently appeared in The Performers (2012)
The Amazing Spider-Man's Andrew Garfield made his Broadway debut in Death of a Salesman (2012), and most recently appeared in Angels in America (2018)
Black Panther's Angela Bassett made her Broadway debut in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984) and most recently appeared in The Mountaintop (2011)
Captain America's Anthony Mackie made his Broadway debut in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2003), and most recently appeared in A Behanding in Spokane (2010)
The Incredible Hulk's Bill Bixby made his Broadway debut in The Paisley Convertible in 1967
Watchmen's Billy Crudup made his Broadway debut in Arcadia (1995), and most recently appeared in No Man's Land (2013)
Guardians of the Galaxy's Bradley Cooper made his Broadway debut in Three Days of Rain (2006) and most recently appeared in The Elephant Man (2014)
Eternal's Brian Tyree Henry made his Broadway debut in The Book of Mormon (2011), and most recently appeared in Lobby Hero (2018)
The Flash's Carlos Valdes made his Broadway debut in Once (2013), and most recently appeared in Hadestown (2025)
Daredevil's Charlie Cox made his Broadway debut in Betrayal (2019)
Howard The Duck's Chip Zien made his Broadway debut in Ride The Winds (1974) and most recently appeared in Harmony (2023)
Captain America's Chris Evans made his Broadway debut in Lobby Hero (2018)
Batman's Chris O'Donnell made his Broadway debut in The Man Who Had All the Luck (2002)
Superman's Christopher Reeve made his Broadway debut in A Matter of Gravity (1976), and last appeared on stage in The Marriage of Figaro (1985)
Legends of Tomorrow's Ciara Renée made her Broadway debut in Big Fish (2013), and most recently appeared in Waitress (2021)
MCU's Clark Gregg made his Broadway debut in A Few Good Men (1989), and most recently appeared in Good Night, and Good Luck (2024)
MCU's Cobie Smulders made her Broadway debut in Present Laughter (2017)
Black Panther's Danai Gurira made her Broadway debut in Joe Turner's Come and Gone (2009), and most recently returned as the playwright of Eclipsed in 2016
Captain America's Dick Purcell made his Broadway debut in Paths of Glory in 1935
MCU's Elizabeth Olsen made her Broadway debut in Impressionism in 2009
Batman's George Clooney made his Broadway debut both as an actor and writer in Good Night, and Good Luck in 2025
Superman's George Reeves made his Broadway debut in Winged Victory (1943), and last appeared on stage in Yellow Jack (1944)
The Flash's Grant Gustin made his Broadway debut in Water for Elephants in 2024
X-Men's Hugh Jackman made his Broadway debut in The Boy From Oz (2003), and most recently appeared in The Music Man (2022)
X-Men's Ian McKellen made his Broadway debut in The Promise (1967), and most recently appeared in Waiting For Godot/No Man's Land (2013)
Superman's Isabela Merced (formerly Moner) made her Broadway debut in Evita (2012)
Watchmen's Jackie Earle Haley made his Broadway debut in Slab Boys (1983)
Daredevil's Jennifer Garner made her Broadway debut in A Month in the Country (1995), and most recently appeared in Cyrano de Bergerac (2007)
Agatha All Along's Joe Locke made his Broadway debut in Sweeney Todd in 2024
X-Men's Kelsey Grammer made his Broadway debut in Macbeth (1981), and most recently appeared in Finding Neverland (2015)
Superman's Kirk Alyn made his Broadway debut in Who's Who (1938), and last appeared in Pie in the Sky (1941)
Eternal's Lauren Ridloff made her Broadway debut in Children of a Lesser God (2018)
Black Panther's Lupita Nyong'o made her Broadway debut in Eclipsed (2016)
MCU's Mark Ruffalo made his Broadway debut in Awake and Sing! (2006), and most recently appeared in The Price (2017)
Captain America's Matt Salinger made his Broadway debut in Dancing in the End Zone (1985)
Supergirl's Melissa Benoist made her Broadway debut in Beautiful The Carole King Musical (2014)
Fantastic Four's Michael Chiklis made his Broadway debut in Rob Becker's Defending the Caveman (1995)
Thor's Natalie Portman made her Broadway debut in The Diary of Anne Frank (1997)
X-Men's Patrick Stewart made his Broadway debut in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1971), and most recently appeared in No Man's Land (2013)
Watchmen's Patrick Wilson made his Broadway debut in The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm (1999), and most recently appeared in All My Sons (2008)
MCU's Paul Bettany made his Broadway debut in The Collaboration (2022)
MCU's Paul Rudd made his Broadway debut in The Last Night of Ballyhoo (1997), and most recently appeared in Grace (2012)
Shazam's Rachel Zegler made her Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet (2024)
DC's Ray Fisher made his Broadway debut in The Piano Lesson (2022)
Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. made his Broadway debut in McNeal (2024)
Hellboy's Ron Perlman made his Broadway debut in Teibele and Her Demon (1979), and most recently appeared in Bus Stop (1996)
Legends of Tomorrow's Russell Tovey made his Broadway debut in The History Boys (2006), and most recently appeared in A View From the Bridge (2015)
MCU's Samuel L. Jackson made his Broadway debut in The Piano Lesson (1990), and most recently appeared in The Piano Lesson (2022)
MCU's Scarlett Johansson made her Broadway debut in A View From the Bridge (2010), and most recently appeared in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2013)
MCU's Sebastian Stan made his Broadway debut in Talk Radio (2007), and most recently appeared in Picnic (2013)
Iron Man's Terrence Howard made his Broadway debut in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008)
Batman's Val Kilmer made his Broadway debut in Slab Boys (1983)
Legends of Tomorrow's Victor Garber made his Broadway debut in The Shadow Box (1977), and most recently appeared in Hello, Dolly! (2018)
Blade's Wesley Snipes made his Broadway debut in The Boys of Winter (1985), and most recently appeared in Execution of Justice (1986)
