For Black History Month at DC.com, it’s always been important for us not just to acknowledge the Black characters who have influenced the DC Universe, but the actual Black creators who have helped bring them to life. This includes many talented writers and artists, but we should also recognize the gifted actors who have brought many of DC’s most beloved characters beyond the page, often lending them dimension they never had before. Today, we recognize some of the many Black actors who have made their mark on DC.
 

Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox, The Dark Knight Trilogy)

As Batman film franchise producer Michael Uslan so memorably put it: What’s the best way to get an audience to believe the impossible? Get Morgan Freeman to explain it. With the most credible voice in acting, Freeman transforms the Wayne Enterprises boardroom character of Lucius Fox in Batman Begins into one of Bruce Wayne’s closest confidantes, elevated from a point of trivia to an indelible part of Batman’s inner circle. It’s a credit to his performance that it’s now difficult to believe there was ever a time that Lucius Fox couldn’t be found designing a new function for the Batmobile.
 

Cress Williams (Jefferson Pierce, Black Lightning)

When we talk about heroes, we’re frequently also talking about role models. Those two things aren’t always the same, but in the case of Black Lightning, there’s no difference at all. As a high school principal by day and superhero by night, Williams investigates the duality of Black Lightning in a way that not even the comics themselves have had room to explore at length. Taking full advantage of the character’s nuanced relationships, family life and active roles in his predominantly Black community and placing them against the backdrop of a superhuman world, Williams does a great deal to prove how strong a concept Black Lightning really is.
 

Marvin "Krondon" Jones (Tobias Whale, Black Lightning)

Every great hero needs a great villain, and the CW’s “Arrowverse” had many. But for my money, nobody ever nailed the assignment quite like Krondon as Tobias Whale on Black Lightning. In a show deeply invested in exploring the meaning of Blackness in 21st century America, Krondon’s portrayal of Black Lightning’s most notorious nemesis stands as the antithetical counterpart to everything Jefferson Pierce stands for, relishing the villainization of his own community while despising them for the role he’s placed upon them. As played on screen, Whale is presented as a living cautionary tale about the tragedy of internalized racism. Don’t let the haters tell you who you are.
 

Viola Davis (Amanda Waller, Suicide Squad Films and Spinoffs)

There’s a good reason that when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as the heads of DC Studios, there was one role above all they refused to recast for their new universe: Viola Davis as DC’s most richly nuanced character, Amanda Waller. A good sign of judgment, honestly, because how do you mess with perfection? When you have a once in a generation talent in your hand as one of the linchpins of an entire interconnected universe, you don’t let it go. While the character of Amanda Waller has gone through many incarnations since we first met her, it’s Davis’s gravitas which always presents a depth beneath the surface. It’s an ocean we can’t wait to dive into in her forthcoming TV series.
 

Zoë Kravitz (Selina Kyle, The Batman)

Blending the impulsive charisma of Michelle Pfeiffer with the heart-tugging pathos of Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, Zoë Kravitz is fully invested in 2022’s The Batman in crafting the only kind of woman who could crack through the tempered steel exterior of Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Kravitz’s Catwoman is every bit an icon in every moment she occupies the screen—not just in the context of Batman himself, but in the exploration of her own motivations and friendships, which drive her to the deepest underbelly of Gotham City in pursuit of her own vengeful satisfaction. We don’t know what else Reeves’ Batman saga has in store for us, but we can’t help hoping this cat has more lives to share.
 

Angelika Washington (Beth Chapel, Stargirl)

All three seasons of Stargirl stand as a beacon of light in the bleakest fog. Its optimistic presentation of a new generation of heroes rising to take on a multigenerational cycle of power makes it one of the most inspirational shows DC has ever produced. And one of its brightest stars is Angelika Washington’s youthful portrayal of Beth Chapel, lighting up every room she graces. From providing moral support to her teammates in the new Justice Society to confronting systemic racism firsthand, there’s no character in the whole series you find yourself rooting harder for. When you watch Stargirl, all you want is for the new Doctor Mid-Nite to come out ahead, and all credit is due to Washington’s winsome performance.
 

Danielle Brooks and Chukwudi Iwuji (Leota Adebayo and Clemson Murn, Peacemaker)

Don’t let the title fool you, Peacemaker is an ensemble show, with every member of the team collectively making that infectious dance routine work better. Everyone has their favorites, whether it’s the quirked-up Vigilante or the unflappable Eagly. But for our money, two of the highlights have been Danielle Brooks as the estranged daughter of Amanda Waller seeking to untangle a complicated legacy and Clemson Murn as a government agent who has put everything on the line for a change in his beliefs. Sometimes a squad doesn’t have to be all costumed freaks. Don’t we all wear costumes enough in our own lives?
 

Jesse L. Martin (Joe West, The Flash)

Sometimes a character invented for a comic adaptation proves to be so strong that they become an important part of that world across all media. Harley Quinn is perhaps the most famous example. But in The CW’s The Flash, almost every episode was held down by the hopes and tears of one family man: Joe West, a surrogate father to our protagonist who helped to bring the whole Flash family together. No TV dad has ever conveyed the pride in their children with such a powerful presence. When Joe West starts crying, I don’t care that I’m not watching the Flash fight Gorilla Grodd in the Mirrorverse. The superhero pretense falls away, and it all becomes about the love we have for each other and our desire to see the people we care about win. No powers, no codenames and no comic book history behind him, Detective Joe West—as well as the man who brought him to life, Jesse L. Martin—transcend the genre.
 

Alex Jaffe is the author of our monthly "Ask the Question" column and writes about TV, movies, comics and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Bluesky at @AlexJaffe and find him in the DC Official Discord server as HubCityQuestion.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Alex Jaffe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.