8 Times ‘Walking Dead’ Stars Appeared in Other Megahit Franchises (PHOTOS)
Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Batman vs. Superman
Okay, everyone knows Jeffrey Dean Morgan was in Grey’s Anatomy, and that both he and Lauren Cohan showed up at various points on Supernatural. But perhaps more surprising is that they (very briefly) played Batman’s ill-fated parents in the opening of 2016’s Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Negan and Maggie, married? Something feels wrong there!
Danai Gurira, Black Panther
There’s quite a bit of crossover between the MCU and the Walking Dead universes, at least when it comes to actors. The first that springs to mind is probably Danai Gurira, who was both funny and deadly as Okoye in Black Panther, Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Michael Rooker, Guardians of the Galaxy
He’s Mary Poppins, y’all! Danai Gurira’s certainly a Marvel star, but it was Michael Rooker who first crossed over from TWD to a wild universe of aliens, infinity stones and talking trees. His turn as Yondu, Peter Quill’s blue-skinned father figure who could take out entire armies of baddies with a mere whistle, made Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel plenty of fun.
Lauren Ridloff, The Eternals
If you’re missing Connie on TWD, you have Marvel to thank for her absence. It seems likely the whole cave storyline was engineered as a way to keep Ridloff around after she concluded filming on The Eternals, which is set to be released in November this year. Ridloff will play Makkari, one of the godlike “eternals” who has powers including superhuman speed and strength.
Dan Fogler, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
It seems TWD has been taking actors from the current Wizarding World spinoff, Fantastic Beasts. If you saw the first or second installment, you’re likely to remember Dan Fogler’s delightful baker, Jacob Kowalski.
Samantha Morton, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
When the casting department was deciding who should play Alpha, they had to have based some of that decision on Morton’s performance in 2015’s Fantastic Beasts. There are simply too many parallels between the bald-headed, corpse-clothed cult leader and the villainous Mary Lou. Both cult leaders? Check. Both abusive? Check. Both absolutely terrifying? Check.
Jon Bernthal, The Punisher
Jon Bernthal’s had plenty to do since he drew his last zombified breath as Shane on TWD. He, too, joined the MCU in a way — while his version of the Punisher never made it to the big screen, he did have his own spinoff show on Netflix. More recently, Bernthal appeared in the Oscar-nominated Ford v. Ferrari.
Sonequa Martin-Green, Star Trek: Discovery
This likely isn’t news to many TWD fans, since horror and sci-fi fans tend to seek out genre shows … and Star Trek certainly fits the bill. Since her departure from the world of walkers, Martin-Green jumped to another gigantic sci-fi franchise, playing the lead role of Michael Burnham on CBS: All Access’ Star Trek: Discovery.
We’ve all been there. You’re watching an episode of a show, a new character walks onscreen, and you’re suddenly wondering, “Where have I seen them before?” Or, much the opposite occurs: you’re watching a movie or a program, and all of a sudden, an actor you recognize from something else is there, playing a totally different character.
It’s always fun to see a cast member from one of your favorite shows playing another role … especially if one of those shows is The Walking Dead. After being on the air for 10 years, TWD has seen plenty of talented actors come and go — and often when they depart (or, for some, during breaks in filming), they go on to other huge franchises.
Here are eight examples of Walking Dead actors who have done just that.
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