DC's New Batman Movie Confirms The MCU Has Wasted A Star After Two Movies In 9 Years

Batman: Knightfall Shows Just How Much The MCU Has Wasted One Star So Far Published Sep 4, 2026, 11:45 AM EDT Zoë Miskelly is an editor and second in command for Screen Rant's Movies team, having covered the entertainment industry for almost 10 years now. Zoë's love of superheroes and all things Marvel & DC started out in childhood, and has blossomed into a career getting to talk about some of the biggest and best movies and shows of all time, having previously focused on comics while working at WhatCulture. Sign in to your ScreenRant account DC's newest Batman movie underlines how the MCU has wasted one actor in its own film lineup thus far, making the prospect of them potentially getting the limelight more in the future all the more potentially promising. While the world of superhero movies has involved a staggering number of actors over the years, not all of them get to have a focal feature in the films they appear in, as is perhaps par for the course, given the superhero genre's tendency to focus on one hero and one villain in its stories. Even the MCU can be seen to have to deal with this reality, despite having focused on a truly wide range of Marvel heroes and villains throughout its run. For every Thanos or Iron Man, there has to be a more overlooked figure like MODOK or Quicksilver, though the ways in which the MCU has handled some of its more sidelined characters has also created some criticism over the years. Most recently, DC's latest Batman movie has further legitimized one point of criticism around a character the MCU timeline has sidelined for over a decade now in its run, by showing off the talents of the actor who plays the MCU role in the world of DC instead, and in a way that suggests they'd be more than capable of tackling a more central role in a Marvel installment if the opportunity were to arise. Batman: Knightfall Shows Michael Mando Is Perfect As A Central Movie Villain Batman: Knightfall casts Michael Mando in its central villain role, with the actor voicing the animated trilogy's rendition of Bane. Though we still have to see the other two parts of the Knightfall trilogy, the release of Batman: Knightfall Part 1 on August 25, 2026 established that Mando was the right choice for the role, since he's able to imbue the character with an imposing aura while providing a performance that shows how strategic and determined Bane is as well, ensuring there's some nuance to this depiction of the antagonist. This is all the more notable because it's the first time Michael Mando has played a truly central villain in a superhero movie, despite having appeared as the Scorpion in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Brand New Day in the MCU. Though the MCU would eventually bring back Mandos' Mac Gargan after the character was missing for years in the franchise, Brand New Day still ultimately had to sideline the character in a major way, because Jean Grey served as the central antagonistic force for much of the story instead and needed more focal time. Subsequently, a good chunk of Scorpion's screentime sees him be mind controlled by Jean, meaning we don't get to see the Scorpion acting of his own accord for a good portion of his return anyhow. The MCU's Future Means It Could Still Put Michael Mando's Scorpion In A Central Role With the further two parts of the Batman: Knightfall trilogy set to further prove Michael Mando's Scorpion could work as a more central figure in the MCU for at least one chapter of its story, it's interesting to note it doesn't seem the franchise has entirely wasted the character with no way to make them more centrally relevant to either Spider-Man's story or the wider MCU lore. Notably, with the MCU set up to be able to feature the symbiote and Venom storylines in its own narrative following the end of the Sony Venom trilogy - but with this being complex since the franchise will no doubt not want to tread the same lines as the prior film series - having the MCU bring Venom into the fold by having the entity bond with Scorpion, as also happens in the comics, seems as though it could be a wise call. That said, this isn't the only way Scorpion could take to the limelight for the first time in the MCU despite his extensive history in the franchise. Moves like adding the character to the Dark Avengers - where he also appeared in the comics after bonding with the Venom symbiote - could also work too, giving the villain a more meaty role in Marvel's movie empire, and capitalizing on Mando's evident talents within the superhero genre, as 2026's newest Batman movie demonstrates. Release Date August 25, 2026 Runtime 79 minutes Director Jeff Wamester Cast Batman / Bruce Wayne (voice) While Gotham City lies in chaos after the destruction of Arkham Asylum, Batman's mission to recapture its escapees leads to his fateful and devastating encounter with Bane.