15 Actresses Perfect for the Role of the Vixen in the DCU

Vixen—most commonly Mari Jiwe McCabe—is a DC Comics superhero created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner, known for channeling the abilities of animals through the mystical Tantu Totem. The character has been depicted as a fashion model and adventurer whose powers derive from the “Red,” a life-force field connecting all animal life in the DC universe. She has served on various Justice League lineups in the comics, and the character’s abilities have been explored across animation and live action.

On screen, Vixen has appeared in animation via ‘Justice League Unlimited’ and the ‘Vixen’ animated series, and she has shown up in the Arrowverse through ‘Arrow’ and ‘Legends of Tomorrow’. In those projects, different iterations of the character and her lineage were portrayed, spotlighting the Tantu Totem’s legacy and its connection to African history and folklore within DC storytelling. Below is a curated roster of working actresses, along with factual career highlights and project details that help illustrate the scope and skill sets they’ve demonstrated across film and television.

KiKi Layne

KiKi Layne starred in ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’, written and directed by Barry Jenkins from the novel by James Baldwin, appearing opposite actors such as Regina King and Stephan James. She headlined the action-fantasy ‘The Old Guard’ under director Gina Prince-Bythewood, co-starring with Charlize Theron and Matthias Schoenaerts, and later appeared in ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, directed by Olivia Wilde with a cast that included Florence Pugh and Harry Styles.

Layne’s filmography also includes ‘Coming 2 America’, directed by Craig Brewer and featuring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, and she has stage roots via formal conservatory training. Her roles span drama, action, and ensemble work, demonstrating on-screen combat choreography experience in ‘The Old Guard’ alongside a grounded dramatic lead turn in ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’.

Thuso Mbedu

Thuso Mbedu earned widespread recognition for ‘The Underground Railroad’, created and written by Barry Jenkins for television from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, where she led a cast that included Joel Edgerton and Chase W. Dillon. She followed with ‘The Woman King’, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by a team that included Cathy Schulman and Viola Davis, performing alongside Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, and John Boyega.

Mbedu trained in dramatic arts in South Africa and has worked in both international and domestic productions, shifting between limited-series narrative structures and studio action features. Her work on ‘The Underground Railroad’ involved period storytelling and a character-driven arc, while ‘The Woman King’ placed her within a large-scale historical action framework with extensive physical preparation and ensemble coordination.

Teyonah Parris

Teyonah Parris portrayed Monica Rambeau in ‘WandaVision’, developed by head writer Jac Schaeffer and produced by Marvel Studios, acting opposite Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany. She reprised the role in ‘The Marvels’, directed by Nia DaCosta with a principal cast that included Brie Larson and Iman Vellani, and previously appeared in ‘Chi-Raq’, directed by Spike Lee, featuring an ensemble that included Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett.

Parris is a Juilliard-trained performer whose earlier credits include ‘Dear White People’, written and directed by Justin Simien, and the drama series ‘Mad Men’ from creator Matthew Weiner. Her resume covers satire, period drama, and effects-heavy superhero storytelling, balancing dialogue-driven scenes with sequences staged through second-unit action teams and VFX integration.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s breakout film roles include ‘Belle’, directed by Amma Asante with Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson, and ‘Beyond the Lights’, directed and written by Gina Prince-Bythewood with Nate Parker and Minnie Driver. On television, she portrays Ravonna Renslayer in ‘Loki’, developed by head writer Michael Waldron with season one directed largely by Kate Herron, working alongside Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson.

Mbatha-Raw is a Royal Academy of Dramatic Art alumna whose screen credits also include the anthology episode ‘San Junipero’ from ‘Black Mirror’, created by Charlie Brooker and directed by Owen Harris, and the ensemble series ‘The Morning Show’, developed by Kerry Ehrin, where she worked with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. Her projects span period drama, anthology sci-fi, and franchise television anchored by character-driven plotting.

Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright plays Shuri in ‘Black Panther’, directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler, appearing with Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira, and she continued the role in further franchise entries under Marvel Studios. She starred in ‘Mangrove’, part of Steve McQueen’s ‘Small Axe’ anthology, written by McQueen and Alastair Siddons, opposite Shaun Parkes and Malachi Kirby.

Wright’s credits also include the ‘Black Mirror’ episode ‘Black Museum’, created by Charlie Brooker and directed by Colm McCarthy, and she appeared in ‘Death on the Nile’, directed by Kenneth Branagh from Agatha Christie’s novel, alongside Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer. Her filmography combines high-profile franchise work, anthology drama, and literary adaptations with ensemble casts.

Jodie Turner-Smith

Jodie Turner-Smith headlined ‘Queen & Slim’, directed by Melina Matsoukas from a screenplay by Lena Waithe based on a story by Waithe and James Frey, co-starring with Daniel Kaluuya. She led ‘Anne Boleyn’, a historical drama series helmed by writer Eve Hedderwick Turner and directed by Lynsey Miller, depicting the Tudor queen opposite actors including Mark Stanley and Paapa Essiedu.

Turner-Smith appeared in ‘Without Remorse’, directed by Stefano Sollima from Tom Clancy’s work, sharing the screen with Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell, and in ‘The Acolyte’, created by Leslye Headland, working within a franchise ensemble that included Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae. Her roles encompass grounded character studies and studio action-thrillers built around tactical set pieces.

Zazie Beetz

Zazie Beetz co-starred in ‘Atlanta’, created by Donald Glover and directed across episodes by a team including Hiro Murai, working with cast members LaKeith Stanfield and Brian Tyree Henry. She played Domino in ‘Deadpool 2’, directed by David Leitch, alongside Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin, and portrayed Sophie Dumond in ‘Joker’, directed by Todd Phillips, opposite Joaquin Phoenix.

Beetz’s additional credits include ‘Nine Days’, written and directed by Edson Oda with Winston Duke, and ‘The Harder They Fall’, directed by Jeymes Samuel and produced by a team including Jay-Z and James Lassiter, alongside Jonathan Majors and Idris Elba. Her work moves between auteur-driven television, comic-book films, and ensemble Westerns with stylized action.

Dominique Fishback

Dominique Fishback received acclaim for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, directed by Shaka King and produced by Ryan Coogler and Charles D. King, acting opposite Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield. She toplined ‘Swarm’, created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, with a cast that included Chloe Bailey and Nirine S. Brown.

Fishback also starred in ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’, directed by Steven Caple Jr., alongside Anthony Ramos and voice performers including Peter Cullen and Ron Perlman, and appeared in ‘The Deuce’, created by David Simon and George Pelecanos, with Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco. Her career bridges prestige historical drama, limited-series psychological storytelling, and large-scale effects franchises.

Lashana Lynch

Lashana Lynch appeared as Nomi in ‘No Time to Die’, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, working opposite Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, and Rami Malek. She portrayed Maria Rambeau in ‘Captain Marvel’, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, alongside Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, and returned to the role in later franchise chapters.

Lynch co-starred in ‘The Woman King’, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood with a principal cast including Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu, and she played Miss Honey in ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’, directed by Matthew Warchus, with Alisha Weir and Emma Thompson. Her credits reflect espionage action, superhero ensembles, historical epics, and musical adaptations.

Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Erivo earned major recognition on Broadway for ‘The Color Purple’, produced by Scott Sanders with a creative team led by John Doyle, and she portrayed Harriet Tubman in ‘Harriet’, directed by Kasi Lemmons with a cast including Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monáe. She has also been announced in the two-part film adaptation ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu, co-starring Ariana Grande.

Erivo’s film appearances include ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’, written and directed by Drew Goddard with Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth, and television work such as ‘Genius: Aretha’, produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for National Geographic. Her background includes conservatory training and multidisciplinary work across stage, film, and television with a focus on character-driven narratives and musical performance.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste

Kirby Howell-Baptiste appeared in ‘The Good Place’, created by Michael Schur, in a cast with Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, and William Jackson Harper. She recurred in ‘Killing Eve’, developed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge from the Luke Jennings novels, sharing scenes with Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, and she played a key role in ‘The Sandman’, developed by Allan Heinberg from the DC/Vertigo comics by Neil Gaiman.

Her film credits include ‘Cruella’, directed by Craig Gillespie, alongside Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, and she starred in ‘Why Women Kill’, created by Marc Cherry. Across these projects she has worked within genre-mixing series and features that blend dark comedy, fantasy, and crime elements anchored by ensemble storytelling.

Tati Gabrielle

Tati Gabrielle played Prudence Night in ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’, developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa for television with Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Davis, and Miranda Otto. She portrayed Marienne Bellamy in ‘You’, developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble from Caroline Kepnes’s novels, opposite Penn Badgley, and appeared in ‘Uncharted’, directed by Ruben Fleischer with Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.

Gabrielle’s background includes voice and live-action work, and she has participated in young-adult and thriller storytelling across streaming platforms and studio features. Her credits include performances that incorporate stunt and set-piece staging in ‘Uncharted’ along with character-focused arcs in serialized television dramas.

Nathalie Emmanuel

Nathalie Emmanuel portrayed Missandei in ‘Game of Thrones’, developed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss from George R. R. Martin’s novels, acting opposite Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, and Liam Cunningham. She joined the ‘Fast & Furious’ ensemble as Ramsey in entries directed by filmmakers including F. Gary Gray and Justin Lin, appearing alongside Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Dwayne Johnson.

Emmanuel also appeared in the ‘Maze Runner’ series, directed by Wes Ball with Dylan O’Brien and Kaya Scodelario, and led the horror-thriller ‘The Invitation’, directed by Jessica M. Thompson. Her portfolio covers epic fantasy world-building, action-heist ensembles with vehicular stunt units, and contemporary horror centered on suspense and gothic settings.

Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer starred in ‘Nope’, written and directed by Jordan Peele, opposite Daniel Kaluuya and Steven Yeun, and appeared in ‘Hustlers’, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria with Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, and Julia Stiles. She headlined the series ‘Scream Queens’, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, among a cast that included Emma Roberts and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Palmer’s additional credits include voicing Izzy Hawthorne in ‘Lightyear’, directed by Angus MacLane at Pixar, and the title role in ‘Akeelah and the Bee’, written and directed by Doug Atchison with Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett. Her career spans genre films, comedy-horror television, voice acting in animation, and studio ensembles.

Yetide Badaki

Yetide Badaki is known for ‘American Gods’, developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green from Neil Gaiman’s novel, where she portrayed Bilquis alongside Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, and Emily Browning. She has appeared in genre television that blends mythology and modern settings, contributing to a series that featured directors such as David Slade and large-scale visual effects work.

Badaki’s additional credits include appearances in series like ‘The Magicians’, developed by Sera Gamble and John McNamara from Lev Grossman’s novels, and dramatic roles across network and premium television. Her work sits within fantasy, drama, and contemporary genre storytelling focused on mythic themes and ensemble casts.

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