Top 10 actors with multiple superhero roles

2016 is no doubt the year of superheroes, what with the big screen being occupied by the likes of Deadpool, X-Men, Batman and Superman (in one movie, no less), Captain America and even silver screen newcomer Doctor Strange.

Say each of those names and the image of the actors portraying them will be conjured up in fans' minds. Say Captain America and no doubt Chris Evan's all American looks materialise, Deadpool and it's Ryan Reynolds' boyish charms.

However, long before these actors become one with their respective well-known super-powered personas, some of them have had the practice of playing a different superhero role.

Let's take a look at ten of the actors who have portrayed two different superhero roles during the span of their big screen careers:

Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern / Deadpool)

Red is definitely more Ryan Reynolds' colour than green. The 39-year-old Canadian actor technically first had a taste of playing anti-hero (still counts as a superhero, in a way) Deadpool in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". However, that didn't leave much of an impression, unlike his 2011 titular role in "Green Lantern". Unfortunately, it wasn't a good impression – his acting was praised but the movie bombed at the box office. His superhero days would've been over if he hadn't been handed another shot in the form of this year's "Deadpool", the movie that quickly elevated Reynolds to the A-list of superhero actors. It also helps that this time around, his red onesie is an actual costume instead of just green CGI over his slacks and shirt.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil / Batman)

Here's another actor whose recent superhero career rose like a phoenix from the ashes of his first failed portrayal of a super-powered man. Well, Ben Affleck's previous superhero stint still earned praises but "Daredevil", released in 2003, was nothing to write home about. When news broke of the 43-year-old portraying beloved character Batman next, everyone was skeptical of the casting choice. But, boy, have Batfleck (yes, he has an adorable moniker now) proven his critics wrong. Despite the mixed reviews "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" received, it's safe to say no one will be replacing Batfleck in the upcoming "Suicide Squad" and "Justice League Part One".

Chris Evans (Human Torch / Captain America)

Before he was the law-abiding Captain America, Chris Evans was part of the "Fantastic Four" back in 2005, as well as its 2007 sequel. In what would be his most revealing movie costume ever – even a shirtless Evans is not as revealing, the actor played Johnny Storm a.k.a. Human Torch. The 34-year-old has since traded his tight blue bodysuit for a more appealing superheroic blue Captain America uniform, which has undergone several slight alterations since he started playing the Avenger character in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger". Evans will be making his seventh appearance as the superhero in this year's "Captain America: Civil War".

Ellen Page (Shadowcat / Boltie)

Ellen Page landed her first superhero role in 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand", portraying the character Kitty Pryde a.k.a. Shadowcat. The 29-year-old Canadian actress reprised the same role in 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past". Sometime between these two movies, Page shed her dark villain fighting outfit to don a costume with bright colours for a change as she played Libby a.k.a. Boltie in James Gunn's ("Guardians of the Galaxy") 2010 superhero black comedy drama, "Super".

Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass / Quicksilver)

Speaking of "Super", the movie can't help but be compared to another superhero without powers movie that came out the same year – "Kick-Ass", which by far is the most successful in the genre. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular (not-so) superhero, also known by his human name Dave Lizewski, the British-American independent superhero black comedy action movie released a follow up, "Kick-Ass 2", in 2013. Fast forward a year later and Taylor-Johnson was spotted portraying Marvel's Quicksilver in a mid-credits scene in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". The 25-year-old English actor was later seen reprising the role as one half of the mutant twins in 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron".

Samuel L. Jackson (Frozone / Nick Fury)

While not possessing much of a superpower of his own (does longevity count?), Nick Fury does technically control all the superheroes as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. – and that's the most awesome power on the list of awesome powers to possess, ranking only a step below if he were to possess all those powers himself. And there is no one more perfect to play the role than Samuel L. Jackson, the 67-year-old is playing it for a total of nine times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (3 more to go!). However, before he was all black leather jacket and eye-patch, Jackson once voiced an animated superhero, Lucius Best a.k.a. Frozone, in 2004's "The Incredibles".

Doug Jones (Abe Sapien / Silver Surfer)

Doug Jones has been seen as two superheroes on the big screen, but he was seldom heard. The 55-year-old actor first played Abraham "Abe" Sapien, Hellboy's colleague of a sort in B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense), in the 2004 movie, "Hellboy". But he did not voice his own character, it was dubbed instead by David Hyde Pierce. In his second superhero stint, playing Norrin Radd a.k.a. The Silver Surfer in 2007's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", his voice was once again dubbed, this time by Laurence Fishburne. It was only in his second portrayal of Abe Sapien, in 2008's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", did fans finally get to hear his own vocals voicing his onscreen character.

Halle Berry (Catwoman / Storm)

Out of the two black latex suited superheroes Halle Berry has portrayed, one of them almost killed the Academy Award-winning actress' career. In 2000, Berry started her superhero career in the form of Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm in "X-Men". She would later reprise the role for three more times in 2003's "X2: X-Men United", 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand" and 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past". She also starred as the titular role of 2004's "Catwoman", which earned her a Razzie. Judging from the number of sequels, anyone can easily deduce which superhero character did the 49-year-old no favour at all (except for fattening her wallet as she did receive USD12.5 million to play the feline-inspired character).

Brandon Routh (Superman / Atom)

Bending the rules a little here to include an actor who once portrayed one of the most iconic superheroes, namely Superman. Brandon Routh didn't have much success as a big screen superhero, his 2006 "Superman Returns" was not met with enthusiastic welcome from fans, though he did win awards for his portrayal and the movie was a box office success. Routh then took his superhero career to the small screen, taking up the role Ray Palmer a.k.a. Atom in 2014's "Arrow". The 36-year-old is now enjoying his 'Atomic' success as he once again reprises the role in 2015's "Flash" and is currently starring as the character in "Legends of Tomorrow".

Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider / Big Daddy)

52-year-old Nicolas Cage has starred in many movies but it was only in 2007 did he join the superhero league as Johnny Blaze, or the titular character of "Ghost Rider". Cage again played the supernatural superhero in 2012's "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance". However, in 2010, he took a break from leather jackets and flaming skulls to play "Kick-Ass" (not-so) superhero, Damon Macready or Big Daddy, donning a superhero suit not unlike one Batman would be comfortable in.