15 Stunning DC Cosplayers & Their Character Doubles

Cosplay, for those that don't know, is a combination of the words “costume” and “play” or “costume play”. It's the process of dressing up to look like a character from a book, TV show, cartoon, or movie, and it's become a HUGE thing over the last few years. People love to make stuff, and with the ever-expanding Marvel and DC universes out there there's more and more to make. People get intense when it comes to cosplay. If something isn't accurate, or they can't find a way to make it look exactly perfect, they'll start again. They'll keep going until it's exactly what the character wears, carries, or looks like. The name of the game is being a real-life representation of a fictional something or someone. In this case, DC movie characters. We've gone through and found the fifteen best cosplays of characters in the DC universe, and put them side-by-side with their real-life counterparts. You'll be surprised which one is the character and which one is the cosplayer; we know we were. Some of these people got it spot on, which is awesome! Read on, and check out a fiery El Diablo, a sultry Poison Ivy, and an absolutely perfect Raven (who isn't even a real person!).

15 Irina Meier Pulls Off An AMAZING Mera

Meier and Mera are so close, you shouldn't be surprised that she pulls off such an amazing character. Mera is basically the wife of Aquaman, and we haven't seen enough of her in any of the movies so far. She's super cool, and Irina Meier is a perfect match to carry the weight of such a wonderful character. She's gotten the bodysuit spot on in this one, and even has the stature of Mera. She's no stranger to being in front of the camera either, as she's a Russian model in her day to day life. WOW! Imagine being in front of the camera as both your job and your passion. No doubt she's good at what she does. We love a girl that can create, and Irina Meier is definitely that.

14 Gerald Andal Is Literally On Fire With His El Diablo Cosplay

Gerald Andal is frightening with his El Diablo look, though he's really quite lovely and talented in literally every other photo we've seen of him. His style is definitely video game geek chic, and it makes total sense. He seems to be right in the thick of all the new up-and-coming animation stuff, comic book things, and geeky movies. His Twitter feed is full of cosplay photos and quirky comments, and his Instagram is basically a dumping ground for INCREDIBLE costume work and design ideas. This cosplay look might not have been the hardest to achieve (El Diablo takes more makeup talent than sewing experience to accurately get the character right) but we do appreciate the work and dedication he's shown. Not to mention how those fire hands look super hot!

13 Amber Heard Is A Spot On Supergirl

This photo is a tricky one because the girl on the right isn't actually a cosplayer. Well, in a way she is. Actors are perpetually cosplaying, though they don't actually have the skills or desires (in most cases) to make their own costumes. While Melissa Benoist was cast as the powerful and lovely Supergirl, Amber Heard is some awesome fan casting that we stumbled across and had to include. She just looks so much like her, it's ridiculous. The fan who had the guts to do this totally has our vote. Amber Heard is a well-respected actor in her own right, and turning her into Supergirl just makes sense. The total time to create this photo was about 14 hours. We wouldn't be surprised if that's just as long as some people put into making real costumes!

12 There's A Million Harley Quinn Cosplays, But Andy Rae Steals Our Heart

Andy Rae has been hugely successful when it comes to cosplay. Not only has she had a lot of luck with her creative process, she's also got a huge following on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch. Her streaming site is one of the most popular ones for cosplay questions, and we love her openness and her positive energy. She's a perfect Harley Quinn, too. She's got that playful energy that Harley so desperately needs, as well as that mischievous gleam in her eye that works so well for this Suicide Squad character. Her look is spot on as well; so many Harley Quinn cosplays don't include the dirt and rips, which is denying a whole side of this queen of a character. We love how she's gotten a couple in there and has even included the perfectly dyed hair!

11 Elena Samko's Cosplay Is BETTER Than The Movie Costume

Talk about a major burn. The costume people of the movies are supposed to be professional, not haphazardly slapped together in a color scheme that kind of works. While this Poison Ivy costume is old (yes, the real costume is the one on the right), that's not an excuse for why it's oh so bad. Elena Samko, however, did an amazing job with her cosplay. She's taken more inspiration from the comics than the movie, and then put her own spin on it. She's really embraced the out-of-this-world aspect of Poison Ivy, and we love how thorough her detailing is. Just look at the craftsmanship of those leaves! She's a true cosplayer and has a million other characters out there to look at. While we think Poison Ivy is her best, check out some of her other work… You won't be disappointed!

10 Alyson Tabbitha Could Be Wonder Woman's Stunt Double

If you follow any of the cosplay worlds, you've definitely heard the name Alyson Tabbitha before. This woman does incredible transformations of herself and is able to copy (or put a spin on) pretty much anything anyone puts in front of her. She's so incredibly talented, and we wouldn't be surprised if she did end up getting a career in the movie industry due to the quality of her costuming skills. She knows her way around some clothes, and in this case, a leather bodysuit. Just look at that skill! Even her hair is perfect, which is a hard feat. Put her against a blue and red background and you'd have Gal Gadot's twin! We hope they let her jump in as a stand-in for Wonder Woman; she's already got her own costume, after all!

9 "Blerd Vision" Is Too Hot To Handle As Cyborg

Blerd Vision is NOT an awkward character or a misspelling; we promise. He's a cosplayer who's part of a superhero podcast site, who's done a ton of different transformations. His real name is Jourdan, though he usually goes by the handle of the group, Blerd Vision, online. He's got some incredible transformations out there. We're really impressed by this cosplay because of the technicality of it. We love the fact that he's managed to copy the metal panels of Cyborg's costume, while still making it look like he made it himself. The detail on the gun is also mind-boggling. The only thing we wonder about is if the lights work. Cyborg has some super cool glowing that happens, and it would be so spot on if Jourdan of Blerd Vision managed to do the same!

8 Jay TallSquall Is A Vision Of Super Power

What a VISION. While this cosplayer doesn't have the internet following that some of his counterparts have, he certainly does have the talent. Just look at that Vision cosplay! He's got a great way with makeup, and his costume is beyond compare. Look at the way he totally embodies the character too! The best part? You can still tell it's him underneath there. His face has a distinct way of conveying emotion, which is a little more happy than what The Vision has going on. We're not surprised; for this DC character, happiness is kind of an afterthought. If you want to see more of his creativity, check him out on Instagram. There are also a few cool interviews out there, which are great to read if you're interested in cosplaying.

7 Move Over Jared Leto, There's A New Joker In Town…

There have been a few Jokers over the years, but Jared Leto is the most recent. There have been more prolific ones, but Leto is the one that's sticking in our minds… Maybe just because of the awesomeness of the Suicide Squad movie. Zihark, the cosplayer featured here, has done an incredible job matching Jared Leto's joker to the letter… Literally. His tattoos are on point and his pose is even better. It's exactly the same as Leto's, but even more badass. His hand is perfectly placed, and his jacket looks handmade. Can you believe it? Cosplayers put SO much effort into their costumes, and it blows our minds. Good work, Zihark. You're killing it… Almost literally! Jokes! The Killing Joke is a totally different thing. And Zihark's talent is no laughing matter.

6 Cliff Cosplay Is A Green Hued God In This Cosplay

Cliff Cosplay is a popular cosplayer who's garnered quite a following over the years. He has a penchant for the superheroes, as well as cartoon characters. A fascinating fact about cosplay is that you don't need to be cosplaying a real person. The character being a real human isn't a requirement for most cosplayers. In fact, there have been some incredible cosplays of inanimate objects. For example, the TARDIS. Everything is fair game when it comes to costumes. They have the creativity to think it up and the skills to make it happen, which is definitely more than we can say about ourselves. Most of our Halloween costumes turn out to be the same pointy-hatted witch year after year. That's why we think these cosplayers are so jaw-dropping.

5 This Cosplay Of Bane Is Enough To Put Fear Into Our Hearts

Okay… We'll be totally honest with you: this cosplay is SO good that we're not sure if it even is a cosplay. It looks like a cosplay… And it seems like he's in a public place, potentially a convention center. But you know what? It's such a spot-on replica we wouldn't be surprised if the actor was just wandering around Central Station as a promotional thing. However, we also wouldn't be surprised if this was a cosplay. We've said it a million times and we'll say it a million more: cosplayers are MAGIC and have a huge amount of talent. It's a skill that they've honed over years and years, and will absolutely only get better as they work more. This cosplayer looks like he's been doing it for a long time. Even though this Bane costume isn't as technical as Cyborg, it's still a feat.

4 Emmy Clapp Is Better Than Any Catwoman Out There

Emmy Clapp is a UK based cosplayer who's done more than her fair share of cosplays. She's had tons of experience and has a huge following that just keeps growing. She's also gorgeous out of costume, which is part of the reason we think she's gotten so popular: she easily pulls off all the celebrities and celebrity superheroes, and we never question it. She's a perfect double for this Catwoman, which is a very hard thing to pull off. Catwoman is supposed to sneaky, svelte, and killer. For this London woman you might think that that would be difficult, but no. This photo perfectly captures her and her kitty cat energy. It's mind-blowing! Check her out if you want to see more. We recommend some of her YouTube interviews as well.

3 Batman: Yet Another Classic Cosplay, But This One Takes The Cake (He Even Got The Mouth Right)

Batman! Who HASN'T done a Batman cosplay? You know you remember being a kid and dressing up in a Batman costume for Halloween. Or, you know, any sort of occasion your parents would let you get away with wearing it. While we don't know who the cosplayer is (comment if you do!) we think that he's done a spot-on job. He's really captured the emotional energy of Batman, which you can see in that sneaky half smile. While the costume isn't quite as dramatic as that Batman promo shot, it's definitely better than those Batman costumes we remember slipping into as a kid. There's tons of detail in this, and the color is the perfect grayish black. Not quite the deep, dark of the night, but not quite a happy charcoal; perfect for Gotham's protector.

2 Batgirl Is Going To Be The Next Big Thing, At Least According To Briana Roecks

And after Batman, there's Batgirl. She's the female counterpart to Batman, and she's been just as important in some of the DC stories. Plus, there's that new series featuring Batgirl. We love the fact that she's a cool female, and doing her part to also save the world. Briana Roecks has done a great job capturing the coolness of Batgirl, and she's got even more shots that are just as good as this one. Batgirl is a tricky one to capture, but Briana Roecks, who's a well-established cosplayer, has found a lot of joy in making this costume and picking up the Batgirl mantle. If you can believe it, she's got even more shots that are just as awesome on her Instagram. Sometimes we wish that these cosplayers would act as well… They just look the part so much!

1 And Finally… Abby Normal Brings DC Cartoons To Life

Finally, this incredible take on Raven. While she's not a movie character, she was a huge part of many of our childhoods. Some of us grew up watching Teen Titans and absolutely loving Raven. We think Abby Normal, the cosplayer here, might have been one of those people. Why else would she have done such an incredibly detailed take on this character? It's not an easy one to cosplay because she's a cartoon character. Cartoons are difficult to translate into human form, just because of the way they don't necessarily subscribe to aspects of reality. Abby Normal has done more than a few cosplays, which makes her the perfect person to take on this endeavor. And it was worth it! Just look at that incredible match.