Superman might be the biggest movie of the summer, but sports fans have it good. We witness superhuman feats on a daily basis. Some athletes even perform at such a legendary level that it’d be easy to confuse them for actual superheroes if we didn’t know better.
So, in honor of James Gunn’s Superman hitting theaters, we picked out some real-world athletes that match up well with the heroes of comics and the big screen.
Patrick Mahomes as Superman
Could it really be anyone else right now? The Man of Steel is bigger than life and always saves the day. Just like Patrick Mahomes always seems to. Think about it—whenever Mahomes gets the ball in his hands with a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter, you assume the Chiefs are going to win. We all do.
Mahomes has laser accuracy (most of the time). He has the strength to put an entire organization on his shoulders for the majority of his career. OK, he’s definitely not faster than a speeding bullet, but we’ll forgive him that. The only question with Patrick Mahomes is: has he been dominant long enough to become the villain?
Shohei Ohtani as Batman
Batman defeats his enemies with a host of gadgets—aka being multi-tooled. No one in baseball has more tools in his arsenal than Shohei Ohtani does right now. Not only is he one of the best hitters in all of baseball, but he’s pitching again. Oh, and he stole 50 bases in 2024. He also has the adorable dog, Decoy, who got his own bobblehead at Dodger Stadium. If Krypto belonged to Batman, it’d be even more fitting.
Bruce Wayne has one other defining power—he’s really, really rich. After Shohei Ohtani signed a deal in Los Angeles for over $700 million, it’s fair to say he fits the description. He may not be a vigilante, but Ohtani is taking out plenty of Dodger foes after the sun goes down in Los Angeles.
Cooper Flagg as Robin
If there’s a Boy Wonder in the sports world right now, it has to be Cooper Flagg. After just one year at Duke, Flagg was the consensus number one pick in the NBA draft. The Mavs are getting a great player, but they already have a team with some great players, and Flagg won’t have to be the star in Dallas on Day One. He can learn while being the…sidekick.
If Shohei Ohtani is Batman, then Cooper Flagg is a great choice for Robin. They’re both signed with New Balance, after all. It’s nice when everything works out that way. Besides, the Mavericks and Los Angeles have had another connection recently, no matter how hard Mavs fans try to forget it happened.
Kaitlyn Clark as Wonder Woman
There’s no question that Caitlin Clark has brought tremendous exposure to women’s basketball. Clark was a standout at Iowa, setting records in college. Even though she’s not playing in a big market as a pro, Clark has brought many sets of eyes to the WNBA and helped grow the league. When she wins a WNBA championship someday, it will be a big deal.
I count myself among those who think it’s unfortunate that many other great players are overlooked because Clark receives so much attention. It’s not her fault. It’s also not taking anything away from Clark, who is a great player. But if those talking heads experienced the Lasso of Truth, they’d say that there is a wealth of great talent in the WNBA beyond Caitlin Clark.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Hawkeye
Gilgeous-Alexander seems to never miss in a big moment. As a Timberwolves fan, I witnessed this firsthand in the Western Conference Finals. SGA possesses the lethal accuracy and poise under pressure that Hawkeye showcases in the MCU. The Pacers pushed Oklahoma City to the brink, but it felt like the outcome was always going to be the same if SGA had something to say about it.
Hawkeye wasn’t the most attention-grabbing character in the MCU. He was, however, often the MVP and made the Avengers a more cohesive unit. It’s similar to the NBA MVP playing in Oklahoma City—a team that pundits doubted until the end. If you watch Gilgeous-Alexander do an interview, he heaps praise on his teammates. That leadership helps make the Thunder the close-knit group they are.
Aaron Judge as Captain America
Aaron Judge has moved past making the case of being one of the best players of his generation. He’s now building a resume as one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history. After winning the American League MVP award in 2024, Judge is on track to win it again in 2025. Yes, Cal Raleigh is having an incredible season in Seattle, but what Judge is doing is otherworldly.
Bonus points are in play for doing all of this in New York, too. The Yankees factor gets overblown, but there’s no doubt that there’s added scrutiny and pressure there. Plus, Judge has already been named the captain of Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The whole Captain America thing fits. That, and playing like he had been injected with a super serum.
Saquon Barkley as Spider-Man
Spider-Man is known for great athleticism and his Spidey-Sense. It just doesn’t get more athletic than the backwards hurdle Barkley pulled off in 2024. Barkley dominated in fantasy football last year and carried many a team to their league championship (including mine). Who knows if he’ll repeat the arcade-like numbers from 2024, but it’ll be fun watching the Madden 26 cover athlete try.
As for the Spidey-Sense, all I can give you is that he had the good sense to get out of New York. Sadly, Barkley was being wasted in Gotham, and a move to the City of Brotherly Love was exactly what both parties needed to put the Eagles over the top. The only losers in the equation were Giants fans, who had to watch Saquon achieve greatness inside the division.
Which pro athletes would you pick as our favorite superheroes? Any super villains you can think of? Let us know in the comments!
