- [Narrator] From Gotham to Wakanda,
superheroes and super villains
are taking over the silver screen, whether good or evil,
these characters all have one thing in common,
the vegan actors who play them
are the definition of living kindly.
Number one, Batman's Joker.
Vegan actor and longtime animal rights activist,
Joaquin Phoenix is playing super villain, the Joker
from the DC Batman comics.
An origin story of how the notorious Joker came to be,
the film follows the Joker as he grows up
and is progressively ostracized from the Gotham community.
Phoenix takes a lot into consideration,
when deciding what roles to pursue.
The director, Todd Phillips was critical
in influencing his decision to take the role,
"I think Phillips is very impressive
"and he seems to have a very interesting understanding
"of this world and what he's trying to say,"
Phoenix said in a recent interview.
Phoenix appeared in PETA campaigns
exposing the wool and leather industries.
- I thought that I was avoiding wool,
I never knew that suits were made of wool.
- [Narrator] He also narrated
two animal rights documentaries,
2005's Earthlings and 2018's Dominion.
Number two, Deadpool two's Domino.
German-American actor, Zazie Beetz
got in shape for her role in 2018's Deadpool two
through intense training fueled by a vegan diet.
Beetz plays Domino, an assertive, badass superhero
that joins Deadpool's Super Squad.
Beetz posts on social media
about her low waste vegan cooking and lifestyle,
she revealed via the social media platform
that she makes her own kombucha
and reuses old jars for her homemade body butter.
Zazie Beetz will also be appearing in the forthcoming film,
Joker alongside fellow vegan, Joaquin Phoenix.
Number three, Batwoman.
DC Comics cast Ruby Rose as Batwoman
in its television series.
The vegan actor is the first ever openly gender fluid actor
to appear as a superhero on TV,
fictional character, Kate Kane aka Batwoman is a lesbian.
In addition to Rose's talent,
the producers wanted a gay actor to play the role
to better inform the part and make Kane more authentic.
Ruby Rose is a superhero in real life too,
she has a reputation for speaking out about important issues
like animal rights and veganism,
she recently encouraged her Instagram followers
to go vegan after a widespread salmonella outbreak.
She has also invested in the social justice
and mission-driven vegan beverage company, Rebbl.
Number four, Batman and Robin's Batgirl,
also in the Batman realm,
Alicia Silverstone played Batgirl back in 1997.
The superhero teams up with Batman and Robin
to save Gotham from the wrath of Freeze and Poison Ivy.
Alicia Silverstone has been vegan most of her adult life,
it was shortly after her appearance as Batgirl,
that she adopted a vegan lifestyle.
Silverstone has a strong voice
when it comes to animal advocacy.
- Why not make that leap,
say I'm never gonna buy wool again.
- [Narrator] In 2018, she starred in
a Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine video
to support California's Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act.
- Could help save the lives of millions of animals
and make some of the products that we use on our bodies
safer at the same time.
- [Narrator] A bill that was passed into law
and prohibits the sale of products tested on animals.
Silverstone has also launched
a natural vegan supplements line called Mykind Organics
and has penned books about veganism
called The Kind Diet and The Kind Mama.
She also runs an eco living blog called The Kind Life
and has shared her vegan parenting experiences
on primetime television with Dr. Oz.
Number five, Black Panther's Zuri.
Zuri is an advisor to the throne of Wakanda,
in 2018's The Black Panther,
Zuri played a big role in guiding T'Challa
as he ascended the throne in the wake of his father's death.
Played by Forest Whitaker,
Zuri showed extreme loyalty to his king.
In real life, Whitaker is extremely loyal too,
he is a huge animal advocate
and follows a mostly vegan lifestyle.
Whitaker partnered with the People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
the largest animal rights organization in the world
to speak out about his diet choices.
- Life is full of choices
and many years ago, I chose to become vegetarian
and it's one of the best choices I've ever made.
- [Narrator] Number six, Spiderman.
Tobey Maguire starred as the original Peter Parker
beginning in 2002, in his trilogy,
Spiderman faces villains like the Green Goblin,
Dr. Octavius and Venom
while juggling school and love interest, Mary Jane.
Tobey Maguire went vegetarian in 1992
and went vegan in 2009.
Giving up meat was an easy adjustment for Maguire,
he told Parade magazine that he never really
had a desire to eat meat as a child,
making the transition a no brainer for him.
Number seven, X-Men two's Nightcrawler.
In 2003's X-Men two, Charles Xavier's team of mutants
must stop Nightcrawler, who has been brainwashed
after an attempt to assassinate
the President of the United States.
Alan Cumming plays Nightcrawler,
a hero turned villain in the film
and the actor describes himself
as a vodka soda loving foodie.
Cumming was vegetarian before adopting veganism.
- I just got so bored
of everything drenched in cheese, being a vegetarian.
When I stopped and became vegan,
my skin cleared up, I used to have rosacea.
- [Narrator] Cumming has also modeled
for cruelty free menswear line, Brave Gentleman
stating that he loves
what designer, Joshua Katcher is doing,
"I love what he is doing
"in terms of making more people aware
"that you can look really stylish at the same time
"as being completely animal cruelty free."
The star was the recipient of a humanitarian award in 2017,
a recognition by the largest animal rights group, PETA
for calling out the controversial Miami Seaquarium
and urging the park to release
its lone remaining orca, Lolita.
Number eight, the Dark Phoenix's Smith.
The forthcoming film in the X-Men saga
is keeping Jessica Chastain's character, Smith a secret.
- Who are you?
- The better question is who are you?
- [Narrator] Shrouded in mystery,
all that has been revealed about the new villain
is that she will pose a threat
to Jean Grey and her fellow X-Men.
Jessica Chastain has been vegan for over a decade
and has famously said,
"I don't wanna torture anything in my life.
"While I am on this planet,
"I want everyone I meet
"to know that I am grateful they are here."
She's an outspoken animal lover, has rescued dogs
and encourages her fans to do the same.
Chastain has also partnered with
the Humane Society of the United States
to help spread the message of animal adoption.
Number nine, Luke Cage's Bushmaster.
John Bushmaster McIver is the antagonist
in season two of Netflix Marvel series, Luke Cage.
The villain seeks revenge,
he gains strength and agility from special herbs
and plans to overthrow Luke Cage,
in order to take over Harlem.
- Harlem is mine.
- [Narrator] Mustafa Shakir plays the villain
and there is a reason he can move with such agility,
his vegan diet.
The actor's physique is a result of his healthy eating,
he told Men's Health he is very strict
when it comes to eating plant-based,
he often eats whole fruits and vegetables,
beans and nuts and many other raw foods.
The star eats this way 85% of the time as he values balance,
he says, "Sometimes I just gotta eat the French fries."
Number 10, Fantastic Four's Sue Storm.
Sue Storm aka The Invisible Woman
was played by Kate Mara in the 2015 reboot
based on the Marvel Comics, Sue Storm is a scientist
who obtains the superpower of invisibility
after being exposed to a cosmic storm.
Mara has always been an animal lover
and was an on and off vegetarian for most of her life,
she went vegan for the animals and also for her health,
as she became aware of the damages
that meat and dairy can do to our digestive system.
In 2018, Mara urged her fans to support baby chimpanzees,
the actor shared a post to her 300,000 Instagram followers
promoting the Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue
and Protection organization.
She shares that, "The organization is rehabilitating chimps,
"that have suffered at the hands of humans
"and that they're working in tandem
"with the Liberian government
"and global conservation partners
"to create a better life for these chimpanzees
"and to ensure that Liberia's wild chimpanzees remain wild."
Number 11, the Avengers' Nick Fury.
Nick Fury is a former Colonel for the US Army
and former spy for the CIA during the Cold War.
Following his service, he joins S.H.I.E.L.D.,
an international peacekeeping organization,
that protects the world from dangerous enemies.
Fury assembles the Avengers Squad
after launching the Avengers Initiative.
Samuel L Jackson plays Fury and he was vegan
during the filming of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
In 2017 however, Jackson told Wired
that he no longer follows a vegan lifestyle.
- Is Samuel L Jackson a vegan?
I was, but I'm not anymore.
- [Narrator] Perhaps he should go back
and regain his vegan superpowers?
Maybe he is, the actor appears
in the 2018 vegan documentary, Eating You Alive.
Number 12, Doctor Strange.
Stephen Strange is a wealthy,
arrogant neurosurgeon in New York City.
When he gets into a car accident,
that leaves him unable to operate,
the doctor embarks on a journey to heal his hands.
Played by Benedict Cumberbatch,
Strange goes on to study ancient books
under the Ancient One,
whereby he discovers the existence of other dimensions.
Cumberbatch has played Doctor Strange in the Avengers films
and in 2016's self-titled Doctor Strange.
The actor has been vegan for several years.
In 2018 he was crowned the Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrity
by animal rights group, PETA.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Let us know in the comments.
That's it for today.
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