After over a decade of films and TV shows, the list of Marvel Cinematic Universe charactersis growing longer than everand shows no sign of stopping any time soon. MCU casting directorSarah Halley Finnhas every Marvel fan’s dream job of finding the perfect actor to star in the latest on-screen adaption of the comics, and gets it right every time.
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Occasionally, these actors have already appeared as Marvel heroes or villains outside the MCU, providing the perfect audition for future roles and often a second chance at superhero stardom after initial limited success. Whether they switched fromplaying heroes to playing villains, Titans to time travelers or pyrokinetics to super soldiers, these Marvel actors were all cast in roles both inside and outside the MCU.
Zip it, Thanos - Josh Brolin
As the Infinity Saga reached its climactic close,Josh Brolingraced the screen as the biggest MCU threat so far and one of the most iconic movie antagonists of all time in Thanos. The mad Titan’s story spanning over 2018’sAvengers: Infinity Warand 2019’sAvengers: End Gamewas excellently portrayed by Brolin, but Thanos wasn’t the only villain he appeared as during that time period.
Fox’sDeadpool 2released merely weeks afterInfinity Warand Brolin stole the show again, this time starring as fan favorite mutant-killing time-hopper Cable. Though the future of the universe and its characters is currently unknown following Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2019, fans still live in hope that Brolin will once again don the robotic arm in a future MCU crossover.
Activating Instant Kill - Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly’s first Marvel appearance came duringAng Lee’sHulk(2003) as she played Betty Ross, colleague and love interest of Bruce Banner. Hulk’s planned sequel was eventually canceled and 2008’sThe Incredible Hulkreboot helped kickstart the MCU fans know and love today. Connelly did, however, appear in another Marvel project later down the line.
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Spider-Man: Homecomingstarred Connelly as the voice of Karen, the user interface in Peter Parker’s suit, providing a quirky A.I. sidekick to the web-slinger. Connelly is coincidentally married toPaul Bettanywho also provided the voice for Tony Stark’s user interface J.A.R.V.I.S before becoming Vision.
To The Bifrost! - Idris Elba
As the guard of Asgard’s Bifrost Bridge, all-seeing Heimdall was a pivotal character throughout his appearances in theThorandAvengersmovies and was excellently portrayed byIdris Elba. Heimdall’s sudden death at the beginning ofAvengers: Infinity Warwas anemotional end for the character, but Elba has stated in the past that he thinks there may be a way back for him after all. Given the MCU’s multiversal plans, anything is possible.
Idris Elba also appeared in Sony’sGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeanceas Moreau, a French mercenary who joined forces with Johnny Blaze. Though the character was original to the movie and had no comic book appearance to base him on, Elba applied the same concept to the eyes of Moreau as he did Heimdall, wearing special contact lenses to give that “all-seeing” look.
I Can Do This All Day - Chris Evans
Perhaps one of the most recognizable faces in cinema today,Chris Evansmade his initial debut as Steve Rogers inCaptain America: The First Avengerand has since gone on to be a key figure in the MCU’s ongoing story. After leading his own trilogy and starring in the fourAvengersteam up movies since, it’s hard to imagine Evans playing any other Marvel hero than the super soldier.
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Prior to his stint as Captain America, Evans starred in 2005’sFantastic Fouras Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch. After an underwhelming sequel in 2007, Fox subsequently rebooted the franchise in 2015, with Evans a fully established Avenger by that time.
This Is The End, For Us Both - Laurence Fishburne
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surferwas Fox’s ambitious sequel to their 2005 film, delving into the cosmic side of things and introducing the Silver Surfer, voiced by Hollywood legendLaurence Fishburne.
11 years later, Fishburne was introduced to the MCU and played Bill Foster aka Goliath inAnt-Man and the Wasp. The movie ended with Foster agreeing to leave the city with Ava Starr aka Ghost, but left the door open for both characters to return in future films.
Is This Your King? - Michael B. Jordan
Following its release in 2018,Black Pantherwas quickly cemented as one of the most beloved MCU movies of all time and stunned audiences with its beautiful visuals and passionate performances.Michael B. Jordanstarred oppositeChadwick Boseman’sT’Challa as Erik Killmonger, playing on the emotions of the audience and becoming one of the most memorable Marvel antagonists.
A few years earlier, Jordan appeared in Fox’s attempted Fantastic Four reboot as Johnny Storm. The 2015 film won’t exactly go down as a classic, though, and fans are eagerly anticipating the MCU’s upcoming take on Marvel’s first family.
This Is The Thanks I Get? - David Hasselhoff
Samuel L. Jacksonmade the role of Nick Fury iconic throughout his appearances in the MCU, and Marvel even asked permission to use his likeness for the character in their comics, long before he was cast in the movies. Back in 1998, however,David Hasselhoffappeared as the lead inNick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, a made-for-TV movie.
Though Hasselhoff’s incarnation of the character was far from memorable, his short but sweet appearance inGuardians of the Galaxy 2won’t be forgotten. Hasselhoff appeared as himself in a brief cameo as one of Ego’s transformations, a character that certainly won’t be recast.
It’s Been Agatha All Along - Kathryn Hahn
2020’sWandaVisionwas one of the MCU’s most ambitious projects at the time, and it certainly paid off. As Disney+’s first original MCU show, WandaVision introduced us to a number of new faces, but none made as much of an impression asKathryn Hahn’s Agnes. Hahn played the role of Wanda’s nosey neighbor, later to be revealed as the witch Agatha Harkness, and was thestandout star of the series.
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It wasn’t Hahn’s first Marvel role, however, as she previously provided the voice of Olivia Octavius aka Doc Ock inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This unique take on Doc Ock was a welcome swerve away from previous incarnations of the character, proving just how well Kathryn Hahn could perform as a comic book villain.
You’re Gonna Need A Really Good Lawyer - Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau’s role as director ofIron Manback in 2008 was pivotal in the continued success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and set an example for countless films and tv shows to follow. Favreau is somewhat of an unsung hero of the MCU and has since directedIron Man 2as well as continuing to appear as Happy Hogan throughout the Infinity Saga and playing a key role in theSpider-Mantrilogy.
Favreau’s first Marvel role came in the form of another trusty sidekick, Foggy Nelson, in 2003’sDaredevil.The Ben Affleck-led movie hasn’t aged well, but fans have since witnessedCharlie Coximpress in the role as Matt Murdock in Marvel’sDaredevilseries, originally created for Netflix. As fate would have it, Cox’s Matt Murdock showed up in 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Homeand shared a scene with Favreau’s Happy Hogan, in a meta nod to those in the know and likely a precious moment for Favreau himself.
All Is Revealed - Oscar Isaac
X-Men: Apocalypsefinally gave fans a long-awaited on-screen depiction of one of Marvel’s most powerful characters and earliest mutants, En Sabah Nur aka Apocalypse. Unfortunately, the movie underwhelmed audiences and many were left disappointed by the lack of intimidating and dominating presence they were expecting, despite the talentedOscar Isaacbeing cast in the role.
Isaac’s latest role, however, sees him portray multiple personalities as the lead protagonist in the MCU’sMoon Knight,currently streaming on Disney+. Isaac is already impressing as he switches between unassuming Steven Grant and mercenary Marc Spector and will undoubtedly see long-term success as the Marvel Cinematic Universe heads into a new, supernatural direction.
