Stars you forgot were in Marvel movies
From Sylvester Stallone and Guy Pearce to Glenn Close and Liv Tyler, there’s a deep bench of Marvel actors we always forget about.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a hefty beast full of A-listers, Oscar winners and Bright Young Things.
There’s a deep bench of stars that have called the MCU home in the past 12 years – you only have to sit through the very long end credits of Avengers: Endgame to take in the sheer volume of names that were in that movie alone.
It takes three minutes and six seconds and 54 names to go from Don Cheadle to Robert Downey Jr – and via more “ands”, “featurings” and withs” than I’ve ever seen in a credits run before – “featuring Bradley Cooper, featuring Vin Diesel, with Gwyneth Paltrow, with Robert Redford, with Josh Brolin, with Chris Pratt and Samuel L. Jackson”.
By the by, hats off to whoever had to negotiate with everyone’s agents as to where the stars would land in the credits – the fact that Tilda Swinton is the 23rd name to appear is proof enough that it’s a bonkers roster.
But with 23 movies in the MCU collection, so far, and with excitement brewing over even just the Oscar winners in its future instalments (Rachel Weisz, Angelina Jolie and Mahershala Ali), it’s easy to forget even big names who have previously played in this sandbox, especially if their movies were in phases one and two.
Because for every Downey Jr or Johansson, there’s a Chris O’Dowd or Guy Pearce – forgotten Marvel stars who once called the MCU home, even just for a little while.
LIV TYLER
Liv Tyler was Bruce Banner’s love interest Betty Ross in The Incredible Hulk but she, along with everything except for William Hurt’s Thunderbolt Ross, was swept out with Edward Norton when Mark Ruffalo was recast as the jolly green giant.
In all the Marvel retrospective videos and featurettes released around the time of the 10-year anniversary and Endgame, there is negligible acknowledgment The Incredible Hulk even existed.
In the gargantuan 10-year class photo, director Louis Leterrier and Hurt both suited up, but no one else, including Tyler, Norton, Tim Roth and Tim Blake Nelson, was present.
Likelihood of return: Doubtful given the purge.
REBECCA HALL
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Rebecca Hall’s Iron Man 3 character, bio-botanist Maya Hansen, was supposed to be a more substantial villain character that was meant to make it to at least the final confrontation instead of getting randomly shot midway through.
Iron Man 3 director Shane Black later revealed he had been told, unceremoniously, to reduce the character because female superheroes don’t sell toys.
Black didn’t specify who this directive came from but it’s famously the philosophy of former Marvel Entertainment Ike Perlmutter whose regressive attitudes to female-led and culturally diverse-led stories led to blows between him and now Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige.
Perlmutter remains the chairman of Marvel but Disney eventually removed him from any positions of real influence.
Likelihood of return: She dead.
GUY PEARCE
From spurned super-nerd to homicidal maniac, Guy Pearce’s Iron Man 3 villain, Aldrich Killian, really turned the temperature up, until it backfired on him.
Fun fact: Pearce once said in an interview that Downey Jr was distracted by his Birkenstocks during a crucial fight scene.
Likelihood of return: He dead.
TERENCE HOWARD
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Before Don Cheadle donned Rhodey’s War Machine irons, Terrence Howard had the arduous task of trying to keep rebellious playboy Tony Stark in check.
But rumours of on-set tensions and a bitter contract dispute saw Howard fired before Iron Man 2. The story goes that it was fewer than 24 hours between Howard’s agent telling Marvel to stick it and Cheadle signing the dotted line.
Likelihood of return: About as likely as Ed Norton.
CHRIS O’DOWD
Poor Chris O’Dowd never stood a chance as Richard, a perfectly nice-seeming young man hoping to court Jane Foster. He took her out for a lovely meal in a restaurant with spectacular views over London.
Jane was obviously not over Thor and promptly forgot about Richard. So did O’Dowd, apparently, who admitted as much in a 2019 MTV interview.
Did Chris O'Dowd (@BigBoyler) just totally forget he was in a #Thor movie??? 😂 pic.twitter.com/2kCOchbhga
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) February 5, 2019
Likelihood of return: None.
NATALIE DORMER
A post-Tudors but pre-Game of Thrones Natalie Dormer had a small role in Captain America as Private Lorraine Nolastname.
She tried to seduce Steve Rogers in the underground war bunker, going so far as to plant her lips on his. It was a thankless role, written only for Peggy to catch them and be jealous, confirming her interest in Steve as a romantic partner.
Likelihood of return: She probably dead.
TOMMY LEE JONES
A tough but fair US commanding officer in World War II, Colonel Chester Phillips was Steve Rogers’ army boss.
Initially sceptical of Rogers’ “90-pound” frame, he went on to respect Rogers’ courage, heart and sacrifice. A photo of him hangs in the SHIELD compound at Camp Lehigh.
Likelihood of return: He dead.
SYLVESTER STALLONE/VING RHAMES/MICHELLE YEOH
Stallone, Rhames and Yeoh all cameo-ed in the second Guardians movies as leaders of the Ravager clans – and it was teased they should work together again.
But it’s been so long since then that maybe James Gunn’s plans have changed?
Additionally, Yeoh is currently in Sydney, having just finished her two-week hotel quarantine, which lines up with the timing of the restart of production on Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings.
Another clue is her Crazy Rich Asians co-star Awkwafina, who is confirmed to be in Shang-Chi, replied to Yeoh’s Instagram posts about quarantine with “I know your pain” while Simu Liu, who will play Shang-Chi and has remained in Sydney throughout the pandemic, wrote “Almost!!”.
Likelihood of return: Yeoh, very likely, but possibly as someone else, the others, 50/50.
BEN KINGSLEY
The fearsome “Mandarin” was revealed to be harmless and friendly out-of-work English actor Trevor Slattery, who has a penchant for drugs and ladies.
Captured by Tony Stark and sent to Seagate prison, he was broken out by a henchman of the real Mandarin, who was none-too-pleased to have his name co-opted by old mate Trev and would like a word.
The Mandarin, in the comics, is a character in charge of the Ten Rings organisation, which will feature in the upcoming Shang-Chi movie – presumably, since the movie is called Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings.
Likelihood of return: Hoping for a cameo (or at least a reference) in Shang-Chi, if he’s still even alive.
OLIVIA MUNN
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Olivia Munn later squeezed into X-Men villain Psylocke’s purple, ribboned costume in X-Men: Apocalypse but she had a bit part in Iron Man 2 as a TV reporter covering the Stark Expo.
We say bit part and not cameo because Munn wasn’t anywhere near well-known enough at the time for it to have been cameo-status.
Likelihood of return: Only as Psylocke in a future MCU which includes X-Men.
DONALD GLOVER
Glover appeared as small-time crim Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming where he was trying to buy weapons boosted by alien tech from Vulture’s crew. Peter Parker later tracked him down while he was loading shopping into his car.
Davis gave Peter Parker the Staten Island ferry lead and some sage advice on how to be a more effective interrogator.
Likelihood of return: 50/50 – Aaron Davis is the uncle of future Spider-Man Miles Morales (who he referenced as having “a nephew”) and Glover is further enmeshed in the Disney family after Lion King, and once you’re in, you’re in (unless you’re Terrence Howard).
JULIE DELPY
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The acclaimed writer, director and actor known for films including Before Sunrise and Two Days in Paris, Delpy appeared briefly in Avengers: Age of Ultron as Madame B, a figure from Natasha’s formative years.
The stern Madame B appeared in Natasha’s psychedelic, Scarlet Witch-induced flashbacks to her training in the Russian Red Rooms, the breeding ground of Black Widow assassins.
Likelihood of return: Unlikely, but small, outside chance in the upcoming Black Widow movie.
MADS MIKKELSEN
A former member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was the Big Bad of the Doctor Strange movie.
Kaecilius became disillusioned with the Ancient One and broke away, chasing immortality within the Dark Dimension. Doctor Strange fulfilled his goal, but not in the way Kaecilius imagined, who is now stuck in a loop of torment.
Likelihood to return: He trapped.
TY BURRELL
In 2007 and 2008, Ty Burrell played two versions of the same character in different movies, as the amiable-enough third wheel boyfriend of the romantic interest to our hero.
Similar to his National Treasure: Book of Secrets character, Burrell’s The Incredible Hulk role was a nice guy, Leonard, who happened to be dating Betty Ross. Sure, he was indirectly responsible for a disaster by tattling to her daddy but he wasn’t the worst.
Likelihood of return: He dumped.
STANLEY TUCCI
Reliable for an aphorism or two, Dr Abraham Erskine developed the serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America.
Gentle of spirit, kind of heart and wise of mind, Dr Erskine’s advocacy for Steve is what gave Cap the encouragement he needed. It really is a shame a German operative put some slugs in him. You could say he was the first MCU person that needed Cap’s “avenging”.
Likelihood to return: He dead.
GLENN CLOSE
Even with all the powdered wigs of Dangerous Liaisons, surely seven-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close has never had a costume as amazing as her Nova Corps commander Irani Rael – oh, wait, maybe her Cruella get-up?
Arguing against recalcitrant Kree ambassadors and standing firm in battle against Ronan the Accuser, nevertheless, Irani’s fate was likely grim after we learnt that Thanos managed to retrieve the Power Stone that she was guarding on Xandar.
Likelihood of return: She probably dead.
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