These days, it seems as though every recognizable actor under the sun has appeared or is planning to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With dozens of movies – and now television spin-offs – under its belt, the MCU has finally become the film equivalent of its comic counterpart: massive, interconnected in story, and completely stuffed with characters we somehow always remember and cheer for.
While some actors have rejected the idea of joining the ever-growing multiverse, whether for fear of being pigeonholed by the role or out of a personal dislike for big-budget superhero movies, there are also just as many actors who are chomping at the bit to get their chance at the MCU. Here’s a small sample: 11 actors who have expressed keen interest in joining the MCU but have not quite gotten the nod yet (plus one that many fans would just like to see).
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12 Simon Pegg
StudioCanal
Simon Pegg expressed interest in playing British superhero Captain Britain after being briefly considered as Ant-Man before Paul Rudd was handed the role. Pegg certainly has the comedic chops for the current quip heavy methodology of MCU films, but he’s also demonstrated a talent for drama and action in the Mission Impossible movies, in his role as Benji Dunn.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Captain Britain doesn’t seem to be on the docket in the very near future, but we’ve seen Marvel pull somewhat obscure heroes from their archives and put them on the big screen to great success. And should they make that decision with this particular Captain – which might make sense, considering the state of Captain America is somewhat in limbo as the shield has been passed down – let’s hope they give the nod to Pegg.
11 Adam Sandler
Sony Pictures Releasing
You could almost close your eyes and imagine the Sandman as the voice behind Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians for the Galaxy movies. He even auditioned for the part in the early 2010s – In fact, Sandler auditioned for the roles of Rocket and Groot.
Many would love to see Adam Sandler in a major role or as a superhero, but the idea of him appearing in the MCU movies not only calls to mind CGI characters like Rocket and Groot, but also recent appearances from Russel Crowe (Love and Thunder) or Kurt Russel (Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol II), where a recognizable actor plays a villain, even a comedic one. It’s hard to deny, however, that Sandler has tremendous dramatic talent, most recently demonstrated in the movie Uncut Gems, which was a performance that earned him the Film Independent Spirit award for Best Male Lead (Seriously, go watch his acceptance speech, it’ll make you want to both laugh and cheer for him).
While nothing has been officially announced, he may be getting his wish sooner rather than later. Marvel has recently been looking into his availability for future projects.
10 Jessica Chastain
Columbia Pictures
C. Robert Cargill, one of the screenwriters for Doctor Strange, said Jessica Chastain turned down her potential role in the movie in the ‘coolest way’, as reported by Indiewire.
“She’s like, ‘Hey, look, this project sounds awesome, and I would love to do it. But I’m only going to get one shot at being in a Marvel film and becoming a Marvel character; and I trained in ballet, and I really want to wear a cape,’” Cargill said. “It’s the coolest rejection ever…She wanted to be in a Marvel movie, but she wanted to be the superhero, not the badass doctor Night Nurse.”
She has stated more recently, however, that she would be more interested in playing the supervillain. After playing the villain Vuk in Dark Phoenix, she told ComicBook.com , ”I think that I would be more interested in playing a villain than a comic book hero, because I think villains have more fun, honestly," She continued, “I would love it to be a villain that’s already established in the comic books and not created, like, a new thing. And, also, I would like it to be a villain that you don’t have to sign such a long deal for. I’m a one-and-done kind of girl. So it would be great to play a character that was naughty and then would disappear.”
Being both an Oscar winning actress (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye) and Golden Globe recipient (Scenes From a Marriage) should speak for her ability to follow in the footsteps of Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Josh Brolin (Thanos), and Christian Bale (Thor: Love and Thunder). On top of all that, she’s proven time and time again that she can handle intense action sequences that rival John Wick or the Bourne Movies, from her assassin in Ava, to her aforementioned comic book villain Vuk in Dark Phoenix.
9 Keanu Reeves
Warner Bros. Pictures
Many people wonder how it’s possible that this hasn’t happened yet, and several think it’s a blessing, since John Wick installments keep getting made. Keanu Reeves has said he’ll keep making them “As far as my legs can take me. As far as the audience wants to go…” Even still, Keanu has expressed interest in joining the MCU, stating, “It would be an honor. There’s some really amazing directors, and visionaries, and they’re doing something no one’s ever really done. It’s special in that sense in terms of the scale, the ambition, the production. So it’d be cool to be a part of that.”
Reeves has become an action legend, having turned his onscreen persona into the kind of action star power that inspires new actors to imitate it. With his patented zen-like acting methods, to his incredible martial arts and training for every action scene he’s been involved in since the Matrix, Keanu could bring a grounded and tactile feel to the sometimes weightless action of the Marvel movies. The biggest question is going to be who he should play.
8 Janelle Monáe
Netflix
After proving her acting talent in Moonlight, the superstar singer has shown interest in the MCU’s journey back to the X-men, and it looks as though the studio might agree, with whispers in the industry that they may cast Janelle Monae as Storm in an upcoming project.
This would be a perfect choice and a dream come true for her. She told Empire “One of my dreams has always been to play Storm. I don’t know if she comes in Black Panther, but it would be a dream to have her in it. I don’t know where they are with that. A lot of women have played Storm, and they’ve done an exceptional job, and I would love to be in that line of artists and get to do Storm justice.”
While Monae began her career as a singer and a rapper, she has quickly become a widely sought after actress, appearing in Moonlight and Hidden Figures back in 2016, Antebellum in 2020, and most recently, the Netflix / Riann Johnson collaboration Glass Onion : A Knives Out Mystery.
7 Method Man
20th Television
Although an interesting choice, it’s also one many people don’t see coming completely out of left field. Method Man believes he could absolutely don spandex and a cowl (depending on the hero), telling Insider that he’s got “the shirt off action film thing” already and could pull off the “run, stoic, face straight running with your shirt off kind of thing.”
It’s an interesting proposition, because even though Method Man is practically a household name, his appearance on a stage as large as the Marvel Cinematic Universe would likely seem fresh-faced, giving him a potential surprise and recognition factor that could be a lot of fun.
Method Man is obviously a legend of hip hop, one of the original members of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has since followed the familiar path to film and television from music, appearing in the recent Shaft remake alongside Samuel L. Jackson, as well as recurring character appearances in HBO’s The Deuce.
6 Norman Reedus
AMC
Arguably the main draw for most of The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus has expressed interest in playing Ghost Rider in an upcoming reboot of the infamous late 2000s Nicholas Cage vehicles, telling Insider “fingers crossed” and to “light a candle.”
In December 2021, Giant Freakin Robot reported that he had signed the deal to play the character, fueling major online speculation with Reedus himself tweeting a link to an Instagram post with fan art of him as the character. However, Reedus’s representative told Entertainment Weekly there was “no truth to this at this time”.
However, Marvel is finally returning to characters with earlier stand-alone movies like Blade (now Mahershala Ali), and Ghost Rider is prime for a reboot. So, if this ends up happening, many people would not be surprised in the slightest. Many people would consider a proper Ghost Rider treatment with Norman Reedus in a leading role and a good director overseeing the project as something that would be truly amazing to watch.
5 Eddie Redmayne
Working Title Films
A highly versatile actor, Eddie Redmayne originally auditioned for a role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and has since stated that he has a specific interest in playing a “weird English baddie” and that “they look like they have quite a lot of fun.”
Now that John Krasinski has entered the picture in an alternate dimension Mister Fantastic (a role he is likely to reprise when the Fantastic Four get their next outing), many fans are clamoring for Eddie to play the Silver Surfer.
Not exactly a “weird British baddie,” but certainly one of the coolest characters in Marvel history, and one whose movements and demeanor seem to almost naturally fit Redmayne’s public persona – being a lower level cosmic being, the Surfer spends much of his time contemplating the nature of the universe and his place in it.
4 Alison Brie
Alison Brie has auditioned for several roles in the MCU, and even directed an episode of Marvel’s 616, but has yet to book a part officially. She continues to express interest, however, telling Comicbook.com that she “absolutely would be open to working with them again, in front of or behind the camera.”
Alison Brie has been on a bit of a hit streak lately, though largely on smaller budget fare. After her breakout role in Mad Men, she’s recently appeared in Netflix sensation Horse Girl and The Disaster Artist, although she also had a part in both Lego Movies, which not only carried a sizable budget, but were absolutely hilarious and charming.
3 Channing Tatum
United Artists Releasing
Channing Tatum has said he was so traumatized by the cancelation of Gambit that he hasn’t been able to see any of the movies, but he would “love to play the character in the future.”
Now with Disney and Marvel planning the return of the X-Men, is it possible we’ll see some of the original cast return? Could Channing’s wish come true? On the one hand, many would expect to see new faces to separate the two franchises, and to match the ages of the characters, but we HAVE seen Patrick Stewart return as Professor X in Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness, and with Gambit under all that makeup, many of those issues may not actually be issues at all. Time will tell.
2 Jason Momoa
Warner Bros. Television
The Aquaman and Game Of Thrones star originally removed himself from the running for the character of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy because of its similarity to other characters he’s played. Jason Momoa has, however, expressed interest in the character of Wolverine, and as cool as that sounds, there could be some complications. Namely, the apparent return of Hugh Jackman as the character in the next Deadpool film, even though he died in Logan and the actor said he was finished with the role. There’s also another actor getting a lot of attention regarding the return of Wolverine, which leads us to…
1 Daniel Radcliffe
Momentum Pictures
While he hasn’t publicly expressed much interest, a picture of Daniel Radcliffe as Wolverine sharpening his claws has consistently caused a stir among fans since it first appeared in 2019.
Radcliffe knows his way around long-running franchises, specifically ones that involve impossible powers, sneering villains, and multiple film entries as the central character. It’s clear he has the talent for it, but that could go either way, as he may be hesitant to sign up for another multiple film contract. However, unlike the rest of the actors on this list, there have been no public statements of interest from Radcliffe as far as joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
