The year 2008 marks the beginning of one of the biggest movie franchises in film history: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, comic book superhero movies were around, like the Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes, the ensemble X-Men movies, perhaps most popularly, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise. That being said, even the best superhero movies weren’t the sole dominating box office draw they are today.

When Iron Man was released in 2008, it was more or a less a gamble. Nobody had expected one film to kick-start a billion-dollar franchise that now boasts dozens of interconnected films and Disney+ series across multiple franchises. Because of the MCU’s fame and fortune, actors who get cast in leading superhero roles naturally see their careers jump to new heights, gaining worldwide recognition. Of course, prior to joining the mega-franchise, MCU actors are, after all, still actors, trying to make the best careers for themselves. This often involves taking on smaller roles in hit films before becoming famous. Indeed, here’s a look at eight notable movies that starred MCU actors before they were superheroes.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Home Alone 3 — Scarlett Johansson

     Hughes Entertainment

Although Home Alone 3 wasn’t met with as critical a success as its predecessors, it still did pretty well upon its release. Its mixed reception was likely the result of the absence of Kevin McAllister, played by Macaulay Culkin, in favor of Alex Pruitt (played by Alex D. Linz), as well as the change in directors, from Chris Columbus to Raja Gosnell. Nonetheless, Home Alone 3 featured a young Scarlett Johansson as Molly, Alex’s sister. To prove just how long ago that was, the actress recently watched the film with her daughter to see if she recognized her (via People).

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7 21 Jump Street — Brie Larson

     Relativity Media

21 Jump Street is an action buddy cop comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as police officers Schmidt and Jenko, who are forced to relive their high school days when they’re assigned to an undercover mission as high school students in order to prevent the spread of a new drug. In a minor role, Captain Marvel herself Brie Larson plays Molly, who is one of the drug leader’s friends and Schmidt’s love interest. Although it was one of Larson’s breakthrough roles, she didn’t return for the sequel as the directors admitted they couldn’t find a place for the character in the story.

6 Notorious — Anthony Mackie

     Bad Boy Films

Following the life and murder of rapper The Notorious B.I.G. / Biggie Smalls, Notorious is a biographical drama that stars Jamal Woolard as Wallace, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, and, yes, our new Captain America, Anthony Mackie, as Tupac Shakur. Incidentally, Mackie tried to convince the producers to let him rap a little in the movie, but they wouldn’t budge (per MTV, via The Playlist). Nonetheless, it was a big honor for the MCU actor to land such an important role that early in his career.

5 Star Trek — Chris Hemsworth

     Paramount Pictures

The 2009 Star Trek movie is the 11th in the franchise, and follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) aboard the USS Enterprise as they combat Nero. In his feature film debut, Chris Hemsworth plays James’ father, who died aboard the USS Kelvin early on the film while battling the Romulans. He reprised the role very briefly and only in voice in the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness. Just two years after Star Trek’s release, of course, Hemsworth made his MCU introduction in Thor.

4 Kill Your Darlings — Elizabeth Olsen

     Killer Films

Directed by John Krokidas in his feature directorial debut, Kill Your Darlings is a biographical drama film about the college days of some of the earliest writers of the Beat Generation, such as Lucien Carr and Allen Ginsberg. The movie garnered very positive reviews, mostly due to the excellent performances of Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan in the aforementioned roles. And, yes, even Elizabeth Olsen stars in the film as Edie Parker, wife (at the time) of Jack Kerouac. For Olsen, this film lies in the few years between graduating from NYU and joining the MCU as fan-favorite Wanda Maximoff.

3 Her — Chris Pratt

     Annapurna Pictures

Having received five nominations at the 86th Academy Awards, it’s safe to say that the science-fiction romantic drama Her was a huge success. We’re well aware that the character of Theodore Twombly is played by Joaquin Phoenix and that the AI virtual assistant he falls in love with is voiced by Johansson. But, you might not have remembered that Chris Pratt stars in the movie as well. He even proudly tweeted about it back in 2013: “I’m in a movie with Joaquin Phoenix directed by Spike Jonze. It’s called #HER I have a supporting role. Last night I spelled Jonze wrong.” Around the time of Her’s release, Pratt was predominantly known for his role on Parks and Recreation, and had only played small roles in major films. The year after, however, would mark his debut as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy.

2 The Secret World of Arrietty — Tom Holland

     Studio Ghibli

Animated by Studio Ghibli and written by Hayao Miyazaki himself, The Secret World of Arrietty is a fantasy film about a family of tiny people who secretly live in the walls of a typical household and steal human food for themselves to survive. It may come as a surprise, but for the English dubbing, we can hear Tom Holland in the role of Sho, alongside names such as Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, and Amy Poehler. Many found out this information only after Holland became famous as the MCU’s Spider-Man, of course.

1 Atonement — Benedict Cumberbatch

Based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan, Atonement is a romantic war drama film starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley in the leading roles. The plot spans over six decades, starting from the 1930s, and tells the love story between Robbie Turner (McAvoy) and Cecilia Tallis (Knightley). Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the movie as well, in the small but pivotal role of Paul Marshall, whose major crime in the 30s poses grave repercussions for everyone else. For Cumberbatch, this role came just a few years before his breakout turn in Sherlock, which, in turn, came years before Dcotor Strange in 2016.