There are points in movie history when specific actors nail a role so well that they become icons unto themselves. Think Hugh Jackman’s near-perfect portrayal of Wolverine in the X-Men franchise, which spanned seventeen years and nine cinematic appearances, making him a household name in the process.
The MCU has struck gold in similar ways by casting actors that are absolutely spot-on when it comes to character portrayals. However, some have missed the mark in certain ways, and haven’t stood up as well in comparison to the rest. Here are 5 actors who absolutely rocked their MCU roles, and 5 who missed the mark.
10 Missed It: Terrence Howard (James Rhodes/War Machine)
By now, the spat between actor Terrence Howard and the MCU team is well established and verifiable. Howard played James Rhodes in the first Iron Man film before he was nudged out to make room for actor Don Cheadle in all subsequent appearances. Howard went on to attack both Marvel and fellow actor Robert Downey Jr. with a series of hot-water accusations.
Fences have since been mended, but one thing was left clear: Don Cheadle was a better fit for the role. Howard is a fine actor, but he looked too young and inexperienced to fill the shoes of James Rhodes. It’s a shame he didn’t get to fulfill his “next time” promise from the first Iron Man film, but the MCU was probably better off for it.
9 Nailed It: Edward Norton (Bruce Banner/The Hulk)
Say what thou wilt about the first MCU Hulk film; Edward Norton did make for one great Bruce Banner. It’s a travesty that plans fell through which prevented him from moving onto subsequent MCU films, as a Norton-led Avengers-era Hulk would have been quite a boost for the character.
Norton played a far more confident, alert, and convincing Bruce Banner than Mark Ruffalo, which would have been a definite asset in storylines like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Infinity War. MCU boss Kevin Feige put out a notorious statement insinuating that Norton did not possess a “collaborative spirit” in relation to “other talented cast members,” but Norton responded to the accusation with class. Though the actor has a reputation for being difficult to work with, this was a good move on his part.
8 Missed It: Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye/Clint Barton)
As far as missing the mark, Jeremy Renner is one of the lesser offenders. A big reason for the actor not resonating as well with his character in relation to his castmates had more to do with the material given to him. He played Hawkeye a lot closer to the chest than his comic book counterpart, but his status as a secondary character never really worked in his favor.
Renner is a fine actor, but the character of Hawkeye was nipped and pruned way too much. As such, Renner was never really capable of capitalizing on his character’s comic book alter ego until much later on in the Avengers films. He did have his moments, and hopefully, audiences will see more of them in the upcoming standalone series.
7 Nailed It: Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow)
What could have been a secondary character ended up becoming one of the most iconic in the entire MCU, thanks largely to a dynamite performance by actress Scarlett Johansson. She managed to accomplish something that audiences probably weren’t expecting — she grew her character arc.
Though that’s somewhat humorous given the sci-fi blockbuster formula, it’s true. Black Widow’s introduction in Iron Man 2 soon blossomed into a central Avengers character who seemed to reinvent herself with each appearance. Her status as a wingmate to Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier is just as unique as her sacrificial character arc in Avengers: Endgame. She’s a real human who connects to the audience.
6 Missed It: Mickey Rourke (Whiplash/Ivan Vanko)
Iron Man 2 was a victim of its own chosen villain, and Ivan Vanko was written as a waste for an actor of Mickey Rourke’s stature. As such, nobody really remembers (or cares) that much about the character in relation to other heavy hitters in the MCU. This one can’t be blamed squarely on Rourke.
Nevertheless, the combination of limited subject matter, an anemic backstory, and second-rate villain status mean that Rourke was never able to capitalize on his character. He failed to nail it because, in essence, there was nothing there to nail in the first place.
5 Nailed It: Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
Finding the right actor to take on the titular Thor must have been a Herculean feat. Thankfully, Chris Hemsworth landed the role and ended up becoming one of the most recognizable and popular characters in the MCU. His first outing in the standalone Thor movie was a decent introduction, but its sequel did little to advance his character.
Thankfully, Thor’s status as an Avenger gave him plenty of opportunities to shine, while growing at the same time. Eventually, the character took on a comedic turn in the third (and hugely successful) Thor film, before migrating into funnier and more creative pastures with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, respectively.
4 Missed It: Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson isn’t the most renowned actor of his time, and his appearances on film haven’t been particularly memorable. He did score wins with his portrayal of Dave Lizewski in Kick-Ass, and Ives in the recently released Tenet, so here’s to hoping he can build on those great performances.
However, this unfortunate fact played out in his portrayal of Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Never mind that his character was killed off far too soon to let Wanda Maximoff take center stage. Taylor-Johnson simply didn’t shine in the role.
3 Nailed It: Josh Brolin (Thanos)
The MCU version of Thanos may be significantly different from his comic book counterpart, but it was enough to make the character work, especially with Josh Brolin’s anthemic portrayal. It’s hard to imagine anyone else more perfect for this role besides Brolin, a fact made clear by his forefront performances in the Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame films.
Brolin was able to capture much of the subtlety of Thanos’ character, while still referencing elements from the comic book. He was a justified megalomaniac, and an intellectual plagued by visions of a future that he could not unsee. In battle, he was fierce, but it was his quieter moments that were the most impacting.
2 Missed It: Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel)
There’s something about Brie Larson that does not sit well with MCU fans. Though Captain Marvel did traverse the globe and manage to pick up over $1 billion in box office receipts, fan reaction was lukewarm, at best. Part of the blame can be placed on the fact that Captain Marvel was a bit like the first Thor movie; a formula that couldn’t have worked as well at that point in the MCU journey.
Larson herself has made a rather notorious name for herself in the press with a number of incendiary statements that were interpreted as an attack on longtime comic fans, which probably didn’t help. However, it’s also obvious that the character missed all the important cues of her comic book interpretation, and Larson simply couldn’t make the performance stick.
1 Nailed It: Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man/Tony Stark)
Robert Downey Jr. is the Godfather of the MCU. He helped kick the entire thing off by setting the template for what was to follow. The rest, as everyone knows, is glorious cinematic history. His portrayal of the overly flawed Tony Stark in the first Iron Man film was superb, and practically perfect across the board.
Though the character would suffer a few weird hiccups in his development over subsequent films, Downey Jr.’s enthusiasm, wit, and charm were never lost. It was fitting that he would sacrifice himself at the end of Avengers: Endgame, allowing the series to come full circle back to its roots.
About The Author