Earlier this week news broke that Crazy Rich Asians and Captain Marvel actress Gemma Chan was in talks to join the cast of Marvel’s upcoming The Eternals. Some sources claim she’ll be playing a different character, and if true this would be the first time the same actor would appear in the MCU as two different characters. Curious thing, right?
This of course led me to start thinking about all the other actors who’ve played more than one character in Marvel movies, MCU or otherwise. With that said, here’s the quick (and probably incomplete!) list we came up with:
Mahershala Ali as Cottonmouth and Blade
Before he was a two-time Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner for his roles in Moonlight and Green Book, Ali appeared in the first season of the 2016 Netflix original series Luke Cage as that show’s first primary antagonist, Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, but more recently has been revealed to have been cast as the lead in the forthcoming MCU Blade reboot.
(Marvel Pictures)
Enver Gjokaj as NYPD Officer and Agent Daniel Sousa
Blink and you’ll miss Gjokaj’s appearance during the Battle of New York in 2012’s The Avengers, but he’s definitely there on the ground as an NYPD officer on duty when Loki and the Chitauri armies attack the Big Apple. We all know him better of course as Peggy Carter’s kind-hearted fellow SSR agent, Daniel Sousa on ABC’s Agent Carter.
(Marvel Pictures)
Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask and Eitri
We all know Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, but he also took on two generations of mutants in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past as that film’s antagonist Bolivar Trask. More recently Dinklage appeared as Eitri, the last living Dwarf on Nidavellir who then forged Stormbreaker (“It’s a bit much…”) for Thor in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War.
(Marvel Pictures)
Laurence Fishburne as Norrin Radd and Bill Foster
If you don’t remember Fishburne appearing in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer that’s ok! But he’s definitely there, lending his voice talents as Norrin Radd, the eponymous Silver Surfer himself throughout the film. But what if we told you he would return? Fishburne made his MCU debut (on screen this time!) as Dr. Bill Foster, an old S.H.I.E.L.D. ally of Hank Pym’s in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp.
(Marvel Pictures)
Jon Favreau as Foggy Nelson and Happy Hogan
We all owe Favreau a tremendous debt of gratitude for his role directing the 2008’s Iron Man, which launched the MCU, but before he appeared in that film as Tony Stark’s bodyguard Happy Hogan, you may recall he also played attorney Foggy Nelson alongside Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock in 2003’s Daredevil. While his nervous Foggy was fun to watch, it’s his loyal Happy Hogan that really captured our hearts.
(Marvel Pictures)
Alfre Woodard as Mariam Sharpe and Mariah Dillard
Fans will remember Woodard for her powerful scene as Miriam Sharpe at the beginning of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War in which she brings Tony Stark back down to earth with the somber revelation that her son had died in Sokovia during the events of 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, but she also played Cottonmouth’s scheming cousin, Mariah Dillard on Netflix’s Luke Cage, ascending to full-on villain in that series in its second season.
(Marvel Pictures)
Josh Brolin as Thanos and Cable
It was inevitable that we’d include Brolin, who not only appeared as two different characters but did so in the same year, playing the Mad Titan Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Cable in Deadpool 2, both released in 2018. The hardest choices require the strongest will of course, but it sounds like Brolin made the best choice accepting both roles!
(Marvel Pictures)
Chris Evans as Johnny Storm and Steve Rogers and Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm and Erik Killmonger
We, of course, have to mention Evans and Jordan, both of whom played Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. Evans appeared originally in this role in both 2005’s Fantastic Four and its sequel, 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Of course, MCU fans know him better as everyone’s favorite super soldier Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Jordan assumed the Johnny Storm role in 2015’s Fantastic Four reboot but he would later go on to great acclaim as perhaps the MCU’s most compelling villain to date, T’Challa’s revolutionary cousin Erik Killmonger in 2018’s Black Panther.
(Marvel Pictures)
Stan Lee as Stan Lee
Did you really think we’d forget Stan? Appearing in Marvel movies going all the way back to 1989’s The Trial of The Incredible Hulk, he did it all: Willie Lumpkin delivering mail to the Baxter Building. A FedEx delivery man asking “Are you Tony Stank?” was just brilliant. Celebrities like Larry King and Hugh Hefner. A Sakaran barber giving Thor a bad haircut. He even played himself reading a Mallrats script in 2018’s Captain Marvel. Stan, you truly are the man! ‘Nuff said!
(Marvel Pictures)
Did we miss your favorite actor? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter at @lootcrate! Honestly, with so many really amazing characters it is quite hard to fit everyone we love in! Let us know some of the characters and actors you look forward to seeing on the big screen in these huge epic stories!
