Marvel’s cinematic universe is entering unknown territory with its next phase of films and series. As the universe expands, it will have more functions available.
The MCU has been so successful in the past that it gives Marvel carte blanche to escalate just about anyone they want (including A-Listers) into each part, without risking future success. In the last round of casting calls, there were many unknown or little-known actors cast for prominent roles, and MCU fans didn’t care at all.
Some of the main stars of the MCU
The MCU has a great star power behind it. Consider some A-listers who inhabited the universe:
- Anthony Hopkins, a legend of the stage and the screen, played Odin.
- Oscar winner Cate Blanchett played Hela, the goddess of death
- Robert Downey, Jr. starred as Iron Man
- Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster, Thor’s love interest and eventually the woman who will take over Thor’s cloak
- Lupita Nyong’o, another Oscar winner, played Nakia
- Bradley Cooper’s face may not be in the MCU, but his voice plays an important role as Rocket Raccoon
Some other actors may not have been awarded, but they were famous at the time of their casting. Scarlett Johansson received several Oscar nominations and also became Black Widow.
Chris Evans starred in several big-budget Hollywood films before being cast as Captain America. Chris Pratt appeared on the sitcom Parks and Rec and movies like Moneyball and Zero Dark Thirty before receiving the call to play Star-Lord.
But while the MCU is driven by stars, there are many relatively unknown actors who had their first big chance to appear in a Marvel movie.
Previously unknown actors who had an opportunity at the MCU
Consider the actors who were not successful before the MCU, who are now considered familiar names:
- Chris Hemsworth’s only splash on the big screen before 2011 Thor played a small but important role as the father of Captain Kirk in 2009 Star Trek restart. Now? It is as recognizable as a star as it exists.
- Dave Bautista was well known to wrestling fans where he appeared as the WWE Baptist, but before 2014 he had not appeared in many notable films. All of that changed with Guardians of the Galaxy, where he starred as Drax.
- Tom Hiddleston’s turn as Loki not only led him to more roles in other films, but also allowed him to star in his own Disney + series.
Of course, while the MCU is supported by stars, it can also be a bit like a star maker.
Why fans are happy, unknown actors are flooding the MCU
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MCU fans went to Reddit to welcome the newest cast members announced from the next phase of the MCU. One fan noted that, unlike many other Hollywood franchises, this recent series of castings included some people who are not exactly familiar names:
“I love how most of this cast is relatively unknown (with the exception of the star-studded Eternals cast) and that they are likely to grow massively before these roles.”
At the moment, Marvel has the most successful movie franchise. This means that they can scale almost anyone they want in any role. The fact that they are filling many of these parts with unknown things is a good sign for fans. This means that they are taking a creative risk with artists who may not be big stars today, but can become big stars after getting that kind of opportunity.
You can always expect to see stars in the MCU, but don’t be shocked when they bet on someone who hasn’t had a chance like this before. Based on their background, they are probably right.