Recent announcements made at the SDCC indicate that the MCU shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With new films such as two new Avengers movies and a Fantastic Four movie having release dates, the future remains bright for superheroes on the big screen.
As future products continue to be announced, it’s fun to look back at past Marvel movies that may not have received as much love as the main MCU. There are plenty of actors who have starred in non-MCU Marvel movies who deserve a second chance at the Superhero genre. With many new heroes coming soon, some of these older actors still have a knack for creating iconic characters and earning their place in the MCU.
Michael Fassbender – Doctor Doom
Having previously played a creepy Supervillain on the Fox X-Men series, Michael Fassbender is no stranger to playing complicated villains who carry some weight on screen. His portrayal of a young Magneto was layered and complex. Her intense relationship with James Mcavoy’s Charles Xavier created some strange encounters.
His acting skills as Magneto would provide an excellent foundation for a perfect portrayal of Doctor Doom. Much like Magneto’s relationship with Professor X, Doctor Doom has an equally tortured rivalry with Reed Richards. Doom also remains highly intelligent and aloof, much like Fox’s Magneto. Fassbender also holds the perfect aura of the Latvian dictator, creating a compelling antagonist that has been misrepresented in non-MCU projects thus far.
Felicity Jones – Spider Woman
Felicity Jones once starred in a Spider-themed outing on the big screen as Felicia Hardy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. While Jones would make an amazing black cat, which was the original plan for her in TASM2the age gap between her and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man might be a little shocking if portrayed on screen.
Instead, Jones could be a strong Spider-Woman, AKA Jessica Drew. Jones has previously featured as a main cast member of a major blockbuster in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, showing that she has the seriousness necessary to manage a franchise. Jessica Drew also has British roots and Jones is from England. All in all, Felicity Jones could provide a solid performance for Jessica Drew, who is regularly conflicted between her role as Agent of SHIELD and that of Spider-Woman.
Miles Teller – Nova
Although his first role in a Marvel movie didn’t go too well, there’s no denying that Miles Teller is a great actor. His portrayal of Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four wasn’t bad because of its acting, but was instead the downfall of reshoots and poor writing.
Audiences chose Teller as Marvel Hero Nova, which seems like a much more suitable role for the actor. His recent acting roles, such as in Top Gun: Maverick show that he can handle a high-speed superhero like Richard Rider. Miles Teller deserves another shot at the superhero genre, giving him a fresh start after his last outing.
Jennifer Lawrence – Sue Storm
With the next Fantastic Four movie still not having a cast list, fans have started wondering who could play the four members of Marvel’s First Family. One name that has been thrown around is Jennifer Lawrence, who recently played Mystique in the Fox X-Men movies.
Lawrence showed the confidence she could bring to the Invisible Woman in her role as Mystique, the complex anti-hero who had deep relationships with Magneto and Professor X. She also starred as another great franchise in the hunger games. With Sue Storm and the rest of the Fantastic Four looking like key players for the future of the MCU, hiring an Oscar-winning actress would be a big step forward.
Boyd Holbrook – Cyclops
Having featured in Logan, Boyd Holbrook is no stranger to the X-Men universe. Despite being the movie’s villain, Holbrook is actually a very charismatic actor capable of a lead role in the MCU.
Because of this, he would make a very strong Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops. It would be an interesting contrast to his character in Logan, but his role in Narcos shows that he is capable of being a role model for the young X-Men. Holbrook embodies that stoic heroism that previous iterations of the character in the Fox universe lacked; he would therefore be a good choice for the role.
Colin Farrell – Norman Osborn
Colin Farrell was in the 2003 daredevil film like Bullseye, playing it in a very erratic and crazy way. Since then, Farrell has continued to play more sinister roles, such as in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He is able to effectively play a person who uses his position of power in cunning and dangerous ways.
Having seen a variant of Norman Osborn in the MCU before, it might be a good idea to take a new version of the character in a different direction. Colin Farrell could play a version of Osborn who runs for mayor like he does in the comics, providing a powerful foe for the superheroes occupying New York. Farrell can effectively play a sophisticated but unbalanced version of the character that would differ hugely from Willem Dafoe’s iteration.
Ioan Gruffudd – Captain Brittany
After playing another version of Reed Richards, Ioan Gruffudd also deserves another chance to star in his own superhero franchise. Having not appeared in any superhero media for almost 20 years, it’s time for him to get back into the genre.
Gruffudd would make an excellent Brian Braddock, aka Captain Britain. As well as being British himself, Gruffudd also has a suave sophistication that would set Captain Britain apart from other less serious heroes. Besides being a superhero, Captain Britain is also a brilliant scientist, which Gruffudd could easily play as he’s portrayed a super-genius before.
James McAvoy – Arcade
James McAvoy is a very talented actor, having played a range of characters in different film genres. His portrayal of Professor X provided a different portrayal of the character compared to that of Patrick Stewart by making Charles more grounded and likable.
Instead of playing another good guy, McAvoy would excel at portraying a bad guy. His role in Divide shows his ability to act in unpredictable and dangerous ways, and so he would fit well as Arcade, an evil genius who traps his victims in his own contraption, Murderworld. McAvoy would be able to give Arcade a truly chilling performance, allowing him to be a deadly foe to whomever he might face.
Zoe Kravitz – Storm
While she may already be playing Catwoman in The BatmanZoe Kravitz is already no stranger to playing multiple comic book characters in different universes. She voiced Catwoman in The Lego Batman Movie as well as Mary Jane in In the Spiderverseand she also appeared in the Fox X-Men universe as Angel.
With Storm an integral part of the main X-Men team, having a top female lead like Kravitz would be a strength in establishing this new iteration of the group. She could provide Storm with a layered performance and give the character more exposure since Halle Berry’s Storm never really had much to do.
Terry Crews-Jefferson Davis
The brief appearance of Terry Crews in Deadpool 2 was played for laughs, with him and the rest of the X-Force team dying very quickly. While that gag was hilarious, it was a shame to see Crews only play a small role in the film, leaving fans wanting more of him in a superhero role.
Jefferson Davis is the father of Miles Morales. While not directly a superhero, Terry Crews could still bring fatherly warmth to the role while looking like a tough New York City cop. Beyond all those muscles is a heart of gold, which is exactly what Jeff Davis needs to act like Miles, inspiring him to do better.
