Though the Marvel Cinematic Universe has achieved massive success, some of its actors also appeared in other terrible comic book movies. The movies of the MCU have seen many actors employed in order to bring the characters of Marvel Comics to life on the big screen. With so many heroes, villains, and supporting characters featured in the ever-expanding franchise – especially since the introduction of its Multiversal variants – many of its actors bear familiar faces to fans of comic book movies.
Though the MCU’s movie timeline has proven to be largely successful, this isn’t always the case in the wider comic book genre. There have been many terrible comic book movies made over the years, with some actors having appeared in both. In fact, Marvel has a habit of casting actors who have also appeared in superhero movies of lesser quality. With that in mind, here are 10 MCU actors who also appeared in other terrible comic book movies.
10 Chris Evans Was In Fantastic Four: The Rise of The Silver Surfer (2007)
First MCU appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Chris Evans’ most iconic role came about with his casting in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. His performance as Steve Rogers earned him some of his biggest career successes, with many prominent MCU appearances as a founding Avenger and a leader of the franchise’s heroes. However, Evans also played another Marvel role before the MCU began, including in one notably terrible comic book movie.
Even after 2005’s Fantastic Four was met with somewhat mixed reactions, its sequel, 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, was decidedly worse. The sequel mishandled multiple Marvel characters, and its confused story and poor dialogue made it a notoriously poor effort in the superhero genre. Evans played Johnny Storm in both movies – and subsequently reprized the role for a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine – with his appearance in the sequel marking perhaps his worst comic book film appearance.
9 Ryan Reynolds Was In Green Lantern (2011) & RIPD (2013)
First MCU appearance: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Despite having played Wade Wilson three times previously, Ryan Reynolds’ MCU debut actually came as part of Deadpool & Wolverine’s cast. This is due to the other Deadpool movies being set entirely within Fox’s X-Men continuity, and the titular antihero only crossing over into the MCU via the Multiverse Saga. Reynolds’ turn as Deadpool has been hugely successful, but his history with comic book movies has not always been so well-regarded.
Ryan Reynolds featured in not one, but two awful comic book adaptations. 2011’s Green Lantern is notoriously bad, with even Reynolds himself poking fun at the movie on several occasions. He also starred in R.I.P.D. alongside Jeff Bridges, in a live-action adaptation of the Dark Horse comic series of the same name. Much like Green Lantern, R.I.P.D. was critically panned, meaning that Ryan Reynolds’ past is more packed with bad comic book movies than most.
8 Tommy Lee Jones Was In Batman Forever (1995)
First MCU appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Tommy Lee Jones is one of the best actors to appear in the MCU, earning plenty of critical success across his cinematic career. Jones appeared in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger as Colonel Chester Phillips, serving as the commanding officer and something of a mentor figure for Steve Rogers during World War II. As well as having appeared in the MCU, Jones played a part in a notably poor DC movie.
Tommy Lee Jones also appeared in 1995’s Batman Forever alongside Val Kilmer’s Batman and Jim Carrey’s Riddler. The movie is widely considered one of the worst Batman adaptations ever made, just behind its 1997 sequel, Batman & Robin. Jones’ turn as the DC villain Two-Face certainly didn’t earn him any accolades, as Batman Forever was a considerable critical failure and one of the actor’s most notable career misses.
7 Samuel L. Jackson Was In The Spirit (2008)
First MCU appearance: Iron Man (2008)
Samuel L. Jackson’s role in the MCU remains one of the franchise’s most important, as he was responsible for the formation of the Avengers and has been shown offering guidance to many heroes. Jackson first appeared in the first post-credits scene in the MCU in Iron Man, with his version of Nick Fury helping to build the foundations of the franchise. Iron Man wasn’t Jackson’s only comic book movie in 2008, though.
2008 also saw the release of The Spirit, written and directed by Frank Miller and based on the newspaper strip of the same name from the 1940s and ‘50s. Jackson played the Octopus, the film’s larger-than-life villain, but The Spirit was almost instantly forgotten due to its overwhelming critical and commercial failure. However, Jackson’s role in Iron Man turned out to be not just popular, but hugely fruitful, earning him a comic book movie future in the MCU.
6 Laurence Fishburne Was In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
First MCU appearance: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Lawrence Fishburne might have played far from one of the MCU’s most prominent characters, but he’s still one of the franchise’s most notable actors. Fishburne appeared in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp as Bill Foster, who, despite being a hero in the comics, is a former colleague of Hank Pym’s who is revealed to be working with the film’s villain in the MCU. Over a decade earlier, Fishburne also featured in a different Marvel sequel.
Fishburne voiced the Silver Surfer in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer alongside Chris Evans. Fishburne’s role in the movie was relatively limited, as the Surfer wasn’t given an overwhelming amount of dialogue, and Fishburne’s likeness was not used. The film’s reputation as a notoriously poor pre-MCU Marvel movie means that Fishburne’s turn as Foster will likely go down as his best Marvel comic book movie role.
5 David Harbour Was In Hellboy (2019)
First MCU appearance: Black Widow (2021)
After his role in Stranger Things gave his career a huge boost, David Harbour made his MCU debut in 2021’s Black Widow. Harbour played Alexei Shostakov, better known as the Red Guardian, the Soviet Union’s first official super soldier. He also acted as Natasha Romanov’s father during her childhood while they were living as Soviet sleeper agents in America. Black Widow wasn’t Harbour’s first major comic book movie, though, as he had appeared in an ill-fated reboot two years prior.
Harbour starred as the titular character in 2019’s Hellboy, a reboot following Guillermo del Toro’s beloved movies based on the character. Adapted from the Dark Horse Comics series of the same name, the 2019 film was a critical and commercial disaster. However, Harbour’s role as Red Guardian earned him far more recognition, meaning that he does have something of a future in comic book movies despite Hellboy‘s failings.
4 Idris Elba Was In Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance (2011)
First MCU appearance: Thor (2011)
Idris Elba has grown to become one of the world’s most recognizable movie stars, but back in 2011 he was still relatively unknown. That year saw him break out with two different Marvel movie roles, with the most prominent being a supporting role as Heimdall in Thor, which Elba went on to reprise on several occasions. The actor’s other 2011 Marvel movie did not afford him the same opportunity.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance followed on from the events of 2007’s Ghost Rider, with Nicolas Cage returning as Johnny Blaze. Elba played Moreau in the movie, a French member of a clandestine religious organization that helps the titular hero. The movie was not well-received, and although Elba’s performance earned some praise, Spirit of Vengeance remains one of the least appreciated chapters in Marvel’s non-MCU movie history.
3 Jon Favreau Was In Daredevil (2003)
First MCU appearance: Iron Man (2008)
Jon Favreau is an important figure in the MCU, influencing the franchise both on and off the screen. Favreau has been a part of the MCU since its very beginning, both directing and appearing in 2008’s Iron Man as Happy Hogan, and going on to reprise the role many times in the years since. Before the MCU was created, however, Favreau played an entirely different character, albeit one who still served as a sidekick and close friend of a Marvel hero.
Favreau featured as Foggy Nelson in 2003’s Daredevil alongside Ben Affleck. Daredevil was not successful upon its release, earning critical reviews that could be considered mixed at best. Considering the huge success of Iron Man and the franchise that followed it, it’s fair to say that Favreau more than redeemed himself in the eyes of Marvel movie fans.
2 Michael B. Jordan Was In Fantastic Four (2015)
First MCU appearance: Black Panther (2018)
Michael B. Jordan’s MCU debut was one of the strongest in the franchise’s history, earning him praise for having played one of the MCU’s best villains. Jordan entered the franchise in Black Panther, playing Erik Killmonger, T’Challa’s long-lost cousin who returns to claim Wakanda’s throne and share its power with the world. Just a few years before his acclaimed MCU debut, Jordan starred in another Marvel movie that was not so successful.
2015’s Fantastic Four was directed by Josh Trank and starred Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch. Despite a talented cast, the reboot failed to impress critics and received scathing reviews. Jordan’s role in the unpopular ensemble film didn’t hurt his career at all, however, especially as his role as Killmonger in Black Panther brought him considerable success and acclaim in spite of his previous terrible comic book movie experience.
1 Josh Brolin Was In Jonah Hex (2010)
First MCU appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Josh Brolin’s turn as Thanos might not have used the actor’s likeness, but his gravelly voice worked perfectly for the MCU’s Mad Titan. After making two minor appearances in the role, Brolin was fully introduced as the main antagonist of Avengers: Infinity War, going on to wreak havoc throughout the universe after using the power of the Infinity Stones. Before he starred in two of the highest-grossing movies of all time, Brolin led the cast of another comic book movie.
2010 saw the release of Jonah Hex, a film based on the DC character of the same name. Brolin’s role as Hex was not well-received, as the movie was panned by critics and subsequently disowned by its star. As Brolin went on to earn considerable popularity as Cable in Deadpool 2 and then as Thanos in the MCU, it’s fair to say that he almost certainly enjoyed his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe more than his foray into the world of DC.
