Great Actors That The MCU Wasted
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a decent track record with casting, often hiring actors whose real-life reputations match that of its heroes. As the studio continues its monopoly over the film industry, it courts the most prominent names to round out its ever-growing cast. Sometimes, this works out well, but in some instances, an actor’s talent far exceeds the role they’ve been paired with, wasting a good performance and a fantastic presence who doesn’t get the proper time of day.
Certainly, some actors may get a bad deal just from the nature of productions as films come to fruition. The Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy films become the largest culprits of mismanagement, having so many characters to juggle that great actors easily get lost. Much of Rene Russo’s character Frigga dropped to the cutting room floor of the first Thor movie during editing. However, perhaps other actors want more of a minor role, getting a sizeable payday while still having time for other projects. Either way, seeing actors the MCU wasted always disappoints.
Anson Mount as Black Bolt
Marvel’s decision to replace the X-Men, whose movie rights were then owned by Fox, with the lesser-known Inhumans within the MCU fell to the wayside quickly. The studio would love for everyone to forget that the television series Inhumans even happened, but it did, and Anson Mount as Black Bolt was its breakout star.
It probably helped that the character doesn’t speak, allowing Mount to bypass the awful dialogue in the show. His silent presence proved enough to bring him, alone, back for a wild cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Since his first appearance as Black Bolt, Mount has become more of a leading man as Captain Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. That same dashing spirit would have made Mount shine in a more substantial treatment of Black Bolt if only he had the chance.
Glenn Close as Nova Prime Irani Reel
Glenn Close has a commanding presence as Irani Reel, the Nova Prime commander of the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy. However, considering Close’s capabilities and the roles she’s most associated with, like those in Fatal Attraction and Dangerous Liaisons or 101 Dalmatians’ Cruella De Vil, “perfectly fine” doesn’t quite describe her. She’s known for robust performances, often even over the top, and whether you like them or not, always memorable.
Nova Prime is a starch dignitary, working as one of the film’s grounding points, a logical and strategic character amid an intergalactic romp. In a drab role that many actors could play, Close’s unique unhinged talent unfortunately goes unnoticed, though she still stands in authority.
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Idris Elba has portrayed the guardian of Asgard’s Bifrost, Heimdall, in six different movies. Not until Thor: Ragnarok, his fourth, did the character receive any real substance of his own, even then, a clear case of an actor that the MCU wasted.
The studio gave Elba, already a leading man, so little to do that it became widely known how much he disliked the role. In an interview with The Telegraph, Elba wholly encapsulated his feelings and lack of depth with Heimdall by comparing the role to another of his, that of historical figure Nelson Mandela, saying, “24 hours ago, I was Mandela…Then there I was, in this stupid harness, with this wig and this sword and these contact lenses. It ripped my heart out.”
Kate Dickie as Dox
A small and unknown character even in the comics, Dox’s inclusion in the second season of the series Loki probably already establishes her more than expected. Seemingly introduced as a ruthless villain for the show, Dox presents a role actress Kate Dickie would flourish in.
Dickie’s previous turns in Game of Thrones and The Witch prove the weight of her talent. Yet, she often also appears in roles that feel like window dressing, adding big films like Prometheus and Star Wars: The Last Jedi to her filmography with unmemorable characters. Her Dox fares better than the last two mentioned, at least, but still the setup for her character fizzles out after a few episodes, leaving Dickie to step out of the way of the show’s quirkier stars.
Pom Klementieff as Mantis
Though Mantis has been an integral member of the team for two Guardians of the Galaxy film outings, a Christmas special, and other appearances, the character spends most of her time as the object of jokes. Her connections to characters like Peter Quill and Drax lend a bit of drama and comedy for actress Pom Klementieff to play off of in the role, but more often than not, Mantis sits around waiting for something to do.
Considering Mantis’ range of powers and martial arts abilities in the comics, Klementieff got the short end of the stick in the movies. Developing and following this character as she explores the universe in search of herself, as she has now set out to do, seems more meaningful than following Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord any further. They extended the wrong contract.
Donald Glover as Aaron Davis
Donald Glover’s character in the TV series Community once wore Spider-Man pajamas, inspiring the creation of the alternate Spider-Man Miles Morales in the comics back in 2011. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Glover appears as Aaron Davis, the uncle of Miles Morales, creating a full-circle moment for the actor.
While great to see, the character doesn’t amount to much more than an extended easter egg for those in the know, but in the comics, Davis is also the supervillain named Prowler. What an opportunity the MCU wasted to showcase both Glover and Davis with a fully fleshed-out role. Glover did reprise the character for an even briefer cameo in the non-MCU Marvel movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, connecting the films.
Randall Park as Jimmy Woo
In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Randall Park plays parole officer Jimmy Woo, who keeps track of Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, much to comedic effect. Though already appearing in two movies, the character doesn’t get much time to develop until the WandaVision miniseries, where he and Thor’s Darcy Lewis, played by Kat Dennings, team up to figure out the show’s mystery.
Neither character still gets much development, thoroughly sidelined again by the time the series ends, but their chemistry pops off the screen and begs for more. Lewis at least steals scenes in her film appearances, but Woo continues with a raw deal, a comedic performance lost in a sea of Ant-Man gags.
Chris O’Dowd as Richard
Of all the comedic actors to cast in a quippy movie, Chris O’Dowd seems tailor-made, proven by the hilarity of his sitcom The IT Crowd and his appearances in other films like Bridesmaids and Mascots. His character in Thor: The Dark World, Richard, serves as a possible new love interest for Jane Foster, but he quickly falls into the background as both Jane’s assistant, Darcy Lewis, and Thor himself call for Jane’s attention.
O’Dowd is left with a short date scene and a phone call for his character, never really amounting to much. Though, he does fare slightly better than another MCU wasted talent in the same film.
Alice Krige as Eir
Whether as the witch in Gretel & Hansel, a religious zealot in Silent Hill, or Star Trek’s Borg Queen, Alice Krige brings a particular Shakespearean drama to genre films. Yet, in Thor: The Dark World, the studio relegates Krige to the bit part of Eir, an Asgardian healer with barely any screen time. Based on the figure of the same name in Norse mythology, Eir appears as either a goddess or a Valkyrie in legend.
In the film, Eir’s role more resembles that of a physician, who does some hand waving and says a few short lines before leaving her patients to rest. Upon hearing of her casting in the film, fans speculated that she might play the queen of the Dark Elves as a secondary villain to Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith. That did not come to pass, and even as the lead of the Asgardian physicians, she spends her most significant scene standing in the background of her own medical room.
Michaela Coel as Aneka
Coming hot off the success of creating her own shows, Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You, Ghanaian-English actress Michaela Coel seemed set for a notable career as a leading talent. Upon the announcement that she would join the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the rumor mill jumped at the idea of Coel appearing as the African-born mutant Storm to finally shepherd the X-Men into the MCU. She instead plays Aneka, a member of the Dora Milaje, in the film.
Beloved in the comics, Aneka certainly has excellent points in her favor, as a rebel helping to form the new team Midnight Angels and as one of few openly queer characters to make their way into the MCU. Still, getting lost in the shuffle of a movie almost 3 hours long, Coel needs more to do and has more depth to show. Maybe it won’t be the last we see of her in the franchise.
Salma Hayek as Ajak
Eternals’ all-star international cast momentarily refreshed the franchise when released, especially under empathetic director Chloé Zhao. Salma Hayek joined the cast as Ajak, the group’s leader, to much excitement. Unfortunately, although an important character, her screen time gets cut short compared to the rest of the ensemble, appearing in less than ten minutes of the feature film.
Of course, movies with larger casts often have to show off some actors and characters more than others. Ajak does remain the heart that moves Eternals forward even when not there. Still, not getting a complete performance from a talent like Hayek disheartens, reminiscent of the actress’ character in From Dusk till Dawn, whose entrance steals the entire movie despite her vanishing from the film almost immediately.
Djimon Hounsou as Korath the Pursuer
Djimon Hounsou notoriously plays side characters important for moving the story along without receiving any real agency or attention for themselves. Shazam!, A Quiet Place II, Gladiator, Constantine, the list really does go on.
His MCU character, Korath the Pursuer, appears in two films, Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel, with an alternate version of him appearing in the animated series What If…?, yet much of his character remains unknown. He seems to exist only to aid others and to connect the dots of continuity for the audience, but Hounsou’s talent reaches far beyond such a character. With a breakout role like his in Amistad and various nominations for top honors like the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards, all of Hollywood needs to do better by this man.
Hiroyuki Sanada as Akihiko
Hiroyuki Sanada has proven a staple of Japanese cinema for over four decades, breaking through to international fame with the 2003 film The Last Samurai. A master of both drama and action, Sanada seems a perfectly fitting actor to portray Akihiko, a member of the Yakuza from Marvel’s comics.
In Avengers: Endgame, Akihiko briefly spars off against Ronin in a fight sequence honestly beneath Sanada’s expertise. The character’s less than two minutes of screen time serves only to reveal Ronin as a rogue Hawkeye in disguise. Even in the one scene, shot in one take giving Akihiko just over five lines while sword fighting, Sanada dominates, leaving Jeremy Renner feeling flat against a glorified cameo.
Cate Blanchett as Hela
Hela has a significant role in the MCU as a main villain in Thor: Ragnarok and a sibling to fan-favorite characters Thor and Loki. Still, what a mess of a decision to hire Cate Blanchett for a role so juicy and only have her quip in the same manner as every other character in the franchise.
The MCU waters down its version of Hela as a secret daughter of Odin instead of the Goddess of Death and ruler of Hel positions she holds in the comics. In one of the best examples of what happens when you put a hard-hitting performer in a milquetoast franchise, Blanchett somehow vanishes into an ensemble cast even though her talents perfectly embody ethereal royalty and severity, as seen in her roles in Elizabeth, The Lord of the Rings, and as the wicked stepmother in Cinderella.
This casting should have given audiences the most fantastic femme fatale in a superhero movie since Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in Batman Returns, but the film barely allows Blanchett the room. As Hela says in the movie, “That’s a shame. I would have liked to have seen that.”
Mahershala Ali as Blade
No stranger to Marvel characters, Mahershala Ali has already played the villainous Cottonmouth in the Marvel Netflix series Luke Cage, as well as the voice of Aaron Davis, the Prowler, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Whether or not the Netflix shows remain a part of the MCU proper or become retconned, Ali seems prepared to move in another direction with Marvel as the vampire hunter Blade.
The question remains whether or not Marvel can move forward with him. Officially announced as part of the MCU in 2019, the studio has repeatedly pushed back the film’s release date, citing script and scheduling problems, among other excuses. Even without his own movie, Ali’s Blade has made one film appearance, at least vocally, in the years since the announcement. Though not seen, he delivers a single line from off-screen in a post-credits scene attached to Eternals. Hopefully, a feature film will eventually give Ali a proper Blade to play.
