One of the biggest wins for the MCU is its star-studded cast. Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Iron Man was one of the reasons why the cinematic universe had a solid start. After more than a decade in the role, it became almost impossible to separate the actor from the character. Chris Evans as Captain America was similarly another perfect choice.
Evans brought heart and heroism to Steve Rogers and it made him irreplaceable in the character. The MCU has made plenty of other brilliant casting decisions, with some actors proving that they were born to play their Marvel character. Here are five of the greatest casting choices in the MCU besides Downey Jr. and Evans.
5. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow
It’s hard to imagine another actress in the role of Black Widow other than Scarlett Johansson. However, when she was cast as Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2, many fans were skeptical. She was able to silence her doubters with a strong performance, which also proved her talent for action sequences.
She went on to become a beloved member of the OG Avengers. Her character arc in the MCU came to a conclusion with her emotional sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. Although fans got to see her again in Black Widow, many fans are still hurting over the manner of her MCU departure.
4. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
While the MCU hasn’t been using Nick Fury properly in recent films, he was a fan-favorite presence in the first three phases. Samuel L. Jackson gave a comic-accurate portrayal of the character after Marvel Comics modeled Fury after the actor in The Ultimates.
It was his appearance in the post-credits scene of Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man that set the stage for the entire MCU. He was able to bring authority, humor, and mystery all at once to his role. Fans await the return of the actor to the universe in a far better project than Secret Invasion.
3. Tom Holland as Spider-Man
Casting Spider-Man was a challenge for MCU as fans would’ve made obvious comparisons to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the character. Actors like Asa Butterfield and Charlie Rowe were in line for the role, but it fell into the hands of British actor Tom Holland. The role propelled Holland into Hollywood stardom.
He is now considered on par with Maguire’s Spidey as he brought his youthful energy and heartfelt emotion to the role. Unlike previous iterations, Holland’s Spider-Man felt like a real high school kid as mentioned in the comics. MCU struck gold with his casting, which was proven by his performances in Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
2. Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange
After playing an intellectually complex character like Sherlock Holmes, it only felt right that Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as Stephen Strange. He brought a level of gravitas and arrogance to this role. Even in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness where he had to play multiple versions of Strange, Cumberbatch played each character with a certain nuance.
Interestingly, Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix was originally approached for the role. When he passed on the role, Cumberbatch became Marvel’s top choice. He was certainly committed to the role as he learned intricate hand movements for the role.
1. Charlie Cox as Daredevil
Charlie Cox debuted as Daredevil on Netflix in 2015. He entered the MCU officially through his appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk. Cox’s ability to play the dual role of the blind legal attorney Matt Murdock and his vigilante avatar Daredevil received immense praise.
When Cox appeared for the audition for Matt Murdock, he only knew that it was another superhero show. He didn’t know it was a Marvel project and he certainly didn’t know that it was Daredevil. Cox performed his own stunts for the role. The nuances with which he play a blind superhero certainly earned him this top spot.
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