Last week I did a post about 10 (technically 11) actors that play multiple roles in the MCU. Well here are even more.
Special shout-out goes to the actors who didn’t quite make this list.
10. Roy Phillips
Now, you wouldn’t recognize Roy Phillips if you saw him – at least, definitely not from the MCU. Roy is a background extra. What makes him special is that he has appeared in the first season of every Defenders show that has been filmed so far: he is in two episodes of Daredevil, two episodes of Jessica Jones and has also filmed for Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Starting his career with Marvel as a bar patron in Daredevil’s second episode, Roy has gone on to play nine different pedestrians over the four shows. Or is he all the same pedestrian? We will never know.
9. Alicia Vela-Bailey
Alicia Vela-Bailey is probably best known for playing the self-replicating Inhuman Alisha Whitley on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s second and third seasons. So really, she’s played four different characters!
I kid. Alicia is actually a stunt performer, first appearing in Iron Man 3 and then becoming long-time stunt doubles for Adrianne Palicki on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Bridget Regan on Agent Carter. Every time Bobbi kicks HYDRA ass or Dottie does a Black Widow takedown? That’s Alicia you’re seeing.
8. Nathan Fillion
The renowned Nathan Fillion has only appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe once so far, and I guarantee that you did not recognize him even if you knew who he was playing. Reuniting with old pal director James Gunn, Nathan (under the guise of CGI and a voicechanger) played an inmate in Guardians of the Galaxy that threatened Peter Quill before being removed from the situation (by his nose) by Groot. Nathan Fillion will be returning to Marvel in Guardians the Galaxy Vol. 2, as he has been seen in set photos as actor Simon Williams, the real name of villain-turned-Avenger-turned-actor Wonder Man.
7. Laura Haddock
Speaking of Guardians of the Galaxy, Star-Lord’s dying mother Meredith was played by actress Laura Haddock. Laura was first seen in the MCU years earlier, as a fan seeking Captain America’s autograph in Captain America: The First Avenger. Poor Laura has never had a chance to play someone in modern day.
6. Martin Starr
Freaks & Geeks and Silicon Valley actor Martin Starr first appeared as an unnamed computer geek at Culver University in the Incredible Hulk. The novelization of the movie claimed the character to be Amadeus Cho, one of the smartest characters in Marvel comics – one who happens to be a young Asian boy and Dr. Helen Cho from Avengers: Age of Ultron’s son. Martin is returning to the MCU as a yet-to-be-confirmed character in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
5. Vin Diesel
This one is purely speculation, but it is a speculation fire that Vin himself has heartily fueled time and time again. If you are unaware, Vin Diesel is the voice of Groot, the ent-like tree alien from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the king of Planet X. In many interviews, Vin has also strongly suggested that he will be playing another king: Black Bolt, king of the Inhumans. This would work well, considering Vin is only the voice of Groot and Black Bolt doesn’t talk.
4. Sean Gunn
Sean Gunn is the brother of James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy – and James likes to get as much use out of his brother as he can. In both Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Sean plays one of Yondu Udonta’s Ravagers, Kraglin Obfonteri. He also provided the motion capture for the performances of both Thanos and Rocket Raccoon, before Josh Brolin and Bradley Cooper stepped in to lend their voices to the characters respectively.
3. Lou Ferrigno
Famed Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno can’t seem to shake his legacy. Not only did he play a security guard in The Incredible Hulk, he has returned to voice the big green monster in The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron and the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. His son Lou Ferrigno Jr. has even appeared in the MCU, liberating Daniel Whitehall from prison in a flashback during Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s second season.
2. Brett Dalton
Sure, sure…I’m cheating again. With situations like this and Paul Bettany from my first list, I like to think of it in terms of the actor – imagine finding out that you will now be playing an entirely different character, one who is from the comics. Just like Vision is not J.A.R.V.I.S., Brett Dalton’s menacing turn as the ancient tentacled Inhuman Hive shared little in common with charismatic and cruel HYDRA agent Grant Ward.
1. Stan Lee
Did you catch this one? Former Marvel president and comic-book writer Stan Lee has appeared in every MCU property to date: He was mistaken for Hugh Hefner in Iron Man, drank radioactive soda in The Incredible Hulk, was mistaken for Larry King in Iron Man 2, tried to retrieve Mjolnir in Thor, was a military general in Captain America: The First Avenger, was interviewed on the news in The Avengers, judged a beauty pageant in Iron Man 3, scolded Coulson in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., was a mental ward patient in Thor: The Dark World, worked at the Smithsonian Institute in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, lived on another planet in Guardians of the Galaxy, asked Howard Stark for a newspaper in Agent Carter, was a drunk partygoer in Avengers: Age of Ultron, worked as a bartender in Ant-Man, a FedEx delivery man in Captain America: Civil War, and appeared as a police chief via photograph in both Daredevil and Jessica Jones.