Having been on the air for more than four decades, NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) is one of the longest-running television shows of all time. This comedy show also holds the distinction of having the most Emmy wins in television history, so far.
What sets SNL apart is its sketch comedy format, which introduces the audience to multiple characters and impersonations every single Saturday night. Moreover, the show also boasts a different guest host and musical act every episode, and some of the best guest hosts have been from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Michael Keaton: 7.5
As fans may recall, Keaton starred as the villain Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming (which remains one of the actor’s highest-rated movies, to date). Back in 2015, the actor also a served a guest host on SNL for the third time.
The guest host spot was particularly special since Keaton had not been on SNL since 1982. During his opening monologue, Keaton acknowledged that a lot had changed since he was last on the show remarking, “I had a baby – he’s 31. I also have a new girlfriend – she’s 28.”
Paul Rudd: 7.3
Just a few years before Keaton’s return, Rudd served as SNL host for a third time in December 2013. The actor, who has been praised for his Ant-Man movies in the MCU, previously hosted the show in 2008 and 2010.
And because the episode aired close to the holidays, Rudd played “the new and improved Santa” after losing 150 pounds at the spa. Even more hilarious, Rudd’s version of Santa decided to ban candy from the North Pole and ordered the elves to start making exercise equipment for children, instead of toys.
J.K. Simmons: 7.3
Simmons’ most notable roles, undoubtedly, includes that of J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man universe. The actor famously reprised the character in the 2019 MCU movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Simmons served as a guest host on SNL back in January 2015 when he famously tried to perform a song about the “snowpocalypse,” only to retreat to his “mean and intimidating” Whiplash character upon learning that no one in the cast was capable of meeting his drumming standards. He even told Pete Davidson, “You know what’s not cute? Sucking at the drums!”
Scarlett Johansson: 7.3
This MCU actress has hosted SNL six times and so far, her highest-rated episode happens to be the one that she did back in April 2007. One of her most famous sketches from the show involves a commercial parody that promotes marble columns. Here, Johansson plays Lexi, the daughter of Mike from Mike’s Marbleopolis.
In the sketch, Johansson shamelessly promotes using marble columns in the home saying, “People are gonna look at your house and go, ‘Who lives there? The pope? What is that? The Playboy Mansion?’ It’s ridiculous!”
Chris Hemsworth: 7.4
With so many MCU actors serving as guest hosts on SNL, it was only a matter of time before Chris Hemsworth appeared too. The first time the actor took on a hosting gig on SNL was back in March 2015 and so far, this is his highest-rated SNL stint yet.
One of his sketches was a direct reference to Avengers: Age of Ultron wherein Thor and the rest of the Avengers are celebrating their defeat of Ultron. Meanwhile, Hemsworth’s other sketch that night was a spoof of Star Trek Into Darkness, which is among the actor’s best non-MCU movies.
Paul Rudd: 7.5
This 2008 episode marks Rudd’s SNL hosting debut and the MCU actor made sure that it was as memorable as could be. As fans of the show may recall, one of the sketches featured that night was one where Rudd plays Austin, a young man who belongs to a family that likes to give each other kisses.
The sketch was quite a hit, so much so that Rudd even reprised his character when he returned to host SNL in 2010. Meanwhile, Rudd’s other sketch featured the actor being painted nude.
Josh Brolin: 7.5
Long before Brolin took on the role of Thanos in the MCU, the actor made his SNL debut during an October 2008 episode. The episode featured several memorable sketches, including one where Mark Wahlberg has a cameo and confronts Andy Samberg backstage.
Aside from this, Brolin also appeared in a sketch following the adventures of MacGruber, a spoof of the iconic television character, MacGyver. He also appeared in a sketch involving a business meeting where everyone would call each other “fart face.” Brolin’s character ended up in tears after the name calling goes too far.
Martin Freeman: 7.6
So far, Freeman has already appeared in two MCU movies and there is a good chance that he will reprise his role as Everett K. Ross. The actor made his SNL hosting debut back in December 2014 and one of the sketches in this episode is a parody of The Hobbit movies, where Freeman played Bilbo Baggins.
In the sketch, SNL introduced the idea of Middle Earth characters participating in a spinoff of The Office. Of course, Freeman played Bilbo, while SNL cast members portrayed other familiar characters from the movie, including Legolas, Gandalf, Tauriel, and Gollum.
Jake Gyllenhaal: 7.7
Gyllenhaal memorably portrayed the villain Mysterio in the 2019 MCU film Spider-Man: Far from Home. Years before that, the actor made his SNL debut in January 2007. One of the most memorable sketches from this episode featured cats that turn into laser-firing creatures and Gyllenhaal is the evil Dr. Scientist.
Another sketch featureed Gyllenhaal as an author whose ethnicity becomes the topic of conversation while promoting his book on a show called Bronx Beat. For this sketch, the show hosts are played by SNL stars, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph.
Natalie Portman: 7.8
The Oscar-winning MCU actor made her SNL debut in this highly-rated episode that aired in March 2006. Most impressively, the actress also performed a sketch where she rapped about what a day in her life is like.
As it turns out, it was Portman herself who thought about doing a rap sketch. “She had seen Lazy Sunday and wanted to do a rap,” Samberg revealed while speaking with Vulture. “We were skeptical, but then she told us she was a big Lil’ Kim fan and spit an entire verse for us.”