Many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would agree that the character with the best trilogy of movies is Captain America. All three entries were met with strong praise and added a ton to the lore of the MCU as a whole. It helped that the final leg, Captain America: Civil War, basically worked as an Avengers film.
It featured many of the heroes fans had come to love over the years. While that one had many familiar faces, the Captain America trilogy did feature plenty of actors who weren't a big part of the franchise and might've been forgotten, even if you recognize them from something else.
Jim Rash
It's no secret that the cast of Community has made some random cameo appearances in various Marvel Cinematic Universe entries. That's one of the perks of having a history with The Russo Brothers, who helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.
Danny Pudi's (Abed on Community) cameo in The Winter Soldier is well-remembered but Jim Rash's isn't. He played Dean Pelton on Community and in Civil War, the Oscar-winning writer has a small appearance early on as an MIT faculty member who talks to Tony Stark.
Alan Dale
Alan Dale is one of the most recognizable veteran actors working in Hollywood. His acting career goes back several decades, with his most notable roles coming in Neighbours, Lost, Once Upton a Time, and most recently, Dynasty.
As for his role in this trilogy, Alan Dale kind of had a "blink and you'll miss it" appearance. He showed up in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Councilman Rockwell, a member of the World Security Council. They interact frequently with Alexander Pierce throughout the film.
Alfre Woodard
The case of Alfre Woodard is a unique one. Fans who went far enough into the Marvel Cinematic Universe to enjoy the Netflix corner will most likely recognize her for her role in Luke Cage. There, she portrayed the villainous Mariah Dillard but that's not who she was in Captain America: Civil War.
There, she played Miriam Sharpe in a brief appearance early on. She addresses Tony Stark almost immediately after Jim Rash's character does, explaining that her son was killed during the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. This conversation helps put Tony on his side of the Sokovoia Accords.
Kenneth Choi
Similar to Alfre Woodard, Kenneth Choi actually appeared as two different characters in the MCU. However, his case is even more unique. His first role came in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, where he played James Morita of the Howling Commandos.
Choi didn't return to the role but he went on to show up in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. There, he played Principal Morita, a descendant of James. In fact, the principal has a photo of James on his desk. Choi also appeared in Suicide Squad and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Georges St. Pierre
For the most part, the name Georges St. Pierre is known for his career in mixed martial arts. Many consider him to be one of the best in the history of that sport, holding an impressive 26-2 record. As that career neared its end, St. Pierre moved into the world of acting.
He showed up in Captain America: The Winter Soldier to play Georges Batroc, better known as Batroc the Leaper. His fight against Cap on the freighter is a highlight of a tremendous movie. St. Pierre will be reprising the role for Disney+'s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Derek Luke
Along the same lines as Kenneth Choi, Derek Luke was part of the first part of the trilogy as a member of the Howling Commandos. He portrayed Gabe Jones, who is also saved by Steve Rogers alongside Bucky Barnes and the rest of the squad.
It seems like nobody really remembers that Derek Luke was in this movie, even though he has quite a successful career away from it. Luke most notably had roles in Friday Night Lights, The Americans, Antwone Fisher, and Netflix's 13 Reasons Why.
Neal McDonough
It kind of makes sense that Neal McDonough was part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor has shown up in several comic book works including voicing Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk animated series and playing Damien Darhk in the Arrowverse.
Since he's most known as Dahrk in a DC Comics franchise, a lot of fans don't recall that McDonough had a notable role in Captain America: The First Avenger. He was Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, one of the pivotal members of the Howling Commandos.
Stanley Tucci
The first installment of this trilogy featured a slew of incredibly accomplished actors like Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving. Another major one was Stanley Tucci, even though a lot of people have overlooked his performance in this film despite his talent.
A fair point might be that Stanley Tucci looked a bit different in his role here as Abraham Erskine, the scientist who ultimately chose Steve Rogers for the Super Soldier Serum. He also sounded different thanks to him sporting a German accent.
Natalie Dormer
These days, Natalie Dormer is practically a household name. She played one of the most popular characters in HBO's Game of Thrones in Margaery Tyrell, had a role as Cressida in the final two installments of The Hunger Games film franchise, and played Moriarty in Elementary.
Although everyone seems to know Dormer now, her appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger is one that gets forgotten about often. It came before her fame and remains a small role, as she played a woman named Lorraine, who flirts with Rogers.
Laura Haddock
The talented Laura Haddock is another actor who has shown up in multiple franchises within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most fans probably remember her as Meredith Quill, mother to Peter "Star-Lord" Quill in both Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
However, she first made a tiny appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger. It was her first film credit and she was simply billed as "Autograph Seeker." James Gunn, writer and director of Guardians of the Galaxy, once joked that she was Peter Quill's grandmother who wanted the autograph.