The MCU has been the launching point for many successful acting careers over the years. However, it has also been a place for established actors to appear in smaller roles and lend credibility to the films in which they are featured.
Many Hollywood legends have appeared in the MCU, and the audience is usually excited to see a familiar face alongside some of the brightest stars of tomorrow. Though many of the MCU's main stars will become Hollywood legends in the future, some actors entered the MCU with a strong reputation of award-winning performances.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton is no stranger to superhero roles and is most famous for playing Batman in the 1989 movie by director Tim Burton. Keaton also appeared in the MCU as the villain Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, proving that he still had a knack for the superhero genre.
Keaton has a reputation for playing over-the-top characters, and his casting as Vulture was spot-on. He brought the perfect amount of instability to the part that matched the rest of the film's tone perfectly. He also brought an established face to a movie that was introducing its audience to new actors.
Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum has been a part of some of the biggest blockbusters of all time, but he also has a great reputation as an actor and has appeared in critical darlings as well. Goldblum appeared in Thor: Ragnarok as the Grandmaster and brought his ineffable performance style to the part.
Goldblum was ideal for the role, and his specific delivery brought a certain alienness to the strange character. Goldblum fit into the cast perfectly and brought a lot of additional star-power to a film that was already packed with heavy hitters.
Annette Bening
Captain Marvel was a reinvention for the MCU after the shocking events of the Infinity Saga, and a familiar face was necessary to anchor the film. Academy Award nominee Annette Bening was tapped to play Mar-Vell and she brought the gravitas that the role demanded.
Bening shines in the film and is the right star to carry the weight of Marvel Comics history on her back. The character of Captain Marvel has been re-invented on multiple occasions in the comics, and Bening's role in the film serves to pass the torch from one generation to the next.
Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins was one of the first established stars to hop onto the MCU bandwagon and he has returned several times in the same role. He first appeared as Odin in Thor and has been a constant presence throughout Thor's storyline in the MCU. Hopkin's presence in the films brings a strong sense of authority to the Odin character, and he can be counted on to deliver a great performance every time.
The Oscar winner was the perfect choice to play Thor's father, and he excels at playing authoritative figures with flaws. There is a Shakespearean quality to Thor's family squabbles, and Hopkins' experience with Shakespeare made him stand out in the role.
William Hurt
William Hurt's career has taken him from Academy Award-winning films to TV movies and everything in between. Hurt's versatility served him well when he first appeared in The Incredible Hulk as Thaddeus Ross, and he has returned to play the role on numerous occasions throughout the MCU's long run.
Hurt's usually understated performances blend well with the over-the-top action of the Marvel films. His quiet delivery and subtle acting draws attention to him every time he is on screen, and he portrays the unstable nature of Ross with a certain literary quality.
Jeff Bridges
Perhaps best known for his portrayal of the Dude in The Big Lebowski, Jeff Bridges has had a legendary career and is no stranger to sci-fi roles. He made his lone appearance in the MCU as the villain in the franchise's first installment, playing Obadiah Stane in 2008's Iron Man.
Bridges is a rare actor who has never been type-cast, and he frequently proves that no character is out of his range. His charismatic personality translates on screen and he can be both likable and despicable at the same time. He understood the type of film that was being made and played the part with just the right amount of comic-book gusto.
Kurt Russell
Legendary actor and classic heartthrob Kurt Russell has seen his career span from science-fiction epics to understated romance films, and he is memorable in every role he inhabits. Russell appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Ego and delivered one the most memorable performances in the entire MCU.
Russell is able to play characters who are smooth talkers, and he has a natural charisma that translates well on the screen. However, he is also able to add subtle layers to his performance that keep his characters from becoming one-dimensional and boring.
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas comes from a rich family lineage of famous actors, and his father, Kirk Douglas, was one of the biggest stars of his day. Michael Douglas appeared in the MCU as Hank Pym in Ant-Man, a character through which he inherited a lot of important history in the Marvel universe.
Many of the screen legends that appear in the MCU play authority figures, and Douglas is no exception. As the original Ant-Man, Pym serves as Scott Lang's mentor, and he is perfectly suited for the role as he guides Lang through the growing pains of being Ant-Man. Douglas is able to make the viewer believe that all of the history of the Pym character has led him to the events of Ant-Man, and Douglas carries the weight of history in his performance.
Harry Dean Stanton
Not every Hollywood legend in the MCU gets a chance to play a large role. Sometimes they make only a brief cameo, but they are so charismatic that they shine in their small role. The late, great Harry Dean Stanton is one of the most celebrated supporting actors in history, and his cameo in The Avengers caught a lot of fans off guard.
Stanton worked with legendary directors in his long career and had a unique style and look that made him perfect for the character parts that he played. He was no stranger to science fiction and even appeared in the landmark horror sci-fi film Alien.
Robert Redford
When it was time for the first Captain America sequel, the MCU needed an established star to anchor the project. Screen legend and director Robert Redford was tapped to play Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and he brought his typical star power to the role.
Redford is known for not playing villainous roles, but he made an exception and showed his range and versatility by portraying the corporate baddie. The filmmakers of the MCU showed their creativity by stepping outside of the box to cast Redford against type. His presence in the film brings an air of legitimacy that had been missing from previous MCU films.