Apart from Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, Disney+ and Marvel's latest venture WandaVision introduced audiences to a slew of seasoned actors as well as rising stars. Apart from introducing new actors to the Marvel Universe, the series also brought back familiar faces like Kat Dennings who had appeared in the Thor films, and Evan Peters, a fan-favorite from the last few FOX X-Men films. Kathryn Hahn's portrayal of Agatha also turned out to be a standout performance.
Hence along with its titular leads, the show proved to be a success for its ensemble too, many of whom have had their fair share of roles in films and TV.
Elizabeth Olsen: Liberal Arts (2012)
Directed by and starring How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor, Liberal Arts can be seen as an escapist romantic getaway riddled with literature references and leisurely romantic walks. While Radnor plays a professor who returns to his college for a get-together, Elizabeth Olsen appears as a student in the same college.
Both instantly strike a chord and a relationship blossoms between the two even as they question their levels of commitment and a significant age gap. The film transcends its nostalgic tropes with a screenplay reminiscent of conversation-driven romances like the Before trilogy and the performances of its two leads.
Paul Bettany: Uncle Frank (2020)
Paul Bettany's last major leading role is in the fairly recent Uncle Frank. He plays the titular character, a closeted gay man who lives away from his homophobic family as a professor in '70s-era New York.
However, when his father passes away, he grudgingly embarks on a road trip back home along with his partner (Peter Macdissi) and his teenage-niece (Sophia Lillis). Old wounds are opened and new relationships are forged as Frank confronts his own past in this gentle, moving drama. Bettany has had a wide array of screen credits to his name but Uncle Frank offers perhaps one of his most emotionally-driven performances.
Kathryn Hahn: Private Life (2018)
Even though Kathryn Hahn has dabbled in mainstream cinema, a lesser-known gem in her filmography is the Netflix drama Private Life. Through bleak humor, the film documents the struggles of a middle-aged couple (Paul Giamatti along with Hahn) as they strive to give birth to a child through artificial means.
But when the couple relies on their niece for assisted reproduction, unforeseen complications arise prompting the couple to question if they even wish to grow a family. Tamara Jenkins' direction and screenplay brims with a bittersweet sense of introspection, that would be perfect for audiences that appreciate light-hearted human dramas.
Teyonah Parris: Chi-Raq (2015)
Even though Teyonah Parris broke out with Dear White People, Chi-Raq offers her most memorable lead role. Spike Lee's crime-comedy-drama adapts the ancient Greek play Lysistrata in a Southside Chicago setting filled with gang violence. Parris' character (also named Lystriata) leads a protest against the ongoing chaos that changes the face of the neighborhood.
Making use of a satirical tone and musical numbers to address real issues, Chi-Raq proved to breathe life into Lee's later career.
Evan Peters: American Animals (2018)
American Animals is arguably one of the most unconventional heist thrillers to have come out of recent years as it dramatizes a real-life heist while featuring the actual perpetrators in a mockumentary-like fashion.
Rather than any of the usual riches, the target of this heist ends up being a set of rare paintings and books in a university library. The entire build-up to the third act along with the internal dilemmas of the college students involved offers nail-biting thrills despite its seemingly minimalistic case. Known for playing Quicksilver (and Ralph Bohner in WandaVision), Evan Peters shines in the role of a rebellious hipster student, making it one of his meatier film roles.
Randall Park: Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Directed by Nahnatchka Khan (of Fresh Off The Boat fame), Always Be My Maybe was one of Netflix's freshest rom-coms, courtesy of the on-screen chemistry between Ali Wong and Randall Park. Both play characters who dated in their childhood and have now moved on in their adult lives. But fate finds them crossing their paths, again and again, sparking up a potentially new and matured relationship.
Despite the film's genre trappings, comedic overtones, and that memorable Keanu Reeves cameo, the film serves as an interesting take on how people and bonds can change with the passage of time.
Kat Dennings: Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist doesn't shy away from its romantic clichés while reworking it enough for a fresh narrative, offering a somewhat less-dramatic and more casual notion of love.
Michael Cera and Kat Dennings (MCU's Darcy Lewis) are strangers who bond over a common taste in music in the course of one night, thus leading to many unexpected adventures. Boasting a diverse New York-themed soundtrack and charming lead performances, the romantic comedy makes for a comforting watch.
Josh Stamberg: Kate & Leopold
The earliest collaboration between actor Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold, Kate & Leopold stars Meg Ryan and Jackman in a heartwarming tale of romance and time-travel.
The film plays around with the regular trope of two cynical people wishing to find 'true love' as a 19th century Duke encounters an ambitious executive in modern times. Both individuals grow weary of their social expectations, only to discover new experiences in their star-crossed relationship. The film also features a pre-fame Josh Stamberg in a small role. Stamberg went on to find further fame on TV as a part of The Affair, Parenthood, and as S.W.O.R.D. Director Tyler Hayward in WandaVision.
Julian Hilliard: Color Out Of Space (2019)
Heavily influenced by Lovecraftian horror, Color Out of Space is a bizarrely funny installment in Nicolas Cage's recent offbeat filmography. WandaVision's Wiccan aka Julian Hilliard plays Cage's son channeling his horror experience from The Haunting of Hill House, playing a somewhat similar character.
The story revolves around an extraterrestrial meteorite that lands in the front yard of a family, gradually wreaking havoc in unprecedented ways. Even though its mostly interpretative sci-fi story is bound to polarize a few viewers, the B-movie-like approach, Cage's ever-reliable overacting, and the multicolor visuals make it worth a watch.
Asif Ali: Dean (2016)
Asif Ali, the comedian/actor who plays Norm aka Abhilash Tandon in WandaVision has acted in several high-profile TV shows ranging from Silicon Valley to The Mandalorian. Ali also had a small role as Noah in the 2016 comedy-drama Dean that marked the directorial debut of its star and comedian Demetri Martin.
In this tragicomic tale of love and loss, Martin features as a cartoonist who deals with grief while also entangled in a new romantic relationship. In the end, Dean benefits greatly from its observational humor and a blend of light and heavy themes.