10 Casting Choices That Saved Marvel Movies From Being Completely Forgettable

Summary

• Rememberable casting choices in Marvel movies have saved forgettable films from fading into obscurity.
• Actors like Sam Rockwell, Andrew Garfield, and James Spader have elevated somewhat forgettable Marvel movies.
• Other strong actors in less memorable Marvel films include Florence Pugh, Christian Bale, Emma Stone, and Iman Vellani.

Be it within the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the various other franchises based on Marvel Comics, several forgettable movies have been crafted that have been saved by specific casting choices. While the MCU is often praised for its casting decisions, it remains the case that most projects based on Marvel properties have succeeded in finding great actors to portray iconic superheroes. This is no more evident than in the Marvel movies releasing in 2024, with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool headlining a film as two of the best superhero casting choices in history.

Thankfully, it does not seem as though the studio’s casting strengths will dwindle in upcoming MCU movies. First-time MCU appearances by Harrison Ford, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Mahershala Ali are all expected in the coming years. This is without mentioning the upcoming Spider-Man movie castings from Sony Pictures. Over the decades, however, Marvel movies have not always eclipsed the quality of casting decisions. Some forgettable Marvel outings have often been saved by well-cast heroes who have elevated films beyond their storytelling capacities.

10 Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Undoubtedly, the most forgettable MCU movie in Phase 1 of the Infinity Saga is The Incredible Hulk. Coming only five years after the last theatrical Hulk movie did not increase anticipation, and the film has since faded from conversations with some even incorrectly dubbing it non-canon to the MCU due to recasts and the absence of story points in subsequent movies, until the story of Captain America: Brave New World, that is. Overall, The Incredible Hulk is simply a solid, enjoyable, if forgettable movie for the most part, though with one casting choice standing the test of time.

Tim Roth has been theorized to appear in the upcoming MCU movie Thunderbolts* which centers around a team of anti-heroes.

The best character in The Incredible Hulk is Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky. Roth’s one-man-army vibe in The Incredible Hulk makes him an entertaining villain, and his performance elevates the character of Blonsky above somewhat boring side characters like Betty and Thunderbolt Ross. Roth’s performance was so impressive that he is one of the few characters from The Incredible Hulk to return to the MCU in projects like Shang-Chi and She-Hulk. When looking back on The Incredible Hulk, Roth’s Abomination is what most people think of first, a testament to the casting choice.

9 Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man 2 is not only counted as the weakest in the trilogy but also one of the worst-ranked MCU movies overall. It is fun and has great action sequences and performances, but its plot is forgettable thanks to a poor central villain. However, the secondary antagonist of the film is what allows the villainous presence of Iron Man 2 not to fall completely flat. Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer is a bright spot of Iron Man 2 and is similar to Roth in that his performance is what stands out amid several unmemorable aspects.

Rockwell’s Hammer has an overwhelming charisma, making him a hilariously corporate evil in the MCU. No matter who Hammer shares the scene with, the chemistry is evident and Rockwell’s many scenes are often marked as highlights of Iron Man 2. While Rockwell is yet to return to the MCU, the fact that audiences have been clamoring for his return only proves how he aided Iron Man 2 to be somewhat memorable.

8 Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man is not a bad movie and has many great elements. However, some narrative similarities and rehashed plot points from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man cause The Amazing Spider-Man to be more forgettable than the Maguire films, as does the latter series’ inability to go past a second installment. That said, one aspect that no one has forgotten about The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel is Andrew Garfield as the titular web-slinger.

Garfield’s performance as Peter Parker often sees him counted among the best live-action Spider-Man actors. From his strength in Peter’s emotional moments to the much-improved quippy, sarcastic nature of Spider-Man from the Maguire movies, Garfield embodied everything about the character from Marvel Comics. Garfield’s return in Spider-Man: No Way Home solidified this, with his reminder of how perfect he was as Spidey causing calls for the canceled Amazing Spider-Man 3 story to be revived. Amid familiar thus forgettable plot points, Garfield’s casting as Spider-Man is what remains a bright spark to this day.

7 Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Although it remains true that Garfield is one of the most memorable aspects of the slightly forgettable The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, he would not have gotten far without Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. The many Spider-Man stories that have been told across all mediums have included iconic relationships. Despite the pressure of surpassing these relationships and making Spider-Man’s latest love interest a good character in her own right, Emma Stone managed both easily.

While she did not appear in the film, Emma Stone’s casting as Gwen Stacy was so good that her legacy and connection to Garfield’s Spider-Man was one of the strongest aspects of No Way Home.

Stone’s performance as Stacy is brilliant, and she is widely regarded as the strongest love interest for Spider-Man ever put to screen. This is primarily because she works as a singular character with her own dreams, ambitions, and arcs separate from Peter Parker. Even still, Stone’s chemistry with Garfield is electrifying in both movies. The duo is possibly the best on-screen couple in Marvel movie history, and the emotional investment in their relationship aids The Amazing Spider-Man and especially The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to overcome a forgettable story by being utterly heartbreaking.

6 James Spader as Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

While Avengers: Age of Ultron is great fun in its own right, there are several elements that make it the most forgettable of the four Avengers movies. For one, it spends a lot of time setting up future Phase 3 MCU films, meaning that the more memorable elements of the story actually tie to other projects. The film itself therefore has less memorable moments than The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. However, the most memorable parts of Avengers: Age of Ultron surround the titular villain, played by James Spader.

Spader’s voice work for Ultron is incredible. Not only does he switch from menacing and threatening to sarcastic and witty with ease, but it never feels out of character. Ultron’s physical presence is easily matched by Spader’s voiceover, allowing the villain to remain memorable in a film that has several forgettable aspects.

5 Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom

Venom (2018)

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has been admittedly rocky. Only the Venom movies have had any kind of commercial success and the critical reception to each installment has been severely lacking. While Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage are the most enjoyable movies the SSU has to offer, they are still highly forgettable, especially the former.

The final Venom movie, Venom: The Last Dance, will be released in October 2024.

Despite that, Tom Hardy’s casting as Eddie Brock/Venom is the most memorable part of both films. Hardy is borderline unhinged in the SSU, imbuing Brock and Venom with the split personalities that make his scenes in each entry engaging. Hardy’s commitment to such a taxing role is impressive, especially considering the stories that house them never quite warrant such a strong performance. In a series full of forgettable villains, thinly written scripts, and mind-numbing action, Hardy constantly stands tall as Eddie Brock and his symbiotic friend.

4 Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

Captain Marvel (2019)

Interestingly, Samuel L. Jackson was not cast in the MCU for Captain Marvel. In fact, Captain Marvel was Jackson’s ninth story in the MCU, helping make him the actor with the most franchise appearances. Regardless of his previous success, Marvel Studios’ decision to cast him in the prequel film elevated it massively. Captain Marvel is fine if formulaic, with mostly uninteresting characters and a forgettable story. Nonetheless, Jackson improves every scene in which he is involved.

What makes Jackson’s memorability even more impressive is the de-aging CGI used to make Nick Fury look 20 years younger. Captain Marvel‘s prequel nature allows Jackson to tap into a more carefree, fun side of Nick Fury for the first time in the MCU, making him a refreshing aspect of a somber character and more serious film. Not only did Jackson improve Captain Marvel as a whole, but his chemistry with Brie Larson allowed the titular character to have welcome moments of levity and overcome a forgettable character arc.

3 Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova

Black Widow (2021)

Black Widow‘s forgetability comes from the film being made too late. A film centering around Scarlett Johannson’s Black Widow would have been best included before Avengers: Endgame, with the character’s death in the latter making 2021’s Black Widow feel simply unnecessary. As such, this feeling made the majority of the film unmemorable, save for Florence Pugh’s performance as Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova.

Given how big a role Yelena has had in the MCU since Black Widow‘s release, it is not difficult to see why she was the film’s most compelling character. Yelena had the strongest arc in Black Widow, and Pugh delivered an expectedly great performance. Looking back on Black Widow brings to mind Yelena’s scenes, her relationship with Natasha, and how she was set up for future stories, proving Pugh to be a casting decision that saved the movie from being entirely unnecessary.

2 Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Thor: Love and Thunder is a film that consists of endless sequences of immature jokes and mostly flat humor. Due to the film’s sheer unseriousness, Thor: Love and Thunder rarely has any emotional impact, making it one of the most forgettable installments in the entire MCU. The few sequences that do have any thematic, emotional, or storytelling weight, however, involve Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher.

Gorr is emotionally compelling in a way few other characters are in the movie. The connection Gorr has with his daughter and how Bale translates it make the flashback sequences from the beginning of the film stand out in memory. Other standout moments from the film all revolve around Bale’s scenes, such as his unhinged performance as a more villainous Gorr, the black-and-white action sequence on Gorr’s planet, and the finale in which the God Butcher meets Eternity. Without Bale, Thor: Love and Thunder would have little redeeming or memorable value.

1 Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel

The Marvels (2023)

The best superhero casting choices often include Heath Ledger as the Joker, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, and so on. Up there with each of those is Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, who has been an immensely shining light of her few MCU projects thus far. This was evident more clearly than any other in The Marvels, which would have been forgettable without Vellani’s endearing presence as Kamala Khan.

Iman Vellani’s next MCU performance will likely be in the planned Young Avengers movie.

The Marvels does not deserve the criticism or vitriol it received, but that still does not make it one of the MCU’s best movies. That said, The Marvels was at its best when the titular trio was on-screen together, with Vellani acting as a much-needed glue between the three leads. In spite of The Marvels‘ terrible MCU villain and messy plot as a result, Vellani’s Ms. Marvel stands out and solidifies the fact that the MCU‘s future should be built around her.