This Is The Marvel Netflix Actor That Most Needs to Come to The MCU Movies

Now that Krysten Ritter’s officially back for the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, the internet has ramped up its speculation over who else from the Netflix era of Marvel Television could be coming back to Disney+. Specifically, internet chatter is constantly circulating the possibility of fellow Defenders leads Finn Jones and Mike Colter, returning as Danny Rand/Iron Fist and Luke Cage, respectively. The Disney+ era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe television once seemed to be abandoning the Netflix shows; now it’s fully integrated with these programs.

It sure looks like anybody, from Madame Gao to Colleen Wing to Kilgrave, could show back up in Born Again Season 2 or other Disney+ Marvel programming. However, if there’s any actor from the Marvel/Netflix era that needs to come back for future MCU projects (on both the big and small screen), it’s someone who isn’t as much of a household name.

The MCU would immensely benefit from the presence of the Marvel Netflix Universe’s Turk Barrett (Rob Morgan).

Turk Barrett Was a Staple of the Marvel-Netflix Universe

Born in February 1973, Rob Morgan emerged in the 2010s as a character actor extraordinaire. In movies ranging from Pariah to Mudbound to The Last Black Man in San Francisco (among many others), Morgan’s striking screen presence and lived-in aura were instantly captivating. Even in a lesser movie like Don’t Look Up, Morgan still effortlessly exuded compelling humanity. Among his exploits in the 2010s was providing connective tissue between the various Marvel/Netflix shows. After being a recurring character across Daredevil’s first two seasons, Morgan returned as Turk in Luke Cage, The Defenders, and post-2017 seasons of Iron Fist and Jessica Jones.

A petty criminal residing in Hell’s Kitchen, Barrett’s exploits (much like with his comics incarnation) always brought him face-to-face with super-power vigilantes and various crime-fighters. Morgan’s believably real qualities as a performer infused Barrett with an amusing contrast against heightened characters like Diamondback and The Hand. Though neither referenced nor seen in Born Again’s first season, it feels like a foregone conclusion that Turk Barrett could be coming back into the Marvel Television fold if so many of the Defenders reunite.

Getting Rob Morgan back to play such a down-to-Earth human being would certainly solve one problem that recent MCU movies and TV shows have been plagued with. Projects ranging from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to Secret Invasion to Deadpool & Wolverine have been frustratingly devoid of any “normal” people. The stakes of apocalyptic threats never feel real without any visible depiction of the common people Marvel superheroes must save. Bringing Turk Barrett back, even just for a one-off appearance, could help rectify that problem.

RELATED: This Incredible Daredevil Cosplay Is Exactly What the MCU’s Man Without Fear Needs In Born Again Season 2

Whose To Say Rob Morgan Can’t Play Somebody New?

For his part, Morgan seems open to reprising Turk Barrett in upcoming projects, though he’s not solely concentrated on that opportunity. In October 2024, Morgan openly said that while he’d happily explore any potential chance to play the character again, his primary focus was on fresh acting roles like his lead role in the then-new TV show Teacup. If Marvel Studios wants to really rekindle Morgan’s passion for appearing in these productions, maybe he doesn’t need to play Turk Barrett again. After all, Morgan is a tremendous enough performer to play multiple people in one saga.

Fellow The Punisher cast member Ebon Moss-Bachrach previously played Microchip in a Marvel/Netflix program before taking on Ben Grimm/The Thing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Meanwhile, Luke Cage season one baddie Mahershala Ali was announced as the MCU’s Blade in July 2019. Perhaps Rob Morgan could take a similar path in his MCU journey by taking on a new character in a big-screen production like Spider-Man: Brand New Day or Avengers: Secret Wars. The greatest thing about Turk Barrett isn’t necessarily the character’s intricacies: it’s that he’s played by a tremendously talented actor.

Rob Morgan is the vital ingredient, and getting him as a new MCU character would be a tremendous boon for the franchise. Films are really where the absence of grounded, everyday characters has been felt the most; Rob Morgan could easily deliver a character that helps fix that while having more than enough talent to stand toe-to-toe against actors like Robert Downey Jr. or Brie Larson. Turk has already left a tremendous impression with his endearing recurring cameos in Marvel/Netflix shows. Now, it’s time for him to come to the big screen, either as Turk Barrett or someone new that this actor could make magic with.

Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney+.