Very few series work as well as a springboard as Stranger Things. Outside of Winona Ryder, who was a known quantity going into Season 1 after starring in hits like Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice, the rest of the cast was made up of up-and-comers. The Duffer brothers clearly knew what they were doing, as most of Stranger Things‘ younger actors have gone on to build successful careers. Millie Bobby Brown has turned into Netflix’s golden child, starring in several major projects for the platform, including Enola Holmes and Damsel. Brown’s frequent scene partner, Finn Wolfhard, is also doing well for himself, leading the new Ghostbusters franchise and battling Pennywise in IT.
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Despite all the wins that Brown and Wolfhard are stacking up, they still have to give it up to one of their co-stars, David Harbour. The actor behind fan-favorite Jim Hopper has been working in Hollywood for decades, playing small roles in Suicide Squad, The Newsroom, and Brokeback Mountain, among others. It took him helping out the kids in Hawkins, Indiana, for him to really get his flowers, though. After that, the world was his oyster, but he made one choice that he would probably like to take back.
David Harbour Once Tried to Lead a Comic Book Franchise With Sci-Fi Elements
Marvel and DC are the loudest voices in the superhero space. They’ve earned that right after decades and decades of domination, not only in their comic books but also in movies and TV shows. Fighting two goliaths doesn’t always deter other companies from jumping into the mix. Dark Horse has produced several films based on its properties, including Sin City, Tank Girl, and The Mask. But the Hellboy films are its biggest claim to fame, as Guillermo del Toro did a masterful job bringing the cambion and his supporting cast to life. Unfortunately, del Toro left the property behind after two movies, opening the door for other creatives to put their stamp on the character.
In the late 2010s, a Hellboy reboot started gaining momentum after Game of Thrones director Neil Marshall signed on. Harbour jumped on board shortly after, and the hellish ball was rolling. However, issues during production forced Marshall to abandon his vision. The final product was panned upon release, with critics and fans alike calling it out for its messy story and lackluster action sequences. Harbour went to bat for his movie, believing it was being unfairly compared to Marvel movies. Fortunately, there were no hard feelings from Marvel Studios, which thought that the actor still had a future in the superhero genre.
Red Guardian Is Allowing David Harbour to Live His Best Life
After removing the last of the red makeup, Harbour went back to the drawing board, hoping to find another franchise to sink his teeth into. The Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed to be as good an option as any, so he agreed to appear in Black Widow as Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian, Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova’s adoptive father. Alexei turned out to be a complicated character who valued glory more than family. The character’s tune eventually changed, and his redemption arc allowed him to climb to the top.
Harbour’s next MCU appearance will be in Avengers: Doomsday, reprising his role as Red Guardian, one of the members of the newly formed New Avengers. He won’t get top billing like he did for Hellboy, but being part of one of the greatest ensembles of all time probably beats standing alone on a set that doesn’t know which direction it wants to go in.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
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