10 Marvel Cameos You Completely Forgot About

It may have started off as a daring experiment involving the connection of different superhero movies, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe has evolved from a popular franchise into more of a force of nature. This sprawling world spans more than 30 movies, multiple TV series, and several one-shots, each expanding the overarching mythos in fun ways. The MCU has elevated relatively obscure characters into household names, boasting charming performances from top actors while still staying true to their comic book counterparts. While not every MCU project has been a massive success with critics or audiences, it has so many hits under its belt and plenty of highly anticipated projects that it’s not likely to wind down anytime soon.

While superhero movies weren’t always taken seriously by the entertainment industry, the MCU has become so massive that many famous celebrities and other cultural icons have agreed to grace the screen in one of its films, even if their appearances only last for a few seconds. Sometimes, these cameos are so short that audiences completely forgot about them. Let’s take a look at 10 of those cameos here.

Elon Musk in Iron Man 2

Elon Musk needs little introduction; he’s the billionaire who’s founded or co-founded such major companies as PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity, OpenAI, Neuralink, and the Boring Company and is currently the owner of X (formerly Twitter).

He appeared as himself in Iron Man 2 during a fancy engagement in which he approaches Tony Stark to state that he has an idea for an electric jet, to which Stark casually responds with “You do? Then we’ll make it work,” before going about his life, presumably forgetting about the other billionaire industrialist.

Rob Zombie in Guardians of the Galaxy and Vol. 2

Rob Zombie first achieved prominence with his heavy metal band, White Zombie, before branching out on a successful solo career. He’s also developed quite a name for himself as a horror filmmaker, having written and directed such films as House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, The Lords of Salem, and others.

Zombie took some time away from heavy metal and horror to lend his distinctive vocals to a voice-only cameo as the Ravager Navigator in the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films.

Lou Ferrigno in The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, and Avengers: Age of Ultron

Lou Ferrigno is a former professional bodybuilder who made the switch to acting, most famous for portraying Marvel Comics’ jade giant in the popular TV series, The Incredible Hulk. He’s since appeared in a wide variety of movies and TV shows, most notably in a recurring role in the sitcom The King of Queens.

He made a fun cameo as a security guard in the MCU’s sophomore effort, 2008’s The Incredible Hulk (after playing a security guard in the non-MCU film, 2003’s Hulk). He also voiced the character in that film, as well as The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

[RELATED: The Incredible Hulk Star Admits to Being “Heartbroken” Over Not Getting to Return for a Sequel]

Tom Morello in Iron Man

Tom Morello is a world-famous rock guitarist, having first made a name for himself with Rage Against the Machine and then the supergroup Audioslave. He also played with Prophets of Rage and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, as well as various side and solo projects.

Morello has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo as a terrorist guard in Iron Man during the scene when Tony Stark breaks out of the Ten Rings hideout with the Mark I suit. As a bonus, Morello also provided some rockin’ guitar tracks for the film’s soundtrack.

Luke Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok & Thor: Love and Thunder

Luke Hemsworth is an Australian-born actor who’s most famous for his role as Ashley Stubbs in HBO’s Westworld. He’s also appeared in several Australian TV shows like Neighbours, The Saddle Club, and Blue Heelers, among others.

In case you couldn’t tell from his last name, he’s the older brother of Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the MCU. As a fun little familial nod, Luke played a version of Thor in plays featured in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder wherein he humorously reenacts scenes from his brother’s adventures.

Jim Starlin in Avengers: Endgame)

Jim Starlin is a prolific comic book artist and writer who’s created or co-created such beloved Marvel characters as Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Nebula, and Shang-Chi, all of whom have become household names because of their inclusion in the MCU. He’s also responsible for breathing new life into the cosmic Marvel characters Adam Warlock and Captain Marvel.

Is it any wonder that Marvel Studios would give him a cameo in one of their biggest and most ambitious movies to date, Avengers: Endgame? It’s a brief moment, but keep your eyes peeled and you’ll see Starlin as one of the members of Steve Rogers’ support group.

Trevor Noah in Black Panther & Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Trevor Noah is a television host, comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, and actor who had a popular run as the host of The Daily Show, replacing previous host Jon Stewart.

Listen closely and you’ll hear Noah’s voice as Griot, the artificial intelligence program created by Shuri to help her with her scientific research. But while Griot was developed specifically for lab work, he played a major role in numerous battles, like guiding Everett Ross as he was chasing down Killmonger’s jets or Shuri in her fight with Namor.

Ed Brubaker in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Ed Brubaker is well known to comic book fans; he’s written for some top DC titles like Batman, Catwoman, and The Authority, as well as Marvel Comics series such as Captain America, Daredevil, and Uncanny X-Men. In fact, it was during his time on Captain America that he revived Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier.

Hardcore fans will have recognized his appearance as one of Bucky’s handlers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier during the scene when he admitted to Alexander Pierce that he was starting to remember Steve Rogers. It must have made Brubaker proud to see his creation all grown up and in live action.

Garrett Morris in Ant-Man

Garrett Morris is a veteran TV actor whose immense talents have been seen on such classic comedy shows as Saturday Night Live, The Jeffersons, and The Jamie Foxx Show. Some of his more recent TV appearances include Shameless, 2 Broke Girls, and How I Met Your Father.

He made a cameo in Ant-Man as an innocent bystander whose car Scott Lang lands on top of when trying out the Pym particle-powered suit for the first time. This is a clever nod to a classic Saturday Night Live sketch wherein Morris played Ant-Man at a superhero party.

Miley Cyrus in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Does Miley Cyrus really need much of an introduction? After starring in the Disney Channel TV series Hannah Montana, she went on to become one of the most popular and successful pop stars ever.

The singer and actress lent her iconic voice to the character of Mainframe, a member of Stakar Ogord’s Team – a reference to the original Guardians of the Galaxy team from the comics – during the end credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.