The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been growing steadily ever since its inception, with the franchise’s Multiverse Saga increasing its scope exponentially. This has seen countless characters from the pages of Marvel Comics adapted into live-action, with many of them going on to make multiple appearances. There have been several MCU performances that have swiftly become iconic, with some heroes and villains now defined by their portrayal in the franchise. But with the Multiverse Saga’s exploration of other realities has come the introduction of variants, bringing with them the possibility of recasting roles. As the Multiverse Saga continues toward its planned conclusion, it’s possible that major MCU actors could be replaced.
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It’s not unheard of for superhero movies to recast actors, but the popularity of the MCU brings major scrutiny to any such decisions. However, some characters in the franchise have begun to grow the risk of running stale, or their stories have seemingly reached an organic conclusion. In these cases, and a select few others, it would seem that the time is right for Marvel to recast the characters and allow new actors to take over.
1) Nick Fury
As one of the very first characters introduced into the MCU, Nick Fury has played a deceptively large role in shaping the franchise’s narrative. After first appearing in the post-credits scene of 2008’s Iron Man, Nick Fury recruited and founded the Avengers, and went on to assist in multiple major conflicts and stories within the MCU. However, after leading the cast of one of the worst MCU TV shows, Secret Invasion, it would seem as though it could be time for the franchise to embrace a new Fury.
Samuel L. Jackson’s turn as Nick Fury has been iconic, and replacing him would prove incredibly difficult. Even so, considering the actor’s age and the action-heavy nature of the MCU, it would potentially be prudent to bring in a younger version of Fury if the intention is to ensure he continues to directly influence the franchise’s narrative. As difficult as it may be to consider, it may be time for Jackson to pass Nick Fury over to someone new.
2) Professor X
After featuring as one of the main characters in Fox’s X-Men movie franchise, Professor X made his MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Patrick Stewart reprised the role via the MCU’s Multiverse as the Earth-838 variant of Charles Xavier, who also served as a member of that reality’s Illuminati. Stewart has since been confirmed as appearing as Xavier once again as part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday.
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While Stewart has not been confirmed as the MCU’s official Professor X, the franchise will need a new version of the character in the near future. Stewart’s replacement could potentially be McAvoy, who played the younger Xavier in Fox’s franchise, or Marvel could bring in someone completely new to fill the role. Even so, Stewart’s age and his previous appearances in the role highlight the need for Xavier to be recast for the MCU.
3) Iron Man
Since the announcement of a huge cast of Marvel characters for Avengers: Doomsday, there has been speculation that Phase One MCU characters could return. Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame makes it seem plausible that the hero might make his MCU return via the Multiverse, even if that includes a different actor taking on the role. As Robert Downey Jr. is set to return to the MCU in the role of Victor Von Doom, it paves the way for Iron Man to be recast.
If another Iron Man should emerge from the MCU’s Multiverse, there are several clear contenders for the role. Doing so might risk the ire of some fans of the character, but it would enable the MCU to adapt other Iron Man stories that the franchise has not yet touched. Furthermore, it would allow Iron Man to play a role in the MCU’s Secret Wars story, even if the variant involved didn’t stick around past the end of the Multiverse Saga.
4) Wolverine
Hugh Jackman’s turn as Wolverine has been one of the most iconic performances in the history of comic book movies. After making his debut in 2000’s X-Men, Jackman has gone on to reprise the role numerous times, becoming synonymous with the mutant hero. Though Jackman only recently joined the franchise in Phase Five of the MCU, it’s potentially time for the role to be recast with a new actor.
As Jackman has spent a quarter of a century appearing as Wolverine, it could be high time that the MCU sought a long-term replacement. The role of Wolverine is an intensely physical one, and though Jackman has so far seemed up to that challenge, he will not be able to depict Wolverine’s extended life-span. Bringing in a fresh face to play Wolverine in the MCU’s future might not be a popular prospect, but sooner or later, it will be an inevitable one.
5) Kang the Conqueror
Once tipped to be the main antagonist of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, Kang’s story in the franchise has since changed significantly. With the Multiverse Saga pivoting to incorporate Doctor Doom as its new Avengers-level threat, Kang was all but forgotten after actor Jonathan Majors was dropped from the franchise. As such, Kang the Conqueror is one villain that should be recast for the MCU.
Since Majors was dismissed by Marvel, there has been much speculation about potential replacements for the MCU’s Kang actor. With the Multiverse Saga heading towards its conclusion, Doomsday or Secret Wars might be the perfect time to introduce the franchise’s new Kang. Bringing in a new actor in the midst of an epic Multiverse story would be an organic way to recast the role without drawing further attention to Majors’ departure.
6) Beast
Despite being a prominent member of the X-Men, Beast was not heavily featured in the original X-Men movie trilogy. His only major appearance came in X-Men: The Last Stand, where he was played by Kelsey Grammer. Though Nicholas Hoult went on to play Beast in multiple prequel movies, Grammer has been confirmed as part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, as well as featuring in a cameo in The Marvels‘ post-credits scene.
Considering Grammer’s age and the fact that his version of Beast was not as successful as Hoult’s, it would be prudent for Marvel to recast the role for the MCU’s X-Men. Grammer’s appearance via the Multiverse will give his take on the character another opportunity to shine before the torch can be passed to someone new. When it comes to potentially making multiple appearances across various MCU projects, it would make more sense for Beast to be recast with a younger actor for the franchise’s future.
7) Quicksilver
Quicksilver is one of a handful of characters to make appearances in both the X-Men franchise and the MCU’s main timeline. He’s also one of the few to be played by different actors in each, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson having played the hero in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Evan Peters on the Fox side of films. However, as Taylor-Johnson’s version is dead, and Peters has appeared as Ralph Bohner in the MCU, it would seem that the role needs to be reworked.
Though Peters’ Quicksilver was popular, the MCU’s opportunity to use him has passed, as WandaVision saw him pretend to be the hero in a mind-bending magical manipulation. As such, the most logical approach to reintroducing the character would be to bring in a whole new face, replacing both Taylor-Johnson and Peters. It could be the only way to move past the messy past of Quicksilver in the MCU, and as he’s a character with so much potential, it’s an issue more than worth resolving.
8) Black Panther
Marvel has announced that there are no plans to recast Black Panther in the MCU, but it may need to happen in the near future. Chadwick Boseman’s tragically brief stint as the hero was exceptional, and his untimely passing left the MCU in an impossible situation.
Boseman’s take on T’Challa sets an incredibly high bar for any new actor taking on the role. Even so, to deprive the MCU of such an interesting and beloved hero does both Black Panther and his fans a disservice. While the franchise has established Shuri as the current Black Panther, the Multiverse Saga could see T’Challa return played by a different actor, and it could be incredibly touching to see the fan-favorite character reappear.
9) Loki
Since first appearing in 2011’s Thor, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki has grown from a relatively uninspiring villain to a beloved anti-hero in the MCU. Hiddleston’s performance as the God of Mischief earned massive popularity, and saw his story tap into this by giving him a big hero moment in Loki season 2’s finale. With Loki now acting as the God of Stories in order to protect all of existence, it’s possibly time that another actor also stepped into the role.
The MCU has already experimented with Loki variants played by other actors, to significant success. Establishing one such variant as the MCU’s new Loki would be a great way to keep up the character’s presence in the franchise without undermining his heroic sacrifice. As great as Hiddleston has been in the role, there are other facets of Loki’s personality that a new actor could possibly explore in greater depth.
10) Hank Pym
In introducing Hank Pym in the MCU, Marvel Studios exacted some creative licence with the character and his place within the timeline. Instead of establishing Pym as a founding Avenger, it instead skipped over his time as Ant-Man, introducing Scott Lang as its main iteration of the hero. While this worked well for the Infinity Saga, the Multiverse Saga’s ending could provide an opportunity to explore Pym’s story.
Michael Douglas has claimed that he’s done playing Hank Pym, making the timing perfect to recast the role. A younger variant of Pym could now join the MCU as a hero, which would facilitate adaptations of various other Ant-Man stories that otherwise might be overlooked. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s original Hank Pym seemingly retiring from the franchise, the time seems right to bring in a new actor to bring the role to life.
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