Movies

Who Is Joining the MCU?

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is already the biggest film franchise on planet earth, but it is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, the MCU already has a packed release schedule for the next few years. Titles like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Ironheart, Secret Invasion, Blade, Captain America: New World Order, and so many others are in various stages of development and production, as the MCU continues to grow.

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More movies and TV shows don’t just mean more stories for the MCU — they also mean more new characters. The franchise is bringing in a ton of characters in these upcoming projects, many of them being played by popular actors. 

There is so much on the upcoming MCU slate that it can be tough to remember who exactly is joining the franchise in the near future. That’s why we’ve made this handy list to help you out. This obviously doesn’t cover every single actor and actress set for a role in upcoming Marvel projects, but it does cover most of the major ones. There are a bunch of great performers joining Marvel’s ever-expanding universe over the next couple of years, giving fans quite a lot to look forward to.

Below, you can check out the list of actors currently en route to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tenoch Huerta – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

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Narcos: Mexico alum Tenoch Huerta may not be a household name right now, but he will be after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters. He’s playing Namor, one of the oldest characters in Marvel history, and it appears his role in the Black Panther sequel will be a massive one. Fans are already wondering how involved he will be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.

Dominique Thorne – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

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Dominique Thorne is bringing Riri Williams to the MCU, giving the franchise a new hero in flying armor after the death of Tony Stark. Riri is clearly going to play a major role in the franchise moving forward, with Thorne already set to lead the Ironheart solo series on Disney+.

Emilia Clarke – Secret Invasion

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Of all the upcoming Marvel releases, Secret Invasion is the one with the most major franchise additions. Perhaps the biggest among them is Emilia Clarke, who was nominated for four Emmys for her starring turn as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones. Clarke was featured in the trailer for Secret Invasion, but her role is still unknown.

Olivia Colman – Secret Invasion

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Olivia Colman has been on an absolute tear over the last half-decade, winning an Emmy for playing Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown and taking home an Oscar for her role in The Favourite. Now she’s joining the MCU in Secret Invasion, taking on the role of Special Agent Sonya Falsworth.

Kingsley Ben-Adir – Secret Invasion

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Kingsley Ben-Adir’s star has been on the rise over the last couple of years. The Peaky Blinders alum recently portrayed Malcolm X in One Night in Miami and former President Barack Obama in The Comey Rule. He’ll make his MCU debut in Secret Invasion, playing Gravik, a leader of the Skrull rebels.

Will Poulter – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

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Ever since the ominous tease during the credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Marvel fans have been wondering who James Gunn would cast to play Adam Warlock. The honor went to Will Poulter, who is best known for his work in We’re the Millers, Midsommar, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, and Dopesick.

Chukwudi Iwuji – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

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Between the second and third Guardians movies, James Gunn spent some time playing in the DC playground, directing The Suicide Squad and bringing to life its spinoff series, Peacemaker. After working with Chukwudi Iwuji in Peacemaker, Gunn wanted to keep the creative partnership going and gave Iwuji the role of the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Devery Jacobs – Echo

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After appearing in Hawkeye last year, Alaqua Cox is getting a solo Disney+ series in the form of Echo. She’ll be joined not only by Daredevil alum Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, but also Devery Jacobs, one of the breakout stars of FX’s acclaimed comedy Reservation Dogs.

Ke Huy Quan – Loki

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2022 will be remembered to many film fans as the year Ke Huy Quan returned to the spotlight. Nearly 40 years after his scene-stealing turns as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies, Quan made a major comeback with a dazzling performance opposite Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The comeback tour continues for Quan in 2023 with a mysterious role in the second season of Loki.

Zawe Ashton – The Marvels

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Speaking of Loki, the God of Mischief will soon see the apple of his eye join the MCU. Tom Hiddleston is engaged to actress Zawe Ashton, who has appeared in Velvet Buzzsaw, Greta, and Mr. Malcolm’s List. She is set to play the antagonist in The Marvels, going up against the formidable trio of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani.

Anthony Ramos – Ironheart

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Ironheart is another upcoming series with a big cast of newcomers. Anthony Ramos, one of the original Hamilton cast members and star of In the Heights, has a lead role in the show, likely playing the villain known simply as The Hood.

Alden Ehrenreich – Ironheart

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Alden Ehrenreich unfortunately never got a second opportunity to play Star Wars icon Han Solo, but he’s now getting a shot at Disney’s other massive franchise. Ehrenreich makes his MCU debut in Ironheart and details of his role are currently under wraps.

Harrison Ford – Captain America: New World Order

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Whoever thought Harrison Ford would make his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Following the death of William Hurt, Ford has been tapped to take over the recurring franchise role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Ford’s version of the character will first appear in Captain America: New World Order, Anthony Mackie’s first solo film as the iconic hero. It’s likely that Ford will reprise the role in Thunderbolts.

Mahershala Ali – Blade

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This one may be considered cheating, since Mahershala Ali technically already has an MCU credit to his name. Ali was revealed as the franchise’s new Blade during Marvel’s SDCC panel in 2019. His voice can be heard in the post-credits scene of Eternals, speaking to Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, but Ali has yet to be seen on-screen as the beloved vampire hunter. Blade recently got pushed back to 2024 after losing its director, but Ali remains onboard and committed to the character.

Delroy Lindo – Blade

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Who doesn’t love Delroy Lindo? The Clockers star has been on a roll lately, with great performances in The Harder They Fall and The Good Fight, as well as an electrifying turn in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods that many believe should’ve earned him an Oscar. His role in Blade is still unknown, but Marvel fans are crossing their fingers Lindo is playing Whistler in the MCU.

Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman – Deadpool 3

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Deadpool is officially joining the MCU and he’s bringing his best frenemy along for the ride. Ryan Reynolds shocked the entire Marvel fandom when he announced Hugh Jackman would be coming out of his Wolverine retirement to play the iconic mutant one final time in Deadpool 3.