Marvel Movie Multiples
The Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk back in 2008. But movie adaptations of Marvel comics actually go back much further—closer to 80 years.
In that time, a number of actors have played more than one Marvel character across different series—and some viewers didn’t even notice.
Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin has played the primary antagonist in not one but two Marvel movies, as two different characters, owned by two different studios.
He played Thanos in Marvel’s Infinity War, and Cable in Fox’s Deadpool 2.
Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Robert Downy Jr
Robert Downy Jr is best known in the MCU as Tony Stark in in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
But in July 2024, Marvel revealed that Downy Jr will be returning to the universe as Victor Von Doom in the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Marvel, Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Mahershala Ali
Mahershala Ali is set to follow in the footsteps of Wesley Snipes, becoming the next Blade. But it won’t be his Marvel debut.
Ali made his Marvel debut in season 1 of the Marvel-Netflix collaboration Luke Cage, playing Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes.
Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion has played a number of roles in various films and TV shows. He also dabbles in video game voice acting and theater.
But in the MCU, Fillion is known for his role as Monstrous Inmate in Guardians of the Galaxy. He also portrayed Simon Williams in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2—but the scene was deleted. And in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he played Karja.
He also voided Wade Wilson/Headpool in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Alfre Woodard
Alfre Woodard also starred alongside Mahershala Ali in Luke Cage as Cottonmouth’s sister, Mariah Dillard. Her other role though, is more of a cameo—in Captain America: Civil War. She played a woman whose son was killed in battle, and helps to convince Tony Stark to side with the Sokovia Accords.
Chris Evans
Chris Evans is best known for his role as Captain America in three Captain America films and four Avengers films—which may have helped him earn his recent title of People’s Sexiest Man Alive.
But his fame as Captain America has people forgetting that he actually took a turn as Johnny Storm—aka the Human Torch—in two Fantastic Four movies.
Michael B Jordan
Michael B Jordan also took a turn as Johnny Storm when he stepped into the role of Sue Storm's adopted brother in Fantastic Four in 2015.
Three years later, he took the role of Killmonger in Black Panther—and was regarded by many MCU fans as one of the very best villains in a series of films with literally dozens of villains.
Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac pulled double duty within his Moon Knight role as Marc Spector, someone with multiple personalities (Steven Grant and Jake Lockley). He also portrayed Khonshu while possessing Marc Spector's body in the Moon Knight episode "The Friendly Type".
He also voiced Miguel O’Hara in 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Marvel, Moon Knight (TV Series 2022)
Kenneth Choi
Kenneth Choi’s dual castings were more planned than the others. Choi played Jim Morita alongside super soldier Steve Rogers in World War II.
And then, in a film set almost 80 years later, he returned as Principal Morita, who basically told Peter Parker to chill out. They even have a picture of Choi as Jim in the background of the scene.
Marvel, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Idris Elba
Idris Elba has become a fan favorite these days thanks to his roles in The Losers and Luther. But in regards to Marvel, he starred as Heimdall in Thor and Thor: Ragnarok, and then he joined Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, as Moreau, a tipsy monk.
Some say Marvel greatly wasted Elba’s talents.
Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent D'Onofrio appeared in the 1997 film Men in Black (which became a Marvel film after Marvel bought Aircel). He played an alien cockroach who used the body of a man named Edgar.
Many years later, in 2015, D’Onofrio became a Marvel icon when he was reintroduced in Daredevil, as the first live-action version of Kingpin Wilson Fisk. He then became known as one of the best-loved live-action Marvel villains.
In 2021, fans rejoiced when he appeared again as the Kingpin in Hawkeye.
Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Romijn joined the cast of 2000's X-Men as major player Mystique—a blue shape-changing mutant. And then in 2004, she was supporting cast member Joan in Punisher.
Unlike many of these stories, which are mostly glow-up tales where an actor played a Marvel character in a movie flop, and then joined the MCU and flourished, both Marvel films proved very successful for Romijn.
Damion Poitier
Damion Poitier portrayed Thanos in the Avengers, as well as Hero Merc #1 in Captain America: Civil War.
In addition to those roles, Poitier was a stunt performer in Thor: The Dark World and a utility stunt performer in Captain America: Civil War.
Jon Favreau
Before Elden Nelson stepped into the role, Jon Favreau played Foggy Nelson for the Netflix Daredevil show alongside Ben Affleck’s version of Matt Murdock.
But then he began to shift more to directing then acting and helped kick off the MCU with 2008's Iron Man. He was one of the very first MCU characters as Happy Hogan, Tony Stark’s right-hand man—which he played in a variety of MCU movies until the character was basically written out in 2021.
Gemma Chan
Gemma Chan joined the MCU as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. But when her character perished before the end of the film, Chan accepted another role as Sersi in Eternals.
Sadly, Eternals didn’t do as well as hoped, and Chan’s name went virtually unnoticed.
Evan Peters
Apparently, Evan Peters joined the MCU to play a prank on viewers. Peters played Quicksilver, the same character as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix—though in these movies he was a mutant like all of the other X-Men, instead of an infinity stone experiment.
He then appeared as Wanda’s “brother” in the 2020 show WandaVision—except that he wasn’t actually her brother. He was just Ralph Bohner, an actor whose name sounds like a part of human anatomy. Many fans got the joke, loving the idea that it was all a big prank, while other fans took it too seriously and felt manipulated.
Michelle Yeoh
After gaining international recognition for her role in the 1997 James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh joined Marvel as Aleta Ogord in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
She then portrayed Ying Nan in 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne was one of the primary antagonists in Ant-Man and the Wasp, where he played Dr Bill Foster, Hank Pym’s old colleague.
But before that, a little over a decade earlier, Fishburne voiced The Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Doug Jones played the physical character, while Fishburne’s deep voice gave the Silver Surfer that intergalactic feel.
Marvel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Doug Jones
While Fishburne provided the voice, Doug Jones provided the bodywork for The Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
But before that, he played Joey in 2002’s Men in Black II—which isn’t quite as notable as the role in Fantastic Four.
Marvel,Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany is best known for his role as JARVIS. in the Iron Man films as well as the Avengers films, where he voiced the artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark.
He also played Vision in WandaVision, Captain America, and Avengers, where he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Kate Mara
Kate Mara’s first Marvel appearance was in 2007’s Iron Man 2, where she played an unnamed US Marshal. But her second role was undoubtedly higher profile than her first.
Mara took on the role of Susan Storm in 2015’s Fantastic Four, and became well known for the role.
Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn first appeared in 2007’s Iron Man 2, just like Mara. She played Chess Roberts, a reporter in the film.
Then, in 2016, Munn joined X-Men: Apocalypse as Psylocke, a mutant who can form psychic blades.
Marvel, X-Men- Apocalypse (2016)
Ray Stevenson
Ray Stevenson first appeared in 2008's Punisher: War Zone as Frank Castle, the third actor to step into the role. Roger Ebert called the movie "one of the best-made mad movies" he'd ever seen.
Later, Stevenson joined the cast of Thor as Volstagg, of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. He also appeared in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok after that.
Marvel, Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Judy Greer
Judy Greer is a character actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films. But in the MCU, she is known for her role as Maggie Lang in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp.
She also portrayed War Pig in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Patton Oswalt
Geeky comedian Patton Oswalt made his way into Marvel in a variety of ways. He was cast as the Koenig brothers in ABC’s Agent’s of Shield, where he appeared as Eric, Billy, Sam, Thurston, and their grandfather Ernest, in 10 episodes of the series.
He also played Hedges in 2004’s Blade: Trinity.
Most recently, he starred as MODOK, the Mechanical Organism Designed Only for Killing, on Hulu's series of the same name. And he voiced Pip the Troll in 2021’s Eternals.
Marvel, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-20)
Linda Cardellini
Linda Cardellini played the role of Laura Barton in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Endgame, and Hawkeye.
She also voiced and performed motion capture work for Lylla in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Marvel, Avengers -Age Of Ultron (2015)
Ryan Reynolds
Most people know Ryan Reynolds for his notable role as Deadpool—in which he starred as the character in the first two films, as well as Deadpool & Wolverine.
But not many people realize that Reynolds also appeared in Blade Trinity as Hannibal King, back in 2004.
New Line Cinema, Blade- Trinity (2004)
Stan Lee
Late comic legend Stan Lee appeared in every MCU movie up till Avengers: Endgame. Before that, he appeared in Marvel live-action adaptations as far back as the original X-Men film in 2000.
He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics, which later became Marvel Comics, and was Marvel's primary creative leader for two decades. Not only did he co-create numerous iconic characters, he often made cameo appearances in nearly all of the films.
