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Just about every big actor in Hollywood has appeared in theMarvel Cinematic Universeat some head or another . But while some of them , like Robert Downey , Jr. and Zoe Saldana andthe three Chrises , have been given major function that made them icons , others have been give minor theatrical role that have wasted their talents .
Certain actor who act as one - dimensional roles that squander their dramatic range in Marvel moving-picture show have captivated audiences and prove their heart outside the MCU , making the blandness of their Marvel roles even more disappointing . Here are 10 role player who should ’ve been hand bigger roles in the MCU .
Ben Kingsley
In all the drone forIron Man 3 , Ben Kingsley ’s Mandarin seemed sincerely terrifying . Marvel fans could n’t hold back to see Tony Stark finally take on his archnemesis on the bad screen .
And then , the movieannoyingly revealed the Mandarin to be a tool for a terrorist organization , play by a soccer - loving , beer - swilling actor named Trevor Slattery . This isSir Ben Kingsley ofGandhiandSchindler ’s List , for goodness sake !
Michael Stuhlbarg
Michael Stuhlbarg has essay both his comedic chop inA Serious ManandMen in Black 3and his spectacular chops inCall Me By Your NameandThe Shape of Water .
And yet , when he was cast as Stephen Strange ’s surgical rival Nicodemus West inDoctor Strange , he was given nothing challenging to do .
Zachary Levi
Although he would later get his due with the claim role in the DCEU’sShazam!franchise , Zachary Levi was underserved by the MCU . He played Fandral , one of the Warriors Three , in Thor ’s second and third solo outings ( after the role was played by Josh Dallas in the first one ) .
Levionce hope to star in a Warriors Three trilogy , but it became apparent that this was n’t run short to happen when he was reduce to a cameo and kill off inThor : Ragnarok .
Christopher Eccleston
The MCU isoften charge of having a “ villain trouble . ”While Marvel ’s hoagie are complex and interesting , their villains are often generic and one - note , taken straight from the biscuit cutter .
This has never been more prevalent than inThor : The Dark World ’s bad guy rope , Malekith , who talk in house trailer - favorable soundbites . The great Christopher Eccleston deserved a much more substantial role than this .
Rebecca Hall
InIron Man 3writer - theater director Shane Black ’s defense , he did n’t intend to underutilize Rebecca Hall . In Black ’s initial draft of the playscript , her character Maya Hansen was revealed to be the originator behind the Extremis computer virus .
At the behest of the infamous Ike Perlmutter , the female villain was nix in favor of the preposterously unthreatening Aldrich Killian . This alteration made the secret plan nonsensical , and Hall was relegated to a one - dimensional auxiliary part .
Tim Blake Nelson
At the end ofThe Incredible Hulk , whose canonical place in the MCU is downplay at best , Samuel Sterns ’ shift into the Leader was teased . However , the picture never got a continuation and Bruce Banner was reforge .
Tim Blake Nelson played Sterns , and never engender to reprise his role . Nelson has proven in the Coens’O Brother , Where Art Thou?andThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsthat he ’s a ok player with impressive range .
Mads Mikkelsen
As seen inHannibalandCasino Royale , Mads Mikkelsen can play a really dark villain . He can wreak an leftover appealingness to a terrific character . Mikkelsen call for to be given a part that was as complex as Thanos or Killmonger or Loki to really shine .
rather , he was cast to play Kaecilius inDoctor Strange . Since he had next to no portrayal , his smoky optic had to work overtime to let us know he was the defective guy .
Sam Rockwell
AlthoughIron Man 2as a whole had a lot of problem , Sam Rockwell ’s portrayal of Justin Hammer as an arms - manufacture billionaire trying and failing to be Tony Stark was uproariously cringeworthy .
If Hammer was brought back in succeeding movies ( outside of the One - Shots ) and his rivalry with Tony develop , Rockwell could ’ve shown off the chop he ’s proven inVice , Jojo Rabbit , andThree Billboards Outside Ebbing , Missouri . But Hammer never reappeared after his initial outing .
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
While Evan Peters ’ incarnation of Quicksilver wasone of the best parts of Fox ’s latter - dayX - Menmovies , Aaron Taylor - Johnson ’s incarnation barely made an mental picture inAvengers : Age of Ultron .
Marvel ’s multi - movie declaration made Taylor - Johnson ab initio hesitant to take the part , so that could ’ve beenwhy his MCU arc was only one movie long . But even within the confines ofAge of Ultron , Quicksilver could ’ve been given a more substantial and dramatically resonant office .
Natalie Portman
After being wasted by one large franchise ( Star Wars ) , Natalie Portman was similarly wasted by the MCU.Black Swan , Jackie , andAnnihilation(among many others ) are definitive proof that Portman is a great actor . And yet , her Marvel character Jane Foster wasreduced to being Thor ’s one - dimensional love interest .
She ’s present for a mint ofThor : The Dark World , but she just produce a chance to speak . It ’s no wonder Portman walked away from the theatrical role . Taika Waititi is set to remediate thisinThor : Love and Thunder , which will see Jane picking up the hammer of Thor and take on his godly property .
NEXT : MCU : 10 Actors Who Were Almost stray In Iconic Roles
