When Avengers: Endgame hits theaters this April, the Marvel Cinematic Universe as viewers know it will change dramatically as several beloved characters will be saying their final farewells to the massively-successful franchise. Outside of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Marvel has kept quiet about which films they’ll be releasing in the next phase of films, so it’s impossible to know for sure who will be sticking around and who audiences will be saying goodbye to after Earth’s Mightiest Heroes join together once more to try to stop Thanos and save the universe.
With Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox moving forward and granting Marvel with the rights to several characters they’ve previously been unable to use, even with several characters likely departing after Endgame, the future of the MCU has never looked brighter. For the first time ever on the big screen, fans can look forward to seeing iconic heroes like the X-Men’s Wolverine and Fantastic Four’s Mister Fantastic interacting with the Avengers. By incorporating the variety of great formerly-Fox characters into the MCU and introducing viewers to Marvel Comics’ bevy of other, lesser-known yet still amazing heroes and villains into the franchise as well to replace those we’ll lose after Endgame, Marvel will be able to provide viewers with box office smashes for decades to come.
There are countless Marvel characters who may soon find their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but figuring out which actors and actresses should portray certain fan-favorites is an incredibly difficult task. Fans are always eager to offer their opinions online, and some of their ideas may actually be worth considering. Here are 30 Marvel Live-Action Fan Castings That We Wish Would Come True.
WOLVERINE (SCOTT EASTWOOD)
After earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for “longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero" alongside Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman is finally done being Wolverine. Jackman portrayed Logan in 10 different appearances, from various entries in the X-Men franchise to several standalone solo movies.
Fans have been anticipating Jackman’s retirement from the role for years, and Scott Eastwood has been the primary option comic lovers have suggested for his replacement. He is definitely a bit tall, as Wolverine is meant to only be 5'3, but since Jackman was a foot too tall as well, that shouldn’t matter. Eastwood has Logan’s intensity and likability and would fit right in with the other dreamy, muscular leading men of the franchise.
KRAVEN THE HUNTER (JOE MANGANIELLO)
Spider-Man: Far From Home is supposedly going to feature a very large number of the web-slinger’s most popular villains, including Mysterio, Hydro-Man, Sandman, Molten Man and the return of the Vulture. One of the few antagonists fans shouldn’t expect to see will be Kraven the Hunter, even though Spidey lovers have been begging for him for over a decade.
Kraven is one of Spider-Man’s most interesting bad guys, and it’s easy to see why so many fans think Joe Manganiello would be the perfect star to portray Sergei Kravinoff. He looks exactly like the character! Manganiello has the right hair, the right build, the acting chops to provide Kraven with the right ferocity and would undoubtedly be able to give Tom Holland’s Peter Parker a run for his money.
MISTER FANTASTIC (JOHN KRASINSKI)
While it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone other than Chris Evans portraying Captain America, another actor was nearly cast as the Star-Spangled Avenger. The Office star John Krasinski actually auditioned for the role and was heavily considered before Evans came into the picture.
Some fans used to laugh at the idea of Jim Halpert playing an action star, but Krasinski’s successful portrayal of Jack Ryan has proven he has what it takes to be a Marvel leading man. He’s not quite muscular enough to replace Evans, but he has the build and intelligence to be a believable Mister Fantastic, and he actually looks a lot like Reed Richards.
INVISIBLE WOMAN (EMILY BLUNT)
Emily Blunt’s roles in intense films like Edge of Tomorrow and A Quiet Place and her leading role in Mary Poppins Returns already made several Marvel fans eye her as a potential candidate to portray the Invisible Woman now that Marvel finally has the rights to the Fantastic Four. But with the Internet now also considering Krasinski for the role of Reed Richards, it makes even more sense for Blunt to be his Sue Storm.
Krasinski and Blunt are married in real life, so they’d undoubtedly have great chemistry as the married leaders of Marvel’s first family. It also helps that Blunt looks startlingly similar to Sue.
MILES MORALES (CALEB MCLAUGHLIN)
Ever since Donald Glover first started campaigning to portray Spider-Man in a live-action film nearly a decade ago, fans have supported the idea of the Community star becoming the friendly-neighborhood wall-crawler. Glover helped inspire the creation of Miles Morales, and while it’d be amazing to finally see him as Miles, he’s a bit too old now. Also, Glover is already part of the MCU, having portrayed Miles’ uncle Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin would make a far better candidate, as he’s the right age for the role and would likely have great chemistry with Holland should Marvel choose to have their Spider-Man show Miles the ropes the way he did in the award-winning Enter the Spider-Verse.
NOVA (RYAN GOSLING)
Chris Evans has made his plans to leave the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Endgame pretty clear, and it’s rumored that the film will also force viewers to say goodbye to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. If one or more of those MCU staples do in fact depart from the franchise, a new leading man will need to step up to lead the Avengers and capture the hearts of audiences worldwide.
Few actors have the charm and comic book good looks of Ryan Gosling, and several fans think he’d make the perfect Nova. With Infinity War, Captain Marvel and the Guardians of the Galaxy films all exploring life beyond Earth, it seems like the MCU is on track to continue featuring cosmic heroes, so a Gosling-led Nova film would definitely be possible.
NORMAN OSBORN (MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY)
Norman Osborn was featured in both the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield-led series of Spider-Man films, so it’s completely understandable why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has waited to incorporate him into their franchise. But since Norman has proven himself to be a serious threat to all of the Avengers in the comics, even when he’s not wearing the Green Goblin mask, he deserves to make another appearance.
Norman’s taken over S.H.I.E.L.D., he’s formed his own Dark Avengers, he’s fought alongside the Sinister Six and he recently bonded with the Carnage symbiote to become the Red Goblin. He’s ruthless and dangerously intelligent, but he’s able to get away with some seriously evil acts right in front of the public eye because he’s so charming and wealthy. Matthew McConaughey could definitely bring out all of those aspects of Stormin’ Norman’s personality.
SPIDER-WOMAN (EMMA STONE)
Spider-Man fans still can’t agree on their feelings towards Andrew Garfield’s two Amazing Spider-Man films, but everyone seems to believe that Emma Stone made for the perfect Gwen Stacy. Bryce Dallas Howard’s take on the role in Spider-Man 3 failed to show off Gwen’s intelligence or fun personality, but Stone showed why so many comic readers adore Peter Parker’s first love.
If the MCU ever explores the multiverse and brings Spider-Woman into the fray, it would be amazing to see Stone return and get to be the one saving the day and webbing up super-villains for a change.
CYCLOPS (JENSEN ACKLES)
Even though James Marsden is a typically well-liked actor, fans failed to ever really support his take on Cyclops in Fox’s original X-Men trilogy. No one cared about Scott Summers’ passing in X-Men 3, because Marsden lacked any real personality as the character. Fans have voiced their opinion for years that Supernatural star Jensen Ackles would have been a better Cyclops, and now that Marvel has the rights to the X-Men and will undoubtedly be working mutants into their films in the next few years, it’s actually possible for Ackles to take on the role.
Ackles’ portrayal of Dean Winchester in Supernatural proves he’s capable of Scott’s nobility and ability to lead a team, and Dean also shares Cyclops’ charm and occasionally rebellious nature.
JEAN GREY - AMY ADAMS
Amy Adams has already proven she has what it takes to star in a superhero film, as she portrayed Lois Lane in Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The MCU will soon need a fierce redhead to portray their new Jean Grey, and Adams seems like she’d be a perfect candidate.
Jean has various different sides to her personality, and Adams’ diverse career résumé suggest she’d be able to portray all of them, from Jean’s occasional trepidation over her own power to her confidence, morality and willingness to lead. Adams has the acting skill to go from being a mild-mannered founding member of the X-Men to the all-powerful Dark Phoenix, and she also looks the part.
THE JACKAL - RAMI MALEK
Rami Malek’s award-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody demonstrated his phenomenal acting chops, and he just looks like a comic book supervillain. It’s no big surprise that he’s being tapped to play an antagonist in an upcoming Bond film, and fans think Marvel should follow suit and find him a place in the MCU.
Malek would make for the perfect Miles Warren, otherwise known as The Jackal. Malek isn’t muscular enough to portray most Marvel villains, but Warren isn’t known for his strength or proficiency in battle. The Spider-Man antagonist’s power lies in his great intellect, as the mad professor has mastered cloning technology and managed to bring countless fallen Marvel characters back to life.
ROGUE - ANNA KENDRICK
Anna Kendrick once expressed a desire to portray Squirrel Girl, and while she’d likely be perfect for that hilarious character, it’s highly unlikely that Marvel plans to include Doreen Green in their Cinematic Universe any time soon. Squirrel Girl may be “unbeatable” (she even took down Thanos once all on her own in the comics), but there just isn’t much demand for a live-action superhero who can speak to squirrels.
Rogue, on the other hand, will likely find herself in the MCU in the near future, and Kendrick might be a good fit for the fan-favorite X-Men. Most fans disliked Anna Paquin’s timid, awkward take at the confident and sassy superhero, but Kendrick can bring out all of the personality traits that make Rogue such a beloved mutant.
SENTRY - ARMIE HAMMER
Armie Hammer was born to portray a comic book superhero, and since DC made the mistake of snubbing him for Superman, Marvel should tap the Call Me By Your Name star to bring Sentry to life on the big screen. Like the Man of Steel, Sentry has superhuman strength, speed and stamina, enhanced senses, invulnerability and the ability to fly. The only things that stop him from being Marvel’s top hero are his psychological issues and fear of his own great power.
Standing at a massive 6'5" and having the frame of a real-life superhero, Hammer would be a convincing Sentry. His acting talent would allow him to show off the noble side of Robert Reynolds’ personality, as well as the character’s mental instability.
CARNAGE - CAMERON MONAGHAN
In the post-credits scene of Venom, Sony revealed that Woody Harrelson will be portraying Cletus Kassidy, the criminal who goes on to become Carnage, in the film’s sequel. Harrelson is great at playing crazy and will likely be fun to watch face-off against Tom Hardy, but he’s a bit old to be playing such an iconic and powerful supervillain.
Cameron Monaghan has expressed interest in playing Carnage, and his phenomenal portrayal of Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska in Gotham proves he’s very capable of being as delightfully insane as Kassidy. He looks a lot like the character as well, and would make for an age-appropriate adversary for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man should Holland ever actually crossover into the Venom films like fans hope he eventually will.
MISTER SINISTER - CHRISTOPH WALTZ
Fox’s X-Men films have been hinting at the arrival of iconic villain Mister Sinister for years. X-Men: Apocalypse’s post-credits scene teased his Essex Corporation, Deadpool 2 featured the Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation, and Jon Hamm was cast to portray the character in The New Mutants. Unfortunately, the role was reportedly cut due to an extensive reshoot schedule.
Now that Disney and Marvel have rights to the X-Men, it may finally be time for fans to see Mister Sinister on the big screen. Christoph Waltz would be the perfect fit. He’s often type-cast as a villain, because he exudes confidence and intelligence. Waltz’s age may seem like a concern, but Sinister is also very old and prefers to do most of his work behind-the-scenes rather than face-to-face with his enemies.
DOCTOR DOOM - CILLIAN MURPHY
Like Christoph Waltz, Cillian Murphy is often type-cast as a villain because he looks incredibly intelligent and slightly diabolical. Murphy did a great job portraying the Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films, and he’d potentially make a solid Victor Von Doom as well once Marvel finally works the Fantastic Four and their adversaries into the MCU.
Doctor Doom is one of the most intelligent supervillians in all of Marvel comics, and that intellect, moreso than his superhuman abilities and mastery of magic, is what makes him so dangerous. He’s supposed to be an equal and opposite of Reed Richards, and it’s easy to picture Cillian Murphy squaring off against John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic in a battle of wits.
STORM - DEBORAH AYORINDE
Deborah Ayorinde is technically already part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, since she portrayed Candace Miller in Netflix’s Luke Cage series. However, Marvel’s Netflix series have all been canceled and the characters featured in them never actually crossed over with the characters of the MCU films, so no one would really notice or care if she was recast.
Ayorinde would be a far better Storm than Halle Berry was in the original X-Men trilogy, not only because she looks more like Ororo, but because she’d likely bring more maturity and emotion to the role.
HUMAN TORCH - DYLAN O’BRIEN
If Marvel wants to get more young viewers hooked on their films, all they have to do is cast Dylan O’Brien as the Human Torch. O’Brien was a fan-favorite on MTV’s Teen Wolf, and he starred in the successful Maze Runner series of films. He’s got the necessary comedic timing of Johnny Storm, and while his take on the character wouldn’t be as ruggedly handsome and flirtatious as Chris Evans’ portrayal in Fox’s first two Fantastic Four films, he’d still be a great fit for the role.
Casting someone as young as O’Brien would also allow for the Human Torch to be close friends with Spider-Man the way the character is in the comics. O’Brien and Tom Holland would likely have fantastic chemistry together on screen, and a team-up movie featuring the two of them together would be a surefire hit.
GAMBIT - GASPARD ULLIEL
Now that the rights to the X-Men are in Disney’s hands, fans shouldn’t expect Fox’s planned Channing Tatum-led Gambit film to ever see the light of day. It’s for the best, because while Tatum has proven himself a very capable and likable actor, he wouldn’t have looked anything like the Remy LeBeau of the comics.
Gaspard Ulliel, on the other hand, looks almost exactly like Gambit. The Hannibal Rising star has a natural French accent, so if he added just a hint of Louisiana Cajun to it, Ulliel could sound the part as well.
SQUIRREL GIRL - HAILEE STEINFELD
We already stated that it’s highly unlikely that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will throw Squirrel Girl into the mix anytime soon since there are so many well-known, powerful female superheroes to include first, but if the character continues to garner a positive fan response in the comics and on the New Warriors television series, anything is possible.
Anna Kendrick’s wish to portray Doreen has made her a top choice for fans, but Hailee Steinfeld would probably be a better fit. She has nailed a variety of comedic roles, strongly resembles Squirrel Girl physically, and since she’s only 22 years old, she’d be able to portray a young hero for longer.
