The relationship between superheroes and cinema has been evolving for decades, but it’s truly incredible to realize just how much comic books have been able to influence the current pop culture trends. The work done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has forever changed the public’s perception of superhero cinema.
The success of the connected universe has also made Marvel Comics stronger than ever and there are many A-List celebrities who are eager to show up in Marvel films. Marvel moves are anchored by huge stars, but there are also lots of surprising big names that show up in smaller roles, only to be forgotten.
10 Ty Burrell Is A Friend For Banner And A Lover For Betsy (The Incredible Hulk)
Leonard Samson is a colleague and confidante to both Bruce Banner and Betsy Ross. There’s a complex love triangle between them, but Samson is an important ally for the two during their difficult time together within The Incredible Hulk.
Leonard Samson does eventually gain superpowers of his own within Marvel Comics, so it's likely that The Incredible Hulk was setting up a plan to do more with Burrell's character in future Marvel films, much like many of the figures in the film. Maybe he'll find his way into showing up on the upcoming She-Hulk series.
9 Olivia Munn Gets Ready To Break The News (Iron Man 2)
Iron Man 2 is the first sequel within the MCU and while the movie does exhibit some of the larger growing pains within the cinematic universe, there’s still a lot to enjoy in it.
The film introduces some crucial characters to the MCU, like Black Widow, but it’s also full of smaller roles that some important people help bring to life. Olivia Munn has had her chance to shine in the X-Men films as Psylocke, but she’s also featured in Iron Man 2 as Chess Roberts, a news reporter who’s doing coverage on Tony Stark’s latest announcement.
8 John C. Reilly Helps Defend Planet Xandar (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
The cast that James Gunn assembles for Guardians of the Galaxy is a true stroke of genius, which also extends to even the movie’s supporting characters. John C. Reilly is a master of both drama and comedy and while his role as Rhomann Dey of the Nova Corps isn’t crucial, he’s still a welcome face to the heroes.
Reilly’s Rhomann gets rewarded for his actions during the Battle of Xandar and does receive a promotion within the Nova Corps. Perhaps Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will fill in what Rhomann has been up to since his last appearance.
7 Chris O'Dowd Gets Romantic With Jane Foster (Thor: The Dark World)
Thor: The Dark World doesn’t have the best reputation out of all of the movies within the MCU and it’s typically the film’s wild final act and Loki’s shapeshifting antics that are what get remembered from the movie.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t done great work with Jane Foster (although that looks set to change) and one of the stranger moments with the character involves her on a random date in the Thor sequel. Chris O’Dowd plays Richard, Jane’s date, and gives a perfectly affable performance in what’s a completely disposable part.
6 Richard Armitage Plays HYDRA’s Top Assassin (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Chris Evans' Captain America has become just as big a part of the MCU as Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and that magic can be seen right from Captain America: The First Avenger. It's understandable that Captain America's first cinematic villain would be Red Skull, but the tyrant also makes use of Heinz Kruger, one of H.Y.D.R.A.'s very best assassins.
Kruger is portrayed by Richard Armitage (the voice of Trevor Belmont in Netflix's Castlevania) and brings out both the calculated and terrified aspects of the character. Kruger takes his own life rather than undergo interrogation by Captain America.
5 Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Brings The Demonic Kurse To Life (Thor: The Dark World)
Thor: The Dark World has its share of problems, chief among them how the villainous Dark Elves are treated. The film’s primary antagonist is Malekith, but Kurse is an incredibly strong Dark Elf that’s second in command.
Kurse has a terrifying design that goes to waste on the character, but also completely hides the fact that it’s the talented Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje who’s under the make-up in the role. Like most of the actors that are hidden away in Thor: The Dark World, it’s hard to know that Akinnuoye-Agbaje is present until it’s pointed out.
4 Garry Shandling Is A Corrupt Government Official (Iron Man 2 & Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Iron Man 2 is still set relatively within the infancy of the MCU. It’s an exciting moment in the franchise when the vulnerabilities of S.H.I.E.L.D. are made clear and H.Y.D.R.A. begins to tighten their stranglehold. Garry Shandling was a brilliant comedian and a master of deadpan delivery.
He’s an unexpected person to show up in the MCU as the easily compromised Senator Stern, but that’s part of what makes his performance stand out in such an unusual way. Shandling feels slightly out of place in the dramatic role, just like how Stern himself is caught somewhere that he shouldn’t be. When H.Y.D.R.A. is taken down during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Shandling's Stern is seen getting arrested. It would be the actor's final live-action role before his death in 2016.
3 Glenn Close Is The Leader Of The Nova Corps (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
The original Guardians of the Galaxy faces a tough task as it tries to introduce the audience to the cosmic corner of the MCU. The Guardians are an unlikely team, but the whole reason that they’re put on their mission to recover the Power Stone and take down Ronan the Accuser is because he’s left the Planet of Xandar threatened.
Xandar is the home to Irani Rael, the leader of the powerful Nova Corps. Glenn Close portrays Nova Prime with eerie resolve and she’s a great foil for the Guardians to bounce off of.
2 Miguel Ferrer Is America’s Vice President (Iron Man 3)
The MCU reaches such fantastical heights that literally leave the boundaries of the planet, so it’s sometimes easy to forget that the films have their own depiction of the President of the United States and a current government. Iron Man 3 gives the presidency some focus as concerns grow that Tony Stark may be headed towards an international incident.
William Sadler portrays President Matthew Ellis, but it’s the versatile Miguel Ferrer who depicts the ornery Vice President Rodriguez. He’s a perfect fit for the disgruntled figure who’s had enough of Tony.
1 Miley Cyrus Plays A Classic Ravager (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
James Gunn has helped rejuvenate the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and even though he's assembled a unique roster to fill out the team, the film's post-credit scenes highlight even more characters from the sprawling universe as the comics.
Gunn features a bunch of the Ravagers, including Stakar and Aleta Ogord, Martinex, Krugarr, Charlie-27, and the robotic Mainframe. Gunn casts major stars in all of these brief roles, but it's Miley Cyrus who provides the voice for Mainframe, portrayed in the film as the disembodied head of a robot.