Typically, it’s rare to see a role filled by someone who feels like they were born to play the part, but somehow, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) keeps delivering on perfect castings. For Marvel, creating characters on the big screen is less about finding an actor who can come up with some new character and personality, and more about finding the person who fits characters with personalities that have been defined over decades. It’s not an easy feat, but somehow, the incredible talent of actors delivers on this time and time again.

Obviously, there have been several moments before the MCU began where this kind of perfect casting appears, such as with Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine, and Patrick Stewart as Professor X. And in some cases, the studios manage to strike lightning twice in the same place when they recast Professor X with James McAvoy to deliver a younger version of the character. But the way the MCU has consistently matched up actors to superhero roles needs to be studied.

10

Yelena Belova

Played By Florence Pugh

Natasha Romanoff was the original Black Widow in the MCU, and when she died, it was hard to imagine anyone could fill that gap. However, when Florence Pugh arrived on the scene in Black Widow, she immediately stole the show. As Nat’s younger adoptive sister, Yelena Belova, Pugh had the perfect amount of charm, darkness, and bad ᴀssery to become the next Black Widow.

Since that introduction, Yelena has only gotten better in the MCU, with her appearance in Hawkeye, and again in Thunderbolts*. Now, it’s hard to imagine an MCU without the character. And better yet, her story has so many directions it can go in following the Multiverse Saga, depending on where Yelena and her team, The New Avengers, end up.

9

Quentin Beck

Played By Jake Gyllenhaal

On a different note, the MCU has also done really well with casting some of the villains who help to elevate the heroes. Case in point, Quentin Beck, who appears in Spider-Man: Far From Home as a new friend and mentor for young Peter Parker. Beck convinces people, including Nick Fury, that he is a hero from another universe. However, he was actually just an ordinary man with a team of visual effects artists helping him to manipulate others and acquire some powerful Stark tech.

This part is made so much better thanks to the incredible Jake Gyllenhaal, who delivers endless charm and wit, and convincingly creates a big reveal moment. Gyllenhaal has an electric energy, and plays the part of an ambitious showman. And ultimately, he became one of the most impactful villains to go up against Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, exposing his idenтιтy and upending his life.

8

Justin Hammer

Played By Sam Rockwell

Speaking of iconic villains, Sam Rockwell is a wonderful actor who has the perfect mix of charm, confidence, and irritability to make him a great villain. In Iron Man 2, Rockwell plays Justin Hammer, who is essentially a compeтιтor to Tony Stark, who also produces weapons and seeks out government contracts. The only problem is that Hammer’s weapons are significantly worse than Tony’s.

Regardless, Hammer speaks with bravado, confidence, and boisterousness, enough to land some big deals. But even with money in his pocket, Hammer needs to rely on others who are smarter than him to keep Hammer Industries moving forward. Rockwell was perfect in this role, and it’s a shame he hasn’t popped up since, considering how fun this character was.

7

Shang-Chi

Played By Simu Liu

Shang-Chi was one of the first heroes to join the MCU right after the end of the Infinity Saga. This would have been a challenging spot for any new arrival to appear in, but Shang-Chi was also a relatively unknown character to most audiences. However, Simu Liu was able to blow all expectations out of the water and create something that felt like a perfect fit for the Multiverse Saga.

Liu is a fun and dedicated performer who truly embodies a superhero, and even before he acquires the Ten Rings, he manages to excel and take down the bad guys while saving innocent civilians. And, of course, he captured the essence of this conflicted character who has direct ties to a shady organization, but his moral compᴀss helped to guide him to forge a new path.

6

Stephen Strange

Played By Benedict Cumberbatch

Stephen Strange arrived in the MCU when the world was still mostly populated by high-tech gear and super-soldier serums. Yes, aliens had joined the MCU, but for the most part, Earth appeared to operate within a set boundary of rules. And in all honesty, Stephen Strange also firmly believed that as a top-ranked surgeon. However, when he got into an accident that left him unable to operate again, he looked for answers in unexpected places.

The interesting thing is, Benedict Cumberbatch doesn’t necessarily come across as particularly prideful or self-aggrandizing, but his performance as Strange was spot on. Strange nearly always thinks hes the smartest person in the room, and when he masters the Mystic Arts, he finds himself taking over as the Sorcerer Supreme. But Strange has to deal with pride issues, and all of that is perfectly delivered from the first movie.

5

Peter Quill

Played By Chris Pratt

Peter Quill is not a conventional superhero. As Star-Lord, the self-imposed тιтle that he wants to get going, he tries to become a renowned smuggler. However, he often falls short. Despite this, Quill has a lot of heart, and he loves deeply when he gets close to people.

Chris Pratt did an exceptional job delivering this character and exploring all the nuances and sides to his complex history. But even from the first film, Quill is tortured, and desperate to be a hero. He wants a family, and he needs acceptance. Pratt was perfect for translating these ideas into the characters’ story, and it made for a far better trilogy.

4

Matt Murdock

Played By Charlie Cox

While there is an argument to be made that Charlie Cox first played Matt Murdock in the MCU in Spider-Man: No Way Home, after having had years of experience playing the part, even his earliest work in the Netflix Daredevil series was perfect for the role. Balancing the moral struggle of his faith, and his firm no kill rule against the anger and violence that boiled over inside to turn him into the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Matt Murdock is complicated. He wants to be a hero, and he can be satisfied when that happens either inside or out of the courtroom, but when he sees injustice, he feels the pull to fix it, and do so quickly. This leads to vigilante activity that clearly goes against what some of his closest friends believe in, but Matt has a compulsion, and thanks to his unique powers, he feels uniquely qualified to handle the mess.

3

Kamala Khan

Played By Iman Vellani

Iman Vellani is one of the most wonderful young actors in general. But especially in her role as Kamala Khan, Iman feels like a huge fan of the heroes, and seeing how she engages with this stuff on social media, it makes perfect sense. Kamala is a wild fan girl, with a particular pᴀssion for Captain Marvel.

Vellani helps to make this part one that sings, and while, tonally, she may not feel like a perfect match to other more mature MCU stories, she holds her own against major names like Samuel Jackson and Brie Larson. The result is one of the most fun and entertaining new characters to come out of the Multiverse Saga.

2

Scott Lang

Played By Paul Rudd

Scott Lang is not exactly the most common version of Ant-Man in the Marvel Comics. That honor goes to Hank Pym, who is an original member of the Avengers, and one of the first real superheroes. However, Scott Lang is a very different person to the man who held the mantle of Ant-Man originally, and seeing that play out in the MCU with Paul Rudd going up against Michael Douglas is truly incredible.

Rudd is a talented comedy actor, but in the role of Scott Lang, he stretches to deliver emotion, fun, and heroics at every turn. Scott may be down on his luck, but he’s no idiot. And Paul Rudd plays this character with beautiful charm and fun at every turn.

1

Tony Stark

Played By Robert Downey Jr.

Finally, the original hero and the man who started it all, Tony Stark. In 2008, when Iron Man debuted, having Robert Downey Jr. playing the leading man was a real gamble for the studios. After finding success at an early age, Downey went through several years out of the spotlight due to several issues that cropped up in his personal life. However, director Jon Favreau fought for the casting, and history was made with RDJ as Tony Stark.

As it turns out, the connection between RDJ and Stark made for the perfect connection to this heroic figure, and he became Stark in the MCU. In fact, RDJ improved some of the most important moments and lines in Iron Man, because he was dialed in to the character, and his performance set the tone for the entire MCU.