The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be an enticing career opportunity for many actors, but some of Hollywood’s most famous stars probably won’t join the MCU anytime soon. With more than thirty-five movies, thirteen shows, two Special Presentations, and a variety of shorts, Marvel Studios has built the most expansive multimedia franchise to date. Add all the adjacent тιтles to the Marvel multiverse, and there are countless hours of Marvel content that involve numerous stars and lots of creative talent from all backgrounds.

The MCU has attracted many famous actors throughout the years. Seasoned movie stars such as Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jeff Bridges, and Tommy Lee Jones were among the first to appear in MCU movies. As the franchise progressed, Hollywood legends such as Michael Douglas, Robert Redford, Kurt Russell, Michael Keaton, Angelina Jolie, and Christian Bale joined the MCU. Although many high-profile actors have joined the MCU, at least for one-off appearances, others are highly unlikely to appear in an MCU project.

10

Jason Statham

Jason Statham Prefers Old-School Action Movies With Practical Stunts

Jason Statham would seem like a no-brainer casting for the MCU due to his ever-expanding action movie filmography. In fact, many of Statham’s Expendables and Fast & Furious co-stars have appeared in at least one comic book movie. However, Jason Statham isn’s a fan of superhero movies. In a 2024 interview with Variety, Statham revealed he prefers the “old-school ‘80s movies” that inspired him to become an action movie star, and said he couldn’t imagine legends like Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Clint Eastwood wear “a cape and a mask and going around on wires.”

Jason Statham has appeared in movies with very fantastical premises, such as The Meg and The Fate of the Furious. However, these movies are based on a heightened version of reality, where sharks and ultra-fast cars do exist and superheroes don’t. For years, Jason Statham was one of the top fan-casting choices for Marvel’s Bullseye, before Wilson Bethel was cast in Daredevil season 3. Now, Bethel’s Bullseye has become one of the most ruthless MCU villains in Daredevil: Born Again.

9

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt Isn’t Interested In Joining A Huge Franchise

Emily Blunt has built an admirable career with a wide variety of movie roles, from lighthearted comedies like The Devil Wears Prada to dramas like Oppenheimer and action movies like Edge of Tomorrow and the A Quiet Place movies. But while she isn’t a stranger to the action genre, Emily Blunt considers not appearing in a superhero movie “a badge of honor”, as she revealed in a 2024 episode of Happy Sad Confused. Blunt was initially considered for Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow in the MCU’s early days before Scarlett Johansson was cast in the role.

For years, Emily Blunt was the top fan-casting choice for Sue Storm a.k.a. the Invisible Woman, and her husband (and A Quiet Place co-star) John Krasinski was fans’ top choice for Reed Richards a.k.a. Mister Fantastic. Krasinski’s brief appearance as Earth-838’s Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness suggested the couple could fulfill fans’ wishes. However, Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby were later cast as the MCU’s main Reed Richards and Sue Storm variants.

8

Simon Pegg

Simon Pegg Has Grown Tired Of Sci-Fi Franchises Like The MCU

Simon Pegg has appeared in plenty of movies with fantastical premises and lots of high-octane action, including Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, The World’s End, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies, and the Mission: Impossible franchise. Nevertheless, Simon Pegg revealed he’s interested in doing more “grown-up stuff in the future.” In a 2022 interview with Newsweek, Pegg said he’s “not in any rush to join the MCU” as “You join those things and then you’re tied to them for years and that can be a little bit restrictive.” The Cornetto Trilogy star prefers to have more freedom over the projects he’s attached to.

Simon Pegg plays Hugh Campbell Sr. in Amazon’s The Boys — the closest Pegg has been to a superhero movie role in his acting career. Pegg’s longtime friend and collaborator Edgar Wright was attached to direct Ant-Man long before the movie hit theaters in 2015, but Wright dropped out of the film over creative differences. Had Wright directed Ant-Man, there would have been a chance that Simon Pegg would have had a small role in it.

7

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster Disagrees With Marvel Studios’ Approach To Filmmaking

Jodie Foster doesn’t have as many action movies in her filmography as other Hollywood stars. The Silence of the Lambs star has been very careful with her project choices, with only The Mauritanian, Nyad, and True Detective in her credits over the past seven years. In a 2017 interview with Radio Times magazine (via The Telegraph), Jodie Foster criticized blockbuster movies like the MCU’s for focusing on appealing to the mᴀsses instead of prioritizing quality. Jodie Foster employed the “theme park” metaphor at least two years before director Martin Scorsese:

“Going to the movies has become like a theme park. Studios making bad content in order to appeal to the mᴀsses and shareholders is like fracking – you get the best return right now but you wreck the earth. (…) It’s ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world. I don’t want to make $200 million movies about superheroes.”

Jodie Foster has been one of the actors with the most clear and straightforward criticism of the superhero movie genre, placing her among the most unlikely actors to join a franchise like the MCU and the DCU. The closest Jodie Foster has come to joining a sci-fi movie franchise was 2013’s Elysium, which didn’t spawn a sequel due to its lukewarm critical response. Foster’s Silence of the Lambs co-star and MCU Odin actor Anthony Hopkins has complained about the MCU’s overuse of green screens, which abound in the Thor movies.

6

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston Isn’t Interested In Acting Against Green Screens

In a 2019 interview with Variety, Jennifer Aniston weighed on the status of the movie and TV industries, describing it as “diminishing and diminishing in terms of, it’s big Marvel movies.” Aniston elaborated on her choice not to act in blockbusters like the MCU’s, saying she isn’t “really that interested in living in a green screen.” Since her 2019 interview, Jennifer Aniston has starred in the popular Netflix comedies Murder Mystery and its sequel, as well as in the acclaimed drama series The Morning Show.

Jennifer Aniston has crafted a well-defined image as a comedy actor since her breakout role in Friends, with movie credits in movies such as Horrible Bosses and We’re The Millers. Action and sci-fi blockbusters are nowhere near Aniston’s plans. The famous Marvel paycheck may not be as enticing for Aniston as it could be for other actors, either, as Aniston continues to be one of Hollywood’s best-paid actors.

5

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix Is Very Unlikely To Accept A Role In A Huge Comic Book Movie Franchise

Joaquin Phoenix has never criticized Marvel or rejected the possibility of joining the MCU explicitly. However, Joaquin Phoenix turned down Doctor Strange‘s starring role due to Marvel Studios’ multi-picture deals, which are no longer in use at the studio. Joaquin Phoenix was reportedly close to accepting Doctor Strange‘s protagonist role, but having to commit to multiple appearances was apparently a deal-breaker for the actor.

Years after rejecting Doctor Strange and Hulk, Joaquin Phoenix won the Academy Award for his performance as Arthur Fleck a.k.a. Joker in Todd Phillips’ critically acclaimed Joker. Five years later, Phoenix reprised his comic book role in the widely panned Joker: Folie à Deux, which was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews and earned Phoenix a Razzie nomination. Taking Joaquin Phoenix’s aversion for multi-picture commitments and his negative experience playing the Joker a second time, he’s highly unlikely to play another comic book character anytime soon.

4

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro Finds Marvel Movies Too “Cartoony”

In a 2019 interview with Screen Daily, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker co-star Robert De Niro explained the capabilities and limitations of The Irishman‘s VFX, comparing its de-aging CGI to Marvel’s. De Niro said that when visual effects are pushed to the limits of realism, they become “another type of entertainment, like comic strip things, Marvel. The comic book character-type things, cartoony stuff.” De Niro is known for his acclaimed work on grounded dramas and comedies. Action blockbuster franchises like the MCU clearly aren’t on the table for De Niro.

The closest Robert De Niro has come to working in a superhero movie was in Todd Phillips’ incredibly grounded Joker, where he played late-night show host Murray Franklin. It’s no wonder that De Niro agreed to appear in Joker given the 2019 movie’s homage to classics like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy — both standout films in Robert De Niro’s filmography. De Niro’s close relationship to lifelong collaborator and fierce Marvel critic Martin Scorsese makes De Niro is the final nail in the coffin for the possibility of seeing him in an MCU installment.

3

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy Isn’t A Fan Of Movies Where Actual Superpowers Exist

In a 2016 interview with THR, Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy revealed that he isn’t a fan of superhero movies, and explains that he accepted the role of the Dark Knight’s first antagonist, Jonathan Crane a.k.a. Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins because “Nobody in those films ever had a superpower,” and “Batman in his movies just did a lot of push-ups and was, like, British.” Other than Batman Begins, Murphy isn’t interested in movies where actual superheroes and supervillains exist.

Cillian Murphy won the Academy Award for his starring role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which cemented him as an actor of grounded movies. Curiously, Robert Downey Jr. won his first Oscar for his role as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, his second project of three non-MCU тιтles between Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Doomsday. Unlike Robert Downey Jr., however, Cillian Murphy prefers not to dip his toes in superhero fanfare.

2

George Clooney

George Clooney Still Feels Embarrᴀssed About His Batman Role

George Clooney hasn’t spoken out against Marvel Studios or the superhero movie genre explicitly. Nevertheless, Clooney has repeatedly voiced his dissatisfaction with his only comic book movie role in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin. Clooney goes as far as hiding his Batman role from his son. While Batman & Robin possesses plenty of redeeming qualities, the general consensus agrees with Clooney.

Despite his negative experience with Batman, George Clooney returned as Bruce Wayne for The Flash in 2023. However, Clooney’s second go as Bruce Wayne was only a brief gag that confirmed Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s Batmen wouldn’t be the DCEU’s main versions of the Dark Knight. Committing to a superhero franchise likely isn’t in the cards for a veteran star like George Clooney.

1

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio Advised Timothée Chalamet Not To Accept Superhero Roles

Similarly to George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio hasn’t criticized the MCU or the superhero movie genre directly, but he has suggested that he won’t be joining any comic book adaptation anytime soon. In a 2024 interview with The NY Times, Dune star Timothée Chalamet revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio gave him a piece of advice: “No superhero movies, no hard drugs.” Chalamet also said that he followed DiCaprio’s advice dutifully.

Leonardo DiCaprio has built an unparalleled career full of award-winning dramas, and he’s a loyal collaborator of Marvel critic Martin Scorsese. DiCaprio has also curated his choice of projects carefully, which may be a big part of the reason why he advised Timothée Chalamet not to participate in any superhero blockbuster. With no creative or financial incentives to join a superhero movie, it’s quite unlikely to see Leonardo DiCaprio appear in the Marvel CInematic Universe.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

Created by

Kevin Feige

First Film

Iron Man

First TV Show

WandaVision

Summary

The monolithic franchise that kicked off with Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is one of the industry’s longest-running and largest cinematic franchises. Based on the heroes from Marvel Comics, the MCU is a new way for fans and newcomers alike to enjoy the ever-expanding universes of some of the world’s most famous superheroes. Releasing as “Phases,” Marvel Studio’s first three Phases came to be known as “The Infinity Saga,” which surrounded the formation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their showdown with the Mad тιтan known as Thanos as he sought to collect the Infinity Stones. With his ultimate goal of indiscriminately wiping out half of all life in the universe, this plot ultimately reveals itself over ten years of films, ending in a two-part finale that changed the world’s fate – and the core cast forever. Currently, the MCU is preparing to enter the fifth phase, focusing on Kang the Conquerer as the new core series villain.

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