TheMarvel Cinematic Universemay 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 titles 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.
10Jason 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’sExpendablesandFast & Furiousco-stars have appeared in at least one comic book movie. However,Jason Statham isn’s a fan of superhero movies. In a 2024 interview withVariety,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."
Sylvester Stallone, one of the ’80s action movie legends that inspired Jason Statham, plays Stakar Ogord in the MCU’sGuardians of the Galaxymovies.
Jason Statham has appeared in movies with very fantastical premises, such asThe MegandThe 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 inDaredevilseason 3. Now,Bethel’s Bullseye has become one of the most ruthless MCU villainsinDaredevil: Born Again.
9Emily 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 likeThe Devil Wears Pradato dramas likeOppenheimerand action movies likeEdge of Tomorrowand theA Quiet Placemovies. 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 ofHappy 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.
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For years, Emily Blunt was the top fan-casting choice for Sue Storm a.k.a. the Invisible Woman, and her husband (andA Quiet Placeco-star) John Krasinski was fans' top choice for Reed Richards a.k.a. Mister Fantastic.Krasinski’s brief appearance as Earth-838’s Reed RichardsinDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesssuggested 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.
8Simon 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, includingShaun of the Dead,The World’s End, J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmovies, and theMission: Impossiblefranchise. Nevertheless,Simon Pegg revealed he’s interested in doing more"grown-up stuff in the future.“In a 2022 interview withNewsweek,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.
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Simon Pegg plays Hugh Campbell Sr. in Amazon’sThe 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 directAnt-Manlong before the movie hit theaters in 2015, but Wright dropped out of the film over creative differences. Had Wright directedAnt-Man, there would have been a chance that Simon Pegg would have had a small role in it.
7Jodie 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. TheSilence of the Lambsstar has been very careful with her project choices, with onlyThe Mauritanian, Nyad, andTrue Detectivein her credits over the past seven years. In a 2017 interview withRadio Timesmagazine (viaThe Telegraph),Jodie Foster criticized blockbuster movies like the MCU’sfor focusing on appealing to the masses 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 to appeal to the masses 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’sElysium, which didn’t spawn a sequel due to its lukewarm critical response. Foster’sSilence of the Lambsco-star andMCU Odin actor Anthony Hopkins has complained about the MCU’s overuse of green screens, which abound in theThormovies.
6Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston Isn’t Interested In Acting Against Green Screens
In a 2019 interview withVariety,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 comediesMurder Mysteryand its sequel, as well as in the acclaimed drama seriesThe Morning Show.
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Jennifer Aniston has crafted a well-defined image as a comedy actor since her breakout role inFriends, with movie credits in movies such asHorrible BossesandWe’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.
5Joaquin 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 downDoctor Strange’s starring roledue to Marvel Studios' multi-picture deals, which are no longer in use at the studio.Joaquin Phoenix was reportedly close to acceptingDoctor Strange’s protagonist role, but having to commit to multiple appearances was apparently a deal-breaker for the actor.
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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 acclaimedJoker. Five years later, Phoenix reprised his comic book role inthe widely pannedJoker: 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.
4Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro Finds Marvel Movies Too “Cartoony”
In a 2019 interview withScreen Daily, Joaquin Phoenix’sJokerco-star Robert De Niro explained the capabilities and limitations ofThe 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.
Marvel has played an important role in the evolution of de-aging VFX technology, having employed it successfully in movies likeAnt-ManandCaptain Marvel.
The closest Robert De Niro has come to working in a superhero movie was in Todd Phillips' incredibly groundedJoker, where he played late-night show host Murray Franklin. It’s no wonder that De Niro agreed to appear inJokergiven the 2019 movie’s homage to classics likeTaxi DriverandThe 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.
3Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy Isn’t A Fan Of Movies Where Actual Superpowers Exist
In a 2016 interview withTHR,OppenheimerandPeaky Blindersstar 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’sBatman Beginsbecause"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 thanBatman Begins, Murphy isn’t interested in movies where actual superheroes and supervillains exist.
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Cillian Murphy won the Academy Award for his starring role in Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer, which cemented him as an actor of grounded movies. Curiously, Robert Downey Jr. won his first Oscar for his role as Lewis Strauss inOppenheimer, his second project of three non-MCU titles betweenAvengers: EndgameandAvengers: Doomsday. Unlike Robert Downey Jr., however, Cillian Murphy prefers not to dip his toes in superhero fanfare.
2George Clooney
George Clooney Still Feels Embarrassed 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’sBatman & Robin.Clooney goes as far as hiding his Batman role from his son. WhileBatman & Robinpossesses plenty of redeeming qualities, the general consensus agrees with Clooney.
Batman & Robin’s critical failure was a factor in DC’s reimagining of Batman with Christopher Nolan’sBatman Begins.
Despite his negative experience with Batman,George Clooney returned as Bruce Wayne forThe Flashin 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.
1Leonardo 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 withThe NY Times,Dunestar 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.
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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 theMarvel CInematic Universe.
