For over a decade and a half, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has captivated audiences with its sprawling and interconnected stories that span both movies and television series. However, while the MCU under Disney’s Marvel Studio dominates the superhero landscape, it wasn’t the only game in town. Fox held the rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four and Sony made movies centered around Spider-Man.
Due to the divided ownership of Marvel Comics’ properties, multiple continuities were born for the narratives of fan-favorite characters. But recently, after Disney regained control of the Fox and Sony characters, the MCU has had the opportunity to reward fans by having actors from those earlier non-MCU movies reprise their iconic roles. And more often than not, they are not just cameos but substantive parts that infuse the actors and their characters into the current universe.
From Tobey Maguire surprising fans as Spider-Man once more to Patrick Stewart returning as Professor X, the MCU has found clever ways to give audiences the very unique experience of seeing some of their most beloved pre-MCU portrayals on screen again. This list counts down 21 such actors that have been brought back by Marvel Studios to play the parts that originated prior to Kevin Feige’s multiversal saga.
21 Willem Dafoe
Green Goblin
Willem Dafoe’s iconic portrayal of the maniacal Green Goblin was an important performance in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, which was released in 2002. With a mix of menace and madness in his eyes, he first embodies Norman Osborn and then fleshed out his descent into a monster with a mask. From his cackling laugh to his expertly piloted glider, his villainous idiosyncrasies were so memorable that he returned to reprise his role 19 years later in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
While the climactic battle between Green Goblin and Spidey on the Brooklyn Bridge is still considered one of the greatest superhero showdowns in movie history, Dafoe took advantage of the multiverse concept and brought the same sinister energy to face Tom Holland’s web-slinger. The movie was a phenomenal success critically and commercially thanks to the countless cameos.
20 Alfred Molina
Doc Ock
Back in 2004, Alfred Molina became a scene stealer as Otto Octavius, the brilliant scientist who became the tragic villain Doctor Octopus, or Doc Ock, in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, starring Tobey Maguire as the titular web-slinger.
Molina delivered a sensitive and layered performance and transformed Doc Ock into one of the most sympathetic baddies in Spider-Man’s universe. He wasn’t evil by choice but simply a man corrupted and lost. The arc extended towards Spider-Man: No Way Home, which not only afforded Molina another return but also gave him a chance to heal.
Resurrected and teleported through the Multiverse after Doctor Strange’s spell fails, Doc Ock’s story picks up right where Spider-Man 2 left it off and he battled his own damaged psyche as well as Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Instead of sending him back to his universe, MCU’s Spider-Man sent him to the New York Sanctum.
His climactic moment of clarity where he refuses to harm innocent people reminded us why Doc Ock is so beloved. Dafoe and Molina’s return proved that classic characters from Sony films could find new dynamics in the MCU.
19 Rhys Ifans
The Lizard
In 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man, Rhys Ifans brought equal parts humanity and frenzy to Dr. Curt Conners, a scientist who suffers a lab incident and transforms into the vicious Lizard. He then embarked on a quest to turn every human into a lizard but his plans went awry when Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man defeated him. Yet, his chilling reptile-like appearance and phobia-inducing abilities made Lizard one of the creepiest Spider-Man villains.
The complex monster returned in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As soon as he was shot through the Multiverse into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was captured by the heroes. The rest of the multiversal villains tried to convince him to take the cure, but Green Goblin destroyed those plans and orchestrated a final battle that resulted in Ifans’ Lizard being turned into a human and sent back to his universe.
Even though it was announced that Ifans would be returning to reprise the role in the movie himself, he only ended up voicing the character.
18 Thomas Haden Church
Sandman
Spider-Man 3, which was set a year after the events of Spider-Man 2, saw Peter Parker trying to start a new life with Mary Jane Watson. Thomas Haden Church appeared in the movie as the primary antagonist, Flint Marko, who gained sand-based powers and became Sandman. Church brought complexity and melancholy to the character, and when he accidentally kills Uncle Ben, Spider-Man eventually forgives him.
Despite the movie receiving criticism, there’s no denying the fact that it marked the end of a remarkable trilogy. No Way Home offered Church to revisit Marko’s story. Like Ifans, he wasn’t physically present on screen (Marvel digitally created both characters) but lent his voice to Sandman instead. Still, we got to see scenes that explored Marko’s reluctance to harm others because all he wanted was to return home to his daughter.
17 Jamie Foxx
Electro
Jamie Foxx played the supervillain Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. As Max Dillon, he was both energetic and sympathetic. He was an electrical engineer at Oscorp who became a living electric generator after an accident at work. A social outcast who finally gained recognition for his unstable ability to manipulate electricity, he was a multi-layered villain brought to incredible life by Foxx.
Returning to reprise his role, this time in the MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Foxx owned the part and brought new, volatile energy to Electro. Like other stars, his depiction humanized his character, underwent moral dilemmas and eventually listened to Dafoe’s Green Goblin, stole an Arc Reactor to enhance his power and fought all three Spider-Men in a new cinematic landscape.
16 Tom Hardy
Eddie Brock
The first installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, 2018’s Venom featured Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, a struggling investigative journalist who becomes the host of an alien symbiote. After bonding with him, he enacts his plans of global takeover. Hardy delivered one of his most compelling performances in the superhero movie landscape as the conflicted character and added unexpected depth and emotion to his anti-hero.
His reprisal of the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is interesting, because instead of directly appearing in a movie, Hardy’s Eddie Brock/Venom gains access to the multiversal symbiote hive mind and learns about the existence of Peter Parker.
In the mid-credits-scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, he’s pulled into Strange’s universe, where he’s watching the news from a resort room. He then walks into the resort’s bar and strikes conversation, eventually learning about Iron Man and Hulk’s existence, as well as Thanos and his quest for the Infinity Stones.
15 Kelsey Grammer
Beast
Kelsey Grammer’s Beast was among the many mutants from Fox’s X-Men Universe to appear in the MCU. Otherwise known for playing memorable leading roles on television, Grammer left an indelible mark on the silver screen with his portrayal of Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand and 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. He was a nuanced character with a desire to aid mutant-human relations.
Beast was devoted to Professor Xavier’s cause but had a political profile to maintain. In the climactic battle against Magneto and Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand, he joined the titular team and fought valiantly. It was 2023’s The Marvels that marked Beast’s arrival in the MCU.
in the post-credits scene, it is revealed that Monica Rambeau had traveled to the X-Mansion located in Fox’s X-Men Universe with Binary and met Beast, who informed her of the tear in space-time and parallel universes.
14 Aaron Stanford
Pyro
Among all the villains in the X-Men universe, few have had the chance to enter the MCU for their roles. Aaron Stanford, who played Pyro in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand, is one of them. He brought an unpredictable spark to John Allerdyce, a mutant who had discovered his pyrokinetic powers, to the Bryan Singer-era movies. Always seeking thrill, he was ever-so-willing to help Magneto, which made him an unforgettable wildcard.
2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine saw Stanford reprise Pyro for a decent amount of time. Now a member of Cassandra Nova’s crew of survivors in the Void, he may seem loyal to Nova on the outside, but he’s secretly disgusted by her and is working as an informant for the Time Variance Authority agent Paradox. When Nova finds out about Paradox’s plans of using the Time Ripper, she kills Pyro.
13 Evan Peters
Quicksilver
Evan Peters had already established himself as a promising actor when he debuted in the X-Men universe as Peter Maximoff, a.k.a. Quicksilver. He was in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014, as well as its sequels, 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019’s Dark Phoenix.
A mutant with superhuman speed, he was recruited by Wolverine, James McAvoy’s Professor X, and Nicholas Hoult’s Beast to break Lehnsherr from his Pentagon prison together. Peter had equally memorable turns in the other two movies.
Following Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox, all the X-Men characters, including Peters’ Quicksilver, were transferred back to Marvel Studios. And in 2021, he appeared in the Disney+ series WandaVision, to portray an alternate version of his character from the X-Men film series. He paid homage to the original Peter Maximoff but also subverted expectations by anchoring major plot reveals and adding value to the series.
12 Patrick Stewart
Professor Xavier
For over 20 years, Patrick Stewart has been the definitive cinematic Professor Charles Xavier. Naturally, it would be a crime to replace him. First introduced in 2000’s X-Men as the leader of the X-Men and the headmaster of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, he led the franchise with compassion, intellect, and hope for human-mutant coexistence and established himself as the longest-running actor in any superhero franchise.
Stewart’s character had already died in two X-Men movies, namely X-Men: The Last Stand and Logan. His return to the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw him as a variant of the character from Earth-838 and a member of the Illuminati.
His team consisted of John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic, Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, and Anson Mount’s Black Bolt. They were all killed by the Scarlet Witch during her murderous multiversal rampage.
11 Vincent D’Onofrio
Kingpin
Initially falling under Marvel’s Netflix television series, Daredevil was unlike any other Marvel projects that came before and was considered separate from the wider MCU in terms of tone and storytelling.
Vincent D’Onofrio played the powerful businessman and crime lord Wilson Fisk, better known as the ruthless Kingpin, with chilling intensity. Apart from showcasing his conflict, crimes, and greed, the series also focused on how he met his wife and how they fell in love. D’Onofrio delved into Fisk’s psyche and fleshed out his catastrophic backstory and rise to power with perfection.
After Disney regained the license for them, both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio returned for their roles in MCU projects. In the Hawkeye series, his comeback was a thrill. He’d survived Thanos’ Blip and hadn’t lost a step. His meticulous preparation of taking over the organization, and New York City by extension, was impeded by Hawkeye and Kate Bishop. While shorter than fans hoped, D’Onofrio’s involvement in the MCU set the stage for the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again.
10 J.K. Simmons
J. Jonah Jameson
J.K. Simmons’ take on J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy is the stuff of legend. One of the most distinguished actors of his generation, he’s played roles that are scathing and hilarious, intense and lighthearted. Which is why, few believed anyone could outdo his portrayal of the newspaper publisher and his insatiable distrust of masked vigilantes.
When Simmons reemerged as Jameson again in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home as the show host of The Daily Bugle, fans were delighted. He reported the actions of Mysterio and was involved in the revelation of Spider-Man’s true identity of Peter Parker to the world. Seeing him energize the character once more validated that some roles should only be reimagined with the original cast.
9 Jennifer Garner
Elektra
In 2003’s Daredevil and 2005’s Elektra, Jennifer Garner played Elektra Natchios, a warrior for hire who went from being a villainous adversary to a heroic ally for Daredevil. She’s complex, sensual, and fierce; her lethal, mercenary lifestyle masking her inner vulnerability. Because her loyalties were divided in both the movies, Elektra kept viewers guessing her true intentions.
She reprises her role in Deadpool & Wolverine, but this time, she is one of the last surviving members of the resistance heroes residing in the Void. Her outfit appears to be a crossover between her comic counterpart and her 2003 Daredevil uniform. Her adventure in the ever-growing MCU saga sees her fighting Cassandra Nova with the rest of the team.
8 Wesley Snipes
Blade
Blade’s influence on the superhero landscape is undeniable. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name, he was an iconic half-mortal vampire hunter brought to life by Wesley Snipes across three movies in the early 2000s – Blade, Blade II, and Blade: Trinity. With his lethal blend of martial arts and deft use of wooden weapons, he emitted an effortless cool and lived between worlds. Snipes was incredible in the movies’ climactic battles.
Despite not belonging to 20th Century Fox, the Blade movies established Snipes as the ultimate cult anti-hero. So it was only fitting that the MCU would bring him back in Deadpool & Wolverine to fight Cassandra Nova with the Resistance. Deadpool makes several references to his character, as well as the still-struggling Blade reboot. Regardless, the cameo proves how foundational and beloved Snipes’ take on the hero is.
7 Dafne Keen
X-23
Originally introduced as a genetically engineered clone of Wolverine, Laura, or X-23, was played by Dafne Keen in 2017’s Logan. She delivered a soulful breakout performance as a mutant who had similar healing properties as Wolverine, was fearsome and strong, but also just a young girl trying to survive harsh circumstances.
Keen returned as X-23 in Deadpool & Wolverine and was a vital part of the movie. It was not a major surprise for fans because Marvel Studios revealed she was going to be part of the project a week before the final trailer was released. But few expected her to be the same Laura, only a few years older, and much wiser. In the battle of the Void, she helps Deadpool and Wolverine secure Juggernaut’s helmet so they can stop Cassandra Nova.
6 Chris Evans
Human Torch
Before he played Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for nine years, Chris Evans was part of the ensemble in the Fantastic Four movies of the 2000s, namely 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. As the fun-loving Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, Evans was overflowing with charm and cockiness.
Fans who haven’t seen Cap on the big screen for five years now were shocked when he first showed up on the TVA screens in Deadpool & Wolverine. When the two titular characters are stuck in the Void, Evans’ Johnny Storm arrives to rescue them but Pyro swiftly takes him out. They are all taken to Cassandra Nova’s lair, where she eventually kills the Human Torch. Devoted fans will also catch another glimpse of Evans as the Human Torch in the movie’s end credits.
5 Tobey Maguire
Spider-Man
The most sincere and relatable Peter Parker arrived on screen when Tobey Maguire took on the role in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. From 2002 to 2007, he set the gold standard for embodying the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’s sense of humor, enhanced senses, and vulnerabilities. He even anchored pivotal moments like his friendship with Mary Jane Watson and Uncle Ben’s death so they resonate with fans even today.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Maguire granted fans their wildest dream-come-scenario by reprising his role. Though more seasoned, he stepped right back into the part and portrayed a Peter who had come a long way. In the movie, he was dubbed as “Peter #2,” and his scenes with Tom Holland, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, and others conveyed his experience but also retained his character’s essence.
4 Andrew Garfield
Spider-Man
Another genuinely appreciated pre-MCU comeback into the Marvel Multiverse is that of Andrew Garfield. Despite already having appeared in a bunch of movies, Garfield finally earned the recognition he deserved when he reincarnated Peter Parker/Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man duology, directed by Marc Webb. Viewers connected strongly to Garfield’s authentic, fresh-faced Spider-Man as he juggled relationships and responsibilities.
A third movie was in discussion but after Marvel Studios made a deal with Sony, the character was brought into the MCU and Tom Holland was cast in the reboot. However, Garfield appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Maguire and Holland and gave an emotionally searing performance as his Peter, dubbed “Peter #3” sought redemption and ended up saving MJ (played by Zendeya).
By rejoining the highly anticipated threequel, both Maguire and Garfield garnered praise and left few dry eyes.
3 Charlie Cox
Daredevil
As Daredevil across three sublime seasons of the Netflix show, Charlie Cox infused Matt Murdock with complexity, agony and wit. The series centered around his blind lawyer-by-day and formidable vigilante-by-night as he took on the streets of New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and defeated foes to maintain peace. Netflix canceled Daredevil in 2018, leaving Cox’s character’s future uncertain.
In 2021, Marvel Studios confirmed that Cox would return as Daredevil in upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. His first cameo was in Spider-Man: No Way Home, as Matt Murdock. He was giving Peter Parker legal advice after the latter seemingly “murdered” Mysterio. Cox then reprised the role in the Disney+ television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as well as Echo, and is currently preparing for the revival series, Daredevil: Born Again.
2 Hugh Jackman
Wolverine
For nearly 20+ years, Hugh Jackman has defined Wolverine across countless X-Men movies. Starting with the 2000 film X-Men, directed by Bryan Singer and ending with the 2017 standalone Logan, his portrayal of the brooding and fierce mutant quickly became a fan-favorite. Over the years, Jackman’s performance has been appreciated for making Wolverine one of the most impactful and beloved figures in the Marvel universe.
Jackman made his MCU debut in the highly anticipated movie, Deadpool & Wolverine. His character appears as a part of the multiverse storyline, where different versions of familiar characters exist in parallel universes. His return is currently being met with excitement and nostalgia from fans and critics, who are praising the seamless integration of his character into the MCU’s expansive narrative and solidifying the movie as a groundbreaking one.
