Ten Oscar winners you might not have known performed side characters for Marvel movies.
With so many Academy Award-winning actors among its star-studded ensemble, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) While some of these performers are in major parts, others have made subdued appearances as side characters—sometimes even in uncredited roles. This page explores ten Oscar winners who have unexpectedly graced the MCU with their abilities.
As Aleta Ogord and Ying Nan, Michelle Yeoh
Twice Michelle Yeoh, who plays Evelyn in Everything Everywhere All at Once for which she won the Best Actress Oscar in 2023, has appeared in the MCU. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings she portrayed Ying Nan, a master martial artist and guardian of the magical territory of Ta Lo. Yeoh also starred in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Aleta Ogord, a Ravager space pirate crew captain. Her performance of Aleta is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it look that highlights Yeoh's range as an actress.
As Karen, Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly, who received the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind, portrays Karen, a near-sentient artificial intelligence in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Karen helps Spider-Man pilot his very sophisticated Stark-made suit. Connelly has a past relationship to the Marvel universe because she portrayed Betty Ross in the 2003 Hulk movie from Universal Pictures.
Taika Waititi portrayed Korg.
Renowned for his work on Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, director Taika Waititi also features the stony extraterrestrial gladiator Korg in both Movies. Although Korg looks ridiculous, his hilarious timing and overdone Kiwi accent are clearly Waititi. With his work on Jojo Rabbit, starring fellow MCU alum Scarlett Johansson, Waititi's directing skills were highlighted with the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 2019. Jojo Rabbit chronicles the tale of a little child growing up in Nazi Germany who imagines Hitler as his friend, portrayed by Waititi.
Actor Matt Damon portraying Loki
Renowned actor Matt Damon, who has an Oscar for his Good Will Hunting script, makes a fleeting visit in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder as an idealized Loki actor from Asgardia. Damon's love of hilarious appearances in superhero Movies is demonstrated even further by his cameo in Deadpool 2.
General Ross—William Hurt
Originally cast in Kiss of the Spider Woman, William Hurt earned the Best Actor Oscar and plays General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt," a regular MCU character. Hurt's General Ross presents United States Armed Forces' interests in the several worldwide crises the MCU heroes must negotiate in a merciless manner. Although he was more noticeable in previous MCU episodes, Harrison Ford has replaced him in the forthcoming Captain America: Brave New World, therefore lowering his presence in Phase 4. It's unfortunate that Hurt's Oscar-winning, understated acting ability will not be returning to the MCU.
Kenneth Branagh as Norseman Distress Caller
Renowned for helmingross the first Thor movie, Kenneth Branagh appears subtly as an uncredited "Asgardian Distress Caller" in Avengers: Infinity War. Branagh's character is a background one devoid of on-screen look or name. Branagh's personal Oscar was for Best Screenplay in 2022 for his work on Belfast, a film portraying the life of a Protestant family living in Belfast during the terrible Irish sectarian strife of the 1960s.
F. Murray Abraham is Khonshu.
Murray, F. Abraham, who portrayed Antonio Salieri in Amadeus to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, portrays the Egyptian god Khonshu on the Disney+ series Moon Knight. Within the MCU pantheon of gods, Khonshu—the deity of the moon and night sky—is a manipulative character. Abraham is also well-known for his superb performance on the HBO series The White Lotus.
Sonya Falsworth by Olivia Colman
Olivia Colman, who portrayed Queen Anne in The Favourite and won the Best Actress Oscar, stars Sonya Falsworth, an MI6 agent on Disney+ Series Secret Invasion. Former Nick Fury associate Falsworth is a reliable part of the worldwide intelligence network. Though the show itself has drawn less attention than other MCU initiatives, her part in Secret Invasion is important.
Blade was Mahershala Ali.
Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, who played Green Book's Best Supporting Actor in Moonlight, is slated to act as Blade in a forthcoming MCU movie. Although the development of the movie has had delays, Ali technically previously voiced the role from off-screen in a post-credits sequence in Eternals.
Charlise Theron as Clea
Playing Clea in a post-credits sequence in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Charlize Theron—known for her portrayal of Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road—won an Academy Award for Monster. Clea is a potent Dark Dimension sorcerer and niece of Dormammu. Following his activities creating an incursion between two worlds, she asks Doctor Strange for assistance. Whether Theron will play Clea again in next MCU projects is yet unknown.
With their varied skills and versatility, these Oscar-winning performers provide the MCU a special depth—often in unexpected and subdued forms. Though brief, their cameos show the MCU's dedication to selecting top-notch performers and the value they provide to the series.
