One aspect that makes the MCU such a massive success is its casting. The actors chosen to play these heroes have the daunting task of bringing beloved icons to life, but pretty much all of them have been up to the challenge. However, as talented as these actors are at playing the heroes, they can be just as great as the bad guys.
It can sometimes be easy to stereotype the MCU actors in their famous hero roles, but most of them have very successful careers outside the MCU. And it can be a lot of fun seeing some favorite members of the Avengers playing the villains in other projects.
10 Samuel L. Jackson - Jackie Brown (1997)
Though it is not as well known as Quentin Tarantino's other movies, Jackie Brown remains one of his best. It also finds Tarantino reuniting again with Samuel L. Jackson. While these collaborations often have Jackson playing morally dubious characters, Ordell Robbie is a full-blow villain.
With the image of Jackson playing the commanding and calculating Nick Fury, Ordell is the complete opposite. He is a loudmouth gun dealer whose arrogance leads way to stupidity. However, that doesn't make him any less dangerous.
9 Chris Pratt - Take Me Home Tonight (2011)
Given the action hero that Chris Pratt has become, it's interesting to look back on the days when he was the supporting character in comedies. This includes the 80s-set comedy Take Me Home Tonight, which also stars Anna Faris and Topher Grace.
Pratt seems to be having a lot of fun playing the stereotypical obnoxious bully character who is also the unsupportive boyfriend of Faris's character. Pratt is surprisingly good at playing a jerk and he shows no hesitation with being totally unlikable.
8 Benedict Cumberbatch - Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Much like his role as Doctor Strange in the MCU, Benedict Cumberbatch has excelled at playing arrogant heroes audiences can't help but root for. However, he also managed to be surprisingly chilling when taking the role of perhaps the most famous Star Trek villain of all time.
Star Trek Into Darkness continued the rebooted Star Trek universe and revisited a classic storyline with Cumberbatch playing the villainous Khan, a super-soldier out for revenge against the Federation. While the movie was a disappointment overall, Cumberbatch was the highlight.
7 Brie Larson - Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (2010)
Some fans might not realize that Captain Marvel was not Brie Larson's first comic book movie. She also appeared in the incredibly fun Edgar Wright adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs the World. The movie follows the titular hero who must battle his new girlfriend's evil exes before they can date.
As Scott fends off the various evil exes, he must also contend with his own ex, Envy Adams (Larson) showing up. Envy has become a famous rock star since their breakup and now feels superior to everyone. She also proves to be heartless by having her boyfriend punch an innocent fan who was annoying Envy.
6 Don Cheadle - Out Of Sight (1998)
Don Cheadle will soon get the chance to bring War Machine into a leading role with the upcoming Armor Wars. But Cheadle has already established a long and acclaimed career with one of his early standout performances being in the brilliant crime movie Out of Sight.
Cheadle plays Snoopy Miller, a former boxer who becomes a small-time gangster who thinks he is big-time. Cheadle does a great job infusing Snoopy with a cold-blooded menace as well as a hilarious aloofness that makes him a unique and entertaining antagonist.
5 Jeremy Renner - S.W.A.T. (2003)
Long before it got a television reboot, S.W.A.T. was brought to the big screen in the 2003 action movie starring Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell. They play S.W.A.T. members attempting to transport an international criminal while a city full of criminals tries to stop them.
Their biggest threat comes in the form of Gamble (Jeremy Renner) who was a former S.W.A.T. member himself. With his marksman skills in this role, Renner seemed to be prepping for his eventual turn as Hawkeye.
4 Scarlett Johansson - The Jungle Book (2016)
Scarlett Johansson made her MCU debut as Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2. Several years later, she would reteam with director Jon Favreau for the live-action Disney remake of the classic The Jungle Book.
The story follows a young boy named Mowgli who lives in the jungle with the animals, some of whom are allies and others are predators. Kaa, the snake, fits into the latter category. Johansson lends her famous voice to the role of the manipulative and massive snake who wants to make a meal out of Mowgli.
3 Robert Downey Jr. - U.S. Marshals (1998)
Robert Downey Jr. became an icon and one of the biggest stars in Hollywood thanks to his role as Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man. However, he had a very interesting career leading up to that role with plenty of ups and downs.
One role that is generally forgotten was in U.S. Marshals, a pseudo-sequel to The Fugitive. Tommy Lee Jones returns as the fugitive-hunting lawman, this time with Wesley Snipes as the target who claims to be innocent. Downey Jr. plays a government agent involved in the chase who ends up being the true culprit all along. It is not a good movie, but it's fun seeing Downey Jr. play the rare villain.
2 Chris Evans - Knives Out (2019)
Rian Johnson's hugely entertaining murder mystery Knives Out follows an investigation with a rich and entitled family at its center. And in a family filled with unlikeable people, Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans) is the worst of them all.
He is introduced as a self-centered and rude jerk at first, but in the end, he is even worse than he seems. He is revealed to be the true killer and even tries to murder the innocent Marta when he is caught. It's a blast watching Captain America embrace such a sleazy character.
1 Chris Hemsworth - Bad Times At The El Royale (2018)
Not too many people caught Bad Times at the El Royale when it was in theaters, but the stylish ensemble thriller is well worth checking out. It follows a group of strangers spending the night in a secluded motel, each with their own secrets.
Though he does not appear until late in the movie, Chris Hemsworth steals the show when he does eventually make his entrance. He plays Billy Ray, the charismatic yet dangerous leader of a cult who descends on the motel and its guests.
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