Nothing makes nerd media explode like superhero casting. The grand reveal of another beloved celebrity donning a cape and the long speculation cycle before a character's portrayer is announced produce tremendous excitement. Marvel rakes in plenty of press and financial compensation for casting big names, but their bread and butter once involved elevating lesser-known talent from various worlds into blockbuster success.
Marvel still hires many talented performers without box-office buzz. There are so many characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that hiring a big name for every supporting cast member would be untenable. Anthony Mackie and others have admitted that Marvel wants audiences to respond to characters instead of stars. While that's not entirely true, their blockbuster machine subsumes many actors under the brand name. Every main character becomes a star, making it risky to move backward.
Marvel Studios made stars out of lesser-known actors
None of the most iconic Marvel cast members in the first few phases were unknown. Most were rising stars, gradually building from somewhat humble beginnings to box-office domination. Robert Downey Jr. is the most fascinating example. As most fans know, RDJ was a legend in the 80s and 90s before a battle with substance abuse and several legal issues sidelined his career. He never disappeared for long, but his projects frequently fell apart. Mel Gibson, of all people, funded his path back. Iron Man was his first blockbuster film, completing the career redemption arc he was enjoying. Compare that trajectory with Sebastian Stan. Stan had a role on Gossip Girl and in movies like The Covenant before Marvel made him an icon. Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth were known as TV stars with occasional bit parts on the big screen before Marvel. Dave Bautista became iconic in the WWE and appeared in only seven films before Guardians of the Galaxy. Most of the cast enjoyed a massive bump from their work in the MCU.
Marvel has since turned to more A-listers
Though many lesser-known performers still enter the MCU, the franchise falls back on stunt casting more often than it used to. Part of that is its newfound resources. They would have always packed their roster with proven box-office draws if they could. Most of Hollywood's most bankable stars would have passed on Marvel, even in the early days. Today, they can rake in plenty of tremendous names. It's a double-edged sword. They have the clout to call in their banners and recruit legends, but their cultural presence scares most of them away. Stars appear in various roles across the new MCU. Christian Bale played a rare villainous role in the fourth Thor film. Owen Wilson, an unexpected face in the franchise, enjoyed the buddy cop routine in Loki. Bill Murray's cameo in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was swiftly forgotten, but it was in every trailer.
Florence Pugh is among the most fascinating examples. She strolled out of headlining roles in Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, and Little Women​​​​​​ and into Black Widow. She's a celebrity on and off the big screen, earning a place on Forbes' 30 under 30 in 2019. It's hard to call Pugh's appearance in Black Widow a stunt casting choice. She's excellent as Yelena Belova and is set to appear in the role again in Thunderbolts. She is, however, still one of the most famous people in the MCU. She's alongside Zendaya and Tom Holland, performers who have outgrown their characters through sheer personal charisma. It's a rare honor, but new talent has to join the franchise to continue its growth.
Marvel needs more talent like Iman Vellani
Iman Vellani is the best part of every Marvel project she's been a part of so far. She rivals Robert Downey Jr. for actors who most embodied their characters before reading a word of the script. Vellani has no credits outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She was an undiscovered talent before she took on Kamala Khan. It's uncanny how perfectly she fits the character. It's as if she either modeled her life after the character to get the role or walked directly out of the pages of a comic book. Vellani is the kind of lightning that doesn't strike twice, but the studio should be hanging half the franchise off of her as the only constructive path forward. If they can find more performers like her, they can survive the slump they've entered.
Casting big names, or more often up-and-coming performers near the top of their cultural relevancy, closes off roles to newcomers. If critics are right and audiences show up for the characters first and stars second, Marvel should be able to elevate a world of new talent with every ensemble piece. Marvel may be slowing down as superhero movies struggle to maintain excitement, but they can still use their power for good. Even as they weaken the box office as a whole, they can build a new generation of performers into stars and send them into the world with the star power to make whatever they want. It's the least they can do.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
