- 7 months ago
From billionaire geniuses to gods of mischief, the MCU has given us some unforgettable performances! Join us as we count down our picks for the most incredible acting in Marvel's cinematic universe. Our countdown includes both movie stars and TV heroes who brought these characters to life in ways that left us cheering, crying, and sometimes both!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're looking at 20 standout performances from
00:11across the MCU so far, in both movies and television.
00:15Spoilers ahead!
00:27Dave Bautista as Drax While he had dipped his toes into the world
00:40of acting prior to donning the mantle of the Destroyer, this iconic wrestler may not have
00:45been the first to spring to mind when discussing powerhouse performers.
00:49And yet, in one fell swoop, he delivered onto us Drax, one of the MCU's most hilarious
00:55hard heads to date.
01:07The dry humor flows whenever Drax is on screen, afraid to ask the raw questions without thinking
01:12twice.
01:13In the wrong hands, this could have quickly become annoying, and yet Bautista nailed it
01:17every time.
01:19There are layers to his stoicism, making the moments when he reflects on his lost family
01:23radiate far deeper than you'd expect.
01:26A superhero fangirl turned superhero in her own right, having to deal with teenage issues,
01:38parents who don't understand her fandom, as well as navigating her place in the world as
01:43far as identity and culture are concerned, there was every chance this could have fallen flat
01:59on its face if Kamala was portrayed as too preachy or inauthentic.
02:04So, what did we get when Aman Valani stepped up to the plate?
02:09Absolute charm, that's what.
02:11Her portrayal of Kamala is a delight.
02:13She feels like an actual fan, a wholesome, honest soul wanting to do right by her family
02:18but still embrace her nerdy hobbies as well as her newfound duty as a wannabe superhero.
02:23She's the best part of any MCU property she's featured in, a ball of sunshine always ready
02:28to do her best while geeking out that she's surrounded by her favorite heroes.
02:33And Valani pulls it off flawlessly.
02:35I'm Kamala Khan.
02:36But when I'm fighting crime on the streets of Jersey City, I go by Ms. Marvel and I hope
02:39that's okay, copyright wise, because honestly I never thought I'd ever get to meet you but
02:43now that it's happening and we're touching each other, I've realized I should have asked
02:46permission.
02:47So, twinsies.
02:51Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, aka the Punisher.
02:54You're guilty.
02:55Excuse me?
02:56Yeah.
02:57I guilt that shame.
02:58That's my home, right?
02:59And I can see it on you, I can smell it on you, it's all over you.
03:02I'm gonna come back another day, Frank, maybe catch you at a better time.
03:07You come at me with that horseshit about saving lives, how about that friend of yours who saved
03:11his life?
03:12Daredevil Born Again is quite the curious conundrum, and it's a continuation of the hit Netflix
03:17series recontextualized to fit into the MCU.
03:21So while that means we're excluding performances from the Netflix titles, everything that happens
03:26in Born Again is fair game.
03:28Got it?
03:29Now, let's talk about how Jon Bernthal kills it in this show.
03:32Everything that makes the Punisher the Punisher is stripped down and laid bare before our eyes.
03:37Why he does what he does, unable to let go of the unyielding rage brought about by his
03:42family's murder and his abhorrence at others trying to copy his brand of justice?
03:46Because it isn't justice.
03:48It's punishment.
03:49Bernthal commands every scene he's in, showcasing the very best and worst of Castle's one-man
03:54war against crime, all in a way that feels grounded yet haunting.
03:58Benedict Cumberbatch as Steven Strange aka Dr. Strange The master of the mystic arts, the
04:10sorcerer supreme.
04:11How does one go about bringing depth to someone's constantly embroidered in the supernatural and
04:29the bizarre?
04:30Although, casting the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch is certainly a good first step.
04:34As a cynical doctor driven by ego, a studious apprentice eager to explore the boundaries
04:42of magic all the way to one of the most respected figures among the Avengers, Cumberbatch navigates
04:48all of it expertly, bringing weight to the doctor's words even in the craziest of circumstances.
04:53And thanks to the endearing relationship he shares with Wong, Peter Parker and even Tony
04:57Stark, Strange never ventures into feeling like just a wise old wizard without any intrigue
05:03and imperfections.
05:19We also have to shout out to Strange Supreme, the evil alternative version of the
05:23character also portrayed by Cumberbatch in the What If animated series.
05:27Now that was a wild take.
05:29Chris Evans as Steve Rogers aka Captain America We all want to root for the good guys, but
05:35the sad truth is that someone who embodies the best qualities a person can have can get
05:39a little one note, which is what makes Chris Evans' tenure as Captain America so special.
05:44The man is the ultimate boy scout and yet remains utterly compelling, especially when it comes
05:49to his personal trilogy of movies.
05:50It's not so much that Cap bleeds red, white and blue, it's that he stays true to the ideas
06:03of freedom without bowing to the whims of his country.
06:06Over and over, Cap is challenged on his beliefs yet remains stalwart.
06:10To play such a beacon of liberty and continue to be captivating all throughout, Evans deserves
06:15his flowers and then some.
06:20Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon There's no shortage to the number of aliens,
06:28monsters and other inhuman characters dotted across the MCU, many of which are a mesh of
06:33CGI and stellar voice work.
06:35But Rocket is on a whole other level.
06:37It's a testament to Bradley Cooper's vocal talents that more often than not, we completely
06:42forget it's him playing the galaxy's most trigger-happy varmint.
06:45We just hear an angry, broken and deeply sympathetic creature who's gone through more pain than
06:49most of the MCU combined.
06:52He's a scene-stiller through and through, one that we truly came to care for across the
07:03Guardians trilogy.
07:05Special mention goes to Sean Gunn who portrayed the younger version of Rocket in Volume 3 and
07:09was responsible for making us cry our eyes out.
07:26Chris Hemsworth as Thor You'd stand giving speeches while Asgard falls.
07:31This Norse God has been on quite the journey since his debut, and while not every feature
07:42may have been a colossal success, there's no denying that Chris Hemsworth has brought
07:46the thunder each and every time.
07:48And we're not just talking about the muscles, an egotistical prince who learned humility, a
07:53grief-stricken brother and son who's seen all he's ever loved snatched away, all the way
07:58to one of the most unexpected sources of comedy in the MCU.
08:01Thor has done it all, and the reason it all hit so hard is all thanks to Hemsworth's boundless
08:06and enduring charm.
08:07By Odin's beard, you shall not cut my hair, lest you feel the wrath of the mighty Thor.
08:13Please, kind sir, do not cut my hair.
08:19Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger The MCU has gotten a reputation for having
08:24lackluster villains that don't match up to the splendor of the hero.
08:28And while that's definitely true in certain cases, there are some bad guys that dominate
08:32their respective films, and Killmonger is certainly one of them.
08:36How do you think your ancestors got these?
08:38You think they paid a fair price, or did they take it like they took everything else?
08:42He's a trained killer who's racked up an insane body count, reflected in each of the
08:46self-inflicted scars.
08:48His manipulation and overwhelming fury nearly led to the death of T'Challa, Wakanda's ruin,
08:53and the start of countless global conflicts.
08:55And yet, he's still somewhat of a sympathetic character because you understand his drive
09:00for vengeance.
09:01Michael B. Jordan not only showcases Killmonger's rage at the world, but the pain from losing his
09:06father and the self-righteousness at using Wakanda's weaponry to liberate the marginalized
09:10and the downtrodden.
09:11While we obviously can't condone Killmonger's actions, Jordan's performance ensures we
09:17see his viewpoint clear and crystal.
09:28Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil
09:31There's a reason fans were begging for Daredevil's assimilation into the MCU, and it
09:36can all be attributed to Charlie Cox's performance as the man without fear.
09:42Much like Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, we're only focusing on his time in MCU properties.
09:47And even then, Cox shines.
09:49His cameo in Spider-Man No Way Home?
09:52A great bit of levity that got the crowd cheering.
09:55His stint in She-Hulk Attorney at Law?
09:57Say what you will about the show's flaws, but seeing him flex Matt Murdock's smooth moves
10:02on She-Hulk was spicy.
10:04But of course, the real magic can be found in Daredevil Born Again.
10:08His standoffs against Wilson Fisk, the agony of losing Foggy, his complicated relationship
10:13with the Daredevil persona, everything that makes Matt Murdock such a brilliant character
10:18can all be found here.
10:20Cox hasn't missed a beat since his Netflix days, so seeing him continue to explore his
10:24inner darkness is always a pleasure.
10:26He got life!
10:31How about old Foggy?
10:36He got life.
10:41Foggy.
10:43He was the kindest, purest soul I ever met.
10:52And guys like you and me, we could work a lifetime and never measure up to his decency.
11:00Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
11:02Making her debut as Natasha Romanoff's younger sister in the long-awaited Black Widow solo
11:07outing, it wouldn't be a stretch to say Florence Pugh was the best part of the whole movie.
11:11Her take on the second widow was snarky, combative, but also desperate for connection.
11:16However, she truly came into her own in Thunderbolts, stepping outside of Natasha's shadow
11:21where she not only dealt with becoming an impromptu leader to a group of broken souls,
11:25but also the despair and depression of feeling completely alone.
11:28To say Florence Pugh left Jaws agape with her performance would be doing it a disservice.
11:33Daddy, I am so alone. I don't have anything anymore. All I do is sit and look at my phone
11:46and think of all the terrible things that I've done and then I go to work and then I drink
11:51and then I come home to no one and I sit and I think about all the terrible things I've done again and again.
11:57Stop, stop. We all have things that we regret.
12:00No, but I have so many.
12:02The misery, the longing, the difficulty of acceptance,
12:05it all radiated the authenticity of someone going through severe mental struggles.
12:09This was when Yelena went from a cool side character all the way to a predominant force in the MCU.
12:15What I said to you before was wrong, Bob. You can't stuff it down. You can't hold it in all alone. No one can.
12:29We have to let it out. We have to spend time together.
12:34And even if it doesn't make the emptiness go away, I promise you it will feel lighter.
12:39Tony Leung as Wenwu aka The Mandarin
12:42Some people abhor the twist in Iron Man 3 regarding the Mandarin's true identity.
12:46Some have come around to appreciate how it played with expectations.
12:50But something we can all agree on is that Tony Leung's take on the genuine article
12:54was so damn good that all others pale in comparison.
12:57Had he just been a ruthless conqueror, it would have been cool, but a waste of this legendary actor's talents.
13:11Thankfully, Lung was given as well.
13:12And he was given a ruthless conqueror, it would have been cool, but a waste of this legendary actor's talents.
13:16Thankfully, Lung was given ample opportunity to demonstrate why Wenwu was a cut above most MCU villains.
13:31He's not just a power hungry tyrant, he's a grieving husband motivated by lost love.
13:35There really aren't enough good things we can say about what Lung brings to the table here.
13:50He's effortlessly charismatic, you truly believe in the bottomless love he has for his wife,
13:55and when he gets angry, oh boy, don't be surprised if you feel a chill go up your spine.
14:00Hugh Jackman as Logan, aka Wolverine.
14:03I'll tell you, that bald chick was right about one thing, you will never save the world.
14:09You couldn't even save a relationship with a goddamn stripper.
14:14I wish I could say you'd die alone, but it's one of God's best jokes that you can't die, except that's on all of us!
14:25For over 20 years, Hugh Jackman has been the face of Marvel's adamantium-filled rage machine, beloved by all.
14:35So, when it was announced that Deadpool will be bringing Wolverine along with him into the MCU, fans were more than a little excited.
14:42While Jackman's take on the character may have reached its apex in Logan, what he brought to the fold in Deadpool and Wolverine was no less impressive.
14:50Through his banter with the Merc with the Mouth, Jackman gives us Wolverine's greatest hits, both anger and the vulnerability.
14:56And then one day, while I was off on my own, the humans came.
15:00And went mutant hunting.
15:02I can guess the rest.
15:04No, no, let me...
15:06Let me say it, I...
15:10I need to say it.
15:14By the time I stumbled home shit-faced from the bar, it was too late.
15:18It almost feels like a tribute to the character's numerous cinematic triumphs and tragedies, with Jackman holding nothing back.
15:39Also, getting to see him go full berserker in the classic Wolverine outfit, sheer gold.
15:45Tom Holland as Peter Barker, aka Spider-Man.
15:48It speaks to Tom Holland's talents that despite non-stop comparisons to the previous actors who have played the wall crawler, not to mention sharing the screen with the titans of the MCU, he truly found a way to make the character his own and in doing so became the definitive Spidey for a whole generation.
16:04Apologetics
16:05Come on, Spider-Man.
16:06Come on, Spider-Man.
16:07Come on, Spider-Man.
16:08Come on, Spider-Man.
16:11Come on, Spider-Man.
16:12Come on, Spider-Man!
16:17Come on, Spider-Man!
16:19Ah!
16:21Ah!
16:22Ah!
16:23Ah!
16:29What makes him so captivating, is getting to watch Peter Parker's gradual transformation.
16:33transformation, all the way from an ambitious kid wanting to work alongside his idols to
16:37a young man who has had to learn the hard way, the true cost of how with great power
16:42there must also come great responsibility.
16:44It's quite the arc, imbued with sacrifice and sorrow, and Holland makes every moment
16:49resonate.
17:19Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda
17:32You don't get an Oscar nomination without pulling off a showstopper, and that's just
17:37what Angela Bassett did over the course of Black Panther Wakanda Forever.
17:41Much like how the world was ruling from the loss of Chadwick Boseman, Queen Ramonda was
17:45grieving the loss of her son, having to assume control of her nation while struggling with
17:49the remnants of her family safe.
17:51Her pain permeates every scene she's in, simmering beneath the surface before blowing out with
17:57thunderous results, all of which are beautifully conveyed as only Angela Bassett can.
18:02Watching her attempt and often fail to internalize the unbearable agony of her child's passing gets
18:19us on a guttural level every time.
18:21Oscar Isaac as Mark Spector aka Steven Grant aka Moon Knight.
18:22On the one hand, you got a no-nonsense soldier of fortune plagued with guilt who essentially
18:32sold his soul to the god of the moon, now acting as his weapon, and on the other hand, a gentle
18:36soul on the constant verge of a breakdown due to the gaps in his memory and raging insecurities.
18:41Now, imagine having to play both.
18:52That's what Oscar Isaac signed up for as he took on the role of Moon Knight, a vigilante
18:58famous for his dissociative identity disorder.
19:01Mark and Steven could not be further apart in terms of accents, mannerisms, and personalities.
19:06And yet, Isaac conveys them so convincingly and so distinctly, there are times where you
19:10forget they're being played by the same person.
19:13He is that good.
19:14Throw in the extensive fight scenes and you've got yourself one of the finest pieces of acting
19:18ever to be attached to the MCU.
19:20What does it matter?
19:21What, you want to remember the truth?
19:23That you had a mother that beat you?
19:26That hated you?
19:27That made your life a living hell?
19:29You know, aren't you just trying to upset me?
19:31But you've gotten to live thinking that she loved you, that she was kind, that she's still
19:37alive.
19:38Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa aka Black Panther.
19:41Now more than ever, the illusions of the vision threaten our very existence.
19:49We all know the truth, more connects us than separates us.
19:55But in times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers.
20:03We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.
20:12Gone far too soon, Chadwick Boseman left a cinematic legacy that stretches far and wide
20:17across genres, all woven together by his commanding screen presence.
20:21Black Panther was one such gem.
20:23As the king of Wakanda, T'Challa was the definition of regal, eager to do right by his people and
20:28carry on the will of his father.
20:30But through his clashes with Killmonger, comes to learn that tradition and isolation both
20:34have their dark sides.
20:35It is in these moments that Boseman defines the core of what makes T'Challa a splendid
20:39leader and perhaps the wisest of any of the MCU's mainstays, unafraid to adapt to change
20:45and chart a course for a better future.
20:47While we'll doubtlessly get other actors try their hand at playing the Black Panther,
20:51it's fair to say it's going to take a lot to measure up to the sense of class and power
20:55that Chadwick Boseman brought to the role.
20:57You are wrong, all of you are wrong, to turn your backs on the rest of the world.
21:07We let the fear of our discovery stop us from doing what is right, no more.
21:14Josh Brolin as Thanos, the man, the myth, the snap.
21:18What Josh Brolin accomplished as the Mad Titan bordered on being transcendent.
21:29Despite being dead set on his mission to exterminate half of all life in the universe, Thanos was
21:34the furthest thing from uninteresting.
21:37His commitment to a genocidal cause was born from a desire for life to flourish.
21:42His cruelty towards one of his daughters is juxtaposed by his unfettered adoration of the other.
21:46And least we forget, through sheer willpower and cunning, he succeeded in his mission.
21:51All of this wouldn't be possible without Brolin bringing the gravitas to Thanos' bloodlust,
21:56as well as the fleeting moments of tenderness that gave us a peek at the man behind the infinity gaunt.
22:02Tom Hiddleston as Loki
22:21When it comes to redemption arcs, there is no character in the MCU who has embarked on
22:25a more fantastical one than the god of mischief.
22:28As a villain, Loki was already a bundle of fun, mixing trickery and terror, acting as
22:33the perfect foil for the Avengers to combat against during their first team-up.
22:37Helped immensely due to Tom Hiddleston relishing the part of a godly figure with malice on the
22:42mind.
22:43And then things shifted.
22:44Across his own series, Loki's entire reason for being was deconstructed and called into
22:49question before ultimately deciding what his so-called glorious purpose truly meant.
22:54I know what kind of god I need to be, for you, for all of us.
23:03Needless to say, Hiddleston is incredible here, taking everything we ever knew about Thor's
23:08wayward brother and allowing him to reflect, change and grow into someone far beyond his
23:13bitter origins.
23:14In Age of Ultron, seeing Wanda sling her spells was kind of cool.
23:22In Civil War, we got to see some more bite to her as she chose to fight for what she believed
23:27in.
23:28Whereas in Multiverse of Madness, she embraced the monster within and left bodies in her
23:33wake.
23:34Gradually, the Scarlet Witch became a much stronger presence throughout the MCU, with each appearance
23:38adding a little more to her character.
23:41Which brings us to WandaVision.
23:42You knew it was coming.
23:44Elizabeth Olsen is monumental in this series, blurring the lines between callous and grief-stricken.
23:49You are my sadness and my hope, but mostly you're my love.
24:01Not only is she playing the Wanda we've all come to know, love, and fear, but she also
24:06adopts the ideocracies of the various broadcasts she now inhabits.
24:10The black and white slapstick of the 60s, the bright zaniness of the 80s, the contemporary
24:16sitcoms of the 2000s, and so much more.
24:18For Elizabeth Olsen to pull all that off while still keeping true to who Wanda is, is a feat.
24:24Maybe she really is a sorceress.
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24:513.
24:53Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Iron Man
24:57Without this genius billionaire philanthropist, the MCU wouldn't exist.
25:02And without the unbridled magnetism of Robert Downey Jr.'s performance, there wouldn't
25:06be a compelling enough character to hinge the entire narrative foundation on.
25:10Quippy doesn't even begin to describe Tony Stark, whose immense wealth and impulsiveness
25:15eventually leads him to the startling realization that perhaps manufacturing weapons for a living
25:21wasn't the best option.
25:22What made Tony truly special wasn't so much the flying suits and one-liners, though they
25:27were pretty awesome, but the gradual cracks in the armor.
25:31The father-son bond with Peter Parker, the regret he felt over the casualties caused by his mistakes,
25:36his tragic feud with Steve Rogers.
25:38This isn't going to change what happened.
25:40I don't care.
25:43He killed my mom.
25:44Lear all that together and you've got yourself quite the leading man.
25:48But it's only through RDJ's uncanny talent that we're able to see so many splendid shades
25:53of Tony's character come to life.
26:05What performance across the MCU knocked your socks off?
26:09Let us know in the comments down below.
26:11And don't forget to like and subscribe for more WatchMojo videos.
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