9 MCU Castings That Are Perfect But Underrated

The Marvel Cinematic Universe remains one of the biggest franchises in the history of cinema, even if some elements have dipped in quality over the years. At one time, a decade had passed with every installment receiving positive reviews. That’s an impressive streak no matter how you look at it. However, the past few years have seen a few misfires on both a critical and commercial level. Even so, there’s still one thing that the MCU is incredibly consistent at, which is their casting.

Casting is probably the most underrated aspect of the franchise. It doesn’t get discussed much, yet the franchise has shown an incredible ability to put the right actors in the right places. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, and more are all people who were expertly cast. They also all work incredibly well together, which is why the Avengers movies are such beloved hits.

As well-known and praised as those casting choices are, there are still plenty that get overlooked. These are either smaller supporting pieces or even heroes who aren’t all that well-liked, yet they do feature an incredibly talented actor in the role.

Michael Douglas As Hank Pym

Everyone talks about the casting of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang in Ant-Man and rightfully so. He had the perfect amount of charm and comedic chops to make the character work. However, an underrated casting was bringing in Michael Douglas as Hank Pym. Douglas is a veteran actor who brought credibility to the character.

What really makes this casting work is that Hank Pym isn’t exactly likable in a lot of comics. He famously has some controversial storylines and while the MCU never went down that route, Douglas does a good job of incorporating some unlikable traits while still making him someone to root for. That takes skill.

Michael Peña As Luis

Sticking with Ant-Man, Michael Peña was the ideal choice to portray Luis. Although he has a small role as Scott’s ex-con friend who helps him in his adventures, Peña brings so much to the part. His energetic delivery of the character’s famous storytelling style is just what the audience loves.

In another actor’s hands, Luis would likely just be a forgettable side character. Thanks to Peña, Luis is a beloved character to the point where the audience actively wanted a scene of him recapping the entire MCU before the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Dave Bautista As Drax

The career rise of Dave Bautista in Hollywood is surprising. The actor has admitted to not being comfortable speaking in front of the camera, even after a long and successful career as a pro wrestler. He not only transitioned well to the world of acting, but he has also managed to surpass his peers like Dwayne Johnson and John Cena.

As Drax, Bautista is perfectly cast. The character is meant to be stoic, which allows him to be unintentionally funny. As he appeared in later projects, Bautista let his comedic skills shine and became even funnier. However, he’s also been great at subtly showing the character’s more tender side as well.

Winston Duke As M’Baku

©Marvel/©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Pretty much the entire cast of Black Panther is well done. Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, and Angela Bassett are all fantastic, which is why Winston Duke has kind of flown under the radar in terms of how great he is in the role.

His acting on its own is impressive enough, but there’s also the physicality that he brings to M’Baku. Duke is a big guy and he feels like exactly the kind of person who would be a tough leader of a somewhat rebellious tribe. He’s also displayed a fair amount of charisma, especially as his role has grown over the years.

Kathryn Hahn As Agatha Harkness

When Agatha Harkness debuted in WandaVision, it felt like a good case of a strong villain making their mark. Kathryn Hahn was a blast in the role in every form. First, she played Wanda’s nosy neighbor filled with funny sitcom shenanigans before she masterfully revealed herself as the series’ antagonist. It was a perfect switch-up made better by Hahn’s performance.

It felt like the character would be done after the show, yet because Hahn is so good in the role, Agatha was given her own show. Agatha All Along quietly became one of the best Disney+ Marvel projects and Hahn is a big reason why. She plays well off co-stars like Aubrey Plaza and balances being funny with being scary in a way that almost nobody in the MCU can match.

Xochitl Gomez As America Chavez

A lot can be made about how the MCU has fumbled the handling of America Chavez. The character has the ability to travel between universes, which makes her the perfect person to put at the center of the Multiverse Saga that the franchise has pushed in recent years. Unfortunately, America has only made one appearance across the entire series.

Appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, young Xochitl Gomez is a star in the role. She manages to nearly steal the movie from veteran actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. Gomez is plucky, likable, and has an energy for the role that the MCU could use. She could be similar to Iman Vellani in terms of bringing fire to the current MCU, and hopefully there’s more of her set for the future.

Hailee Steinfeld As Kate Bishop

The MCU has often seen popular fan castings online and played right into them, including John Krasinski’s short cameo as Reed Richards. One of the better dream casting choices by fans was Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, the protege of Clint Barton who eventually takes on the Hawkeye name. The two are at the center of a pretty fantastic comic book run by Matt Fraction.

Kate was brought into the MCU through the Hawkeye series and Steinfeld is an absolute delight. She perfectly plays off her co-stars, including forging an unexpectedly great bond with Florence Pugh’s Yelena. Steinfeld is an extremely talented actor, with roles in the hit film Sinners and an Oscar nomination as a teen. She has the acting chops to be a major player in the MCU and she’s a highlight of the MCU’s Disney+ run.

Tatiana Maslany As She-Hulk

There was a ton of hate for She-Hulk before it ever even premiered and there are still those who complain about the MCU “jumping the shark” when Jennifer Walters twerked with Megan Thee Stallion in a fun post-credits scene. However, comic book fans know that the MCU’s take on She-Hulk was pretty accurate to the comics and the show was meant to be a fun legal series. It succeeded there and a big reason why was Tatiana Maslany as Walters.

Her casting is underrated since people like to hate on the series but Maslany might be the best actor in the entire MCU. She’s that good, which was evidenced by her stunning and Emmy-winning performance as more than a dozen clones in Orphan Black. As Walters, Maslany is funny, charming, witty, and strong. She embodies everything the character needs to be and every movie or show to ever feature Maslany is better because of it. She’s as good as it gets and a true gem of the MCU, even if we might never see her again.