It's no secret that the majority of
Marvel actors give their characters their all. Although filmmakers often use animation and CGI to make the characters more lively, actors and actresses have overcome their own physical limitations in order to become the characters that we know and love. And sometimes, that dedication goes beyond only being the character on the inside but also becoming the character on the outside.
For some of the more demanding roles, actors must spend many hours in the makeup chair to get their character to the perfect look. They have to arrive on set much earlier than their colleagues, color their skin and wear heavy costumes or prosthetics to transform into things that don't look like themselves. When added together, you'd be surprised to know that they spent more time preparing for the role than they did filming!
If you're curious to see which MCU actors spent the most time in the makeup chair for their roles, we compiled a top 15 list for you! Keep reading to see who are they.
#1 Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Source: Marvel Studios
Standing at over 6 feet tall, lovely blonde Elizabeth Debicki is James Gunn's choice to play Ayesha in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2", ruler of a species that prides itself on being "perfect". Thanks to the lush gold covering her body, she looks much more gorgeous. Though some might think it’s CGI-enhanced, Debicki has confirmed it is all for real. Aside from the all-gold paint, she wore special heels that give her even more height and a jumpsuit later.
#2 Christopher Eccleston as Malekith in "Thor"
Source: Marvel Studios
One of the things that made "Thor the Dark World" quite lacking in interesting and attractive is the villain of Malekith the Accursed. He doesn't have as much work to do as expected and isn't as cool as the comic book version. Originally, Mads Mikkelsen was to play the part but he bowed out. Mads Mikkelsen was supposed to perform the character at first, but he withdrew. So it was given to Christopher Eccleston, who gained fame for the film "Doctor Who." Eccleston said that when he signed on, he had no idea the role would require makeup that made him nearly unrecognizable under the scarred face and long ears and learn a complex language. But in "Thor the Dark World", he basically takes a back seat to the antics of Loki.
#3 Paul Bettany as Vision in "Captain America"
Source: Marvel Studios
When we first saw Vision, it appeared to be Bettany covered in CGI, but in reality, he spent approximately three and a half hours every day getting the makeup done. It's a combination of special makeup and some prosthetics to match the red color of the character, making it even more impressive. In fact, Joss Whedon insisted on this makeup because it's better to get the audience to see as much of Bettany as possible and feel much more sincere with the performance than CGI. For his role in "Civil War", they managed to make it faster, but it was still difficult for Bettany to bring this android to life.
#4 Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull in "Captain America"
Source: Marvel Studios
It's hard to imagine "Captain America" without the Red Skull - the villain has been Cap's arch nemesis for decades, constantly surviving death to confront him and try to conquer the world. restore the world. And Hugo Weaving was a good choice for this full-on villain. Because the Red Skull must appear like his name, the complicated makeup was necessary. Weaving had to spend up to four hours in the chair to apply multiple layers of prosthetics. His performance was so great that fans are still hoping he finds a way back. Although he may prefer not having to put up with that long process anymore.
#5 Karen Gillan as Nebula in "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Source: Marvel Studios
In "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2", Karren Gillian plays Nebula, the daughter of Thanos known as a half-human, half-machine character with dark blue skin. When announcing the role at Comic-Con, Gillan told fans “I may have done something crazy” and pulled off her wig to reveal she’d shaven her head bald. In fact, the actress went through a nearly five-hour process to dye her skin blue and attach various mechanical prostheses to it. It was five large pieces and took about a half hour to take off. That’s striking given Nebula’s time in the first Guardians movie was rather short to the point of fans complaining about her being wasted.
#6 Rebecca Romijn as Mystique in "X-Men"
Source: Marvel Studios
Rebecca Romijn plays Mystique in the X-Men series directed by Bryan Singer. In 1999, makeup technology was not as developed as it is today, she had to sit on a makeup chair for 9 hours to put on makeup and paint on her body. In the comics, Mystique wears some white clothing, but the movie version is basically her naked except for the scales strategically placed along her body. She was painted head-to-toe blue, the role also requiring her to wear a tight red wig and yellow contact lenses. Although her character didn't last long on screen, she made it a success. Notably,
Jennifer Lawrence was allergic to that paint when she took on the role in First Class and therefore had a blue jumpsuit for the sequels but the process still took hours.
#7 Lee Pace as Ronan The Accuser in "Guardians Of The Galaxy"
Source: Marvel Studios
Lee Pace played Ronan, a Kree warrior/judge who decides to carry out huge annihilations of the human species. In fact, he is considered the least powerful member of the other prominent Guardians of the Galaxy because he is an overzealous and ineffective villain. Although he was used to makeup, the actor still took many hours to transform into a character. He had painted full his face, and worn heavy armor, which included a huge metallic headdress and other items. It's a bit sad that after all this effort, Pace didn't get the best reviews for the movie, but in terms of makeup alone, he still made an impression.
#8 Jason Flemyng as Azazel in "X-Men"
Source: Marvel Studios
If there's one character that fans never expected to jump into the movie, it's Azazel. The villain first appeared during the run of Chuck Austen as an X-Men writer. He appeared in First Class as one of the evil mutants working for Sebastian Shaw. He looked exactly like the comic book version with blood-red skin, pointy ears, a bushy beard, and a tail. Though it's a small role, Jason Flemyng had gone through a long makeup process. He couldn't come back, as his character was later killed, but he's still just as memorable.
#9 Ophelia Lovibond as Carina in "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Source: Marvel Studios
In the first Guardians movie, Carina appeared as a valet for the Collector, introducing him to the people and his wild collection. Ophelia Lovibond played the role and put up with her entire body painted a light purple complete with matching hair and contacts. It's impressive how she handled it for such a small role, showing that even the "small names" can have remarkable looks.
#10 Kelsey Grammer as The Beast in "X-Men"
Source: Marvel Studios
To transform into the wild and hairy Beast in "X-Men", Kelsey Grammer spent about 3 and a half hours a day for the makeup team to paint on his skin and hands, then meticulously apply feathers. Most notably, Grammer agreed to go through a similarly lengthy process for Days of Future Past… where he appeared onscreen for five seconds. The fact that he did all of that for a small cameo shows he's a true trooper to bring the character to life.
#11 Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse in "X-Men"
Source: Marvel Studios
Apocalypse is one of the greatest villains in the X-Men comics. He is a fantastic villain, thousands of years old, a shape-changer pushing the idea of “survival of the fittest.” But in the movie, Oscar Isaac played it too modestly and his Apocalypse wasn't the big villain he was supposed to be. At least he looked outstanding with a very impressive makeup job. Even with the help of CGI, the actor still needed the makeup team and two hours a day to cover his body with green. A lot of fans still feel it's not right that he didn't get a better script to move on because at least he played the role pretty well.
#12 Ruth Negga as Raina in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Source: Marvel Studios
In the first season of Agents of SHIELD, Ruth Negga made an appearance as Raina, also known as "the Girl in the Flower Dress." She was a mystery woman who worked for "the Clairvoyant," a psychic combating the agents. The series has a brilliant touch: the transformation of the woman who sought perfection and adoration for her beauty into a twisted creature with spiky quills for "hair". The make-up was really a rush job to fit the TV filming schedule and so Negga had to deal with several hours for a few scenes. It helped spur a great twist to put Negga on the map.
#13 Fan Bingbing as Blink in "X-Men"
Source: Marvel Studios
Originally, Blink appeared in the first Generation X storyline, as a mutant with the ability to throw energy daggers that can open teleport holes. In the epic "Age of Apocalypse", an alternate reality Blink is an X-Men and her charm and amazing skills made her an instant fan favorite. For "Days of Future Past," she appeared, played by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing. She also handled the look with a paled-up face and dark purple markings with matching contact lenses. The role was rather small, just a couple of fight scenes but at least she looked the part.
#14 Michael Rooker as Yondu in "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Source: Marvel Studios
This is a main character change from the source material. Yondu in the comics is a noble, calm, and studious warrior with a bow and arrow. The movie version features him as a rough-and-tumble rogue who controls his arrows with a whistle. and played by veteran actor Michael Rooker. Yondu had blue skin and especially fiery red eyes, so the actor must spend 3-4 hours coloring the skin, making fake scars, and attaching dentures. It was a long process for what was some minor screen time for this first movie. Of course, Yondu had more time in the second round, and Rooker's process was enhanced so he didn't have to spend as much time in the chair.
#15 Alan Cumming and Kodi-Smit McPhee as Nightcrawler in "X-Men"
Source: Marvel Studios
Kurt Wagner has always been a fascinating X-Man. He looks like a demon, completely tailed but a deeply religious man, happy with his job and proud of his appearance. Alan Cumming was cast for the role in X2 and rocked audiences with the first scene where Nightcrawler attacked the White House in a breathtaking scene. The make-up suits the character very well with the addition of religious tattoos to show his faith. And they also have a tail machine to coordinate with the outfit. Cumming handled the makeup for up to four and a half hours to apply. So one might wonder if the reason he didn't come back was that he didn't want to go through that long process.
For Apocalypse, Kodi-Smit McPhee plays the younger Nightcrawler and the makeup artists want to make him look different. As a result, his skin is a darker blue with more cat-like textures and doesn’t have those tattoos.