What 19 Actors Looked Liked Before They Got The Call From Marvel

Jessica Wilson
Sep 13, 2022
Sep 13, 2022

It must be a stroke of luck when Marvel Studios comes knocking on your door and ask you to join their Cinematic Universe. Well, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. We beg that you will jump for joy and start crying out loud. Actors like Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, or Zendaya are lucky enough to get fantastic offers and land their roles in Marvel. For their perfect performances, many have got Oscar winners and nominees and then became high-paid actors, box office golden picks, rising stars, and even icons of another age.
Before taking on the roles of heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, or Captain America, they were just simple actors and actresses from Hollywood. Along the way, they portrayed well-known characters from Marvel comics and became superheroes opposing villains for the greater good.
Today, let’s take a journey to discover what our favorite actors and actresses looked like before stepping into the Marvel world.

#1 Tom Holland (Spider-Man)

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Tom Holland appeared as Peter Paker, a high school student, who turns out Spider-Man.

#2 Zendaya (Mary Jane Watson — MJ)

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Zendaya portrayed MJ in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, in which comic lore stands for Mary Jane, who has been the main love interest of Peter Parker.

#3 Chris Evans (Captain America)

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Chris Evans made his appearance as the patriotic superhero in 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” and played the role in seven MCU titles.

#4 Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff)

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Elizabeth Olsen gained international recognition for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff in the MCU media franchise.

#5 Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)

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Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, has officially entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the character appeared alongside “Avenger: Endgame”’s Korg.

#6 Brie Larson (Captain Marvel)

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Larson’s starring role in “Captain Marvel” marked the MCU’s first woman. She reprised the role in 2019’s “Avenger: End Game”.

#7 Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man)

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When it comes to Robert Downey Jr., you’re likely to think of his portrayal of Tony Stark. The actor played the character in seven movies. Both he and the character are so closely linked that it’s hard to disentangle.

#8 Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)

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Scarlett Johansson is a common staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actress made her debut as Natasha Romanoff in 2010's Iron Man 2, helping Robert Downey Jr.'s titular hero against Whiplash. Since then, the actress had made her mark in the MCU.

#9 Chris Hemsworth (Thor)

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In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Hemsworth started playing Thor in the 2011 film of the same name and most recently reprised the role in “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022), which established him among the world's highest-paid actors.

#10 Mark Ruffalo (Hulk)

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Ruffalo gained international recognition for playing Bruce Banner / Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Mark first played the green monster in the 2012 MCU Avengers and then reprised the role in several others including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and more.