As movie fans, and especially as superhero movie fans, we are all extremely acquainted with various cameo roles that shatter here and there across the story. In contrast to regular cinematic roles, cameo roles are brief, often surprise appearances of well-known personalities in a film, typically playing themselves or a fictional character. They can be famous actors, characters, or even unrelated celebrities, serving as a nod to the audience, and a playful addition that can elevate a scene.
And of course, the year 2023 is also full of surprising cameo roles that flabbergasted us all when the characters appear. The annual ComicBookMovies awards will be announced in a couple of days, and here’s the final shortlist for 6 best cameo roles of 2023. Which one do you think will win? Let’s find out.
#1. Donald Glover As Prowler (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Lord and Miller’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a spectacular display of different animation styles blended into one movie. The film even blurs the line between reality and fiction at some points by putting real-life actors into the animated Spider-Verse, and the Donald Glover scene is one of them.
In the middle of the movie, when Miles is exploring the Spider-Society alongside Gwen and the others, he finds a real-life Donald Glover wearing a Prowler suit, sitting in a hi-tech cage in the headquarters. The two have a brief chat with each other before Miles leaves, as he keeps thinking about how “different” Glover looks compared to others.
In case you didn’t notice, Glover played an Aaron Davis variant in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and even mentioned Miles at one point in the movie. This little detail makes his appearance in Across the Spider-Verse even better.
#2. Gal Gadot As Wonder Woman (Shazam! Fury Of The Gods)
Source: Warner Bros.
Gadot has a strong presence in the old DCEU, playing the iconic Diana Prince/Wonder Woman since 2017. One of her last DCEU appearances is in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, where Wonder Woman arrives to help resurrect Billy Batson from the dead using the Wizard’s Staff.
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods receives mixed reviews from fans, but Gal Gadot’s appearance is one of the movie’s few saving graces. Hopefully, the actress will still reprise her role as Wonder Woman in James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe.
#3. George Clooney As Batman (The Flash)
Source: Warner Bros.
As the first (and only) Multiverse movie in the DCEU, The Flash features a lot of superhero variants throughout the story, as Barry Allen travels through time and accidentally creates various universes. From Nicholas Cage and Christopher Reeves’s Superman to Adam West’s Batman, fans are overfed with countless versions of superheroes in the movie.
However, only the George Clooney’s version of Batman makes it into this list. Having portrayed the Caped Crusader in the movie Batman & Robin, Clooney once again appears as Bruce Wayne in the main timeline, as Barry Allen slightly changed an event in the past to save his father. Having the actor reprise the role is a welcome move, but now fans are not sure which version of Batman will appear in the new DC Universe.
#4. Kelsey Grammer As The Beast (The Marvels)
Source: Marvel
The Marvels contains one of the best cameo roles in the MCU ever, featuring Kelsey Grammer’s Beast in the movie’s post-credits scene. In this sequence, Grammer’s Hank McCoy is one of the people who saves Monica Rambeau after she’s drifting in space.
The Beast’s surprise cameo role could mean big for the MCU, as he’s one of the first Fox mutants to appear in the franchise, leading to a storyline where both the Avengers and X-Men will co-exist.
#5. Anthony Starr As Homelander (Gen V)
Source: Amazon Prime Video
The spinoff series Gen V is one of the most anticipated for The Boys’ fans, and the hype is taking up a notch with Homelander’s surprise appearance at the end. Near the season’s finale, Anthony Starr’s Homelander is called by Ashley to get rid of the supe supremacists in Godolkin University, but the so-called hero decides to side with the latter instead, shooting Marie in the process.
Homelander’s presence in Gen V is more than just a simple cameo, as it can lead to some drastic changes to The Boys Season 4. After getting shot by Homelander, Marie, alongside her friends, will likely find and side with The Boys to oppose the villain. Meanwhile, the Godolkin’s supremacist leaders, Cate and Sam, are rumored to join The Seven in return, making both teams stacked with new blood.
#6. Mr. Beast (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem)
Source: Paramount Pictures
Mr. Beast is the only non-actor personality to make this list, and that’s exactly why we’re so excited to see who he’s playing in the animated movie. And, like in real life, Mr Beast also plays a major social media influencer in the movie, a person called Times Squares Guy.
Mr. Beast’s Times Squares Guy approaches Master Splinter and touches his ear, thinking that the latter is a person wearing a rat costume. However, upon learning that Splinter is the real deal, he screams his lungs out and backs away immediately. The sequence is only two seconds long, but it’s enough to make the YouTuber’s fans satisfied.
Which cameo role above is your favorite, and which one do you think will win the award? Tell us more in the comments.