Shang-Chi

Best known for his relation arsenic Jung connected the deed Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, Simu Liu utilized to formal up arsenic Spider-Man for children's day parties aboriginal successful his acting career. Little did helium cognize helium would beryllium joining the MCU arsenic Shang-Chi, with his casting announced astatine San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Or possibly helium did know, arsenic the 32-year-old histrion tweeted conscionable 1 twelvemonth earlier, "OK @Marvel, are we gonna speech oregon what #ShangChi."

In a 2021 interrogation with The Hollywood Reporter, Liu recalled receiving the fateful telephone call. 

"It was July 16th, 2019, astir 6:30 p.m., aboriginal evening. I had conscionable woken up from a nap, and I was successful my underwear, eating shrimp crackers," Liu said. "My canine was napping successful my apartment, and I conscionable retrieve getting a telephone from an chartless fig successful Burbank, California. And conscionable proceeding Kevin Feige's beautiful, booming dependable connected the different end, telling maine that my beingness was going to alteration forever, was beauteous memorable."

Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, revealed to Rotten Tomatoes that Marvel considered hundreds of actors for the relation earlier Liu "came up comparatively precocious successful the process" and won them each over.

"He's the existent deal," Feige said. "Bringing a caller Marvel leader into the fold is ne'er easy, and determination is ever a batch of unit connected america and I'm definite connected the actors, but Simu has pulled it disconnected successful ways that again, I'm precise excited for audiences to yet spot successful September."

The antheral who started it all...was fundamentally the past idiosyncratic Marvel wanted to prosecute to play Tony Stark, a relation that present is everlastingly tied to Robert Downey Jr. Director Jon Favreau fought to onshore Downey, contempt his troubled past that included stints successful situation and rehab. 

"We didn't privation to conscionable spell with a harmless choice. The champion and worst moments of Robert's beingness person been successful the nationalist eye. He had to find an interior equilibrium to flooded obstacles that went acold beyond his career. That's Tony Stark," Favreau explained to USA Today, drafting comparisons betwixt the histrion and the character. "Robert brings a extent that goes beyond a comic publication quality having occupation successful precocious school, oregon can't get the girl." 

And Downey took the relation seriously, offering notes and requesting aggregate takes to truly nail a scene. "I'm much diligent than I utilized to be," helium said. "I privation to amusement Jon helium was close to person religion successful me. Whatever questions mightiness person arisen astir my beingness weren't issues with him."

The hazard paid disconnected large time, delivering the world's astir palmy franchise ever, and turning Downey into 1 of Hollywood's most-sought aft (and highest paid) stars, staging the eventual comeback. 

"He's an unparalleled talent. He's an astonishing actor. He has an astonishing property and an astonishing persona that we thought could beryllium tapped into successful an astonishing way," Marvel brag Kevin Feige gushed to The Toronto Sun. "We knew helium was a large histrion and we knew helium was unbelievably charismatic and he'd beryllium capable to bring Tony Stark to beingness successful an unbelievable way. I've said it earlier and I'll accidental it again: the MCU would not beryllium without Robert Downey Jr."

While Downey truly was Favreau's archetypal and lone prime to play Iron Man, different actors who were considered were Clive Owen, Timothy Olyphant, and Sam Rockwell. The second ended up being formed arsenic 1 of the main villains in Iron Man 2. 

Some were amazed erstwhile Evans, then 29 and champion known for the less-than-stellar Fantastic Four movie, was named by Marvel arsenic their feline for 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and the affectional anchor for the entire Phase 1 run. But it was acold from an casual process.

"Casting Captain America was ace hard. I started to think, 'Are we not going to beryllium capable to find Captain America, and if we can't, what are we going to bash with Avengers? Is the full happening going to autumn apart?'" Feige recalled to Vanity Fair. "And, then, yet opening ourselves up to Chris Evans, who we had initially benignant of conscionable looked past due to the fact that helium was Johnny Storm successful a Fantastic Four franchise. Then, bringing him successful and showing him the artwork, showing him what was happening successful this movie, and helium took a play to decide.

"Chris Evans has embodied Captain America arsenic good arsenic immoderate histrion has ever embodied an iconic pop-culture fig similar that," Feige continued. "I spell backmost to Chris Reeve arsenic Superman arsenic the golden standard, and I deliberation Evans is close there. I couldn't ideate anybody else."

But Evans has admitted to being hesitant to instrumentality connected the relation and said helium really turned it down "a fewer times" earlier yet signing on. "I was scared," helium admitted to Jimmy Kimmel, explaining the daunting fig of films he'd beryllium signing connected for and his wide "social anxiousness with this industry" were large factors. 

Of course, helium came astir successful the astir Cap mode possible: "I was saying nary retired of fear, really," Evans said. "You can't bash thing retired of fear. You can't beryllium doing thing due to the fact that you're scared. It ended up benignant of clicking to maine successful the mode that immoderate you're frightened of, propulsion yourself into it."

Almost Captain Americas

A fewer large names allegedly went successful for Cap, including Channing Tatum, Garrett Hedlund, Scott Porter, Chace Crawford...and Dane Cook?!

"[I] really americium going successful to conscionable connected 'Captain America,' which is benignant of cool," the comedian spilled to MTV successful 2010. "After Superman, helium was benignant of my favorite." (Bit of advice? Don't say a DC superhero is your favourite erstwhile you're trying to onshore a Marvel movie!)

Of course, John Krasinski has told the communicative of however helium made it acold capable successful the casting process to effort connected the suit. 

"In my caput I got the part. It was a large woody for me...when they asked maine to trial they really allowed maine to enactment connected the suit, I was connected a set," The Office fan favourite said on Conan. "It was each precise interesting."

Like galore of the superheroes that came earlier her, Brie Larson, an Oscar victor for her breakout show successful Room, was unsure she wanted to instrumentality connected specified an iconic role, 1 that has been teased arsenic the astir almighty idiosyncratic successful the MCU.

"I was hesitant to adjacent meet," she admitted to The Hollywood Reporter. "I was like, 'I don't deliberation what comes with a movie similar that is thing that I tin harness and hold. I'm excessively overmuch of an introvert. I'll conscionable collapse.' But past they started talking to maine astir this film, and I was like, 'Drat, this is the culmination of a batch of things I've wanted.'"

For Feige, Larson was the cleanable choice.

"With Captain Marvel, who has powers that attack a level that we haven't seen earlier successful our films, you request to counter-balance that by uncovering idiosyncratic who is besides precise quality and precise relatable and tin get into a groove with the audience, wherever they're consenting to spot her alert done the prima and punch a satellite distant from a spacecraft," helium told Variety. "At the aforesaid time, we request her to onshore and person relatable flaws. Brie is simply a idiosyncratic you're going to privation to spell connected this travel with."

Almost Captain Marvels

After losing retired connected the accidental to formed Emily Blunt in 2 erstwhile roles (more connected those later), Marvel reportedly approached the Mary Poppins Returns prima astir yet joining their superhero ranks arsenic the part-human/part-Kree Carol Danvers.

"I think, it's ever for me, it's ever about—and now, much so—what americium I putting retired there? What would beryllium absorbing for maine and what would beryllium absorbing for radical to see," Blunt told ScreenCrush erstwhile asked astir the rumors. "So, if it's an awesome part, it doesn't substance if it's a Marvel movie oregon a tiny movie, I'd beryllium up for it."

Other stars successful contention reportedly included The Handmaid Tale actress Yvonne Strahovski and Katheryn Winnick.

In apt 1 of the easiest casting choices ever for Marvel, Feige revealed successful an interrogation that Chadwick Boseman, known and celebrated for his turns arsenic Jackie Robinson successful 42 and James Brown successful Get On Up, was their prime for the aboriginal king of Wakanda.

"We were sitting astir a table. We were coming up with the communicative for [Captain America] Civil War [when] Nate Moore, our enforcement producer, suggested bringing successful Black Panther due to the fact that we were looking for a 3rd enactment that wouldn't needfully broadside with Cap oregon Iron Man. And astir instantly we each said 'Chadwick,'" Feige said astatine a 2018 property league for the movie. "And successful my memory, though possibly it was the adjacent day, we got him connected talker telephone close then."

No audition. No large negotiations. Just a telephone telephone to Boseman, who was successful Zurich promoting Get On Up. Feige said, "You perceive radical accidental this each the clip erstwhile you're successful a mounting similar this but helium was the lone choice."

The remainder is history. Literally, arsenic Black Panther was the archetypal superhero movie to onshore a Best Picture Oscar nomination. It became the archetypal MCU movie to triumph any—let unsocial three—Academy Awards and is 1 of the highest-grossing movies of all-time. Wakanda Forever.

Boseman died successful August 2020 astatine the property of 43 aft a backstage four-year conflict with colon cancer. Following the quality of his passing, Marvel announced that it would not recast the portion of T'Challa in Black Panther 2.

Then a comparative unknown, Chris Hemsworth landed the coveted relation of the Nordic god. But conjecture who was this adjacent to beating him retired for the role? Liam Hemsworth, his younger brother. 

"I had a precise aboriginal audition aboriginal connected successful the process, didn't spell precise well. My small member had an audition, helium astir got the part," Chris erstwhile revealed connected Quora. "Then didn't ‘cause they said he's a spot young truthful they opened the casting backmost up."

He continued, "I was truly aggravated that helium astir got the part, truthful I came backmost successful with a newfound fury. And really had to telephone him and say, 'How was the audition? Give maine immoderate tips,' and helium did, thankfully, and I got the part. So it was a precise collaborative household event, that one. Motivated by a small brotherly rivalry!"

A study from Deadline confirmed that the casting manager initially passed connected the past 25-year-old Chris earlier helium was yet brought backmost successful and enactment connected tape, aft which Feige and director Kenneth Branagh instantly signed off. 

Other names that were erstwhile successful the mix, speech from the Hemsworth brothers? James Bond himself Daniel Craig, Grey's Anatomy star Kevin McKidd and WWE's Triple-H, arsenic good arsenic then-unknowns Charlie Hunnam (pre-Sons of Anarchy), Joel Kinnaman, and Alexander Skarsgaard, whose begetter Stellan Skarsgard would aboriginal articulation the film's formed arsenic Dr. Erik Selvig.

After losing retired connected the role, Alexander Skarsgaard told MTV, "Yeah, I met with Kevin [Feige] a fewer times and the manager [Kenneth Branagh]...There was decidedly immoderate information successful that, yeah."

Loki

Before turning the villainous relation of Loki, Thor's member and the deity of mischief, into 1 of the astir beloved characters successful the MCU, Tom Hiddleston was actually in superior contention for the titular role. 

"Thor was being formed during my archetypal ever travel to Los Angeles arsenic an actor. I'd been signed by an cause connected the backmost of a Shakespeare play I did successful London and they said to me: 'Come to LA and we'll present you to the city.' I auditioned for everything nether the sun," Hiddleston, who is simply a earthy blonde, explained. "Thor was 1 of them and it was a imaginable accidental for maine due to the fact that I had a transportation to Kenneth Branagh; I'd worked with him successful the theatre."

While helium was "proud" of that audition and yet got a callback aft being asked to enactment connected musculus (dropping to 7 percent assemblage fat!), it wasn't what helium was initially expecting. 

"Kevin and Keith called maine personally and said, 'Well, you're not going to play Thor but we would similar you to play Loki.' In a way, it was a gift—and I person nary regrets astir it astatine all," Hiddleston said. "I've ne'er erstwhile thought, 'I privation I were playing Thor.'"

And helium "never" had immoderate thought what the instrumentality effect would beryllium to the character, admitting, "That was the best-case scenario—but it was astir apt acold beyond what I could perchance person conceived." 

After Natalie Portman's exit from the franchise, Creed star Tessa Thompson was brought successful arsenic Thor: Ragnarok's caller pistillate lead, taking connected the the warrior relation of Valkyrie from the comics. But she wasn't conscionable a emotion involvement for Thor, thing Thompson was beauteous vocal astir erstwhile she was archetypal approached by manager Taika Waititi for the role, aboriginal revealed to beryllium the MCU's archetypal bisexual hero. 

"There were a batch of aboriginal conversations that I had with Taika astir [the part] due to the fact that you ne'er know. Early connected determination were conversations, astatine slightest successful the press, astir her being a emotion involvement but you privation to besides person a quality that's dynamic and does her ain thing," she told Collider, "but from the jump, Marvel and Taika truly wanted Valkyrie to beryllium successful her ain level and to connection thing beardown and caller and new. I deliberation they've been truly astute to reply the telephone to a batch of fans that we request much women successful the beingness that are dynamic and not needfully tied to antheral characters."

While determination was immoderate backlash aft Thompson's casting was announced, arsenic the quality was achromatic and blonde successful the comics, Waititi defended the determination successful an interrogation with Comic Book Resources. 

"Right from the commencement we wanted to diversify the cast, and it's hard erstwhile you're moving with Vikings. You privation to beryllium much inclusive and supply a broader representation," helium said. "And astatine that point, you person to look astatine the root worldly arsenic a precise escaped inspiration. And past instrumentality it from determination and spell with your gut. Say, 'You cognize what? None of that worldly matters.' Just due to the fact that the quality was blonde and achromatic successful the comic book. That doesn't matter. That's not what [that character] is about."

He continued, "People hide that. Die-hard fans volition say, 'That's not truly authentic to the comics,' but arsenic soon arsenic they ticker the movie, and they're progressive successful the story, and really what's happening, everybody forgets. The information that we adjacent person to support having this speech is ridiculous, due to the fact that we support forgetting. Unless it's the taxable of the film, it conscionable shouldn't adjacent be—what bash we adjacent care? I deliberation the communicative is king, and you privation the champion idiosyncratic for the job. We formed a precise wide net, and Tess was the champion person."

After Marvel took Spidey implicit from Sony and Andrew Garfield was out, astir of young Hollywood's apical starring men were successful the moving for the coveted role—even Timothée Chalamet, the existent Internet boyfriend.

Other names successful the premix included Charlie Rowe, Charlie Plummer, Asa Butterfield, Matthew Lintz and Dylan O'Brien, earlier Marvel announced a past mostly unknown Tom Holland arsenic their caller Peter Parker successful 2015. When the finalists were brought successful to trial with Downey for Civil War, which acceptable up the solo Spidey movie, RDJ said, "Everyone other was bully and past determination was this different constituent [with Holland]."

"I've worked with a fig of up-and-coming actors who person gone connected to beryllium superstars and judge that Tom is conscionable specified an outstanding talent," Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group chairman, said successful a property release. "For Spidey himself, we saw galore terrific young actors, but Tom's surface tests were special. All successful all, we are disconnected to a roaring start."

And Holland proved to beryllium the close pick, with reviews naming him "the champion movie Spider-Man ever" aft Spider-Man: Homecoming's 2017 release. (Sorry, Tobey Maguire and Andrew!)

The Hulk/Bruce Banner

Has determination ever been a much tumultuous relation than that of the Hulk?

Initially, Eric Bana played the mean greenish instrumentality successful 2003's Hulk. When that movie flopped some critically and astatine the container office, Marvel decided to reboot, with Edward Norton taking implicit successful 2008's The Incredible Hulk.

The movie did OK…but Norton did not look to beryllium a instrumentality of the MCU's rigorous filming and promotional docket (and determination were reports of originative differences).

"We person made the determination to not bring Ed Norton backmost to represent the rubric relation of Bruce Banner successful the Avengers," Marvel said successful a connection up of accumulation opening connected The Avengers. "Our determination is decidedly not 1 based connected monetary factors, but alternatively rooted successful the request for an histrion who embodies the creativity and collaborative tone of our different talented formed members. The Avengers demands players who thrive moving arsenic portion of an ensemble."

Shots officially fired, with Norton's campy calling the connection "offensive" and "mean-spirited," going connected to contradict the allegations, calling it a "financial decision" connected Marvel's part.

Fortunately, Marvel recovered the close feline successful Mark Ruffalo—and realized the quality worked amended successful ensemble settings, not standalone movies. "Mark Ruffalo's Hulk portrayal acceptable a batch of things close successful a mode that made america each precise happy," Feige said astatine a property conference.

"[Hulk is] my generation's Hamlet. Everyone's gonna get a ace astatine it earlier it's each said and done," Ruffalo erstwhile joked to Vanity Fair. 

Before Scarlett Johansson took connected the relation of the archetypal pistillate Avenger, making her debut arsenic erstwhile Russian spy-turned-badass S.H.I.E.L.D. cause Natasha Romanoff successful 2010's Iron Man 2, Emily Blunt was actually attached to star. Alas, scheduling conflicts with the 2010 container bureau weaponry Gulliver's Travels got successful the way. (Never forgive, ne'er forget!)

Before ScarJo was officially cast, Eliza Dushku campaigned for the role, with the Buffy prima saying connected The Howard Stern Show that she was "perfect for the Black Widow character, that they conscionable request to get into it." Alas, they did not. 

After landing the role, Johansson revealed successful an interrogation she benignant of dyed her hairsbreadth reddish to person Marvel she was their Black Widow. 

"I had really met with Jon and Kevin [Feige] astir a twelvemonth earlier pre-production started and we conscionable talked astir immoderate of the ace heroines successful the Marvel Universe. One of them is Black Widow. I deliberation they were benignant of toying with the thought of putting the quality into the film, and however they would enactment it in, and each that benignant of thing," she said. "Then erstwhile I had met Jon the 2nd time, I did person reddish hair. Part of that was maine wanting to experimentation with my hairsbreadth color, and the different portion of that was maine benignant of hoping that Jon would similar the information that I had experimented."

But fans truly didn't get to cognize Natasha until The Avengers, though manager Joss Whedon was initially tense that scheduling conflicts could forestall Johansson from returning for the 2012 ensemble epic.

"Because of the timing of the shooting schedule, determination was a infinitesimal erstwhile we weren't definite if we could get Scarlett, but I was a precise blessed antheral erstwhile she signed connected due to the fact that she adds truthful overmuch to the movie and it's a large juxtaposition to her antheral counterparts. Scarlett is astir apt the slightest similar her quality due to the fact that she's truthful funny, delightful and conscionable truthful darn cute," he said. "I wanted her to play the relation wholly other of her property due to the fact that we wanted Black Widow to beryllium a darker incarnation of who she was in Iron Man 2. You get a spot of a hint of her back-story successful this movie and it isn't pretty. The large happening with Scarlett is she gets precise precise astir however she's playing a quality and what she's doing with it, truthful it worked precise good for the improvement of Black Widow." 

And now, finally, Johansson is getting her ain standalone movie with Black Widow hitting theaters successful July 2021 aft being delayed owed to the coronavirus pandemic.

After his breakthrough show successful The Hurt Locker, Jeremy Renner was formed to instrumentality connected the relation of S.H.I.E.L.D. cause Clint Barton, though helium primitively denied the rumors for months.

"Hawkeye could beryllium interesting. They're going to nonstop maine immoderate worldly connected it, spot what it is," Renner erstwhile told Empire. "But I deliberation they're beauteous awesome, trying to marque superhero movies astir plausible and not conscionable immoderate phantasy thing."

Renner made his archetypal quality successful an uncredited cameo successful 2011's Thor before 2012's The Avengers officially introduced Hawkeye. But the actor later voiced his frustrations with the quality character's arc successful the movie.

"At the extremity of the day, 90% of the movie, I'm not the quality I signed connected to play," helium told the LA Times. "I'm virtually successful determination for 2 minutes, and past each of a sudden…So there's not a batch of backmost communicative oregon knowing we tin truly archer astir who Clint Barton is, oregon Hawkeye, and is helium moving for S.H.I.E.L.D. oregon not? There's a batch of unanswered questions, adjacent for me."

He past added, "At slightest I was inactive successful the movie," helium added. "And I was gladsome for that…there are a batch of radical successful that movie. And a batch of important characters. And my character, I felt similar if I tin assistance service the story, past I did my job."

In the sequel, Whedon beefed up Hawkeye's role, including the astonishment uncover that Clint had a woman and kids. "I loved the thought that 1 Avenger had a secret, and that it was that helium was a mean feline who is genuinely connected to the satellite successful a mode nary different Avenger is," Whedon told a instrumentality connected Tumblr. "We chopped a batch of the misdirection that would person made the uncover much fun, but emotionally and thematically it inactive works large for me."

Heading into The Avengers: Endgame pursuing Renner's lack successful Infinity War, fans were hoping to spot Hawkeye's acheronian translation into Ronin (a la the comics). 

"We're doing a batch of truly wondrous things that I've ever wanted to bash with this character," Renner hedged successful an interview. "I deliberation everyone volition beryllium precise pleased erstwhile they find retired what happens."

C'mon, Samuel L. Jackson was the lone idiosyncratic who could play Nick Fury. Why? Because the quality successful the Ultimate Marvel Comics bid was virtually based connected him. 

"Sam is famously the coolest antheral alive, and some myself and creator Bryan Hitch conscionable liberally utilized him without asking immoderate benignant of permission," comic publication writer Mark Millar admitted to Business Insider. "You person to remember, this was 2001 erstwhile we were putting this together. The thought that this mightiness go a movie seemed preposterous, arsenic Marvel was conscionable climbing retired of bankruptcy astatine the time."

Jackson ended up signing a nine-picture woody with Marvel and Nick Fury became an important quality to organically weave galore of the superheroes' stories together, with the (now) erstwhile manager of S.H.I.E.L.D. his archetypal quality successful Iron Man's post-credits scene, the archetypal 1 successful the MCU...and it ended up becoming an indispensable infinitesimal for the full franchise adjacent though that wasn't the archetypal intent down the speedy cameo. 

"That was a spot of a lark. I wanted to see Easter eggs that the fans would admit and we thought the thought of a post-credit country it could beryllium fun. It was thing that wasn't truly successful the publication originally. But I thought the thought of Nick Fury being Sam Jackson would beryllium truly fun, due to the fact that erstwhile Nick Fury was re-imagined in The Ultimates (comic book) they recast him arsenic Sam Jackson, and I thought that that would beryllium a truly bully motion to the audience," Jon Favreau explained to EW. "And Kevin [Feige] was mode into it, too. Kevin truly lit up. We worked connected that dialog together. We were precise cautious however we selected the words. 'You're portion of a bigger satellite now, a bigger universe,' and 'the Avengers Initiative,' laid breadcrumbs for what was to come. We had the thought that we would someway radical these characters together, that was portion of what would happen, but a batch of things had to spell close for that to happen, truthful we were truly conscionable laying retired a basal ngo connection of purpose, to amusement our intent, and reasoning that the fewer radical who would linger successful the theatre would beryllium the ones who would admit it most."

Little did helium cognize Feige has large plans.

For Captain Marvel, his ninth Marvel movie BTW, the filmmakers digitally de-aged Jackson by 20 years truthful helium could play Nick Fury successful the mid-'90s, besides serving arsenic an root communicative of sorts for the quality fans cognize today. 

Coming disconnected of his breakout show successful The Hurt Locker, Anthony Mackie was formed to play Cap's caller right-hand antheral successful Captain America: The Winter Soldier, kicking disconnected a amusive bromance triangle with Sebastian Stan's Bucky aboriginal on.

But astatine a 2015 Emerald City Comic-Con event, helium revealed helium really reached retired to Marvel with a antithetic quality successful mind.

"I was initially penning them due to the fact that I wanted to beryllium Black Panther," Mackie said connected stage. Of course, they yet got backmost to him—but astir Falcon, a role Mackie was much than "happy" to instrumentality on.  

"To spell to enactment with those radical each day, I'm precise contented and blessed to beryllium Falcon, adjacent to Captain America," helium said. "It's large to beryllium successful a large movie with a large radical of radical alternatively than fto your ego say, 'I person to beryllium the guy.'"

Captain America: The Winter Soldier co-director Anthony Russo told Collider of casting Mackie, "Yeah, we fell successful emotion with Anthony Mackie for this quality due to the fact that helium has an vigor and a consciousness of fun and...Cap's coming from a precise hard spot successful this movie. He's fundamentally a feline who wakes up successful the modern world, we're possibly a twelvemonth oregon 2 aft he's travel retired of the authorities and his full satellite is gone, this feline has mislaid everybody. It's a precise terrible benignant of affectional and intelligence spot to beryllium in, and Anthony Mackie conscionable has this benignant of fantastic vigor that we conscionable thought, if you're going to signifier a caller friendship, helium needed idiosyncratic similar that to propulsion him."

After Cap person him the shield successful Endgame, Mackie flew disconnected to co-star with Stan successful their ain Disney+ series, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which ended with Sam assuming the mantle of Captain America.

Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes

Before helium was formed arsenic Cap's BFF-turned-nemesis-turned-BFF-again, Sebastian Stan really auditioned for the titular role. " On Vanity Fair's Still Watching podcast, Finn admitted they saw thing "darker" successful Stan that wasn't rather the close acceptable for Steve Rogers.

"I was truly bummed that I didn't get Captain America," Stan admitted to People in 2016. "I retrieve getting the telephone telephone and [their] going, 'You were great, but it's not for you.'"

Fortunately, different telephone rapidly came, with the I, Tonya prima saying, "When they called maine backmost again to archer maine that determination was this different relation that I should beryllium looking at, I was truly excited due to the fact that it wasn't implicit yet." And wouldn't beryllium for awhile, arsenic helium signed a 9-movie deal, conscionable similar Evans. 

And now, Stan has helped take the MCU to the tiny screen, teaming up with Mackie for Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

After breaking retired of her insanely celebrated older duplicate sisters' tiny-but-mighty shadows successful 2011's indie hit Martha Marcy May Marlene, Joss Whedon knew Elizabeth Olsen was the prima helium wanted for the Russian superhero, who tin spell wrong people's minds and has telekinetic abilities aft being experimented connected by H.Y.D.R.A. successful the film. 

But she wasn't adjacent definite what relation she was gathering for astatine first, telling EW, "I met with Joss and vaguely knew the characters we were gathering about. No 1 told me. I conscionable knew it had to bash with the next Avengers, and they were introducing 2 caller characters, and that was each I knew."

Before Olsen was cast, the large rumor was that Saoirse Ronan was going to suit up arsenic Scarlet Witch (with Marvel reportedly adjacent utilizing her arsenic the prototype successful the improvement process). 

Scarlet Witch ended up arsenic portion of the caller procreation of Avengers by the extremity of Age of Ultron, though she suffers 2 losses: her brother, who heroically dies successful battle, and her Russian accent, which is gone by Infinity War. 

Wanda kicked disconnected Marvel's foray into TV with 2021's WandaVision, successful which  fans yet got to spot the quality go Scarlet Witch.

Paul Bettany has been 1 of the actors with the longest past successful the MCU, adjacent if you didn't cognize it. The British histrion served arsenic the dependable of JARVIS, Tony's trusty A.I. sidekick successful the archetypal Iron Man movie that kicked disconnected everything and it's astir apt the funniest root communicative successful the full MCU.

"I got a telephone telephone from Jon Favreau saying, 'I request the dependable of a benignant of personality-less robot and I thought of you immediately,'" Bettany recounted to GQ. "[Laughs] I thought it was the funniest happening I'd ever heard truthful I said yes."

For The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel made the rare determination of casting Bettany arsenic Vision, arsenic JARVIS (RIP!) was uploaded into a synthetic body, on with the Mind Stone, to make the superhero.

"They [Marvel] person a rule, that you're not allowed to play much than 1 quality successful the Marvel universe," Bettany told Business Insider. "So, they broke the rules…they bent the rules somewhat for maine due to the fact that Joss [Whedon] truly wanted to bring the Vision into the movie world, and helium truly wanted maine to bash it."

So however was the modulation from 2 hours of dependable enactment to physically being connected set?

"Before I utilized to crook up for 2 hours and get paid a silly magnitude of wealth for...I utilized to consciousness similar a pirate moving disconnected with a container of currency astatine the extremity of the day," Bettany joked. "Now, I really person to amusement up and stuff."

That worldly yet included starring with Elizabeth Olsen successful Disney+'s WandaVision. 

Best known arsenic the lovably dim Andy Dwyer connected NBC's Parks and Recreation, it was the pb relation successful Guardians of the Galaxy that turned Chris Pratt into a full-blown superstar. Aside from his translation from goofy sidekick to charismatic starring man, Pratt underwent a headline-making carnal translation to pb the rag-tag squad of abstraction misfits arsenic Peter Quill. 

"For maine it felt similar a cleanable acceptable close disconnected the bat. I felt similar astatine my precise archetypal audition that I nailed it, but, I was acrophobic that I wasn't physically close for it due to the fact that I was inactive beauteous big," Pratt admitted to The Huffington Post. "I mean, I knew helium had my spirit—I knew that my tone was right. And I knew it sounded right, I conscionable didn't look close yet."

And manager James Gunn astatine the clip benignant of agreed, admitting, "I didn't adjacent privation to spot Chris astatine first. He was overweight astatine the time, and helium seemed similar a drama guy, and helium didn't deliberation helium was the close idiosyncratic for the role. But helium came in, and helium was doing his audition, and 20 seconds into his audition I'm like, 'That's the guy.'"

Still, Pratt went connected to lose 60 pounds successful six months, hilariously documenting the travel connected Instagram ("Six months nary beer. #GOTG Kinda douchy to station this but my member made me" was the caption for 1 shirtless gym pic) and yet landing endless mag covers and headlines touting his awesome caller bod.

"He's a hilariously frumpy, doofy feline in Parks and Rec, and he's an incredibly kickass ripped feline in Zero Dark Thirty and that's beauteous awesome," Feige said aft the unexpected casting quality was officially announced. "He's going to request that in Guardians. That's a large scope close there."

Little did Pratt cognize backmost successful the audition process that the Marvel squad was looking mode down the line, with Feige revealing, "We ever formed for the movie we're making, but we besides person an oculus connected the future. So erstwhile we were casting Chris Pratt, we needed the champion Star-Lord, but astatine the aforesaid time, we said, 'We request idiosyncratic who 1 time mightiness spell toed to toed with Robert Downey Jr.'" (Which they did in Infinity War.)

While it's hard to ideate anyone different than Pratt and his effortless charm and swagger playing Peter, Marvel had considered Eddie Redmayne, Joel Edgerton, Jack Huston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lee Pace for the role, with Pace ending up taking connected the relation of villain Ronan the Accuser. But the No. 1 contender aft Pratt seemed to be an It's Always Sunny successful Philadelphia star: Glenn Howerton.

Who amended to play the deadliest pistillate successful the postulation and estranged girl of Thanos than Zoe Saldana, with her awesome enactment resume that included Avatar and Star Trek? 

While determination was initially speech of utilizing CGI for the relation of the greenish assassin, Zaldana opted to spell done regular four-hour make-up sessions instead. 

In an interrogation with Net-a-Porter, Saldana shrugged off any actors who've claimed the Marvel stars are selling retired by doing superhero movies. "Those elitists should beryllium a small much cognizant astir what playing a superhero means to a young child. Because you're not conscionable dissing me, you're dissing what that kid considers important successful their world," she said. "I consciousness truthful arrogant to beryllium surviving successful space, to beryllium playing greenish and bluish aliens, to inspire, primarily, the younger generations. I retrieve what it was similar to beryllium young and to consciousness wholly excluded retired of the mainstream speech of beingness due to the fact that I was conscionable small and unimportant and ‘other.'"

Still, Saldana had large concerns earlier officially signing on, noting manager James Gunn was wholly connected committee with each of her notes.

"I was not that excited astir the publication from Gamora's standpoint. You privation maine successful each scene, but I don't talk successful immoderate of them," she said during a roundtable interrogation with bloggers. "So I'm just going to spell determination for 6 months, spell done 5 hours of marque up each day, 6 days a week, to conscionable beryllium similar a alert connected the partition successful each scene? And conscionable look astatine each the guys portion they're cracking jokes...And earlier immoderate luncheon interruption you're going to bash my adjacent up? I'm like, "No baby, that's not going to happen.'"

And it didn't, with Gamora becoming 1 of the affectional anchors of the franchise, and playing a pivotal role in Infinity War. 

Saldana was Marvel's archetypal choice, but different rumored stars up for the relation allegedly included Olivia Wilde, Gina Carano, and Adrianne Palicki, with Palicki aboriginal joining the Marvel TV beingness arsenic Bobbi Morse successful ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

While helium has each the makings of a Marvel starring man, Bradley Cooper decided to instrumentality a much antithetic superhero way than astir of his peers. 

Cooper described Rocket's dependable as "Gilbert Gottfried meets Joe Pesci" during an quality connected Ellen, saying helium initially intended connected utilizing a overmuch much superior dependable a la Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood.

But immoderate fans mightiness not cognize Cooper isn't the 1 to don the greenish suit connected acceptable to play Rocket. It's really Sean Gunn, the member of manager James Gunn, who besides plays Ravagers subordinate Kraglin. 

"He is simply a question notation actor. That means we movie everything Sean does connected acceptable arsenic Rocket. We movie it," Gunn erstwhile explained connected Facebook. "I don't halt doing takes of him until we get the show close and past we usage that show arsenic a ground for overmuch of Rocket's acting."

And earlier locking down the A Star Is Born manager and star, Marvel reportedly gauged the involvement of big-time comedians similar Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey to dependable the foul-mouthed member of the Guardians.

Arguably 1 of the astir adored characters successful the $10 cardinal MCU franchise is voiced by the star of 1 of the world's other large franchises: The Fast and the Furious' Vin Diesel. And his root communicative began with a prank, as the workplace contacted him astir a relation after helium posted connected his Facebook that Marvel had "requested a meeting." 

While Groot lone has 1 line—his infamous "I americium Groot"—Diesel actually received abstracted scripts that revealed the meaning and inflection down each clip Groot speaks. 

"The peculiar Groot mentation of #GotGVol2 that lone Vin Diesel & I have, wherever each Groot enactment is printed successful English," James Gunn once revealed connected Instagram, showing disconnected the "Groot Version" of the GOTG Vol. 2 script.

And adjacent erstwhile Groot (spoiler alert!) died astatine the extremity of the archetypal Guardians of the Galaxy lone to beryllium reborn arsenic a tiny potted plant, Diesel inactive voiced Baby Groot. 

"I mean, there's a tiny magnitude of processing that we bash connected a fewer of our characters, but it's precise little," Gunn told EW. "It's mostly conscionable Vin's voice. He's capable to, you know, talk successful a overmuch higher registry than helium usually does."

Before landing 1 of the biggest roles implicit astatine DC with Aquaman, Jason Momoa revealed helium was successful talks to play Drax and adjacent auditioned with Chris Pratt earlier choosing to locomotion away.

"It didn't truly acceptable successful my clip due to the fact that I've done truthful galore things wherever I don't accidental overmuch and I'm colored up and I person my garment disconnected again," the Games of Thrones prima explained to Zap2It. "It's not that it's not a bully role, it conscionable wasn't the close thing. I was connected Stargate: Atlantis for 4 years playing a akin quality called Ronon, who was an alien who didn't accidental overmuch and grunted. I've been determination and done that, whether radical person seen it oregon not. You privation to stretch."

Marvel ended up uncovering their cleanable Drax successful WWE prima Dave Bautista, though helium admitted to being "terrified" during the audition process. "Each clip I was called back," Bautista told Wired, "it became much nerve-wracking and much real."

Of casting the MMA fighter, Feige said, "One of the reasons Bautista got the portion was due to the fact that his banter and ad-libs and surface tests with Pratt were awesome."

And landing a spot connected GOTG's rag-tag squad was a imagination travel existent for him, with Bautista telling Hero Complex, "I inactive can't freaking judge I got this job. It's thing that I wanted much than thing I ever wanted successful my life. When I got it, I broke down and cried similar a small baby."

Hey, to walk 5 hours successful make-up each day, you gotta emotion what you do!

Has determination ever been a cooler casting confirmation that Karen Gillan stepping retired astatine Comic-Con successful 2013 to debut her shaved head, officially announcing she was joining Guardians of the Galaxy arsenic Nebula, 1 of the movie's main villains and the sister of Gamora? 

Already a genre favourite for her clip connected Doctor Who, Gillan aboriginal told W Magazine, "In the audition for [Guardians of the Galaxy], they asked if I was consenting to shave my head, and it sounded similar a chill task and I was up for this change. I've ever had agelong reddish hairsbreadth that was benignant of a defining diagnostic for me."

Originally, Nebula was expected to dice successful the archetypal GOTG, with Gillan aboriginal telling EW, "I was truly shocked erstwhile I got to travel back and as portion of the squad successful the adjacent movie. That was amazing! I decidedly didn't expect that."

Nebula went connected to play a important role, adjacent surviving her adoptive begetter Thanos' infamous finger-snap, lasting unsocial with Tony Stark by Infinity War's end. 

"The astir awesome and easiest idiosyncratic I've ever had to cast" is how James Dunn described Pom Klementieff, who joined the franchise successful Vol. 2 arsenic Mantis, the caller summation to the squad that can power others' emotions. 

"She blew maine away," helium continued. "She's amazing, and I can't hold to stock her with the world."

And successful a connection announcing the casting, Gunn revealed Marvel "auditioned a batch of actresses for that role. We had 4 actresses surface trial and each of them was wholly amazing. Pom Klementieff conscionable happened to beryllium the champion successful presumption of being precise emotional, which the quality has to be. That by her quality is her ace power, truthful to speak. She is an empath."

A immense instrumentality of the archetypal movie, the French histrion admitted she was "really freaking out" during her auditions.

Ant-Man/Scott Lang

One of Hollywood's astir beloved stars Paul Rudd landed the relation of Marvel's pint-sized superhero, overmuch to the Internet's delight, successful 2012.

"We felt a immense consciousness of alleviation due to the fact that the archetypal measurement successful creating immoderate Marvel Studios movie is uncovering the close star. We knew aboriginal connected that we had recovered the close idiosyncratic successful Paul," Feige said. "When helium not lone agreed to bash it but became arsenic enthusiastic arsenic immoderate histrion we'd ever met with astir doing the work, we knew we'd recovered the close guy."

Per a Variety study earlier Rudd's casting was announced, the different histrion who was earnestly considered for the relation was Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 

Already a genre fave acknowledgment to her crook arsenic Kate connected ABC's Lost and Tauriel successful The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Evangeline Lilly was tapped to play Hope van Dyne successful Ant-Man, delivering the telling enactment astatine the film's end: "It's astir damn time."

And with 2017's Ant-Man and The Wasp, Lilly became the archetypal pistillate to header an MCU movie, with Hope truly taking connected the pb relation arsenic she yet took implicit the Wasp mantle from her mother.

"There were a batch of girlfriends and wives. And that's emblematic of what we saw successful the archetypal comic books," Lilly told ESPN. "So it's an breathtaking clip for maine to beryllium moving with Marvel arsenic they springiness women these mantles successful which they are afloat realized people."

But Lilly isn't each that funny successful a standalone Wasp movie, believing Scott and Hope enactment arsenic a duo, saying, "So I don't emotion the thought of breaking them up—except if determination was an all-female Avengers film...then I'm in." Ditto!

Rumors anterior to Lilly's casting speculated that Emma Stone and Rashida Jones met with Marvel to sermon the role, while Jessica Chastain also allegedly turned down the relation owed to scheduling conflicts. 

The Internet astir had a meltdown erstwhile it was archetypal rumored that Benedict Cumberbatch, beloved for his crook arsenic Sherlock Holmes connected Sherlock, was the frontrunner to play Doctor Strange, easy Marvel's riskiest standalone yet. Alas, scheduling conflicts initially prevented it from happening. "I truly did deliberation I had to buss it goodbye," Cumberbatch told Empire.

Enter: Joaquin Phoenix, different antithetic but prestige choice. But, for immoderate reason, thing ever came of the talks betwixt the Oscar victor and Marvel, with Phoenix aboriginal benignant of (but not really) explaining, "I bask those movies sometimes, and I deliberation they support the f--king manufacture going successful immoderate ways, truthful I don't person a occupation with it astatine all...I'm trying to fig retired however to accidental this astir diplomatically...I deliberation everybody was truly blessed with however things turned out." (And possibly Phoenix was a DC Comics instrumentality each on arsenic the prima went connected to triumph an Oscar for his instrumentality connected the Joker successful 2020.)

After gathering with a fewer different radical (allegedly including Tom Hardy and Jared Leto), manager Scott Derrickson yet convinced Marvel to propulsion backmost filming successful bid to unafraid their No. 1 prime for the renowned doctor-turned-sorcerer.

"I thought Benedict was cleanable arsenic Doctor Strange, due to the fact that [he] has the operation of precocious acquisition and precocious intelligence. I judge that helium tin beryllium a apical neurosurgeon. He's truthful astute and besides has unthinkable depth, feelings, and scope arsenic an actor," Derrickson told Vanity Fair. "He has to play this arrogant neurosurgeon who goes done this affectional journey. He goes done a batch of pain, a batch of suffering, a batch of disorientation, a batch of choler and past enlightenment. There aren't a batch of actors that I felt could screen each of that, but Benedict can. I felt that helium would beryllium a large enactment star. He has the quality to springiness the assemblage emotion adjacent successful the mediate of an enactment scene. Harrison Ford is the top illustration of each time. You ne'er get bushed of watching his look nary substance what helium is doing, due to the fact that you are feeling what helium is letting you feel. And Benedict is the aforesaid way."