Top 3 Legendary Actors Who Have Been Significantly Underutilized In The MCU
Marvel has a knack for wasting great talent.
The MCU is a great platform for young actors to showcase their skills in a Hollywood blockbuster. But it's not uncommon for MCU producers to cast A-list stars in small roles that are almost immediately forgotten.
1. Mads Mikkelsen
A prime example of this is Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who most recently portrayed Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Before that, he played James Bond 's fierce adversary in Casino Royale (2006) and starred in The Hunt (2012) and Another Round (2022), for which he won several awards.
In the MCU, Mikkelsen appeared as the sinister sorcerer Kaecilius in Doctor Strange ( 2016). However, the actor didn't have a chance to truly showcase his talent, as the character simply wasn't given enough screen time in the movie.
Fans were left frustrated that a character as intriguing as Kaecilius had no impact on the MCU.
Christian Bale is another legendary star, known for his insane dedication to his roles. The actor lost a lot of weight for his role in The Machinist (2004) and then gained huge amounts of muscle for Batman Begins (2005).
Most recently, Bale had to shave his head and lose some weight once again for the role of Gorr, the main villain who wants to destroy all the gods in Thor: Blood and Thunder (2022). The actor's portrayal of the psychotic man obsessed with the idea of revenge was incredibly powerful, but that didn't prevent the movie from failing.
Although his image of the villain was truly mesmerizing and frightening, Bale was not given enough time to fully explore the character.
3. Anthony Hopkins
The multiple award-winning actor portrayed the powerful Scandinavian god Odin in the Thor movies. Despite Anthony Hopkins' outstanding acting skills, his character has unfortunately been underutilized throughout the franchise.
Odin is a very complex character, standing between his two sons Loki and Thor, who are at odds with each other. His arc could have been fleshed out more, allowing Hopkins to really delve into his character's personality, but sadly, the MCU just missed the opportunity.
Source: Reddit