Daily News for Marvel Movie

Summary

• Only three actors have appeared in live-action movies and TV shows in all five Phases of the MCU.
• Another actor will join this elite club following the release of Thunderbolts* in May 2025.
• Jeremy Renner and Chris Hemsworth could also be included, though they only appeared in archive footage in Phase 5.

So far, there have only been three actors who have appeared in live-action projects in all five Phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but another is set to join them in 2025. Over the last 16 years, Marvel Studios' superhero franchise has grown exponentially, adapting dozens of characters from Marvel Comics' rich 85-year history into live-action. With so many characters to play with, it's easy for some to get lost in the mix, but a few have managed to appear consistently throughout the MCU's entire history.
While only three live-action actors have appeared in all five Phases of the MCU, another actor will join this elite club after the premiere of 2025's Thunderbolts*. Of course, others could be included if Marvel's recent animated stories or the repetition of archive footage are taken into account, including Jeremy Renner and Chris Hemsworth, who appeared in archive footage in Echo and Deadpool & Wolverine, respectively. Only four will have actively taken part in new adventures, however, becoming the most consistent actors in the MCU.
Related 10 Longest-Serving Actors In Marvel & DC Movies Superhero franchises have taken over modern cinema, allowing actors to play the same role for many years, and some have taken this to the extreme.
Jon Favreau As Happy Hogan Jon Favreau Has Appeared In 8 Live-Action MCU Projects Close Jon Favreau's recent appearance in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine allowed him to join this elite club, as this marked his first appearance in the MCU's Phase 5. Favreau also holds the title of longest-serving actor in the MCU, having appeared in eight live-action projects over the entire 16-year span of the franchise, debuting as Harold "Happy" Hogan in 2008's Iron Man. As well as being a permanent fixture in the Iron Man franchise, Favreau has also appeared in all three movies in the MCU's Spider-Man franchise and Avengers: Endgame.
Jon Favreau's appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine saw him play Happy Hogan in the months prior to Avengers: Infinity War, as Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson traveled to Earth-616 in hopes of joining the Avengers, but was denied.
As well as portraying one of the MCU's most lovable and popular characters, Jon Favreau is also one of the franchise's most celebrated directors and producers. Favreau directed Iron Man and Iron Man 2, and was an executive producer on five further MCU movies. His strong relationship with Marvel Studios means it's likely Happy Hogan will continue to appear in MCU projects for years to come, especially after Marvel's animated What If…? series finally saw him receive superpowers of his own, meaning the possibilities are endless.
Jon Favreau's Live-Action MCU Project
Year
Phase
Iron Man
2008
Phase 1
Iron Man 2
2010
Phase 2
Iron Man 3
2013
Phase 3
Spider-Man: Homecoming
2017
Phase 3
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Phase 3
Spider-Man: Far From Home
2019
Phase 3
Spider-Man: No Way Home
2021
Phase 4
Deadpool & Wolverine
2024
Phase 5
Don Cheadle As Rhodey’s War Machine & Raava Don Cheadle Has Appeared In 9 Live-Action MCU Projects Close While Jon Favreau has consistently played the same character throughout his MCU, other actors have had the chance to play more than one. Don Cheadle is one of these stars, though he has spent most of his MCU career portraying James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. the armored superhero War Machine. Cheadle took over from Terrence Howard, who played Rhodey in 2008's Iron Man, from Iron Man 2 onward, and had the honor of suiting up as War Machine, and briefly Iron Patriot, for the first time on-screen.
Related The MCU's Mysterious Iron Man Follow-Up Movie Can Finally Set Up The Next Avengers Leader Marvel Studios" upcoming Armor Wars movie will continue Iron Man"s MCU legacy, and could see a veteran hero step up to be the Avengers" next leader.
Rhodey's War Machine isn't the only character than Don Cheadle has portrayed, however, as he secretly appeared as the shape-shifting Skrull Raava in Phase 5's Secret Invasion, whose Skrull self was played by Nisha Aaliya. It's still unclear exactly when Rhodey was replaced by Raava, though popular theories suggest he may have been swapped following his debilitating accident in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. If Marvel Studios' Armor Wars releases as part of Phase 6, which hasn't been confirmed, Don Cheadle will extend his MCU streak even further.
Don Cheadle's Live-Action MCU Project
Year
Phase
Iron Man 2
2010
Phase 1
Iron Man 3
2013
Phase 2
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015
Phase 2
Captain America: Civil War
2016
Phase 3
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Phase 3
Captain Marvel
2019
Phase 3
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Phase 3
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
2021
Phase 4
Secret Invasion
2023
Phase 5
Tom Hiddleston As Loki & Variants Tom Hiddleston Has Appeared In 7 Live-Action MCU Projects Close Because of his long-running portrayal of the Asgardian God of Mischief, Loki, Tom Hiddleston has become one of the MCU's most beloved actors. This has been helped by his two incredible redemption arcs. The original version of Loki transformed from the Avengers' original villain into a steadfast hero willing to sacrifice his own life to try and take down the Mad Titan, Thanos, in Avengers: Infinity War. Hiddleston has also portrayed multiple characters, as he starred as several multiversal variants of Loki in Phases 4 and 5.
Tom Hiddleston originally auditioned for the role of Thor, but has seen far more success portraying Thor's brother, Loki, opposite Chris Hemsworth.
After escaping from the Avengers during Endgame's Time Heist, a new version of Loki found himself investigating the Time Variance Authority. This culminated in him experiencing his second redemption arc, as he sacrificed his freedom to stand guard over the multiverse, becoming perhaps the most powerful and significant hero in the MCU's history. Similarly to Don Cheadle, Tom Hiddleston is also expected to extend his streak into Phase 6, as he is speculated to have a key role in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Tom Hiddleston's Live-Action MCU Project
Year
Phase
Thor
2011
Phase 1
The Avengers
2012
Phase 1
Thor: The Dark World
2013
Phase 2
Thor: Ragnarok
2017
Phase 3
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Phase 3
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Phase 3
Loki Season 1
2021
Phase 4
Loki Season 2
2023
Phase 5
Sebastian Stan As Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier Sebastian Stan Will Have Appeared In 9 Live-Action MCU Projects Close Sebastian Stan hasn't yet starred as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes in all five Phases of the MCU, but he is set to join this club following his appearance in Phase 5's Thunderbolts*. Stan debuted as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger, and, after his apparent death, returned as the HYDRA-controlled Winter Soldier in Phase 2. Bucky has since broken free of his brainwashing, but has struggled to come to terms with his experiences as the Winter Soldier, leading to his redemption arc in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Thunderbolts*​​​​​​​.
Related Bucky's Captain America 4 Absence Is Worse Thanks To 1 Shocking Reveal One of the few revealed plot details revealed in Captain America: Brave New World has made Bucky"s absence from the movie a lot harder to stomach.
For most of his MCU history, Bucky Barnes has shared the screen with the MCU's Captain America, both Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Thunderbolts* will set him apart, however, as he is set to join a new team of antiheroes and reformed villains, including Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and US Agent. If the upcoming Thunderbolts team returns in Phase 6, Sebastian Stan could be among the few live-action actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have appeared in all the franchise's Phases.
Sebastian Stan's Live-Action MCU Project
Year
Phase
Captain America: The First Avenger
2011
Phase 1
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014
Phase 2
Ant-Man
2015
Phase 2
Captain America: Civil War
2016
Phase 3
Black Panther
2018
Phase 3
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Phase 3
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Phase 3
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
2021
Phase 4
Thunderbolts*
2025
Phase 5
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Created by Kevin Feige Upcoming Films Deadpool & Wolverine , Captain America: Brave New World , Thunderbolts (2025) , Blade (2025) , The Fantastic Four (2025) , Avengers 5 , Avengers: Secret Wars Upcoming TV Shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos , Ironheart , Daredevil: Born Again , Wakanda , Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , Marvel Zombies , Wonder Man , Vision Quest Upcoming MCU Movies Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025 Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025 The Fantastic Four (2025)
Release Date July 25, 2025 Blade (2025)
Release Date November 7, 2025 Avengers: Doomsday
Release Date May 1, 2026 Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027