10 Marvel Actors Who Say They"d Return To Their Roles In Future

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Though many actors seem to have left the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind, some of the franchise"s former actors have expressed a willingness to return to their roles in the future. Since the very beginning of the MCU’s movie timeline, the franchise has adapted numerous characters from the pages of Marvel Comics to the big screen. This has seen many actors join the MCU, and over the years, some of them have since stepped away from their Marvel roles.
Among the wealth of characters who have appeared in the movies and TV shows of the MCU, some of the actors who have been absent for some time have spoken out about their potential returns. Despite some of their characters having received definitive endings, the introduction of the Multiverse makes their returns possible, should both the actors in question and Marvel be agreeable to the idea. With that in mind, here are 10 Marvel actors who say they’d return to their roles in the future.
10 Gwyneth Paltrow As Pepper Potts Last Appeared In: Avengers: Endgame (2019) Close Gwyneth Paltrow first appeared in the earliest movie in the MCU, and went on to reprise her role of Pepper Potts numerous times over an 11-year span. One of the MCU’s most important supporting players, Pepper Potts served as the love interest of Tony Stark and later the CEO of Stark Industries, making her a powerful figure within the franchise. Paltrow last played the role in Avengers: Endgame, which saw the end of Tony Stark’s narrative arc in the MCU.
In an interview with People in 2021, Paltrow stated that she’d be open to an MCU return, on one condition: that it was a small role. Paltrow explained that if the part was something that could be filmed in a day or two, that she’d willingly return, but also that she no longer considered herself “passionate about it”. Even so, it’s clear that if Marvel wanted Pepper Potts to pop up in the MCU, Paltrow wouldn’t be against reappearing.
9 Elodie Yung As Elektra Last Appeared In: The Defenders (2017) Close Though it once seemed impossible for the Defenders Saga characters to return to the MCU, the franchise has since begun to bring a number of the actors back to reprise their roles. One of the supporting characters from the Netflix shows was Elodie Yung’s Elektra, who was introduced in Daredevil season 2 and last seen in 2017’s The Defenders. Yung is another Marvel actor who has voiced her willingness to reprise her role in the MCU proper.
While speaking with Fandom Spotlite’s Wizard World panel about Elektra in 2020, Yung said that she would “love for Marvel to bring her back.” She spoke about her time playing Elektra fondly, saying that she loves the character as “she"s so complex and broken”, and that she can relate to her. As her turn as Elektra came as part of a popular Marvel adaptation, it’s not impossible that Marvel would seek to bring her back, especially with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil already in the MCU.
8 Sterling K Brown As N’Jobu Last Appeared In: Black Panther (2018)

Sterling K. Brown’s MCU role might not have been entirely memorable, but his star has certainly risen since his appearance in the franchise. Brown played N’Jobu in 2018’s Black Panther, the father of the villain Erik Killmonger who is killed after appearing only briefly. Despite his short-lived role in the MCU, Brown addressed the possibility of a potential return to the franchise.
Brown took to social media to share an article about fans clamoring for his MCU return. He simply said that: “if there’s a way”, he “would be honored”, making his interest clear to all should Marvel opt to somehow bring N’Jobu back from the dead. Though his character was minor, Brown’s own profile has become significant, making it seem much more likely that the MCU might choose to have the actor reappear in future projects.
7 Krysten Ritter As Jessica Jones Last Appeared In: Jessica Jones (season 3) Close Another of the main characters of Netflix’s Defenders Saga, Krysten Ritter, has spoken about a potential return to the MCU. Ritter played Jessica Jones in three seasons of the hero’s self-titled show, as well as starring in The Defenders alongside Netflix’s other Marvel heroes. Ritter was last seen as Jones in 2019, though she has made her interest in future Marvel projects clear.
In an interview, Ritter said she would return to the MCU immediately should Marvel ask her to do so. She spoke about how proud she was of her work in the role of Jessica Jones and how she would appreciate any opportunity to play the character again. Should the MCU have need of Jessica Jones at all, it’s clear that Krysten Ritter would be more than happy to resume the role she played in the Defenders Saga.
6 Halle Berry As Storm Last Appeared In: X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) Close Though Halle Berry’s acting career has been filled with critical and commercial success, her track record for playing superheroes has not always been so positive. Despite poor reception to her superhero characters, Berry played Storm in Fox’s X-Men movie franchise multiple times over more than a decade, with relatively mixed results. Even so, when asked about reprising her Marvel role, Berry made it clear she was open to a return.
Speaking with ComicBook.com in 2022, Berry was asked about actors such as Tobey Maguire and Michael Keaton reprising their own superhero roles, and whether she would consider such a move. She voiced her appreciation for having been involved in major comic book franchises, and said that she would return if the opportunity arose. Though Berry’s Storm could be considered divisive at best, her willingness to return could bear fruitful were Marvel interested in facilitating it.
5 Frank Grillo As Crossbones Last Appeared In: Avengers: Endgame (2019) Close Frank Grillo’s MCU role as Brock Rumlow – AKA Crossbones – was relatively minor, playing a minor supporting role in two movies and then appearing in a cameo in Avengers: Endgame. However, the actor’s iteration of the villain earned considerable popularity, elevating Grillo to leading man status in a slew of action thrillers. Considering the boost the MCU gave his career, Grillo has been asked about potentially reprising the role in the future.
Speaking with Forbes in 2020, Grillo said that he would return to the role of Crossbones “in a heartbeat.” More recent interviews have seen Grillo open up about the difficulties of avoiding spoilers while being part of the MCU, but has remained unflinchingly positive about the experience. Despite having accepted a major DCU role, Frank Grillo has indicated that he still would be open to a potential MCU return.
4 Lana Condor As Jubilee Last Appeared In: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Lana Condor’s Marvel role was incredibly short-lived, despite the fact that she seemed a perfect casting. Appearing in X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016, Lana Condor’s Jubilee was featured only briefly, with many of her scenes being cut from the finished film. Despite this, her design and Condor’s own acting abilities have led many – including Condor herself – to wish Marvel would bring the actor back to reprise the role of Jubilee.
Speaking with The Wrap in 2020, Condor spoke about her desire to see the character done justice with further appearances. Considering the massive wasted potential of Lana Condor’s Jubilee, the actor’s stance is hardly surprising, and her own platform makes her an excellent candidate to assume the role in the MCU. Condor made it clear after the release of Apocalypse that she’d welcome a return to the role, making it a marked possibility for the MCU.
3 James Marsden As Cyclops Last Appeared In: X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) Close James Marsden’s turn in a Marvel role was not initially met with overwhelming praise, but time has been kind to the actor’s iteration of Cyclops. Fans have since expressed interest in seeing the actor return to his role as Scott Summers from Fox’s original X-Men trilogy, but, other than a brief cameo in X-Men: Days of Future Past, it has yet to materialize. Even so, the actor himself hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a Cyclops return.
While interviewed at the premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Marsden confirmed that he would love an opportunity to return as Cyclops. He expressed his appreciation for having played the role and stated that he’d enjoy revisiting it if given the chance. With the MCU’s multiverse introducing X-Men characters, it’s certainly a possibility that Marsden could once again appear as Cyclops as part of the franchise in the future.
2 Andrew Garfield As Spider-Man Last Appeared In: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Close Andrew Garfield’s turn as Spider-Man was criminally short-lived, and calls for the actor to reprise the role in a third solo movie have persisted since the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014. His multiversal return in Spider-Man: No Way Home was a triumphant moment, but it certainly teased that there was even more narrative depth to the character that deserves to be explored. Garfield himself acknowledged this, confirming that he’d return to the role if given the chance.
During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Garfield expressed a willingness to return to the role of Peter Parker. He added that his potential return would be conditional upon a story that was “special” and that “would be of service to an audience and the character”. Even so, Garfield’s willingness to reprise his previous Spider-Man role keeps hope alive for a potential Marvel sequel starring his iteration of the hero.
1 Ty Simpkins As Harley Keener Last Appeared In: Avengers: Endgame (2019) Close Though Ty Simpkins has made many high-profile appearances in major franchises, his MCU role remains decidedly understated. Appearing as Harley Keener, a young boy who helps Tony Stark in Iron Man 3, Simpkins has only made one major Marvel appearance and a brief cameo in Avengers: Endgame. However, as his character is still alive within the MCU, there has long been speculation that he could return. For his part, Simpkins has expressed interest in further MCU appearances.
Simpkins has spoken on many occasions about potentially returning to the MCU as Iron Lad, filling part of the void left by Tony Stark’s death. As Harley Keener served as a supporting character to Stark, this role would make sense, with Simpkins eager to reappear. Though the actor’s prospective return is purely speculative, he’s yet another actor to have appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe who has confirmed he’d love to come back to the franchise.
(Source: The Direct)
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