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Over the past two decades, Marvel has managed to build one of the most reliable box office brands in history. While that is at least partially due to the legacy of their characters, they wouldn’t have come to life in the way they did without some truly inspired casting choices in the MCU.

In this week's installment of Popverse Picks, we’ve sorted through every film and TV show in the MCU to find our favorite castings in the Marvel history from heroes to villains and even those all-important supporting characters.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man

It can be hard to imagine it now, but before he was cast as Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was trying to rebuild his career. His well-documented run-ins with the law had seemingly ruined his star power. Then Marvel came knocking and placed him at the center of the biggest film franchise in modern history. It was a huge risk for the studio but one that paid off. Even as RDJ looks to return to the MCU as Doctor Doom, it is hard to shake the image of him as the quintessential Iron Man.

Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin

Few actors have the sheer range of Vincent D’Onofrio, who is just as in comedies as he is in dramatic films. He is someone who can disappear into a role even without heavy makeup or prosthetics, so we weren’t surprised when he became the most quietly menacing MCU villain ever. D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is someone who never has to raise his voice to be threatening. There is always a quiet rage simmering just beneath the surface that is both uncomfortable and unmissable.

Michael Keaton as Adrian Tooms/The Vulture

We’re probably never going to see Michael Keaton’s Vulture back in the MCU after he seemingly got shunted to Sony’s Spider-Manless universe, but he remains a big reason why Spider-Man: Homecoming is such a great movie. Keaton’s intense presence sells the tension in most of the movie, especially in the scene where he drives Peter Parker and his daughter to the big dance. Keaton goes big and over-the-top when he’s in costume but manages to reign it in as a hardworking father and husband in the rest of the movie, which is a tough balance to keep.

Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Speaking of Spider-Man, we’ve been constantly impressed with Tom Holland’s performances in the MCU. He is fun and chatty at times while also having the emotional depth to handle the tragic events in the character’s life. Holland went from being someone we had almost no expectations of to a massive star as soon as he put on his web shooters because he nailed the character in a way no one had before (sorry Andrew and Tobey).

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America

When they announced that Chris Evans was going to be Captain America in the early days of the MCU, a lot of us were a bit skeptical. We’d seen Evans before in a couple of roles, but he was best known for his comedic acting. Even in Fantastic Four, he was playing the comedic relief himbo known as Johnny Storm. Yet, he managed to make us believe that he was more than just a buff super soldier by the end of Captain America: The First Avenger. He had the charisma to lead a team with Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk from the very beginning.

Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter

We have loved seeing Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter in every multiversal variant we’ve seen so far. She is fantastic as the love interest to Chris Evans’ Captain America, but it was a real treat to see Atwell as Captain Carter in the first season of What If…? and then again in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Her Peggy is always competent and powerful while also being vulnerable when she needs to be. If she does show up in Avengers: Doomsday alongside Chris Evans, we’re excited to see what she brings to Peggy Carter this time.

Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer

The first thing to note here is that Dave Bautista is a very funny man. Drax could have easily been a force of pure destruction, which would have been appropriate for his namesake. However, Bautista’s ability to deliver absurd dialogue with a straight face was clever and fun, but his ability to show the pain inside Drax was what made this the perfect casting for the character.

David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/ Red Guardian

We’ve never seen anyone have as much fun with a role as David Harbour does as Red Guardian in Black Widow. The man devours every inch of scenery and provides a much-needed comedic relief in the film while also coming across as a well-meaning (if misguided) father. He is genuinely funny throughout what is otherwise a very serious movie and makes everyone else in it better.

Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel

We loved Vellani in Ms. Marvel, but in The Marvels we got to see just how talented she is as an actress. Kamala Khan spends the first half of the movie in full-on fangirl mode, which could have come across as annoying and frustrating in less skilled hands. However, Vellani strikes the perfect balance and gives genuine depth to a character that was at risk of being one note in the film. If Marvel ever manages to make their long-rumored Young Avengers movie or series, we’re excited to see more of Kamala Khan in the future.

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