To belong in one mega-franchise is already a huge feat but to be in two could bring a whole career to the top. In the case of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, each has an abundance of characters, may it be heroes or villains, but there are a chosen few who enjoys the best of both worlds as they star in both franchises. Through these, their legacies are already secured.
Star Wars has been building its empire for more than four decades, proving that it remains to be one of the longest running franchises of all time. On the other hand, Marvel Studios holds one of the biggest franchises to ever exist with the Marvel Cinematic Universe which has been going on since 2008. To be a part of one is already a privilege, how much more is it when an actor belongs to both? Check out who appears in both Cinematic Universe and Star Wars here!
1 Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury and Mace Windu
To start the list, Samuel L. Jackson plays two iconic characters in both the MCU and Star Wars with Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who brought together the Avengers and built the team from the ground up and he recently appeared in The Marvels being a close friend of Carol Danvers, and Jedi Master Mace Windu, who appeared in all of the three Star Wars prequel movies wielding the purple lightsaber which he personally chose the color of.
2 Natalie Portman - Jane Foster and Padme Amidala
Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster in the MCU who later became Lady Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder. She is a brilliant physicist who made the God of Thunder, Thor, fall in love. In Star Wars, she portrayed the iconic Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episodes I-III who married Anakin Skywalker in secret and bore the twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.
3 Ben Mendelsohn - Talos and Director Krennic
Talos is the Skrull leader introduced in Captain Marvel who looks for a new home for their people after the destruction of their planet. He recently appeared in Secret Invasion with Nick Fury. Talos is played by Ben Mendelsohn who also portrayed a role in Star Wars as Director Krennic in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Mendelsohn considers working in Star Wars as a dream come true in an interview with The Guardian.
4 Andy Serkis - Ulysses Klaue, Kino Loy, and Supreme Leader Snook
To have one role under the MCU and one in Star Wars is already a privilege that other actors enjoy but for Andy Serkis, his Star Wars journey was made more special as he plays two roles: Kino Loy who appeared in Andor and Supreme Leader Snook in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. In the MCU, he plays the smuggler and arms dealer Ulysses Klaue.
5 Oscar Isaac - Moon Knight and Poe Dameron
Undeniably one of the best actors of this generation, Oscar Isaac graces both MCU and Star Wars with his acting prowess. He stars Moon Knight in the MCU as the titular character who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, thus, playing all Marc, Steven, and Jacob. In Star Wars: Episodes VII-IX, Isaac plays the Rebels pilot Poe Dameron who was entrusted by General Organa in hopes of getting her brother Luke Skywalker.
6 Jon Favreau - Happy Hogan and Paz Vizsla
Jon Favreau's involvement in both the MCU and Star Wars exceed beyond his roles on screen. Jon Favreau was the director of Iron Man 3, and a producer of Iron Man 3 and the Avengers movies. In Star Wars, Favreau brought to everyone The Mandalorian as its showrunner and The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka as an executive producer. On top of his job behind the scenes, Jon Favreau played Happy Hogan in seven MCU movies, and voiced Paz Vizsla in The Mandalorian.
7 Kumail Nanjiani - Kingo and Haja Estree
Among the newcomers of the MCU is Kumail Nanjiani who belongs to the ancient group Eternals. He plays Kingo, an Eternal with super-strength and energy projection, and Bollywood superstar for decades. In Star Wars, Nanjiani appeared in three episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ as the con artist Haja Estree. To think of it, he's also a con in Eternals for fooling everyone that he is his father and grandfather in Bollywood, right?
8 Paul Bettany - Jarvis, Vision, and Dryden Vos
If Andy Serkis played one in the MCU and two in Star Wars, Paul Bettany got the privilege of doing it the other way around with two MCU roles and one in Star Wars. Paul Bettany started in the MCU as J.A.R.V.I.S, the AI assistant of Tony Stark, and after what happened in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he became Vision who is about to have an upcoming Marvel series, Vision Quest. Bettany's Star Wars appearance is in Solo: A Star Wars Story where he portrayed the ruthless crime lord Dryden Vos as the replacement of Michael K. Williams.
9 Donald Glover - Aaron Davis/ Prowler and Lando Calrissian
Being an actor, comedian, and rapper isn't an easy thing to do but then, there's Donald Glover, who landed roles in both the MCU and Star Wars. Donald Glover had a small role in the MCU being the low-level criminal named Aaron Davis a.k.a. The Prowler. He's doing big in Star Wars, though, as Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story where he was praised for his impeccable performance of the character. This landed him his own title, Star Wars: Lando, but it remains without a release date.
10 Richard E. Grant - Classic Loki and General Pryde
Richard E. Grant is a legend of his own being a multi-awarded actor with a tenured resume and that includes being in both the MCU and Star Wars. He plays the villain General Pryde in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker who was manipulated by Kylo-Ren into going after Rey and framing her for the murder of Snoke. Albeit a short role, Richard E. Grant played Classic Loki in Loki Season 1 who was the variant of the God of Mischief who faked his death and lived in exile until he was captured by the TVA.
11 Ray Stevenson - Volstagg, Baylan Skoll, and Gar Saxon
Ray Stevenson left a huge legacy in Star Wars as the menacing Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka. The series released posthumously following his death a few months before the release of the show. Stevenson was no stranger to the galaxy far, far away as he already voiced Gar Saxon in the franchise in Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars. In the MCU, Stevenson is among the Warriors Three in the first three Thor movies where he played the role of Volstagg.
12 Emilia Clarke - G'iah and Qi-ra
Emilia Clarke first started in another franchise, Game of Thrones as Daenerys Targaryen, which led her to getting a role in both Star Wars and MCU. Playing Qi'ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story, she was the love interest of Han Solo in the prequel. Clarke is a newcomer in the MCU as G'iah in Secret Invasion where she became, possibly, one of the most powerful characters to ever exist in the franchise.
13 Stellan Skarsgård - Dr. Erik Selvig and Luthen Rael
Stellan Skarsgård first appeared in the MCU as the brilliant physicist Erik Selvig who is a colleague of Jane Foster. He appeared in 5 MCU movies, so far. As for his Star Wars role, he recently made his debut in the galaxy far, far away as he played Luthen Rael, a Rebel Alliance member, who has a huge role on the becoming of Cassian Andor in Andor.
14 Taika Waititi - Korg and IG-11
Taika Waititi is best known for his credits behind the scenes but that doesn't hinder him from taking a role on screen. Being the director of Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi forever changed the tone of the God of Thunder and transformed it to a lighter, funnier one as compared to the serious Thor in the first two movies. Waititi plays Korg, a Kronan friend of Thor from Sakaar. Waititi also made his way to Star Wars as the voice of IG-11 in The Mandalorian where he also directed the final episode of Season 1.
15 Forest Whitaker - Zuri and Saw Gerrera
Another legendary actor in the mix of both MCU and Star Wars is Forest Whitaker who plays Saw Gerrera in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars Rebels, and Andor as the leader of the Partisans, a group separate from the Rebel Alliance. In the MCU, Whitaker's role was on the first Black Panther film as Zuri who was a warrior shaman and the advisor of T'Chaka before being the same to T'Challa.
16 Benicio Del Toro - The Collector and D.J.
No matter how big or small a role is, when an actor is great enough to steal the scene, he or she would get the spotlight regardless of how many screen time they would have. Benicio Del Toro suits up in the MCU as Taneleer Tivan, also known as The Collector, who acquires rare items from the MCU. As eccentric as his role is in the MCU, this is equaled by his role in Star Wars as the corrupt D.J. in The Last Jedi.
17 Mads Mikkelsen - Kaecilius and Galen Erso
Mads Mikkelsen became a legendary actor through his role as Hannibal Lecter in his own titular series. Mikkelsen made the jump to the MCU and Star Wars after his own show. While the MCU has an abundance of villains, Mikkelsen played Kaecilius who was corrupted by dark magic later defeated by Doctor Strange. In Star Wars, he was an engineer who evades being captured by Darth Vader. He was Galen Erso who appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
18 Lupita Nyong'o - Nakia and Maz
Oscar award winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is also in both MCU and Star Wars. She plays Nakia in the two Black Panther movies as the princess of Wakanda's River Tribe and after her marriage to T'Challa, she becomes the Queen consort. It was later revealed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that Nakia bore a child named after the child's father, T'Challa. Known as Maz Kanata, Lupita Nyong'o voiced a humanoid who is alive for more than a millennium. Being a pirate queen, Maz looked after Rey to keep her safe. Maz ordered Finn to bring the Skywalker lightsaber to Rey in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.
19 Simu Liu - Shang-Chi and the voice of Lah Zhima
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduced Simu Liu to the MCU as the titular character in the Asian-led cast of the movie. Shang-Chi is the son of the Mandarin who was revealed to be the bearer of the Ten Rings, making him powerful and quite immortal. In a surprising twist, Simu Liu is also in Star Wars in a small role where he voiced Lah Zhima in one of the episodes of Star Wars: Visions.
20 Cailey Fleming - Young Sylvie and Young Rey
The youngsters are also making waves in both the MCU and Star Wars like Cailey Fleming. At the young age of 8, Fleming already did a remarkable job in playing the role of the young Rey Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Much recently, she appeared in the MCU as the young Sylvie in Loki Season 1 Episode 4 which showed the tragic past of the Loki variant.
21 Ariana Greenblatt - Young Gamora and Young Ahsoka
Another youngster who made it in both MCU and Star Wars is Ariana Greenblatt who recently appeared in Barbie. Ariana Greenblatt played the younger version of Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War which revealed how Thanos became her adoptive father. In Star Wars, Greenblatt suited up as the young Ahsoka Tano in Ahsoka where her older version is another person in this list!
22 Erin Kellyman - Karli Morgenthau and Enfys Nest
It seems like Erin Kellyman has a thing playing a role with a mask and a group. In Solo: A Star Wars Story, she plays the masked marauder Enfys Nest who had a lot of run-ins with Han Solo. She is among the crime syndicate called as the Crimson Dawn under Darth Maul. Kellyman plays Karli Morgenthau in MCU's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier where she leads an anti-government group called The Flag Smashers who advocates for the displaced people after the Blip.
23 Hannah John-Kamen - Ghost and Empire Officer
To be part of both franchises is a huge deal no matter how big or small a role is. Hannah John-Kamen is best known as Ghost in Ant-Man and The Wasp where she is a troubled young woman who was overexposed to Quantum energy, thus, giving her the ability to phase through objects. Surprisingly, she also played a minor role in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens where she was an officer of the Empire but the said role was small that she did not even have a script.
Bonus: Actors Who Appeared in Both Star Wars and Non-MCU Canon Marvel Projects
There was a time when Marvel titles were not all under Disney. There were shows such as Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Inhumans on ABC, and Marvel's Netflix television series such as Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, The Defenders, The Punisher, and Iron Fist. While these shows are not considered as MCU canon, there are actors from these shows that also appeared in Star Wars.
24 Ming-Na Wen - Agent Melinda May and Fennec Shand
Ming-Na Wen is a woman of action as she plays the role of a strong woman who knows how to handle things. She played Agent Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. throughout the show where she is called as the Cavalry for being one of the most lethal agents that the organization ever had. In Star Wars, she plays Fennec Shand in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett where she is a bounty hunter under the Hutt family but was later recruited by Boba Fett.
25 Rosario Dawson - Claire Temple and Ahsoka Tano
Before she was Ahsoka, Rosario Dawson first played Claire Temple in Marvel's Netflix tv shows such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. She was a nurse in the series who was saved by Matt Murdock in an alleyway. As mentioned, she is Ahsoka Tano in Ahsoka and The Mandalorian in Star Wars. She is a former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker.
26 David Tennant - Kilgrave and Huyang
Best known as Doctor Who's Tenth Doctor, David Tennant played a pivotal role in Marvel's Netflix tv show Jessica Jones as Kilgrave who can control minds to bring about his villainous schemes. In Star Wars, he voiced Huyang in The Clone Wars and Ahsoka. Huyang is a loyal and kind droid architect, a complete opposite of Kilgrave, too.
27 Jessica Henwick - Colleen Wing and Jessika "Testor" Pava
The role that got her the Variety's Top Breakout Star award, Jessica Henwick played Colleen Wing in Marvel's Netflix tv shows such as The Defenders, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Little did everyone know that she was also in Star Wars where she portrayed Jessika "Testor" Pava. There, she was an X-Wing pilot who played a role in the Battle of Starkiller Base.
If you were given the chance to be part of both the MCU and Star Wars, which character would you choose?
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