The extensive cast of Harry Potter boasts some of the biggest names in Hollywood who have yet to join the MCU as Marvel characters.
Despite both franchises boasting some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, there aren’t many actors from the Harry Potter franchise that have portrayed Marvel characters in the MCU. The movie franchise ended with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 over a decade ago, but so far the biggest MCU movie role taken on by a Harry Potter actor is Toby Jones’ Arnim Zola, who portrayed Dobby in the Harry Potter franchise. This means the door is wide open for many other Harry Potter veterans to take a leap into upcoming MCU movies and/or shows.
While many Marvel characters are American, the likes of Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch prove that a convincing American accent is par for the course. Yet even if not all actors can pull off a convincing accent, many prominent British Marvel characters are still ripe for casting, even though the likes of Dane Whitman and Elsa Bloodstone are MCU-confirmed. Thankfully, the Harry Potter cast is so star-studded that their resumes are proof enough of their ability to portray characters from across the pond, and many are long overdue for an MCU debut.
10. Daniel Radcliffe As Wolverine
Originally Portrayed Harry Potter
The MCU is no stranger to fan service, and it could do worse than casting Daniel Radcliffe in the role of Wolverine in direct response to the longstanding fan cast. On the face of it, the casting seems completely out of left field, considering the stark contrast between Wolverine and Harry Potter. Yet Radcliffe’s recent physical transformation and his penchant for roles outside his comfort zone, as exemplified by his Indie movie back catalog, are convincing arguments in favor of this particular fan cast.
9. Emma Watson As Betsy Braddock
Originally Portrayed Hermione Granger
Betsy Braddock is the twin sister of Brian Braddock, and both have held the mantle of Captain Britain. Betsy’s other, perhaps more recognized, mantle is Psylocke, and boasts one of the richest and most complicated histories in Marvel Comics. Her typical bevy of abilities includes powerful telekinesis, telepathy, and the ability to materialize weapons out of pure psychic energy. She is also known for her beauty, having pursued a career in modeling before engaging in the superhero life in earnest.
Psylocke has already been portrayed on-screen by Mei Melançon in X-Men: The Last Stand and Olivia Munn in X-Men: Apocalypse, but has yet to make the leap to the MCU. Given Braddock’s extensive and complicated history, Marvel should hand the role to an actor capable of bringing emotional depth to Braddock along with a noble resilience worthy of the Captain Britain mantle. Watson’s roles in Little Women and The Perks of Being a Wallflower are evidence of her ability to bring both.
8. Rupert Grint As Pete Wisdom
Originally Portrayed Ron Weasley
Rupert Grint has recently made waves outside of his role as Ron Weasley as the no-nonsense hot-headed Inspector Crome in The ABC Murders,who bears more than a few similarities to Marvel’s Pete Wisdom. Wisdom is an English mutant who wields “hot knives,” AKA plasma blades, at his fingertips. He has been involved with various British-based organizations in Marvel Comics, including Excalibur and MI13 – both of which Olivia Coleman’s Sonya Falsworth could be setting up in the MCU’s future. Bringing in Grint as the abrasive field agent would be the perfect fit for his recently demonstrated talents.
7. Tom Felton As Angel
Originally Portrayed Draco Malfoy
As well as a proven track record of pulling off an American accent, Felton also has experience in comic book productions with his role as Julian Albert in The Flash. The haughty Draco Malfoy came to define his career, but despite ostensibly portraying a villain, he proved his ability to convey a more empathetic facet to his character that would translate well to Warren Worthington III, even when putting aside the physical similarities. Like Psylocke, Angel has appeared in Fox’s X-Men franchise, but an older version of the character could be capably portrayed by Felton in the MCU.
6. Gary Oldman as Norman Osborne
Originally Portrayed Sirius Black
Gary Oldman’s versatility as an actor would make him well-placed to play many roles in the MCU – which precisely makes him perfect for embodying the role of Norman Osborne aka Green Goblin. The dichotomy between his public and villainous face is something that Oldman could pull off with relish. Though Willem Dafoe’s rendition of Norman Osborne is iconic, the MCU’s version of Green Goblin has become so anticipated that it feels befitting for nothing short of Hollywood royalty.
Oldman’s tenure as Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy (as well as several larger-than-life roles besides) proves he is not averse to bolstering his career with comic book movie roles. Norman Osborne, meanwhile, is an MCU role that carries enough gravitas to warrant the kind of investment that would make his time as the Spider-Man nemesis as iconic as that of Dafoe. Promisingly, Oldman has recently expressed an interest in joining the MCU, despite initially decrying its “stupid” logic.
5. Helena Bonham Carter as Selene
Originally Portrayed Bellatrix Lestrange
A Marvel villain with the moniker “Black Priestess” feels befitting enough for the actor who portrayed the villainous Bellatrix Lestrange, but the functionally immortal mutant with the ability to absorb human life is tantamount to a goddess, a role that Carter’s commanding presence could easily embody. As conveyed by the likes of Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, Marvel’s most powerful gods are typically reserved for legendary actors, for which Carter fits the bill. As for her penchant for enthralling Gothic characters, Selene is the perfect match.
Selene Gallio has an extensive, millennia-spanning history as a mystical Marvel villain, with a brief stint as a bona fide goddess. She is an External, which are a small subspecies of mutants that count Apocalypse among them – though Selene is the oldest at 17,000 years. The fact that she often goes toe-to-toe with the X-Men is a promising sign for Selene’s MCU future, given the X-Men are en route.
4. Ralph Fiennes as Annihilus
Originally Portrayed Lord Voldemort
Like many Harry Potter stars, Ralph Fiennes has an acting repertoire that would make him well-suited for many MCU roles. The similarities between Voldemort and Annihilus, however, are hard to ignore, including the megalomania of both characters. For his part, Fiennes could lean into Annihilus’ nihilistic persona, bringing much-needed depth to a character that is long overdue for a big-screen debut.
3. Jason Isaacs as Mister Sinister
Originally Portrayed Lucius Malfoy
Given that Mister Sinister is among Marvel’s most iconic villains, his eventual arrival in the MCU is all but assured. His arrival, therefore, should be handed a suitable measure of gravitas. Jason Isaacs’ portrayal of Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter exudes a cold, calculated persona that would work perfectly for a big-screen adaptation of Nathanial Essex. Isaacs has a long-established reputation for playing nuanced villains, and the long-awaited Mister Sinister would be a respectable role to add to his repertoire.
2. Domhnall Gleeson As Banshee
Originally Portrayed Bill Weasley
Banshee is an Irish X-Man with a mop of red hair and a measure of wisdom that comes with his typically advanced age over the rest of his mutant cohort. Depending on the stage of life that Banshee is depicted in the MCU’s X-Men movies, the character could feasibly be played by 40-year-old Domhnall Gleeson, or his 68-year-old father, Brendan Gleeson, who depicted Mad-Eye Moody in the Harry Potter franchise. Domhnall Gleeson’s tenure as Bill Weasley, the eldest and most wizened of the Weasley children, is evidence of his ability to portray a similar character in Sean Cassidy.
1. Harry Melling As Legion
Originally Portrayed Dudley Dursley
From Harry Potter’s spoiled cousin Dudley to Edgar Allan Poe, Harry Melling is lauded as an actor of extremes – a virtue that is all too fitting for the multifaceted Legion. Legion is one of Marvel’s most powerful Omega-level mutants, with a dissociative personality disorder that manifests new powers with each identity. This trait has seen Legion forging realities and felling Elder Gods as his countless forms take hold and unleash the most versatile power set in Marvel Comics. Suffice it to say, Legion is an exceptionally complex soul whom Melling is perfectly suited to play in the MCU.
