Kevin Pantoja is a writer and editor at Screen Rant based in New York City, where he brings deep expertise in blockbuster franchises ranging from Harry Potter and Spider‑Man to Succession and the MCU. A passionate storyteller with a creative writing degree (Valedictorian, Full Sail University), Kevin blends entertainment news, feature essays, and pop‑culture commentary into engaging, audience-first content
As the highest-grossing film franchise in history, there's a lot to praise when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From major action sequences to beloved characters to some stunning visual effects, so many aspects of the MCU have worked. Yet, the thing that they may have gotten right above all else is their casting. Since day one, the MCU has mostly nailed it when it comes to casting quality actors who all mesh incredibly well together. That's a difficult thing to pull off, especially so many years into a franchise.
The TV shows have great supporting performances from Sophia Di Martino and Owen Wilson to Deborah Ann Woll and Kat Dennings. However, we're just looking at movies here, with scene stealers who even received awards and acclaim for their work.
10
Chukwudi Iwuji (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3)
When it comes to the best supporting performances in the MCU, many are from the antagonists. They might not be the star of any film but they're incredibly important and also often allow actors to showcase their versatility. Chukwudi Iwuji got to do just that in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as the High Evolutionary.
The interesting thing about this character is that he's not some layered villain. He's just a man who is basically pure evil and is easily hatable. It takes a strong performance to make that work, which is what Iwuji did. Each time he's on screen, he's unhinged and you want to see him lose badly.
9
Michael Rooker (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
In the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, Yondu was kind of just there. He got much more to do in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and kind of steals the show. Michael Rooker was up for the expanded role, stepping up as a man who ends up getting an unexpected redemption arc.
The scenes where he bonds with Rocket, who he sees similarities in, are touching but the real kicker is when he shows how much of a father figure he was to Peter. His sacrifice near the end of the film is one of the more emotional scenes in the trilogy, mostly because of Rooker's performance.
8
Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
When it was announced that the Vulture would be the villain in the MCU's first Spider-Man film, there was disappointment and concern. Adrian Toomes in the comics isn't exactly a top-tier antagonist for Spidey. However, Michael Keaton and the folks at the MCU made sure Toomes would be great.
He's pretty intimidating and the scenes he shares with Tom Holland are fantastic. Keaton also plays the concerned father role well, which allows him to be a villain whom the audience can understand. The end result is Keaton's best performance in a superhero movie, which is saying something given his history.
7
Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
People love what Willem Dafoe did as a campy villain in 2002's Spider-Man. Yet that was nothing compared to what he brought to the table when he returned in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While everyone who came back delivered solid work, Dafoe stood out.
Watching him go from being scared of what the Green Goblin does to him to becoming the full-on rival of Peter is masterful. As soon as the Spidey Sense catches him, he's on another level. From laughing as Peter punches him to killing Aunt May to his final sadness after he's cured, Dafoe is better than ever.
6
Jeff Goldblum (Thor: Ragnarok)
One of the reasons that Thor: Ragnarok is widely considered the best entry in Thor's trilogy is the way it uses comedy. It isn't overdone and it plays to the strength of its cast and director.
In that cast is Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster. When Thor and Loki show up on his planet, he's hilarious in every scene. There's an incredible charisma to everything he does, from "pardoning" his cousin to the way he randomly trails off while talking, Goldblum brings his charm to the role and it works so well.
5
Elizabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness)
It's hard to consider Wanda Maximoff a supporting character since she's been a key part of the MCU for a long time. But while she led her own series, WandaVision, she's been a supporting part of her movie roles. The best of these came in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
After the events of WandaVision, a combination of grief and the Darkhold turned her into a villain and the Scarlet Witch was terrifying. The calm demeanor she uses to threaten everyone because she knows she's more powerful is chilling. Elizabeth Olsen's performance is perfect and she ended up as one of the franchise's greatest villains.
While it was nice to see Scarlet Johansson finally lead an MCU film, Pugh was the breakout star. She delivered everything you could want in a new character. She was funny, she nailed the emotional scenes as she confronted her mother figure, and she fit right in with the established characters. Her journey is brilliant to watch and Pugh is easily one of the franchise's best overall actors.
3
Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther)
As great as Chadwick Boseman was as T'Challa, the real star of Black Panther seemed to be Michael B. Jordan. He's the one everyone was talking about after seeing the movie because his performance was top-notch and the character was engaging.
Jordan played Killmonger, a mercenary who enters Wakanda and reveals that he's T'Challa's cousin, who wants the throne to use Wakanda's weapons to liberate Black people around the world. Jordan's talent is evident throughout, especially when he delivers his final line before death.
2
Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
Andrew Garfield is a fantastic actor, yet he's often the least favorite movie Peter Parker of fans. That's less a mark against him and more a testament to how beloved Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire are in the role.
However, Garfield stood out from the other two in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He gets to deliver some of the film's most memorable lines, pokes fun at his own past as the character, and eventually gets redemption as he tearfully saves MJ from the fate he couldn't save Gwen from in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
1
Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
There really couldn't be another choice for the best supporting performance in the MCU. Angela Bassett had a tall task in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as she had to play Queen Ramonda in a tough spot. With her son and father gone, she had to step up as the leader of Wakanda.
Bassett shines in every scene, including her powerful sequence in court, the intense meeting with Namor, and her own eventual demise. Her delivery of "I'm queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone! Have I not given everything?" hits incredibly hard and helped land her an Oscar nomination, becoming the first person to earn one for acting in the MCU.
Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
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