Top 10 Sitcom Stars You Forgot Were in the MCU
#10: Yvette Nicole Brown “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
Imagine being in one of the highest-grossing films of all time and not even knowing it. Well, that’s exactly what happened to this actress. When the former “Community” star filmed her scene back in 2017, she thought it would appear in “Infinity War”. But when it didn’t, she assumed it had been cut. Brown, who you might also recognize as Helen, from “Drake & Josh”, among numerous other credits, was cast as S.H.I.E.L.D agent Phyllis Jenkins. You can imagine her surprise when she watched “Endgame” in the theater and there she was, sharing an elevator with Captain America and Iron Man.
#9: Randall Park “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (2018) & “WandaVision” (2021)
You might recognize this actor and comedian as the Huang family’s patriarch in “Fresh Off the Boat.” But in the Marvel Universe, he’s known as FBI agent Jimmy Woo. Agent Woo goes to comical measures to ensure that Scott Lang — or, Ant-Man — doesn’t violate the terms of his house arrest. Although Park thought this would be a one-time gig, he shows up again in “WandaVision”, creating a new dream team with Dr. Darcy. Between his two appearances, it seems like this agent was pretty busy brushing up on his card tricks. With “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” set for a 2023 release, we hope we’ll be seeing him again.
#8: Kat Dennings “Thor” (2011) & “Thor: The Dark World” (2013) & “WandaVision” (2021)
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Dennings has been on the comedy show circuit since the early ‘00s. However, her big break came when she was cast as Max Black in the sitcom “2 Broke Girls”. Shortly after, she was also inducted into the Marvel Universe in “Thor,” as Jane Foster’s assistant, Darcy Lewis. But the biggest surprise was when we caught up with the now Dr. Lewis in “WandaVision” eight years later. Apparently, Dennings was also quite surprised when she was asked back, as she hadn’t realized that a re-appearance had been included in her contract. Well, at least she had plenty of sitcom experience to draw upon. And turns out, we’ll even see her again in future MCU projects!
#7: Chris O’Dowd “Thor: The Dark World” (2013)
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If you forgot that this actor appeared in the MCU, don’t worry... because so did he. In the “Thor” sequel, he plays Jane’s date, Richard Madison. Their date gets cut short when Jane, played by Natalie Portman, gets called away. So where might you have seen this actor before? Well, prior to crossing the Atlantic, he starred in sitcoms like “The IT Crowd” as Roy Trenneman, and “Moone Boy” — which he wrote and starred in — as Seán Caution Murphy. Since Portman is slated to return to the Marvel Universe, perhaps we’ll also meet Richard again. Maybe this time he’ll find his appearance a tad more memorable.
#6: Cobie Smulders Various
This Vancouver-native got her big break playing Robin Scherbatsky in “How I Met Your Mother”. While playing the former teen pop-star-turned-broadcaster, she was also cast as Nick Fury’s right-hand woman, Agent Maria Hill. Although we can’t really picture Maria donning a denim jacket and belting out some Robin Sparkles, there are certainly some other similarities between the two. We’re looking at you, Night Falcon. We first met the agent-turned-commander in “The Avengers” back in 2012 and she’s continued to reprise the role ever since. There’s still a lot of open possibilities for this character, so we hope we’ll be seeing her again.
#5: Donald Glover “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)
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A while back, “Community” fans campaigned to get Mr. Troy Barnes into the iconic Spider-Man suit. And he didn’t seem too opposed to the idea either. Luckily, an MCU opportunity came a-knockin’ thanks to the Russo Brothers, who were formerly executive producers and directors on “Community.” It’s almost like they’ve made it their mission to ensure that each MCU movie includes at least one “Community” cameo! (Yep, more coming up!) Glover was cast as petty criminal Aaron Davis, a.k.a Prowler, who gets caught up in a sticky web. He also voiced Miles Morales in the animated series “Ultimate-Spiderman'. Interestingly, his characters are uncle and nephew.
#4: Danny Pudi “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)
No waiting around, another “Community” alum makes our list. Fans of the sitcom will know Pudi as Abed Nadir, but in the Marvel Universe, he goes by Moore. The actor plays a S.H.I.E.L.D communications officer who unexpectedly comes face to face with Captain America, the Falcon, and Maria Hill. Pudi shared that he got a call from Joe Russo with very little information other than where and when he was needed. It wasn’t until he got there, and was given his lines, that it all became clear. Needless to say, that’s not how he was expecting to spend his July 4th weekend.
#3: Garrett Morris “Ant-Man” (2015)
Back in the ‘70s, this “SNL” alum played Ant-Man in a sketch called “Superhero Party,” the first actor to play a live-action version of the character. Since then, Morris has appeared in several sitcoms. You probably best recognize him as Earl from “2 Broke Girls”. Well, “Ant-Man” director Peyton Reed remembered the “SNL” sketch and thought it would be a great idea for Morris to make a cameo in the movie. Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, but Morris plays the driver of the cab that Scott Lang lands on in his first adventure with the stolen Ant-Man outfit. Isn’t it rather satisfying when things come full circle?
#2: Ty Burrell “The Incredible Hulk” (2008)
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Before Disney owned the MCU, or “Modern Family” ever hit our screens, Ty Burrell played Bruce Banner’s friend and confidant, Dr. Leonard Samson. His character was a psychotherapist, who started out butting heads with Banner before the pair became friends. He was also a rival love interest after the affections of Betty Ross. Back then, Burrell wasn’t known for his comedic talents, all that was still up ahead. It’s a shame that Samson’s story was left up in the air. But since Disney is yet to give The Hulk his own movie or series, perhaps there’s hope that they could finally continue the story.
#1: Ken Jeong “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
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Did you know this hilarious star, also known as Señor Ben Chang to “Community” fans, made a cameo in “Endgame?” It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-moment. He plays the security guard who unknowingly becomes a witness to Ant-Man’s return before freeing him from the locked parking lot. He doesn’t even have any dialogue, but we know that Ken Jeong is talented enough to leave his mark without uttering a single word. His cameo also contains an Easter egg, as he’s seen reading a collection of J.G. Ballard short stories called “Terminal Breach”, which includes one called “Endgame”. His appearance, however brief, was certainly a Marvel-ous surprise for us all.