We’re currently living in a Golden Age of superhero movies. As such, it’s only natural that nearly every Tom, Dick, and Harry in Hollywood is vying for a role in the latest Marvel or DC blockbuster. However, while some are lucky enough to land leading roles, others are forced to make do with minor cameo appearances, lest they not appear in the film at all.
Some of them are obvious, but others require an incredibly sharp eye to spot. If that’s something you lack, then perhaps you’ll appreciate this list of 10 cameos you might have missed in popular superhero movies:
Ed Brubaker – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Not only was Ed Brubaker the writer of the comic book storyline with which Captain America: The Winter Soldier shares its namesake but he also had the opportunity to appear in the film. Although he’s only credited as “Scientist #2,” Brubaker can be seen, clear as day, as one of Alexander Pierce’s henchman, who aids in brainwashing Bucky to quite literally bring his creation to life.
Michael Rosenbaum – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Most fans remember Michael Rosenbaum as the fresh-faced Lex Luthor on the long-running CW series Smallville. However, the former frenemy of Tom Welling’s Clark Kent is virtually unrecognizable in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where he plays the crystal faced original Guardian Martinex. Of course, it’s easy to see how this one may have slipped by most moviegoers, but once you realize it’s actually him, it’s sort of hard to unsee.
J. Michael Straczynski – Thor
J. Michael Straczynski is the writer responsible for bringing the God of Thunder back to prominence after a near-three-year hiatus following the fulfillment of the Ragnarok cycle and the subsequent destruction of Asgard. That being said, including him in the first Thor film makes perfect sense. Straczynski plays one of the men attempting to lift Mjolnir after it crashes in a New Mexico desert, and what makes this even more fitting is that it mirrors a similar moment from Straczynski’s Thor run.
Nathan Fillion – Guardians of the Galaxy
Being a close friend of director James Gunn, Firefly alum Nathan Fillion has always been closely related to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. However, despite having his cameo in Vol. 2 cut, Fillion still managed to make it into the original by voicing the monstrous blue alien inmate who attempts to claim Star-Lord as his property. Unfortunately, his efforts were rewarded with a noseful of tree branches, courtesy of Groot.
Seth Green – Guardians of the Galaxy/GotG Vol. 2
With Guardians of the Galaxy being a Marvel movie, most fans were aware that they should stay after the credits. Those who did were rewarded with the first big-screen appearance of Howard the Duck since his failed 1986 solo outing. If you thought Howard’s voice sounded familiar, that’s because it’s the voice of Seth Green, who also voices Chris Griffin on Family Guy and pretty much everyone on Robot Chicken. Green also went on to voice Howard in GotG Vol. 2, much to the delight of fans.
Joe Russo – Captain America: The Winter Soldier/CA: Civil War
In addition to securing a cameo for Ed Brubaker in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, co-director Joe Russo also secured one for himself. He plays the man tending to Black Widow’s gunshot wound following an encounter with the Winter Soldier. Then, in Civil War, Russo had a cameo as the dead man in the bathtub of Baron Zemo’s hotel room – admittedly, a far less glorious role.
Peter Billingsley – Iron Man
Remember in Iron Man 3, when Tony Stark tells the little boy with glasses in the restaurant that he loved him in A Christmas Story? Well, perhaps that was a bit of meta-commentary harkening all the way back to the first Iron Man. Peter Billingsley, who’s most famous for playing Ralphie in A Christmas Story, had a small role in Iron Man as William Ginter Riva – one of the scientists Obadiah Stane tasks with replicating Tony’s arc reactor technology.
Zack Snyder – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, Justice League.
Despite his polarizing nature, many still consider Zack Snyder to be the father of the DC Extended Universe, as he’s directed, written, produced and even appeared in the films. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, when Bruce Wayne picks up his cell phone at the fight club, those are actually Snyder’s hands. In Wonder Woman, Snyder cameos as a scrappy World War I soldier. Then, in Justice League, Snyder was supposed to appear as someone sitting at an outdoor café, but he’s uncredited, meaning it very well may have been cut.
Marc McClure – Justice League
Aside from Lois Lane, no character is more important to the Man of Steel mythos than Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen. In fact, he’s so important that the actor who played him in Superman: The Movie was brought back to make an appearance in Justice League. This time, he wasn’t Jimmy but rather one of the police officers who witnesses Superman’s fight against his teammates at Hero’s Park following his resurrection.
Patrick Wilson – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Patrick Wilson played Nite-Owl in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, and he’s also playing Ocean Master in the upcoming Aquaman movie. However, those aren’t the only roles he’s landed in a Warner Bros. superhero movie. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wilson provides the voice for the President of the United States, who orders a nuclear strike on Superman and Doomsday.
What about you? What other cameos did you spot in popular superhero movies? Let us know in the comments section!