The conclusion of phases 3 and 4 at the Marvel Cinematic Universe saw a great departure of actors from the studios. Primarily, certain superheroes met the end of their life and the actors playing the character had to depart.
However, certain actors remained in the MCU even after death in the earlier phases and entering phase 5 which includes Loki played by Tom Hiddleston as he got his solo series at Disney Plus which recently launched the second season of the show. Now, here’s a list of 3 actors who left the MCU and 3 who stayed.
Robert Downey Jr’s Departure
Robert Downey Jr played the Iron Man more than a decade since his first appearance in the title role of the titular character in 2008. Apart from his Iron Man trilogy and ensembled movies, the actor had several cameos in several movies in the MCU. However, Iron Man sacrificed himself to beat Thanos and save the world in Avengers: Endgame. It was tragic to see the end of the character but it was also time for Downey Jr for his MCU departure.
Chris Evans- Retired From MCU
Chris Evans joined the MCU in 2011 with Captain America: The First Avenger. He played the titular character in another two movies of his own franchise and continued to play the character in three Avengers movies and a few cameos. Steve Rogers was shown old and he decided to retire in the Avengers: Endgame. Of course, he passed his legacy and the shield to Anthony Mackie to make him the new Captain America. Endgame was the last MCU movie Evans appeared in.
Scarlett Johansson Left MCU
Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow also met the same fate as Iron Man in the Endgame. However, she got her long-awaited solo movie Black Widow before her departure from the MCU. Making her MCU debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2, Black Widow has appeared in several movies in the studio.
Also read: Marvel’s Misfires: Exploring the 10 Worst Marvel Movies Beyond the MCU
Samuel L. Jackson Stayed
Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is one of the integral parts of the MCU to form the very structure of the timeline. “I’m sort of the glue that holds all these guys together,” Jackson told AV Club. “I got them into the organization, into S.H.I.E.L.D., and every now and then I show up to remind them that S.H.I.E.L.D. has a purpose. It’s been a good job. It was a nine-picture deal. I did it. It was good,” he added. Reportedly, Jackson made a deal with the studio to play the character in any movies or shows. He appeared in several MCU movies and a few shows including his solo ride Secret Invasion.
Chris Hemsworth Is Not Done Yet
Chris Hemsworth played God of Thunder for over a decade now. He appeared in four Thor movies and three Avengers. Following Endgame, Hemsworth appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder and the character is expected to return in the Multiverse Saga’s crossover events Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Thor may have more solo adventures as well.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Continued
Spider-Man is a huge hit and it is very unlikely that MCU will let go of Tom Holland anytime soon. Holland as Spider-Man made his MCU debut in the 2016 movie Captain America: Civil War and in a short span of time Holland got three solo movies to his name while being an integral part of the 3rd Avenger movie. He’s not done yet, Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal earlier revealed that a fourth Spider-Man film starring Holland and Zendaya is in the works.
