Galactus Actor Ralph Ineson Is Already In The MCU (But Blink And You'll Miss Him)
"The Witch" and "The Green Knight" star Ralph Ineson is known for playing imposing, sometimes otherworldly figures (also: a love-to-hate-him character in the UK version of "The Office"), so it's only natural that he'll be playing a supervillain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. News broke yesterday that Ineson has been cast as Galactus, the planet-eating god figure whom Jack Kirby and Stan Lee first introduced during a Fantastic Four run in the '60s. Galactus appeared in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" in 2007, but this time around, the character will return to a much more interconnected Marvel world beginning with Phase Six kickoff "The Fantastic Four."
Ineson may have just nabbed a major role in the long-running superhero franchise (we're hoping he'll fill the overarching villain void left by Jonathan Majors, though that's just speculation), but this actually isn't the first time he's appeared in an MCU film. A full decade ago, Ineson popped up briefly in "Guardians of the Galaxy," playing a Ravager pilot. A member of the crew of crooks captained by Michael Rooker's Yondu, the Ravager pilot appears in a couple scenes of the movie, but is definitely more of a background actor than a supporting character.
Honestly, on first glance, the Ravager Pilot appearance looks like it could be one of those or persistent internet myths, fake "fun facts," or confusing misidentifications, like when Mark Hamill was thought to be in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" Christmas special. The guy in the background of the most popularly circulated group shot of the Ravagers sort of looks like Ralph Ineson, but he's not instantly recognizable. Hell, a Daily Mail article from the time of the movie's filming seems to include a photo of him sitting in a chair on set that's simply captioned "an actor."
Ralph Ineson joins the Actors In Two Different Marvel Movies Club
Luckily, though, Ineson's presence in the movie is easily confirmable: he appears in the film's end credits, under the appropriately titled name "Ravager Pilot." With his recent casting as Galactus, Ineson joins a surprisingly large group of actors who have appeared in two different Marvel properties, including several from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy. Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Byron Davis, Linda Cardellini, and Dee Bradley Baker are among the performers who have appeared in a "Guardians" film along with another Marvel movie.
Ineson may not have gotten to show off his acting chops much in "Guardians of the Galaxy," but he's an incredible performer. Marvel fans hoping to familiarize themselves with his work ahead of "The Fantastic Four" should check out Robert Eggers' stunning feature directorial debut "The Witch," in which he plays the Puritan dad of a girl who's drawn into the world of witchcraft. He also appears in Eggers' brutal Viking film "The Northman," plays the titular mythic figure in "The Green Knight," and has had roles in both "Harry Potter' (as Death Eater Amycus) and "Star Wars" (as Ansiv Garmuth, a character who was mostly cut from "The Last Jedi"). Ironically, one of his most famous roles to date was in "Game of Thrones," where he also played a roaming criminal — this time called a reaver rather than a ravager.
Ineson will make his debut as Galactus in "The Fantastic Four," which hits theaters on July 25, 2025.