10 Worst Cameos In Marvel Movies & TV Shows

Marvel Studios ruled the cinematic landscape from 2008 until around 2019, thanks in no small part to the novelty of its shared universe, a concept every film studio tried and failed to mimic. Beginning with Jon Favreau's "Iron Man," the Marvel Cinematic Universe successfully propelled popular heroes and villains to the big screen, culminating with enormous blockbuster events in the form of "Avengers" movies, not to mention standout hits like Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" and Jon Watts' "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

More impressively, the MCU made frequent use of the ultimate gimmick: cameos, often arising during mid-credit scenes, which usually introduced or teased new characters like Thanos (Josh Brolin) and the Collector (Benicio del Toro), who would often go on to play vital roles in later pictures. In fact, one could argue the MCU took off due to Samuel L. Jackson's surprising appearance as Nick Fury in "Iron Man."

Sometimes, the cameos surface in the middle of a movie, such as in Charlie Cox's not-so-crowd-pleasing appearance as Matt Murdock in "No Way Home." At any rate, these well-placed moments expanded the universe, moved the narrative forward, or, at the very least, teased greater things to come.

Alas, not all of them worked. A surprising amount of MCU cameos fell flat, particularly in films following "Avengers: Endgame," sometimes promising unique new storylines that haven't paid off. Here are the 10 worst examples of pointless MCU cameos, ranked in no particular order.  

Kate Mara had already made a name for herself in TV shows such as "24," "Nip/Tuck," and "Jack & Bobby" before landing a meaty co-starring gig in the Mark Wahlberg action flick "Shooter." So, it was a little strange to see her pop up in 2010's "Iron Man 2" for all of a minute and then vanish from the film entirely. Granted, "House of Cards," the project that really put her on the map, was still a few years off, but she was at least recognizable enough to confuse audience members who recognized her lovely face.

Instead, director Jon Favreau introduces Mara's character, a sexy, tough-talking U.S Marshal who serves Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) a subpoena to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee the following morning and then completely dumps her a second later. That's a bummer, because for her limited screen time, Mara plays her role well and deserves to pop up again in some form or another later on down the road, either in "Iron Man 3" or another Marvel project.

Ironically, the actress starred as Sue Storm in Josh Trank's "Fantastic Four" disaster, perhaps setting up a future multi-verse crossover cameo.

Many things about "Thor: The Dark World" don't make sense, notably its confusing story, inconsistent tone, and lackluster action scenes. Still, an element that never made much sense was Chris O'Dowd's pointless cameo. The Irish actor/comedian makes a very brief appearance as Richard, Jane Foster's (Natalie Portman) date, in the opening minutes of the sequel. Not much happens. He asks why she's so distracted and shares uninteresting details about his life. Then, Darcy (Kat Dennings) appears and drags Jane away.

So, what exactly was the reason for O'Dowd's casting? Bear in mind, this role occurred two years after he broke out in a big way in the box office hit "Bridesmaids," to say nothing of his appearance in the comedy "This is 40" and the popular television series "The IT Crowd" (one of the best shows on BritBox) Even if it was meant to be an inconsequential cameo, at least give the guy something to do, and let him flex his comedic muscles or add something unique to the plot. Chances are, you likely forgot he was in this friggin' movie. After all, even O'Dowd forgot.  

It's doubtful anyone looks at "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" as a comedy. Compared to most Marvel releases, the Anthony/Joe Russo-directed epic wastes little time on gags and sharp one-liners and focuses more on intense action and a sharp plot revolving around a conspiracy deep inside the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. As such, the random cameo by Danny Pudi, a well-known star of the beloved TV series "Community," wound up feeling more distracting than cool. Mainly, it occurs during an intense third act when the drama peaks. For all of its cinematic perfection, this felt like a misstep for the otherwise excellent film.

For those unaware, the Russos directed several episodes of "Community," so it makes sense for them to give a shout-out to their old chums on the big screen. No harm in that. Several of the "Community" cast enjoyed bit parts in everything from "Captain America: Civil War" to "Spider-Man: Homecoming." But there's a time and a place for such antics, and this moment in "The Winter Soldier" wasn't it. Unless, of course, a certain fan theory proves to be true.

Here's the thing: David Hasselhoff (the original Nick Fury) was an absolute stud in the 1980s and 1990s, thanks to roles in iconic TV shows "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch." By the mid-2000s, everything from "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" to the comedy film "Dodgeball" jumped at the chance to poke fun at the star, and Hasselhoff ate it up, often portraying a larger-than-life iteration of himself or his past characters to significant comedic effect (see "Piranha 3DD" for a great example). While these minor goofs were fun in spades, the joke was no longer fresh when "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" hit theaters in 2017.

At best, the scene in which Kurt Russell's Ego transforms into Hasselhoff to connect with his son Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) induces a few laughs; at worst, it undermines the drama. For us, it was the latter. Leave it to James Gunn (and Marvel in general) to toss a cheap comedic beat into a pivotal exchange between two characters, nearly destroying the carefully constructed tension. Simply put, Hasselhoff isn't necessary, and the bit amounts to a tired gag that should have been tossed in the ocean long ago.

Years from now, Megan Thee Stallion's cameo in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" might be remembered as the moment the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly collapsed. What began as a rip-roaring action franchise devolved into a directionless sprawl of disconnected films and TV shows. "She-Hulk," the infamous Disney+ series, is a prime example of said disconnect, an intriguing concept undermined by its own curious agenda. Remember that this ridiculous comedy, replete with a brazen, don't-give-a-f *** attitude and overall disregard for the larger franchise, exists in the same universe as "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," though one could argue it did a good job pointing out problems within the MCU and actually satirizes presumed "She-Hulk" critics within the show itself.

Anyway, the nonsense peaked when the showrunners enlisted popular rap artist Megan Thee Stallion to twerk with our big green gal, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany). While harmless in execution and perfectly in line with the series' goofy tone, the dance number was also a shocking gut punch and a visual affirmation of how far the MCU had fallen since its heyday less than three years prior. Who needs Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk, and Thor saving the universe when we can watch She-Hulk shaking her booty with Megan Thee Stallion? We're only a few years removed from the bit, and the gag already feels more dated than the Harlem Shake.

If the Megan Thee Stallion gag wasn't enough to make you roll your eyes over Marvel's disastrous "She-Hulk," stick around for a few more episodes to see how the showrunners desecrate "Daredevil" actor Charlie Cox. In episode 8, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen arrives in a brand new suit and participates in an admittedly well-staged fight sequence with our green star. Earlier, the duo engaged in legal banter in court before rendezvousing for a one-on-one chat at Jennifer's favorite bar. Following their meet-cute, our heroes collide atop a parking garage, cause a fair amount of damage, eventually team up to take down a target, and then rush home for some late-night lovin'. 

None of this is terrible. Of course, the show can't allow Charlie Cox to escape with his dignity. Cut to the next morning, and we see Daredevil walking in broad daylight without his shoes or gloves — it's the dreaded "walk of shame," you see? Considering this was our first glimpse of Matt Murdock in the MCU (outside of that random cameo in "Spider-Man: No Way Home"), this was the wrong way to combine Netflix's darker, street-level heroes with the tried-and-true Marvel template. Ultimately, Cox's appearance reeks of desperation, a gimmicky cameo that adds nothing to "She-Hulk" and wastes a popular character on a lame joke. Are we supposed to take any of this seriously? Thankfully, "Daredevil: Born Again" ignored this odd subplot.

Taika Waititi made a splash with "Thor: Ragnarok," an action-packed, often hilarious adventure that perfectly utilized Chris Hemsworth's natural charisma and athleticism, and it only made sense for the acclaimed writer/director to return for the follow-up, "Thor: Love & Thunder." Unfortunately, things weren't as smooth on the second go-round.

Rather than dive deeper into the Thor mythos, Waititi mostly doubles down on everything that worked in "Ragnarok," but he goes too far and spirals out of control. The comedy is more obnoxious, the action less thrilling, and the abundance of ridiculous side characters adds nothing substantial to the narrative. A summation of "Love & Thunder" is Russell Crowe's cameo. Yeah, Russell freaking Crowe is in this movie as Zeus, and the Academy Award-winning actor is completely wasted in the role — even if he looks like he's having the time of his life. The man took the time to film each scene with different accents, so no one can fault his dedication.

Now, the performance checks out. The entire plot of "Love & Thunder" revolves around ancient gods no longer interested in assisting the lower tiers of civilization. Crowe does his best with the material, but his cameo is primarily played for laughs, wasting the actor's talent on a thankless role that will likely amount to nothing in the current, increasingly disjointed MCU.

Another example of Taika Waititi's creativity crashing and burning in "Thor: Love & Thunder" arrives during an Asgardian play meant to recap the events of "Ragnarok." That film pulled off the bit brilliantly, enlisting Matt Damon, Luke Hemsworth, and Sam Neill for side-splitting results. Round two, however, plays like a lazy retread.

Once again trotting out Damon, Hemsworth's brother Luke, and Neill, the play finds our trio reenacting a dramatic scene from the previous film in front of a captivated crowd. They try hard — even resorting to cheap special effects for a costume change — but silly accents and cheesy production values doth not a comedy make. When Melissa McCarthy pops up as Hela, her comedic skills can't keep the secondhand embarrassment goes off the charts.

Like a Super Bowl halftime ad, "Love & Thunder" seems to think a celebrity cameo equals comedy gold and negates the need for an actual punchline. It feels like a movie made by people who loathe the genre — who think it's inherently funny that someone like Matt Damon would stoop to appear in a Marvel flick. As if!

Ever since "Avengers: Endgame," Marvel has tried to establish new heroes and villains around whom to base their never-ending saga. Most of these characters appear in mid-credits sequences and, unsurprisingly, vanish from existence, reinforcing the concept that the MCU is one giant TV series that tosses ideas to the audience, hoping to find something that sticks.

Chalk Harry Styles' Starfox, aka Eros, up as another swing and miss. The brother of Thanos made his debut at the end of the colossal dud "Eternals" and vaguely teased another adventure with Thena (Angelina Jolie), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) that probably won't happen, given the film performing below expectations at the box office, though not as bad as people might think. As much as we enjoyed Styles in Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk," the prospect of the singer/songwriter zipping around the galaxy dressed like a mid-tier extra in a Flash Gordon flick doesn't exactly rank high on our list of must-see events. Much like Michael Mando's Scorpion, Charlize Theron's Clea, Brett Goldstein's Hercules, and all those variants of Jonathon Majors' Kang, Styles' cameo lands on the pile of discarded ideas (at least for now).

Finally, who could forget the colossal waste of time known as The Illuminati? Marvel, fresh off the massive hit "Spider-Man: No Way Home," tried to spice up Sam Raimi's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" with a plethora of cameos that served little purpose other than to entice fans to overreact on opening weekend. Thus we get Sir Patrick Stewart, Hayley Atwell, and John Krasinski reciting lines in front of poorly rendered green screen effects, halting the film's momentum, only to die seconds later so the story can continue.

No, really. Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) snaps Professor X's neck, cuts Captain Carter (Atwell) in half, and literally unravels Reed Richards (Krasinski, who, oddly enough, doesn't reprise the role in "Fantastic Four: First Steps"). She also makes mincemeat of Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch) and Black Bolt (Anson Mount). Again, this feels like Marvel tossing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks. Do you like Atwell's Captain Carter? Cool, she might be back in later films... and she's dead.

Dear Marvel, please choose a path and see it through. At this point, you'll end up bringing back Robert Downey, Jr. to get butts in seats without thinking about how such a decision would undermine Tony Stark's noble sacrifice. Oh, wait...