5 Marvel Characters We'd Love To See Matthew McConaughey Play
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has plenty of Academy Award-winning actors on their payroll — from Angelina Jolie (Thena) to Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), and Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), among others. The film franchise continually grows and brings new comic book characters to life each time.
Recently, joining a comic book film universe has been somewhat controversial. But it shouldn't be. From Timothée Chalamet to Emily Blunt, many A-list actors have shared their aversion towards participating in superhero movies, whatever the project may be. While certain movie stars want nothing to do with superhero films, others are opening up about their desire to suit up for the MCU — because it is, after all, one of the most successful media franchises in the world right now.
Actors Keanu Reeves and Jessica Chastain have been vocal about entering the MCU for quite some time, should an opportunity present itself. Another actor who previously conveyed his wishes to join the comic book film universe is Matthew McConaughey, who has read scripts from DC and Marvel Studios. Still, nothing has worked out for the entertainer yet. The Oscar winner is one of Hollywood's biggest names, and with over 50 films under his belt, he could embody any comic book character in a heartbeat.
All right, all right, all right, here are five Marvel characters we'd love to see Matthew McConaughey take on!
Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)
Matthew McConaughey was previously approached for the role of the celestial Ego, the father of Star-Lord/ Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), but he turned it down to star in "The Dark Tower." The part eventually went to Kurt Russell, who portrayed the character in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Where James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise is concerned, the filmmaker has repeatedly mentioned that the third film is a conclusion to the original iteration of the team.
A new film could open the door for a few new members — and it helps that Gunn has already teased this particular character's arrival!
Quasar or Wendell Vaughn is a significant comic book character. As a being of pure quantum energy, Quasar can shape his "body" into any shape he desires, as well as explosively disperse his form. He is also gifted with the power of energy manipulation.
Wendell Vaughn is the most well-known version of Quasar (in the comics, multiple characters take on his mantle) and is a SHIELD agent who likes to use melee weapons. He is skilled in martial arts and has a direct connection to the Quantum Realm through his Quantum Bands. The Quantum realm was explored in "Avengers: Endgame" and will continue to be probed in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." It is only reasonable that the superhero with the closest connection to it appears on the silver screen! And who better than McConaughey to bring him to life?
Charles Barton/Trickshot
"Hawkeye" has left me feeling things for Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton, so much so that I'd love to see more superheroes-without-powers taking center stage in the MCU.
Trickshot — also known as Charles Barton (Barney), is Clint's elder brother, who was thought to have been dead for many years. When he is discovered, Barney appears to be operating as a loyal ally of Helmut Zemo and joins his Masters of Evil supervillain team and later, Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers team. The morally ambiguous character could be a fantastic way for McConaughey to step into the MCU! Trickshot, much like his brother, is a master archer specializing in the use of bows, crossbows, longbows, and others with near-perfect accuracy. Thanks to his stint in the FBI, Barney is a skilled tactician, has excellent reflexes, and is trained in the martial arts. I don't know about you, but I have a feeling McConaughey would do well with a bow and arrow.
Devil Hulk
Matthew McConaughey wanted to play Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the past. He approached Marvel Studios for the same — but they said, "No, thank you." It's hard to imagine that anyone, let alone Marvel, would reject an actor of McConaughey's stature, but it did happen. The studio's upcoming project, the Disney+ miniseries "She-Hulk," will introduce Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, a lawyer specializing in cases that involve superhumans. But here's the deal — she can transform into a massively powerful, green-hued version of herself, like her cousin Bruce Banner. "She-Hulk" introduces an opportunity for Marvel Studios to explore different interpretations of Hulk — and we've already seen Smart Hulk in "Avengers: Endgame."
McConaughey was visibly excited about portraying Hulk in the MCU, and it could be a possibility in the future! The comics feature various incarnations of the green giant, one of them being Devil Hulk, a malevolent personality of Bruce Banner. In the story, Devil Hulk threatens to escape confinement in Banner's mind and destroy the world that has tormented them. He first appeared when Banner was dying of Lou Gehrig's Disease, and the scientist used a machine to travel into his mind. There's no telling whether Mark Ruffalo will continue to reprise his role as Bruce Banner, but if he ever decides to step down, it'd be cool to see McConaughey play a complex version of the character he loves.
Doctor Doom
Susan Storm, Reed Richards, Human Torch, and Ben Grimm are coming back, people!
Marvel Studios famously teased the arrival of a new "Fantastic Four" movie as part of its phase 4 set of films. Setting up Doctor Doom as the movie's primary antagonist would be the best way to reintroduce the story (am I right?). Marvel Studios is pretty busy with "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," Thor: Love and Thunder," and the rest of its 2022 slate of films, which suggests that "Fantastic Four" will probably not begin production until 2023. There's plenty of time for Marvel to persuade McConaughey to join the MCU as Doctor Doom — the villain with a genius-level intellect. Doctor Doom is a master of sorcery and dark mysticism. His powers include mind transference and technopathy — he is at the very peak of human conditioning and can attack his enemies using gauntlet lasers and force blasts. Basically, he's badass. Do you know who else is badass? Matthew McConaughey.
Wonder Man/Simon Williams
Not all members of the Avengers started as heroes. Some had hostile intentions before switching over to the good side. Wonder Man/Simon Williams has an extensive backstory, he's immortal, and his past is tied to superheroes such as Scarlet Witch and Vision. Wonder Man's powers are a match for Thor and the Hulk, making him one of Marvel's strongest (and muscular) superheroes of all time. With a character like that in the comic books, it would appear that Wonder Man would be a shoo-in for the MCU — but he is yet to make his live-action appearance. The character nearly made a cameo in James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," with Nathan Fillion in the role, but the scene was cut from the film.
Wonder Man is a being of pure energy, and his eyes glow red. After Zemo exposed him to chemical and radiation treatments with "ionic" energy, he gained his superhuman powers, developing speed, stamina, and superhuman strength, along with durability, agility, and reflexes. If McConaughey joins the MCU in the future, his fans would love for him to play a character as fascinating as Wonder Man.