The influence of Marvel movies has been amplified since the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuted back in 2008. The franchise’s concept of a shared universe leaves fans yearning for the rest of the story, leading the audience to the edge of their seats for what comes next. As a result, the movies have directly impacted pop culture, and one of the main reasons why is the actors and actresses involved.
MCU veterans such as Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth greatly defined the Infinity Saga with their incredible performances on screen. As the franchise enters a new chapter, Marvel Studios pushed for more representation on screen, adding Asian actors such as Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), deaf actresses Lauren Ridloff (Eternals), and Alaqua Cox (Echo, Hawkeye), and LGBTQIA+ portrayals on-screen (Phastos from Eternals and America Chavez from Multiverse of Madness).
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Now, some Marvel actors are being recognized due to their influence on the viewing public.
Marvel’s Influence is Being Recognized
TIME Magazine officially unveiled its list of the 100 most influential people of 2022, and it includes six Marvel stars.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings lead actor Simu Liu joined the list, with Canadian-American actress Sandra Oh paying tribute to the MCU newcomer. The Grey’s Anatomy star offered high praise to the actor, saying “he’s part of the first generation of Asian Americans and Canadians to reach true stardom:”
Liu’s Shang-Chi co-star Michelle Yeoh, who portrays Ying Nan in the movie, is also included in the list. Crazy Rich Asians writer Kevin Kwan described the actress as “an aristocratic Malaysian beauty becoming the queen of Hong Kong’s male-dominated action cinema:”
The Amazing Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield is also part of the list. The actor, who returned in last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, was described by veteran director Martin Scorsese as a “remarkable artist, one of the greats of his generation:”
TIME also included No Way Home lead actress Zendaya in its most influential list of 2022, with Dune director Denis Villeneuve praising the actress as someone who is “timeless, and she can do it all:”
Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi is also part of the list, with actor Sasha Baron Cohen describing the director’s work as “a piece painted by Picasso:”
Zoë Kravitz, who starred in X-Men: First Class and Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, wraps up the list of Marvel stars in the list. Veteran actress Reese Witherspoon described Kravitz as someone who “contains multitudes and stands fully formed in her beauty, her intelligence, her grace, her humor, her strength:”
The Major Impact of Marvel Stars
Aside from Zoë Kravitz, the Marvel stars included in the list are a mix of new and old actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Zoë Kravitz defies definition. She contains multitudes and stands fully formed in her beauty, her intelligence, her grace, her humor, her strength. Part maverick, part savant, mostly just … cool. Cool like Dylan. Cool like Cash. Cool like Nina Simone. Forged by the strength and grace of two incredible artists, but made whole by her own grit and intellect. In her performance as Catwoman, you can see it all. She draws in Batman, and the whole audience, as they wait to see if this mysterious creature will show her claws. She does—and they are sharp!Working with Zoë on Big Little Lies, I discovered her hidden talent: her humor. She made me laugh during endless night shoots and always pushed the comedic tension between our characters onscreen. She brings an edgy humor to all her work—and to dinner parties, if you’re looking for a perfect guest.It would be very easy for Zoë to walk through the world in a different way, entitled and accomplished. But that’s not her style. She chooses the path of hard work, constantly innovating and pushing the status quo. She hustles, writes her own scripts, stays up all night until the job is done. I’ve watched it up close, and it never ceases to amaze me.Zoë has done so much in her career thus far, but what I’m most excited about is all that is coming next. Directing, producing, cutting her own path. But always her way. Always cool.”
Andrew Garfield and Kravitz are the Marvel veterans from the group, with the actor joining the franchise as Spider-Man in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man while the actress portrayed Angel Salvadore in 2011’s X-Men: First Class.
Meanwhile, Taika Waititi and Zendaya are the stars of the Infinity Saga, with the Love and Thunder director making his MCU debut as Korg during 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok while the award-winning actress first played MJ during the same year in Spider-Man: Homecoming. To wrap up, Shang-Chi co-stars Simu Liu and Michelle Yeoh made their debut during Phase 4.
Of course, it goes without saying that the Marvel-related achievements of this stellar group are not the only reason why they were included in the list. Still, it’s reasonable to assume that their Marvel roles left a huge impact on the audience.
As the MCU moves forward, the franchise’s stellar group of actors and actresses is expected to grow. Even though some may not be included in the list of most influential people, it’s safe to say that the on-screen heroes have at least impacted a good chunk of the audience in more ways than one.
