Marvel Roles You Never Realized Were Played By Sitcom Actors

Appearing in a superhero franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe is often a huge boost to an actor's career. The blockbuster machine that is Marvel has taken many performers to A-list celebrity status. However, some of the actors who are synonymous with certain superheroes first gained fame on television sitcoms. Chris Pratt was the half-witted Andy Dwyer in "Parks and Recreation" before soaring through the galaxy as a Star-Lord, and "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds got his big break on ABC's "Two Guys and a Girl."

The nationwide sitcom exposure seems to be an ideal stepping-stone for up-and-coming performers to reach big-budget movies. Tried, tested, and already recognizable and popular, actors from sitcoms have what it takes to become superheroes. Still, there are lots of these thespians you may not have known have already been involved in comic book adaptations. Some of television's biggest talents have loaned out their voices for major superhero projects. Keep reading to discover some Marvel roles you never realized were played by sitcom actors.

As a popular comedian, Patton Oswalt has built a career out of making subtle appearances in what seems like every project under the sun. From starting his TV career on an episode of "Seinfeld" to becoming the narrating voice in "The Goldbergs," Oswalt's filmography is a collection of the greatest sitcoms of the era, including appearances in "Community," "Modern Family," and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." Although he may be a recognizable jokester today, it was his ongoing role as the nerdy Spence Olchin in "The King of Queens" that truly put Oswalt on his television star trajectory. As if Oswalt wasn't busy enough, he has an equally notable voiceover career, most famously performing as everyone's favorite chef rodent Remy in Pixar's "Ratatouille."

However, being a comic book aficionado and having written for the medium himself, it's safe to say that Oswalt has a passion for superhero content. Unsurprisingly, the actor has blended that passion with his career in various ways, such as providing the voice of Uncle Ben in the 2017 animated "Spider-Man" series. Moreover, in 2021, Oswalt created and starred in his own stop-motion animated sitcom featuring one of Marvel Comics' most bizarre supervillains, "M.O.D.O.K." The show about a "Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing" was short-lived, limited to 10 episodes, but the character later made its MCU debut in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," portrayed by Darren Cross.

Seemingly destined to be a television star, Neil Patrick Harris has been entertaining audiences since the late '80s, when he played the child prodigy medical doctor "Doogie Howser, M.D." Harris has had many notable roles throughout the years, including parts in "Starship Troopers," "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," and starring in the NBC sitcom "Stark Raving Mad." But he's certainly known best for his opinionated and "legendary" character Barney Stinson on the long-running CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."

Before Barney, came to life, though, Harris took on one of the most iconic superhero characters that Marvel has to offer, and there's a good chance that you missed it entirely. In 2003, Harris became the wall-crawling Peter Parker for MTV's "Spider-Man: The New Animated Series," which followed in the footsteps of Sam Raimi's feature film. In addition to Harris, the cast was loaded with talent, with singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb portraying Mary Jane Watson, "90210" star Ian Ziering as Harry Osborn, and Rob Zombie becoming the formidable Lizard. 

Sadly, audiences slept on the animated series, and it was canceled after one season. The final nail in the coffin came with the 2004 release of "Spider-Man 2," which erased all continuity of the Harris-led cartoon.

He's done it all on his path to A-list stardom, including becoming a YouTube sensation, a "Saturday Night Live" cast member, an award-winning musician, and a top-selling movie star. Still, Andy Samberg may be best recognized for his Golden Globe-winning role as Detective Jake Peralta on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." Headlining the ensemble cast, Samberg led the show into becoming one of the best-reviewed prime-time sitcoms of its era. but despite his impressive resume, there was one thing that Samberg had yet to accomplish until recently: become a superhero.

Samberg finally checked that box by making a cameo appearance as the Scarlet Spider in 2023's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." Arguably the most notorious of Spider-Man's variants, Scarlet Spider, aka Ben Reilly was integral to the Spider-Man "Clone Saga" that plagued Spidey fans in the '90s. Put simply, Ben was revealed to be the true Spider-Man, while Peter Parker was exposed as a clone. Needless to say, fans didn't care much for the story arc. Regardless, Scarlet Spider's iconic look from the end of the millennium remains an invaluable piece of Spider-Man history. Samberg's surprise cameo as the off-shoot superhero gives the animated version some depth, humor, and weight in the ever-expanding Marvel multiverse.

"Have mercy" is the famous quote of the music-loving father figure Uncle Jesse from the hit ABC sitcom "Full House." John Stamos brought the Elvis-impersonating character to life over 192 episodes between 1987 and 1995, and he even returned for a recurring part in the 2016 revival series "Fuller House." Thanks in part to his iconic role, Stamos bolstered a successful television career, having a fruitful run on the hospital drama "ER" and starring in his own short-lived sitcom "Grandfathered."

Instantly recognizable and having a natural rock star attitude, it might not be too surprising that Stamos has played the significant Marvel role of Tony Stark. In 2022, Stamos began voicing the power-suited hero in a recurring role for the Disney Junior animated series "Spidey and His Amazing Friends," and his reason for taking the voice-over role is beyond adorable. 

"[My son] is four. I've spent his entire life trying to convince him, hope that his dad is cool, and it hasn't [worked]," Stamos said in an interview with Collider. "I'll say, 'Billy, can you put your toys away?' [and] he goes, mocking, 'You got it, dude.'" The sarcastic line was the catchphrase of Stamos' former child co-stars on "Full House." Thankfully, his toddler's tone changed when Stamos landed a role on one of his son's favorite television shows. "When I became Iron Man," he revealed to Collider, "boy, he thought that was the coolest thing."

The daughter of famous country music sensation Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus rose to prominence as the starring child actress in the teenage sitcom "Hannah Montana." Airing on the Disney Channel for four seasons, "Hannah Montana" is one of the network's most successful projects of all time, broadcasting to over three and a half million viewers per episode and earning a slew of awards along the way. Since the series ended in 2011, Cyrus has become a superstar in her own right, with a music career that earned her a spot on Billboard's Greatest Artists of All Time list.

Along with her musical success, Cyrus has remained prominent in Hollywood, memorably becoming a coach on Season 13 of "The Voice." This made her the exact type of celebrity that James Gunn seeks out for cameos in his superhero movies. "I find her funny and likable and sweet. I liked that she cared about the contestants," Gunn remarked in an interview with Buzzfeed News. "So I was like, I think she would be a funny person to have as a voice." 

With a history of bringing in big-time celebrities for small parts in his movies, Gunn commissioned Cyrus for a small voice role in 2017's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Cyrus plays the robotic MCU character Mainframe alongside other famous actors like Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Yeoh, and Ving Rhames as part of the space pirate crew known as the Ravagers.

Although she was not included in the cast when "The Big Bang Theory" first premiered in 2007, Melissa Rauch certainly made an impact when she took on the role of Bernadette Rostenkowski in Season 3. By Season 4 of the popular CBS sitcom, Rauch had championed her character into becoming a series regular, dating and eventually marrying the character of Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg). Rauch continues her domination of prime-time sitcoms today, holding the lead role of Judge Abby Stone in the revival series "Night Court" on NBC.

Despite her popularity, many fans may not realize that Rauch has voiced a couple of iconic comic book characters. In 2017, she voiced the anti-villain Harley Quinn in the animated feature "Batman and Harley Quinn." Interestingly, the role went to her former co-star Kaley Cuoco for the "Harley Quinn" animated comedy series. In the same year as her DC debut, the "Big Bang Theory" actor also voiced a Marvel superhero in a collection of animated shorts surrounding the size-morphing character "Ant-Man." In two episodes of the small series, Rauch voiced Hope Van Dyne, the mini-hero known as the Wasp.