Who says superheroes can't be Oscar winners? Marvel has pulled quite a few Academy Award-winning actors, actresses and directors into its cinematic universe. Angela Bassett herself has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Queen Romanda in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." Michelle Yeoh, who has appeared in both "Guardians of the Galaxy" as Aleta Ogord and "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rigns" as Ying Nan, has been nominated for Best Actress for her other multiversal role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once." Brian Tyree Henry, who plays Phastos in "Eternals" has been nominated for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting role for his work in "Causeway" opposite Jennifer Lawrence. Another Eternal, Barry Keoghan who plays Druig, is also competing in that category.
Michael Douglas, who most recently appeared in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" as Dr. Hank Pym, won not one, but two Oscars. Cate Blanchett has also won two Oscars, and she's up for Best Actress for her role in "Tár." Another two time Oscar-winner set to make a big appearance in the MCU is Mahershala Ali.
"Thor: Ragnarök" and "Thor: Love and Thunder" director and actor Taika Waititi won an Oscar for adapting the screenplay for "Jojo Rabbit." "Belfast" director and Oscar-winner Kenneth Branagh directed "Thor."
Below, we run down every Oscar winner who has appeard in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far -- and it's a growing list!
Jeff Bridges (Obidiah Stane)
Bridges appeared in “Iron Man” as Obidah Stane. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in “Crazy Heart” (2010).
Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts)
Paltrow plays Pepper Potts in the “Iron Man” films. She also appears in “Avengers,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” She won the Oscar for Best Actress for “Shakespeare in Love” (1999).
William Hurt (Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross)
William Hurt portrays Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in “The Incredible Hulk,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Black Widow.” He won Best Actor for “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”
Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer)
Sam Rockwell plays Justin Hammer in “Iron Man 2.” He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2018).
Natalie Portman (Jane Foster/The Mighty Thor)
Natalie Portman, who has appeared in all four “Thor” installments as Jane Foster and later The Mighty Thor alongside Chris Hemsworth, won the Best Actress Oscar for “Black Swan” (2011).
Anthony Hopkins (Odin)
Anthony Hopkins, who portrays Odin in “Thor: The Dark World” and “Thor: Love and Thunde,” has won Oscars for Best Actor in “Silence of the Lambs” (1991) and “The Father” (2020), beating the late MCU alum Chadwick Boseman, who was posthumously nominated for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020) in the 2021 ceremony.
Tommy Lee Jones (Chester Phillips)
Tommy Lee Jones portrays Chester Phillips in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and he has an Oscar win in the Best Supporting Actor category for “The Fugitive” (1994).
Ben Kingsley (Trevor Slatterly)
Ben Kingsley plays Trevor Slattery, who appears in “Iron Man 3” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Sir Ben won the Best Actor Oscar for portraying Gandhi in the film about the famous historical figure.
Robert Redford (Alexander Pierce)
Robert Redford, who won Best Actor for “Ordinary People” (1980) and an Honorary Oscar in 2002, plays Alexander Pierce in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Avengers: Endgame."
Benicio del Toro (Taneleer Tivan/The Collector)
Benicio del Toro plays Taneleer Tivan and The Collector in “THor: The Dark World,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “What If…?” He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “Traffic” (2001).
Michael Douglas (Hank Pym)
Douglas, who plays Dr. Hank Pym in the “Ant-Man” films as well as “Avengers: Endgame,” has won two Oscars — one for Best Picture for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1976) which he shares with Saul Zaentz and one for “Wall Street” (1985).
Marisa Tomei (Aunt May)
Marisa Tomei, who won Best Supporting Actress for “My Cousin Vinny,” plays Aunt May in the Tom Holland Spider-Man films — ”Homecoming,” “Far From Home” and “No Way Home.” She also shows up in “Captain America: Civil War and “Avengers: Endgame.”
Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One)
Tilda Swinton, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for “Michael Clayton” (2007), played “The Ancient One” in “Doctor Strange,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “What If…?”
Jennifer Connelly (Voice of Karen)
Jennifer Connnelly, who won Best Supporting Actress for “A Beautiful Mind” (2001), voices Karen in Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” suit, aka Suit Lady in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
Cate Blanchett (Hela)
Cate Blanchett has two Oscars under her belt for Best Supporting Actres in “The Aviator” (2007) and Best Actress in “Blue Jasmine” (2014). She is nominated for Best Actress for “Tár” this year. She played Hela in "Thor: Ragnarok."
Matt Damon (Loki Actor)
Matt Damon won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for “Good Will Hunting” (1998) plays the actor version of Loki in “Thor Ragnarök” and “Thor: Love and Thunder.
Taika Waititi (Korg/Director)
Taika Waititi, who both voiced Korg in and directed “Thor: Ragnarök” and “Thor: Love and Thunder” won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Jojo Rabbit” (2019).
Forest Whitaker (Zuri)
Forest Whitaker won Best Actor for “The Last King of Scotland” (2007). He plays Zuri in “Black Panther.”
Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia)
Lupita Nyong’o plays Nakia in both “Black Panthr” films. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in “Twelve Years A Slave” (2013).
Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi)
Daniel Kaluuya played W’Kabi in “Black Panther,” but he did not return for “Wakanda Forever.” She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actror in “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2019).
Kenneth Branagh (Director/Asgardian Distress Caller)
Kenneth Branagh, who has an uncredited voice in “Avengers: Infinity War,” also directed “Thor.” He won the Oscar for Best Screenplay in 2022 for “Belfast.”
Brie Larson (Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers)
Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers in “Captain Marvel.” She won the Oscar for Best Actress for Room (2016).
Rachel Weisz (Melina Vostokoff)
Rachel Weisz won her Oscar in 2006 for Best Supporting Actress in “The Constant Gardener” (2006). She was also nominated for her role in “The Favourite” (2019). She plays Natasha and Yelena’s “mom” in “Black Widow” (2021).
Angelina Jolie (Thena)
Angelina Jolie plays Thena in “Eternals” (2021), and she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for “Girl, Interrupted” (2000).
Jamie Foxx (Max Dillon/Electro)
Jamie Foxx, who won the Best Actor Oscar for “Ray” (2015), appears as Electro in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021).
F Murray Abraham (Voice of Khonshu)
“White Lotus” alum F. Murray Abraham won the Oscar for Best Actor for “Amadeus” (1985). He voices Khonshu in the tv series “Moon Knight.”
Mahershala Ali (Blade Voice)
Mahershala Ali sas won two Oscars — Best Supporting Actor for “Moonlight” (2017) and “Green Book (2019). He voices Blade in the post-credit scene of “Eternals. He has also appeared in Luke Cage.
Christian Bale (Gorr the God Butcher)
Christian Bale plays villain Gorr the God Butcher in the fourth Thor installment “Thor: Love and Thunder.” He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for “The Fighter” (2011).
Russell Crowe (Zeus)
Russell Crowe won his Oscar for Best Actor for “Gladiator” (2001). He plays Zeus in “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
Michelle Yeoh (Aleta Ogord/Ying Nan)
Michelle Yeoh has played two different roles in the MCU -- as one of the original Guardians of the Galaxy in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and as Shang-Chi's aunt in "Shang-Chi," proving that even in the MCU, she is everything, everywhere. Of course, she won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2023 for "Everything Everywhere All at Once."
