Thor: Love and Thunder featured returns from many top-tier MCU actors such as Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, and Chris Pratt as Star-Lord. While the MCU is known for its stellar performances from its charismatic and energetic cast members, there have been some in the past that have fallen short of what fans have come to expect from the MCU.

  • Most recently, the MCU had releases that were both polarizing and beloved by its fans. This all comes down to how the characters were portrayed and how loyal the shows and movies stayed to the comics. She-Hulk earned a mixed reaction, with many fans falling in love with Tatiana Maslany’s performance as She-Hulk and others not won over by her portrayal, despite its comic accurate depiction. After that, Werewolf by Night was universally loved by both critics and audiences, with 90% fresh scores from both. Next up is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which will introduce a new Black Panther and bring Namor into the MCU. Will fans love the new Black Panther, or will they dismiss the character the same way they did Brie Larson in Captain Marvel?

Bad performances in the MCU are few and far between. However, from Brie Larson to Anthony Hopkins, there are some that Reddit users claim to stand out as the worst in the MCU.

Karen Gillan (Nebula) - Guardians of the Galaxy

Karen Gillan went from Doctor Who to Guardians of the Galaxy, where she took on the role of villain mercenary turned hero Nebula. While she has become a fan-favorite member of the team, BaconIsFrance couldn’t get into her, saying that Gillan couldn’t “get that accent down.”

Another Redditor agreed that she was “uneven” throughout the movie between her calm voice and her highly energetic one. Gillan has seemed to get her footing, giving her character a sarcastic and dismissive tone at times, but it is an accent that can easily turn off some fans. Much like Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Nebula isn’t for everyone.

Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner) - Avengers: Infinity War

Mark Ruffalo was an instant fan favorite when he appeared in The Avengers as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. However, he really came into his own in Thor: Ragnarok, where his comic timing and deadpan delivery won over audiences. That all changed when Avengers: Infinity War rolled around.

The MCU completely de-powered Hulk to make the battle with Thanos closer than it otherwise would have been, and many fans did not like the new Banner. “Most of the lines and his delivery were so cringey it’s embarrassing.,” shivam696969 wrote on Reddit. However, for most, Ruffalo redeemed himself with Smart Hulk, including his recent appearance in She-Hulk.

Hannah John Kamen (Ghost) - Ant-Man And The Wasp

The antagonist in Ant-Man and the Wasp was a tragic villain with a backstory that pushed her into this way of life. Played by Hannah John Kamen, Ghost was a former black ops assassin for S.H.I.E.L.D. who was involved in an accident that left her blipping in and out of reality. All she wanted was to find a cure.

The role called on her to be a former assassin, but also someone who wanted to find happiness again. One Reddit user didn’t think she pulled it off, writing that the performance was “awful. Especially the part where she gets healed by Jane.” Ghost seemed like a blank slate for much of the movie and there is a chance she won’t be back in the MCU.

Erin Kellyman (Karli Morgenthau) - Falcon And The Winter Soldier

In Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the MCU took the time to show what the blip really did to the world. Borders were erased and people scrambled to help create a new world. However, when everyone returned, borders ended up sealed again, and people fought to regain the freedom they held for a short time.

Karli was supposed to represent those people as one of the leaders of the rebellion, but LoveWaffle1 believes she failed at that task. They said they never “bought her as a serious threat” to the heroes or as “a charismatic leader behind the Flag-Smasher movement.” Erin Kellyman had a lot to do in her role, not trusting people like Falcon, and wavering at times in her own goals. She was one of the weaker parts of the entire series.

Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) - Captain Marvel

Without denying the impressive acting talent of Brie Larson, many MCU fans just feel like there is something off with her performance as Captain Marvel. While a naive superhero with no real identity could come off as charming, InspiredNameHere argues that Brie Larson’s performance comes off as “relatively wooden and bland,” lacking the charisma and energy seen in most MCU main heroes.

As Captain Marvel is also one of the most overpowered characters in the MCU, a stiff and emotionless performance from Brie Larson makes it difficult to relate to the character and causes the overall performance to fall flat.

Anthony Edwards (Odin) - Thor: Dark World

While Anthony Hopkins was one of the biggest names in the earlier years of the MCU, it’s no secret that the Academy-Award-winning actor wasn’t as interested in retaining the role of Odin in the MCU. As the character becomes a stagnant presence instead of a developing character in Thor: Dark World, Redditor ToxethOGrady points out that “he really didn’t want to be there and it came across in his performance.”

With most of his lines coming off a tad too shouty and falling flat on their emotional deliveries, Hopkins’ portrayal of the King of Asgard is a substandard performance from an otherwise legendary actor.

Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi) - Black Panther

Since Black Panther is full of some of the best performances in the MCU, actors who aren’t doing as good of a job, such as Daniel Kaluuya and his portrayal of W’Kabi, really stand out. His performance has been noticed by Redditors such as keinish_the_knome who claimed: “he had like 2 settings: annoyed smirk and bubbling anger.”

W’Kabi could’ve been one of the most compelling characters of the film, as he is torn between doing what he thinks is best for his country or following his love interest Okoye, but instead, Kaluuya hardly does anything with the role and gives an arguably bland performance, particularly when compared with the actor’s other work.

Mickey Rourke (Whiplash) - Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 is one of the lowest-rated MCU films, and part of this is due to bleak performances such as Mickey Rourke’s portrayal of the villain Whiplash. Many MCU fans had issues with his performance, such as Dcoli1 who “cringed so hard at his line delivery.”

If his Russian accent wasn’t bad enough, Rourke’s bland emotional portrayal of the character combined with an unnecessary obsession with a bird has caused Whiplash to be one of the flattest and most forgettable villains in the entire MCU.

Terrence Howard (Col. James Rhoades) - Iron Man

While today, it’s almost impossible to separate Don Cheadle from the role of War Machine in the MCU, many fans of the MCU forget that Iron Man’s trusty best friend was once played by Terrence Howard.

Seemingly very out of place from the tone and charisma typically seen in MCU characters, Howard’s version of War Machine is regarded by –Petrichor– as “one of the worst performances in the movies.” As the character would be recast in the MCU over financial disputes, it’s safe to say fans aren’t too upset about it considering Don Cheadle’s quippy yet brave version of the character.

Peter Dinklage (Eitri) - Avengers: Infinity War

While Peter Dinklage is usually spot-on in any role he takes on, his portrayal of the dwarf Eitri is not one of the stellar performances fans are used to seeing from the Game of Thrones actor. ChilfOfThanos448 acknowledged that “his voice just sound[ed] so forced, like someone putting on a (fake) deep voice.”

The forced voice of Eitri pulled many fans out of the moment in Avengers: Infinity War, and although Eitri has a couple of funny lines in the film, the constant sub-par use of his laughably bad giant accent causes Dinklage’s performance as Eitri to fall flat.

Kat Dennings (Darcy) - Thor/Thor: Dark World

It’s hard to tell whether fans dislike Darcy solely because of Kat Dennings’ performance or due to the fact that most fans find the character to be painfully annoying, but either way, she’s one of the MCU’s most hated supporting characters. Dennings’ performance does nothing to make Darcy stand out as more than a plucky side character who’s “irrelevant and unnecessary in the movies” according to RabadonsTopHat.

While she does have her humorous moments, Dennings doesn’t do anything to elevate the character and only delivers dialogue in a way that is one-dimensional in tone and emotion.

Christopher Eccelston (Malekith) - Thor: Dark World

If it wasn’t already hard enough to relate to an ancient Dark Elf who normally only speaks in a language that’s impossible to understand, Malekith is perhaps the main reason Thor: Dark World is considered to be one of the weakest MCU films. StatusLoquat8 along with many other MCU fans believe Christopher Eccelston “is utterly wasted in the role.”

While it’s true Malekith suffers from some of the worst writing of an MCU villain, Eccelston doesn’t do anything to add any gravitas or emotion to the character, causing Malekith to come off as a one-note villain with absolutely no personality

Liv Tyler (Betty Ross) - Incredible Hulk

The fact that many people don’t know who this character is speaks to the bleak and completely forgettable performance of Liv Tyler as Betty Ross in Incredible Hulk. Portraying little emotion, whispery dialogue, and having very little chemistry with her supposed love interest, MRGibbson23 claims “[Liv Tyler] ruins the movie for me.”

The character has only had one appearance in the MCU, so perhaps both Tyler and the character would have had space to improve in subsequent films. Unfortunately, as Incredible Hulk feels very much like the black sheep of the MCU, it’s unlikely Tyler will get another turn as Betty.

Natalie Portman (Jane Foster) - Thor: Dark World

Widely regarded as one of the worst MCU characters, Jane Foster has never been able to stand out as an interesting love interest in the MCU. Fans such as Justin_Credible98 blame this on actress Natalie Portman, claiming “Portman doesn’t even try to give even a little substance to the character.”

Fellow Redditor dejerik notes that “Portman is one of those actors that relies entirely on her director” and that her performances shine under good directors.

Next: The 20 Best MCU Quotes