The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an unstoppable force, and Phase Four is well underway. With some projects delayed due to covid and other circumstances, such as the tragic death of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, fans have had an impatient wait for new material.
That wait is mostly over, however, and 2021 has already seen some exciting new releases on the big and small screen. As we reach the end of the year, we can’t help but notice more and more Canadian stars turning up in the MCU. Here we take a moment to celebrate some of the Canadian talent appearing in the biggest media franchise on the planet.
Simu Liu
Liu is the latest star to be catapulted into the big leagues by Marvel, taking on the title role in the movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Originally born in China, Liu has been an Ontarian since moving to the province at the age of five. After losing an accounting job, he changed direction and got into acting via working as a stuntman. Just goes to show that the smallest thing, like an online casino bonus, could be the casino bonus that changes your life.
Shang-Chi is set to join the Avengers, now down three members since the loss of Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark. The movie is currently out-scoring the other big Marvel movie release of the year, Black Widow, and commentators seem excited about what it means for the future of the MCU. For Liu, it is a ticket to stardom, and we will be seeing much more of him from now on.
Iman Vellani
Plucked from total obscurity (even Wikipedia doesn’t seem to know exactly how old she is) Vellani is another Ontario resident set to take the MCU by storm. Cast last year as new character Kamala Khan, AKA Ms Marvel , she will take the title role in a 2022 TV series as well as the movie The Marvels, also slated for a 2022 release.
Marvel have a track record for casting some relatively unknown actors – Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, for example – but this is their first time choosing a complete newcomer for a major role. Vellani had no acting credits to her name before this, so we wish the young Canadian well with her new-found fame.
Rising star
Ontarian Emily VanCamp had brief roles in the two Captain America movies, with her character Sharon Carter getting considerably more screen time in the TV show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. VanCamp was already a well-established screen presence before joining the MCU, having had long-running roles in three television series including a starring turn in the American drama Revenge.
In an early role she starred alongside – and even dated – future MCU co-star Chris Pratt. She currently appears in medical drama The Resident.
Big names returning
Another Canadian reprising her role in Phase Four and beyond is Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, AKA The Wasp. Lilly’s character hasn’t yet had the chance to show what she can do, so here’s hoping that the next Ant-Man movie will give her more screen time. We will have to wait until 2023 for the next instalment.
Finally we have Rachel McAdams, possibly the most high-profile Canadian to appear in the MCU. Her character Christine Palmer has not been seen since the first Doctor Strange movie, but she is set to return in next year’s sequel and possibly take on a more significant role. Another favourite character played by a Canadian is S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, but there has been no official word on whether Vancouver-born Cobie Smulders will reprise her role going forward. Keen fans will recall that Agent Hill’s last appearance was revealed to be a Skrull in disguise.
