Marvel Studios is rumored to have parted ways with one of its key Ant-Man actors. The MCU has a long roster of actors who have appeared in its films, with many signing multi-film contracts and recurring across decades of films and TV shows. However, for various reasons, not all Marvel actors remain with the studio long-term, even if their characters or franchises continue.
A recent comment from entertainment scooper Daniel Richtman, via X, suggests that Ant-Man and Ant-Man and The Wasp star Michael Peña isn't expected to return as Luis. Peña's character was introduced as Scott Lang's (Paul Rudd) best friend and ex-cellmate, who assisted Ant-Man and his superhero friends with their heists. Richtman said he "[wasn't] sure what happened" between Marvel Studios and Peña to indicate he wouldn't ever be back.
Peña was absent from Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which was released in 2023, but it was forgivable that Luis might not be involved, given the movie's extended time spent exclusively in the Quantum Realm. Director Peyton Reed said as much, revealing there were "no versions of this movie with [Luis]," because it "didn't make sense."
Still, a one-movie absence doesn't rule out a character from ever appearing again, particularly in a universe as sprawling as the MCU. However, these rumors make it seem that Peña's time with Marvel is done, for whatever reason. It's not the first time Marvel Studios has parted ways with its actors, and Peña joins a long list of stars who are no longer expected to appear in the MCU.
These Stars Are Unlikely To Return to the MCU
Terrence Howard
One of the first Marvel actors to part ways with the studio was also one of its very first stars. Terrence Howard appeared in Iron Man, the MCU's debut film, as Tony Stark's best friend, Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes (aka War Machine). However, his time in the MCU was short-lived after he was recast in Iron Man 2, and beyond, with Don Cheadle.
At the time, Howard said it was a pay dispute that led to his leaving, revealing later on Watch What Happens Live (via Entertainment Weekly) that it may have been Robert Downey Jr's salary bump that added to the situation. "The person that I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to re-up for the second one, took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out,” Howard said.
Edward Norton
Given that there hasn't been a solo MCU Hulk film since 2008, many forget that Mark Ruffalo wasn't always Marvel's green machine; Edward Norton originally played the dual roles of Hulk and Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk. Like Robert Downey Jr., the MCU's only other leading face at the time, Norton was expected to play Hulk for years to come, until he was recast for the 2012 ensemble film, The Avengers.
Upon Ruffalo's casting, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige released a statement about Norton's replacement, saying, "Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members."
Ruffalo has since appeared as the Hulk multiple times in Marvel projects, and his origins as Norton have even been acknowledged canonically in the MCU.
Mickey Rourke
Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke was cast as Iron Man 2's major villain, Whiplash. While it's not always customary for the MCU's villains to appear in multiple projects, Rourke has since made it clear he wouldn't want to appear anyway. The star has repeatedly slammed Marvel Studios, claiming in a CraveOnline interview (via IndieWire) that "Marvel just wanted a one-dimensional bad guy, so most of the performance ended up [on] the floor.”
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson has had one of the longest and most lucrative careers in the MCU, appearing as the cinematic universe's first leading female Avenger. While it took until 2021 for Johansson to receive a solo Black Widow film, she was a common face in the MCU, appearing in Iron Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and all of the Avengers movies.
However, in Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow was killed off, and unlike her co-stars Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, she has not been confirmed for a return in Avengers: Doomsday. Johansson has been outspoken about the fact that she's retired from her role as Black Widow, reiterating to Vanity Fair that “It would be very hard for me to understand in what capacity [returning] would make sense for me, for the character that I play."
Hugo Weaving
Another high-profile actor playing a villain in the MCU was Hugo Weaving, best known for The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings, who debuted in Captain America: The First Avenger as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull. Weaving revealed to Time Out that he had signed a three-picture deal, like most MCU stars at the time, but that the pay on offer wasn't enough to entice him to return:
"The money they offered me for 'The Avengers' was much less than I got for the very first one, and this was for two films. And the promise when we first signed the contracts was that the money would grow each time... I didn’t really wanna do it that much. But I would have done it."
Weaving's role was another recast in the MCU, with Ross Marquand playing Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and continuing the role in What If...?
Christopher Eccleston
Another villain with wasted potential in the MCU was played by Christopher Eccleston in Thor: The Dark World. Eccleston played Malekith, the ruler of the Dark Elves. Eccleston said in interviews that Marvel wasn't upfront with him about the long hours required for Malekith's makeup process, which he didn't enjoy. This seemed to be a mutual parting on both the actor's and the studio's part, as there's been no indication that Malekith will be resurrected in the MCU, and his death in Thor 2 makes it even less likely that he'll be back.
Jonathan Majors
Marvel Studios had big plans for Jonathan Majors in the MCU after his first appearance as He Who Remains in Loki. The actor was heralded as the MCU's next "Thanos", playing Kang the Conqueror, who would go on to appear as the major villain in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (before it was redeveloped into Avengers: Doomsday).
Majors was on a hot streak, appearing in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Loki Season 2, until he was publicly arrested and put on trial for domestic violence. Marvel quickly cut ties with Majors, and there seems to be no intention to bring him back.
Dave Bautista
Wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista led a successful career in the MCU playing Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy and later Avengers films. While fans loved Drax, Bautista publicly confirmed he had retired from the role after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, saying, "It’s hard, but it’s time, and it’s the perfect exit."
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas has no qualms with Marvel per se, but has retired from acting in general, making his return as Hank Pym in another Ant-Man or MCU film very unlikely. The actor said in 2025 that, at the age of 80 and after revealing he was battling throat cancer, he had "no real intentions of going back [to acting]," unless "something special came up."
Douglas had previously said he'd only return for Ant-Man 4 if his character was killed off, but whether Ant-Man 4 will even happen or be enough to entice the actor back to acting remains to be seen.
Tatiana Maslany
Tatiana Maslany is one of the newer actors in the MCU, appearing in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as the titular character. Despite Season 2 of She-Hulk seeming likely, Maslany was expected to continue working with Marvel Studios and has appeared on rumor lists for future Avengers appearances.
Maslany has played coy about a potential return to the MCU. She's also publicly slammed Disney, Marvel Studios' parent company, regarding several controversies, including calling for a boycott following the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel (although several other Marvel stars did the same). It's unclear whether this tense relationship between Maslany and Disney could lead to her giving up her role as She-Hulk.
