Marvel Studios films have built the careers of stars and brought in the cream of the crop in terms of existing A-listers throughout the MCU's lifetime. Still, according to a new report, starring in a Marvel superhero project may be losing its appeal. Marvel films are known for being juggernauts at the box office, with enticing pay packets to attract stars and a level of marketing and exposure to global audiences unlike almost any other franchise. These days, it's hard to find a Hollywood star who hasn't had a role in an MCU movie at some point, but that trend is apparently on a downward spiral.
A new report from Variety revealed that fewer actors in Hollywood are requesting to be in Marvel movies in the current landscape. According to a top Hollywood agent the outlet spoke to for the piece, the MCU is still considered a "life-changing opportunity" by actors, but the agent said they "don't have as many clients asking to do one as they were five years ago." Five years ago was around the time the MCU hit its "peak" with Avengers: Endgame, the second-highest-grossing movie of all time.
Several factors could be contributing to this downturn, but Variety points to the fact that Marvel Studios films aren't as bankable as they once were. In 2025, Marvel Studios released Thunderbolts*, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, all of which struggled to turn a profit.
One executive told the outlet that "the standalone movies are in trouble," as audiences may consider them skippable due to a general lack of cause and effect in the MCU's latest phases. An anonymous director interviewed for the piece concurred, saying, "Any movie could be huge, but nothing is close to a guarantee."
These breakout hits, like Deadpool & Wolverine and Spider-Man: No Way Home, are typically linked to a big crossover or character return in the MCU. Meanwhile, stories fronted by new or lesser-known heroes like Thunderbolts, Eternals, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have been less profitable in this saga.
The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will likely be the studio's next sure-fire wins.
Why Is the MCU Attracting Less Stars?
While Marvel's Infinity Saga was led by faces like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans, Avengers: Endgame felt like the end of the road for many of these actors and their characters in the MCU (although all three actors have returned to the MCU in the years since).
The Multiverse Saga has been a much more unstable time for Marvel Studios. The company effectively doubled its content and spread the MCU across films and streaming series for the first time (something CEO Kevin Feige promises will "slow down") and led the new saga with lesser-known faces and characters.
Even original Avengers like Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor received new projects in the Multiverse Saga, but for various reasons, they failed to make the same impact as those in the Infinity Saga.
Where the Infinity Saga may have been seen as the MCU at its height, the ensuing Multiverse Saga and the impacts that COVID-19, superhero saturation, and Disney+ have had on this new era may be making it a less desirable franchise to board from an actor's point of view.
Star power is a big selling point for studio films, particularly in the crucial marketing phase. Marvel has courted and been rejected by several big-name stars over the years. Yet, this slowdown in interest in the studio's projects of late could be a problem, particularly as the MCU heads into its third saga, which includes a reboot of X-Men with fresh faces.
