What 12 Marvel Villains Look Like Without Makeup and CGI (13 photos)

What do some of the artists who worked on the studio's projects look like in real life?





Ultron – James Spader



James Spader is no more than 180 centimeters tall, which is significantly different from Ultron, who is taller than all the other characters in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This could have also created a problem: the actors would have looked into Spader's eyes during filming, but in the film it would have looked as if they were looking below his head. To prevent this, James was fitted with a special antenna with red balls at the very top—these balls acted as eyes, which the actors were required to look at during takes. However, Elizabeth Olsen was so impressed with James's performance that Aaron Taylor-Johnson regularly had to shout from backstage, "Red balls, Lizzie!" However, Elizabeth wasn't the only one delighted. After Spader performed his first take, the entire crew began applauding him.

Hela – Cate Blanchett





Cate Blanchett has never been averse to fantasy films. In 2001, she starred in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and in 2015, in Cinderella. However, she accepted the role of Hela in Thor: Ragnarok because of her children, who were fans of superhero films. Dashiell John Upton, in particular, told his mother that the film would give her career a boost. Remarkably, Blanchett joined the quartet of film stars who won Oscars at different times: Anthony Hopkins played Odin, as well as the false Odin who was actually Loki, Matt Damon played a small role in a stage production, and Taika Waititi played Korg.

Thanos – Josh Brolin



Josh Brolin had to endure roughly the same experience as James Spader as Ultron, but Josh's burden was even heavier, as he wore not just an antenna, but an entire foam helmet with a camera filming his face. Brolin also wore a foam suit, the size of Thanos's, to prevent other actors from getting too close and "falling through the textures" during editing. Interestingly, the final scene, in which Thanos is on another planet after all the events, wasn't actually played by Josh Brolin. He was indeed added, but only through CGI, like absolutely everything else.

Ronan – Lee Pace



Many know Lee Pace from The Hobbit trilogy, in which he played Thranduil, and from Garrett in Twilight, Outland, Foundation, and other films and TV series. In Guardians of the Galaxy, he played the villain Ronan the Accuser, who lost to the main characters at the end of the film due to a dance. Interestingly, Lee Pace originally auditioned for the role of Peter Quill, but lost out, just like Joel Edgerton, Cam Gigandet, Zachary Levi, Jensen Ackles, Aaron Paul, John Krasinski, Eddie Redmayne, James Marsden, and others.

Red Skull – Hugo Weaving



After Captain America: The First Avenger, fans came up with a theory that the Red Skull actually survived the film's final events and ended up somewhere in space. In Infinity War, this theory was confirmed, revealing that the iconic villain had become the keeper of the Soul Stone. Notably, Hugo Weaving didn't play the role of the Red Skull in this film. In fact, no one else played the role, as the character was created from scratch using CGI. Hugo was only offered the opportunity to voice him, but he declined for several reasons: first, he simply didn't want to do it; second, he was promised too low a salary for a voice actor; and third, he wasn't satisfied with the makeup application time. Although the filmmakers had to correct this last point after Weaving's refusal. They couldn't hire another actor, as it would have been a completely different face, and therefore, the Red Skull would have looked different, so he had to be drawn in. Ross Marquand, known for his work on The Walking Dead, took on the voice work.

Malekith – Christopher Eccleston



Not all the actors who starred in Marvel films were satisfied with their work. For example, Terrence Howard, who played Rhodey in Iron Man, held a long-standing grudge against Robert Downey Jr. because Robert's salary increased at the expense of his own, which, of course, had been significantly reduced. Christopher Eccleston faced a slightly different problem: he initially took the role solely for the money and found no enjoyment in the makeup, which required him to spend 6-8 hours a day in the makeup chair. Christopher admitted that the studio didn't even warn him in advance that he would be spending most of his time sitting. However, before Eccleston, the role had been offered to other actors: first Benedict Cumberbatch and then Mads Mikkelsen. But the former declined because he found the character uninteresting, and the latter because of his busy schedule. True, Cumberbatch might have initially accepted the role, but after Loki became a fan favorite in The Avengers, the script for Thor 2 was rewritten, significantly shortening Malekith's time to allow the writers to add Loki, who wasn't there at all initially.

Kaecilius – Mads Mikkelsen



Shortly after Mads Mikkelsen passed on the role of Malekith, which likely didn't upset him at all, he landed another major villainous role, a more interesting one, though he was also considered for the role of Doctor Strange. Interestingly, Malekith and Strange weren't the only characters Mikkelsen considered for the role – at various times, he was also considered for Reed Richards in 2005's Fantastic Four, Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Doctor Doom in 2015's Fantastic Four.

Lafey – Colm Feore



Colm Feore is an example of how even the most minor roles can conceal actors whose filmography would be the envy of many of their peers. Feore began acting in 1981 and has since received numerous nominations and awards at prestigious awards. As for his work, over the years he's spent in film, Colm has appeared in over 160 films and TV series, and is remembered for City of Angels, The Red Violin, The Chronicles of Riddick, Landman, House of Cards, Good Cop, Bad Cop, and Homeland Security.

Nebula – Karen Gillan



While, starting with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Nebula was more of an antihero and even a positive character, in the first film she was considered a secondary villain. Even before Karen Gillan was cast, Gal Gadot, who was desperately looking for a new job after Fast & Furious and even considered leaving Hollywood, was considering playing the role. For her new role, Karen underwent the most arduous preparation a woman could have – she shaved her head completely so the makeup artists wouldn't have any trouble applying the makeup. But then she received a gift – a wig made from her own hair, which the makeup artists made for her as a thank you.

Ebony Maw – Tom Vaughan-Lawlor



The roles of Thanos's "children" in Infinity War and Endgame went to little-known actors. Ebony Maw, who proved to be one of the most formidable opponents, was played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, who had a long career in theater and only transitioned to film in 2006. His most significant role was in the TV series "Love/Hate," but he also starred in "Undercover," "Peaky Blinders," "Jane Austen," and "The Secret Scripture." "The Avengers" significantly advanced Tom's career, and he subsequently starred in seven films in seven years.

Cull Obsidian – Terry Notary



As a child, Terry Notary was incredibly hyperactive, so his parents enrolled him in gymnastics. He later attended UCLA, where he also pursued a minor in gymnastics and theater. Since 2000, Terry has worked as a stunt performer and movement coach, teaching other actors how to move. His skills were particularly useful for the 2001 film Planet of the Apes, where he showed everyone how to move like an ape. He later reprised his role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes. Notari also frequently plays various fantasy characters: he played Clown in The Cabin in the Woods, two apes in the Planet of the Apes film series, a goblin and several other characters in The Hobbit trilogy, and Kong in Kong: Skull Island.

Corvus Glaive – Michael James Shaw



"Infinity War" and "Endgame" are the only films in Michael James Shaw's filmography. He is best known for his television series. Early in his career, specifically in the first half of the 2010s, he appeared in short films, then appeared in three episodes of "Constantine," fourteen episodes of "Limitless," and fifteen episodes of "The Walking Dead," in which he played Michael Mercer.