You’d think the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be starting to run out of recognizable actors by now after churning out so much film and television content over the last 15 years, but Scott Adkins still remains stung by potentially blowing his shot at a part in the biggest franchise in town on a thankless bit-part in Doctor Strange.
He might be one of the most renowned action heroes of the VOD circuit that’s appeared in several notable Hollywood releases, but his endeavors with Marvel haven’t exactly been stellar. As well as doubling for Ryan Reynolds during the climactic showdown of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, he played the entirely forgettable Lucian in Benedict Cumberbatch’s first solo outing, too.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Adkins reflected on his short-lived association with the MCU, and he didn’t mince his words; “Did I really want to blow my load on that? No, I don’t think so.” Unfortunately, he’s got a lot of fans out there who would wholeheartedly agree.
To be fair, the likes of Gemma Chan, Laura Haddock, Michelle Yeoh, Nathan Fillion, and Tony Curran have played at least two canonical MCU characters, so there’s no reason why Adkins couldn’t follow suit. On the other side of the coin, he seems less enthusiastic about entering the world of comic book behemoth than he once did, so maybe he’s made peace with the fact Doctor Strange was the be-all and end-all.
He wasn’t exactly the first talent to be wasted by Marvel Studios, and he won’t be the last, either.