According to Collider and Screen Rant, a growing list of 34 actors have starred in both Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These actors include Oscar winners and megastars like Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, and Paul Bettany. They’re right at the center of the two most influential franchises of the century. By joining both Star Wars and Marvel, these stars highlight just how interconnected blockbuster movies have become since the 1990s.
Leaping between iconic stories — and shaping box office records — these actors have transformed pop culture for more than twenty years. This rising crossover trend keeps Marvel and Star Wars at the heart of an entire fan generation, and it raises the profiles of stars willing to jump between such massive cinematic worlds.
Oscar Isaac’s versatility has few equals, according to Movieweb. He played Poe Dameron starting in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, reprising the role in two sequels that cemented his place as a Resistance leader at the core of the recent saga trilogy.
That recent Star Wars spotlight set the stage for Isaac’s leap into the Marvel universe in 2022, where he starred as Marc Spector, better known as Moon Knight, on Disney+.
Natalie Portman: From Queen to Thunder Goddess
Screen Rant notes that Natalie Portman was one of the first major stars to land franchise-defining roles in both universes. Portman debuted as Queen Amidala in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, holding the role throughout the entire prequel trilogy and becoming a face synonymous with the saga.
Over a decade later, Portman entered the MCU, debuting in 2011 as Jane Foster in Thor. By 2022, she’d transformed the character from a scientist to the central hero wielding Mjolnir in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Samuel L. Jackson’s Ubiquity Across Universes
Samuel L. Jackson’s presence in both franchises is nearly unmatched, as highlighted by Screen Rant and Collider. Jackson entered Star Wars in 1999 as the formidable Mace Windu, a role he occupied across two more films. Before long, he also stepped into Marvel in 2008 as Nick Fury, shaping the MCU’s narrative direction through more than ten appearances — and counting — up to 2026.
Andy Serkis: Master of Performance Capture and Villainy
Screen Rant considers Andy Serkis a pioneer for his innovative use of motion-capture technology — work that brought Supreme Leader Snoke to life in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. In the MCU, Serkis played arms dealer Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther, this time in a live, on-set performance.
Paul Bettany and the AI to Underworld Pipeline
Collider points out Paul Bettany’s remarkable arc — first as the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark’s trusted AI, from Iron Man through Avengers: Age of Ultron, before the character became Vision. Bettany then stepped in front of the camera as Vision, winning over audiences in several Avengers installments and WandaVision.
This creative adaptability earned him a place in the Star Wars universe too, where Bettany portrayed the ruthless Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). The ability to move from voice to on-screen villainy is exactly what casting directors want today — someone who can captivate audiences with menace or charm across different genres.
Emilia Clarke and Rosario Dawson: Surging as Franchise Anchors
Emilia Clarke and Rosario Dawson are perfect examples of rising stars anchoring more than one franchise, say industry observers at MovieWeb. Clarke’s take on Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story rooted her in the saga’s criminal underworld — a pivot point for connecting to other spin-offs. By 2023, Clarke had cracked Marvel’s main lineup, taking on a commanding role in Secret Invasion and marking Marvel’s strong confidence in her fan appeal.
Rosario Dawson, meanwhile, started as Ahsoka Tano on The Mandalorian and soon headlined her own series in 2023.
Benicio del Toro, Mads Mikkelsen, and the Art of Villainy
According to Collider and MovieWeb, Benicio del Toro and Mads Mikkelsen have both mastered complex villainy on either side of the Disney merger. Del Toro became pivotal to the MCU’s Infinity Stones saga as The Collector, while in Star Wars he played DJ, the enigmatic hacker in The Last Jedi (2017).
For Mads Mikkelsen, playing both Galen Erso — the Death Star’s architect in Rogue One — and Marvel’s mystical villain Kaecilius in Doctor Strange (2016) highlighted the industry shift toward hiring actors skilled enough to realize villains with depth and empathy.
Giancarlo Esposito, Taika Waititi, and Creative Crossover Energy
Creative talents like Giancarlo Esposito and Taika Waititi also move between universes, blending behind-the-scenes influence with on-screen work. Esposito is best known across both worlds for his voice and screen performances, while Waititi has contributed both as a director and on-screen performer. According to Movieweb, this fluid creative pipeline helps both Star Wars and Marvel remain fresh and innovative as new stories are developed.
Lupita Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker, and Stellan Skarsgård: Epic Franchise Journeys
The journeys of Lupita Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker, and Stellan Skarsgård appear in both fan-favorite franchises. Nyong’o brought wisdom to Star Wars as Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens, then shined as Nakia, the exceptional spy, in Black Panther. Whitaker was Saw Gerrera in Rogue One and Rebels — he’s appeared beside Nyong’o in Black Panther, underscoring the ease with which actors now jump from one galaxy to another.
Meanwhile, Stellan Skarsgård capped off his Marvel run as Dr. Erik Selvig with three Thor movies, then returned to space drama in Star Wars’ Andor as Luthen Rael.
Richard Armitage, David Tennant, and Supporting Standouts
Collider highlights how supporting actors like Richard Armitage and David Tennant also stand out with memorable moments in both universes. Armitage began as a Naboo fighter pilot in The Phantom Menace, then reemerged as Heinz Kruger, a Hydra agent, in Captain America: The First Avenger.
David Tennant made his mark by voicing the droid Huyang in the live-action Ahsoka series (2023) and towering as Kilgrave, the mind-controlling villain, on Marvel’s Jessica Jones.
Franchise Futures: Why This List Is Still Growing
If you’re curious how Star Wars spin-offs connect across timelines, you can read more about how Maul: Shadow Lord connects directly to Solo’s underworld story. Don’t be surprised if this list — and the influence of these versatile actors — just keeps growing.
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