15 Actors Perfect for the Role of Omega Red in the MCU
Omega Red brings a mix of Cold War menace, mutant biology, and brutal close quarters combat to the screen. In the comics he is Arkady Rossovich, a Russian supersoldier with carbonadium coils, a lethal pheromone known as death spores, and a history that collides with Wolverine and the X Men across black ops missions and prison experiments. Translating that blend of military edge, height, strength, and intensity calls for performers with credible physicality and a strong presence.
Below are fifteen working actors with résumés that show heavy action training, comfort with stunt work, or a track record in serious drama. Each has led or anchored demanding roles, many speak multiple languages, and several have portrayed Russian or Eastern European characters on film and television, all of which maps cleanly to the character’s background and lore.
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård is a Swedish actor known for physically demanding work in projects like ‘The Northman’, along with major leads in ‘True Blood’, ‘Big Little Lies’, and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’. He is over six feet tall, trained extensively for weapon work and clinch fighting on screen, and is fluent in Swedish and English.
He comes from a family with long standing stage and screen experience and has worked across Europe and the United States. His filmography includes large scale action productions and prestige television, and he has collaborated with directors who emphasize grittier combat choreography and long takes.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is a Danish performer best known for ‘Game of Thrones’, where he trained with swords, shields, and horseback combat over multiple seasons. His credits also include ‘Shot Caller’, ‘Oblivion’, and ‘Headhunters’, which showcase prison drama intensity, science fiction scale, and crime thriller restraint.
He speaks Danish and English and has produced and written for film, which gives him a broad understanding of character and production demands. He has led international shoots that rely on detailed stunt planning and has logged years of on set weapons handling with consistent safety and discipline.
Joe Manganiello
Joe Manganiello is an American actor with a background in strength training and fight preparation for screen roles such as ‘True Blood’, ‘Magic Mike’, and ‘Justice League’. He stands well over six feet and has trained in boxing and grappling for film choreography.
He has experience with armor, tactical gear, and military set pieces, and he has appeared in projects that balance character drama with heavy action units. He is known to maintain year round conditioning for quick prep cycles, which is valuable for long superhero productions.
Andrey Ivchenko
Andrey Ivchenko is a Ukrainian Canadian actor recognized for his work in ‘Stranger Things’, where he portrayed a Soviet enforcer with an emphasis on pursuit and hand to hand scenes. His background includes bodybuilding and consistent screen training in striking, lifts, and throws.
He speaks Russian and English and frequently portrays Eastern European characters in American productions. He has worked on stunt heavy sets that require repeated takes under load, and he brings a measurable presence that suits roles involving military or security forces.
Alexander Ludwig
Alexander Ludwig is a Canadian actor and musician known for ‘Vikings’, ‘The Hunger Games’, and ‘Heels’. He has a strong athletic base from years of action oriented television and maintains a frame suitable for armored costumes and extended fight choreography.
He has filmed large ensemble battle sequences, horseback work, and cold weather shoots, which translates well to productions that stage wintry Eastern European environments. He balances action with grounded character beats and is comfortable with long schedule commitments.
Danila Kozlovsky
Danila Kozlovsky is a Russian actor and director whose credits include ‘Hardcore Henry’, where he played the main antagonist, and ‘Vampire Academy’. He trained at the Saint Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy and has extensive stage experience.
He speaks Russian and English and has led films in both languages. His work often involves controlled menace and corporate or military settings, and he has managed physical scenes that mix firearms handling with close quarters movement on tight sets.
Gustaf Skarsgård
Gustaf Skarsgård is a Swedish actor known for ‘Vikings’, ‘Westworld’, and ‘Oppenheimer’. He trained at the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting and has long form experience with character transformation and period costuming.
He is fluent in Swedish and English and has shot in Europe and North America. His television work required sustained prosthetics, weathered makeup, and intricate set pieces, all of which align with the demands of mutant character design and repeated stunt resets.
Travis Fimmel
Travis Fimmel is an Australian actor with leading roles in ‘Vikings’, ‘Warcraft’, and ‘Raised by Wolves’. He has extensive on camera experience with swords, axes, and heavy armor, and he routinely trained for melee combat on location.
He has collaborated with veteran stunt coordinators on large scale practical fights and brings the endurance needed for full day battle scenes. His projects often film in rugged outdoor settings, which supports believable movement in cold and industrial environments.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is an Icelandic strongman and actor who portrayed Gregor Clegane in ‘Game of Thrones’. He is a multiple time strongman champion with world record lifts and stands well over six and a half feet tall.
He has experience performing in heavy armor and helmets while maintaining precise timing with stunt partners. His training background includes structured recovery and injury prevention protocols, which is useful for long runs of physically taxing sequences.
Dan Stevens
Dan Stevens is a British actor whose roles span ‘Legion’, ‘The Guest’, and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. He trained for close quarters action in ‘The Guest’ and has a stage foundation from the United Kingdom that includes classical preparation and voice work.
He speaks English and French and has recorded voice acting for animation and games, which supports performance capture and ADR needs. He has worked with genre directors across thriller, fantasy, and science fiction, giving him familiarity with prosthetics and visual effects pipelines.
Marcin Dorociński
Marcin Dorociński is a Polish actor who played the grandmaster Vasily Borgov in ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ and appeared as a Russian official in ‘Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’. He is a graduate of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw.
He speaks Polish and Russian and has a long career in Polish cinema that often intersects with espionage and military themes. His recent international work shows comfort with multilingual sets and high security storylines.
Martyn Ford
Martyn Ford is a British actor and athlete with credits in ‘Final Score’, ‘The Machine’, and ‘Accident Man’. He stands around six feet eight inches and brings competitive strength and conditioning to set.
He has trained with stunt teams on grappling, break falls, and safe throws for larger performers. His credits include antagonist roles that require imposing silent movement, and he is accustomed to long makeup sessions for body art and scars.
Liev Schreiber
Liev Schreiber is an American actor known for ‘Ray Donovan’, ‘Salt’, and ‘Defiance’. He is classically trained, has a strong voiceover career, and has portrayed Eastern European characters in multiple films.
He speaks English and has studied at the Yale School of Drama, with additional stage work in Shakespeare that sharpens precision in physical beats. He has led action dramas that integrate family stakes with organized crime and government operations.
Yuri Kolokolnikov
Yuri Kolokolnikov is a Russian actor who appeared in ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘The Americans’, and ‘Tenet’. He has worked in both Russian and American productions and is fluent in Russian and English.
He has played commanders and operatives with a serious military bearing and has experience with cold climate location shoots. His film and television work includes complex set pieces that rely on tight timing with practical effects.
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and former European karate champion known for ‘Rocky IV’, ‘Aquaman’, and ‘The Expendables’. He holds an engineering degree and speaks multiple languages including Swedish and English.
He has decades of screen fighting experience with empty hand techniques and weapons. He has performed in large water tank stages and on international sets, and he maintains a disciplined training routine that supports repeatable choreography.
Share your picks for Omega Red in the comments and tell us who you would add to the list.
