Actors Who Appeared in Both Star Wars and Marvel

It is not unusual to see familiar faces pop up across galaxy spanning franchises. The worlds of ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel share a long list of performers who have taken on major roles in films and series that live under the same studio umbrella. Between theatrical releases and Disney Plus shows, the overlap stretches from the prequel era to the newest chapters on streaming.

This roundup highlights ten actors who logged time in both universes. Each entry notes where you can find them in ‘Star Wars’ projects and where they show up in Marvel titles, including appearances across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Television, and earlier Marvel films from other studios.

Samuel L. Jackson

In ‘Star Wars’, Samuel L. Jackson portrays Jedi Master Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy, a member of the Jedi Council who fights in the Battle of Geonosis and the final days of the Republic. He returned to the role with voice work in ‘The Clone Wars’ theatrical film and is heard again as Mace Windu in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’.

In Marvel, Jackson appears as Nick Fury across multiple chapters of the MCU, beginning with early appearances in ‘Iron Man’ projects and expanding through ‘The Avengers’ titles and several ‘Captain America’ and ‘Spider Man’ films. He leads the Disney Plus series ‘Secret Invasion’ and continues to anchor S H I E L D and S W O R D storylines through film and television crossovers.

Natalie Portman

In ‘Star Wars’, Natalie Portman plays Padmé Amidala, the Queen of Naboo who later serves as a Galactic Republic senator through the events of the prequel trilogy. Her storyline connects closely with the rise of Chancellor Palpatine and the early life of Anakin Skywalker, including major arcs on Naboo and Coruscant.

In Marvel, Portman portrays Jane Foster in the ‘Thor’ series, appearing alongside Asgardian characters across multiple films that tie into ‘The Avengers’. She returns to the role on the cosmic side of the MCU, where her character assumes the mantle of the Mighty Thor during a later chapter of the ‘Thor’ saga.

Oscar Isaac

In ‘Star Wars’, Oscar Isaac appears as Poe Dameron, a Resistance pilot introduced in ‘The Force Awakens’ who flies with Black Squadron and works closely with General Leia Organa. The character features across the sequel trilogy with storylines that include Starkiller Base, the Resistance evacuation, and the final push against the First Order.

In Marvel, Isaac headlines the Disney Plus series ‘Moon Knight’ as Marc Spector and Steven Grant, exploring dissociative identity and Egyptian mythology across six episodes. Beyond the MCU, his Marvel credits also include a villain role in an earlier ‘X Men’ film released by another studio, underscoring his repeated connection to Marvel based projects.

Andy Serkis

In ‘Star Wars’, Andy Serkis performs and voices Supreme Leader Snoke in ‘The Force Awakens’ and ‘The Last Jedi’, using performance capture to bring the character to life. He also appears in ‘Andor’ as Kino Loy, a factory floor manager on Narkina 5 whose episodes explore the Empire prison system.

In Marvel, Serkis plays Ulysses Klaue, a black market arms dealer who first appears during a confrontation with Earths Mightiest Heroes and later returns in ‘Black Panther’. The character links Wakandan vibranium trafficking to prior events in ‘Avengers’ stories and helps set up the conflict in the nation of Wakanda.

Lupita Nyong’o

In ‘Star Wars’, Lupita Nyong’o provides performance capture and voice for Maz Kanata in the sequel trilogy, a pirate and collector who runs a castle on Takodana. Maz aids the Resistance with information, houses the Skywalker lightsaber for a time, and reappears during the final confrontation with the First Order.

In Marvel, Nyong’o portrays Nakia in ‘Black Panther’ and its sequel, a War Dog operative and close ally of T Challa. Her arc spans missions outside Wakanda and key events inside the Golden City, with roles in royal ceremonies, diplomatic work, and the nation’s defense.

Benicio Del Toro

In ‘Star Wars’, Benicio Del Toro plays DJ in ‘The Last Jedi’, a slicer recruited on Canto Bight for a First Order infiltration. His character becomes pivotal during the infiltration of the Supremacy and the subsequent fallout aboard First Order vessels.

In Marvel, Del Toro appears as the Collector in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and other MCU entries, operating a vast museum of rare artifacts and life forms in Knowhere. The character connects to multiple Infinity Stone storylines and crosses paths with the Guardians and Asgardians across different films.

Mads Mikkelsen

In ‘Star Wars’, Mads Mikkelsen portrays Galen Erso in ‘Rogue One’, a scientist whose research under Imperial coercion leads to the Death Star superlaser. The role anchors the mission that ultimately delivers the battle station plans and sets up the opening events of the original trilogy.

In Marvel, Mikkelsen appears as Kaecilius in ‘Doctor Strange’, a former master of the mystic arts who breaks from Kamar Taj teachings and targets the Sanctums. His actions draw Stephen Strange into the wider magical conflict and introduce the MCU to threats from the Dark Dimension.

Stellan Skarsgård

In ‘Star Wars’, Stellan Skarsgård plays Luthen Rael in ‘Andor’, a dealer and covert organizer who helps build the early Rebel network. The character operates from Coruscant and a gallery front, coordinating missions with operatives on planets such as Ferrix and Aldhani.

In Marvel, Skarsgård is Dr Erik Selvig in the ‘Thor’ series and in several ‘Avengers’ related films, a scientist tied to astrophysics research involving portals, the Tesseract, and Asgardian phenomena. He is featured at key moments involving the Bifrost, S H I E L D field operations, and research at European and American facilities.

Emilia Clarke

In ‘Star Wars’, Emilia Clarke appears as Qi’ra in ‘Solo’, a Corellian with ties to the criminal syndicate Crimson Dawn. Her storyline moves from street level survival to high level syndicate dealings, including scenes aboard crime lord vessels and in underworld strongholds.

In Marvel, Clarke plays G’iah in ‘Secret Invasion’, a Skrull operative whose actions intersect with Nick Fury and Talos during a global conspiracy arc. The series places her in covert operations, identity shifts, and confrontations that connect to broader MCU espionage threads.

Paul Bettany

In ‘Star Wars’, Paul Bettany portrays Dryden Vos in ‘Solo’, the public face of Crimson Dawn leadership who commands missions involving coaxium and smuggling routes. His scenes involve negotiations, double crosses, and showdowns that shape the fates of several Corellian outlaws.

In Marvel, Bettany first voices J A R V I S across multiple MCU films before appearing on screen as Vision in ‘Avengers’ stories. He then headlines ‘WandaVision’ on Disney Plus, which expands Vision and Wanda Maximoff narratives through a blend of sitcom motifs and S W O R D investigations.

Share your picks for other performers who crossed lightsabers and super suits in the comments.