19 Actors Who Played Superhero’s You Won’t Recognize From The Start Of Their Career 2026

Our superheroes were not as good-looking as they are today at the beginning of their acting careers.

A Hollywood actor works in many movies but there is always one movie or one character that makes them famous and the world starts recognizing them from that character. Usually, their best ones come either early in their career or later. We admire our favourite Hollywood actors and actresses for their acting skills, their ideal bodies and the hot looks they have served on the screens. We get so used to seeing them in famous roles that when we look back at the beginning of their acting careers, we end up getting surprised because they used to look totally different. And by different we mean, unrecognisable. Our famous Hollywood actors and actresses have undergone several changes over time. Today, we have a list of superheroes who looked totally different when they started acting. Scroll down to see what your favourite superhero used to look like.

1. Chris Evans Captain America.

© Biodiversity: Wild About Life!, © Conoco Phillips Norge, © Knives Out, © Lionsgate Entertainment, © Media Rights Capital (MRC), © T-Street Productions

2. Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow.

© North, © Castle Rock Entertainment, © Columbia Pictures, © New Line Cinema, © Jojo Rabbit, © Piki Films, © TSG Entertainment, © Defender Films, © Czech Anglo Productions, © Fox Searchlight Pictures

3. Robert Downey Jr. AKA Iron Man.

© Tuff Turf, © New World Pictures, © Planet Productions, © Dolittle, © Universal Pictures, © Dentsu, © Perfect World Pictures, © RK films, © Team Downey

4. Brie Larson as Captain Marvel.

© Right on Track, © Just Singer Entertainment, © Walt Disney Pictures, © Between Two Ferns: The Movie, © Funny or Die

5. Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord.

© Cursed Part 3, © Tropacanada, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

6. Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch.

© Silent House, © Elle Driver, © Tazora Films, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

7. Paul Bettany from Vision.

© Sharpe’s Waterloo, © Carlton Television, © Celtic Films, © Picture Palace, © Uncle Frank, © Parts and Labor, © Your Face Goes Here Entertainment

8. Zoe Saldana, (Gamora).

© Center Stage, © Columbia Pictures, © Laurence Mark Productions, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

9. Mark Ruffalo, (The Hulk).

© The Dentist, © Image Organization, © Trimark Pictures, © Dark Waters, © Participant, © Willi Hill, © Killer Content, © Amblin Partners

10. Letitia Wright (Shuri).

© My Brother the Devil, © Rooks Nest Entertainment, © Wild Horses Film Company, © Film-Clinic, © Blood Brothers Films, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

Appearing on the screen as a Marvel or DC character is not an easy thing. You have to change your personality, your body and even your facial features to fit according to the needs of the character. This is why these actors look odd to us when we see the before version of these characters. Scroll down to see how other actors have changed.

11. Tom Holland (Spider-Man).

© Lo imposible, © Mediaset España, © Summit Entertainment, © Apaches Entertainment, © Canal+ España, © Películas la Trini, © Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), © Generalitat Valenciana, © Institut Valencià de Cinematografia (IVAC), © VS Service, © DragonCove Studios, © Telecinco Cinema, © Spider-Man: Far From Home, © Columbia Pictures, © Pascal Pictures, © Marvel Studios, © Matt Tolmach Productions

12. Pom Klementieff (Mantis).

© Loup, © MC4 Productions, © Pathé, © France 3 Cinéma, © Taïga, © Canal+, © CinéCinéma, © France Télévision, © Kiosque, © Département de la Charente-Maritime, © Région Poitou-Charentes, © Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée, © Procirep, © Angoa-Agicoa, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

13. Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange).

© Hawking, © British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), © 1917, © Dreamworks Pictures, © Reliance Entertainment, © New Republic Pictures, © Mogambo, © Neal Street Productions, © Amblin Partners, © Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)

14. Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts).

© Hook, © Amblin Entertainment, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

15. Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye).

© Senior Trip, © 1992 Number Four Limited Partnership, © Alliance Communications Corporation, © National Lampoon, © New Line Cinema, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

16. Michelle Pfeiffer (The original Wasp).

17. Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther).

© The Kill Hole, © Alternate Ending Studios, © 21 Bridges, © AGBO, © Huayi Brothers, © MWM Studios

18. Evangeline Lilly (Hope van Dyne — the new Wasp)

© The Hurt Locker, © Voltage Pictures, © Grosvenor Park Media, © Film Capital Europe Funds (FCEF ), © First Light Production, © Kingsgate Films, © Summit Entertainment, © Avengers: Endgame, © Marvel Studios

19. Danai Gurira (Okoye).

© The Visitor, © Groundswell Productions, © Next Wednesday Productions, © Participant Productions, © Black Panther, © Marvel Studios, © Walt Disney Pictures

Who is your favourite superhero from our list? Have they dramatically changed over time? Comment down to share your thoughts with us!