Between the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Extended Universe, and X-Men franchise, there is no shortage of comic book movies being produced lately. And because the genre is so expansive, there are a handful of actors who have had roles in multiple properties and shared universes. And with Marvel producing a bunch of new small screen adventures, this sharing of actors should become practically commonplace. Case in point: Hulu's upcoming teen-centric drama Runaways, which just cast actor Julian McMahon in a guest role. Looks like Doctor Doom is about to have some new friends, although he still appears to have some possibly nefarious intentions.
Julian McMahon has been around the block for quite a while now. A true TV star, he appeared as a lead role in Ryan Murphy's Nip/Tuck, and before than he played complicated bad boy Cole Turner in Charmed. He's once again returning to the small screen with Runaways, playing the mysterious character Jonah. Variety reports that he'll be helping the titular teenagers' conflict with their parents, although its unclear where his allegiances truly lie.
On the superhero side of things, Julian McMahon garnered attention for his portrayal of Doctor Doom in both original The Fantastic Four movie, and its sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer. This was before shared universes were even a thought, and before the critically panned reboot starring Michael B. Jordan and Kate Mara. And while the quality of the original franchise is also a bit suspect, the critical bashing that the new film got cements Julian McMahon as the current reigning Doctor Doom.
Julia McMahon is not the only Marvel actor who has switched over to other franchises. In fact, his Fantastic Four co-star Chris Evan played the Human Torch long before he picked up Captain America's hammer. Josh Brolin's Thanos will finally arrive to battle the Guardians and Avengers in Infinity War, although he's also playing Cable in the highly anticipated Deadpool 2. And the same sort of blending also occurs at DC, as Legends of Tomorrow actor Brandon Routh also played the title character in Superman Returns back in 2006. I guess some folks just can't get enough crime fighting and tights.
It should be interesting to see how Runaways functions in regards to the tons of Marvel properties that are already out there. It's apparently set within the MCU, specifically the TV universe shared by Netflix's Defenders. And while it's nearly impossible that any sort of crossover would happen, perhaps they'll cross reference the events of the MCU, the way that Daredevil and Jessica Jones reference the events of the films.
Runaways will premiere on Hulu on November 21, 2017. In the meantime, be sure to check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
