15 Actors Perfect for the Role of Captain Britain in the MCU
Captain Britain—Brian Braddock—first appeared in British Marvel comics as a physics student from Essex chosen by Merlyn and Roma to wield the Amulet of Right, gaining superhuman strength, durability, flight, force fields and energy projection. Across the multiverse he has been tied to the Captain Britain Corps and Otherworld, frequently collaborating with British intelligence unit MI13 and the mutant-led team ‘Excalibur’; his sister is Betsy Braddock, better known as Psylocke. These elements give Marvel Studios a clear path to connect British espionage, Arthurian myth, and X-gene storylines in future chapters.
On screen, the character has strong links to ensemble storytelling—‘Excalibur’, MI13 and the Corps—so feature films and series could anchor him to teams while exploring Braddock Manor, the Braddock twins’ family dynamics, and cross-realm crises. The following actors bring notable histories in action, espionage, fantasy or historical drama; each has led major projects with directors and writers whose work would mesh naturally with the character’s canon and tone.
Henry Cavill
Cavill headlined ‘Man of Steel’ for director Zack Snyder, co-starred in Christopher McQuarrie’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’, and led Netflix’s fantasy series ‘The Witcher’ under showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. He reunited with director Guy Ritchie for ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’, fronted Matthew Vaughn’s spy caper ‘Argylle’, and is developing a ‘Warhammer 40,000’ universe with Amazon.
He is attached to a ‘Highlander’ reboot directed by Chad Stahelski; recent reporting noted a production delay following a training injury, with the project still positioned as a major action-fantasy vehicle alongside his other commitments. These roles span fantasy swordplay, military tactics, and espionage—genres that overlap with Captain Britain’s comic arcs involving MI13 and Otherworld.
Taron Egerton
Egerton broke out as Eggsy in Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kingsman’ films, portrayed Elton John in ‘Rocketman’ for director Dexter Fletcher, and earned wide acclaim in the true-crime limited series ‘Black Bird’ created by Dennis Lehane. He recently headlined Netflix’s thriller ‘Carry-On’, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, opposite Jason Bateman and Danielle Deadwyler.
Beyond features, Egerton has lined up new television and film projects while discussing franchise possibilities in interviews, keeping a high profile across action and prestige drama. His recent studio collaboration on ‘Carry-On’ emphasized grounded tension and law-enforcement procedure, dovetailing with the espionage elements often present in Captain Britain stories.
Sam Heughan
Heughan has starred for multiple seasons as Jamie Fraser in Starz’s ‘Outlander’, developed by Ronald D. Moore from Diana Gabaldon’s novels, a series that balances historical drama with genre elements. On film, he has appeared in the action-comedy ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’ for director Susanna Fogel, the Valiant Comics adaptation ‘Bloodshot’, and the Andy McNab adaptation ‘SAS: Red Notice’.
Heughan’s stage work and ongoing ‘Outlander’ commitments have run in parallel with new endeavors—including book releases and live productions—highlighting a career that moves between sweeping romance, military thrillers, and genre-tinged action. That mix resonates with Brian Braddock’s long-running blend of personal duty, British institutions, and high-stakes adventure in the comics.
Tom Hopper
Hopper portrays Luther Hargreeves in Netflix’s ‘The Umbrella Academy’ and played Albert Wesker in ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’, an adaptation of Capcom’s survival-horror franchise directed by Johannes Roberts. His television credits also include ‘Black Sails’, ‘Merlin’, and ‘Game of Thrones’, spanning period action and fantasy.
Recent interviews and features have spotlighted Hopper’s work in military-action storytelling and genre ensembles, reflecting a résumé steeped in physically driven roles across film and television. That background parallels Captain Britain’s frequent deployment alongside MI13 and team-based storylines like ‘Excalibur’.
Charlie Hunnam
Hunnam led FX’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ from creator Kurt Sutter and headlined Guillermo del Toro’s kaiju blockbuster ‘Pacific Rim’. His films include ‘Crimson Peak’ for del Toro and ‘The Lost City of Z’ for James Gray, while his recent television credits feature Apple TV+’s ‘Shantaram’, based on Gregory David Roberts’ novel.
He’s also worked with Guy Ritchie on ‘The Gentlemen’, starred in ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ for Ritchie, and appeared in ensemble thrillers like ‘Triple Frontier’. Projects in crime, historical adventure, and fantasy reflect ingredients often associated with Brian Braddock’s mythology and British-set Marvel narratives.
James Norton
Norton’s television work includes ‘Happy Valley’ from creator Sally Wainwright, ‘Grantchester’, the BBC adaptation of ‘War & Peace’, and the international crime drama ‘McMafia’ created by Hossein Amini and James Watkins. He also played the title role in the political thriller ‘Mr. Jones’ from director Agnieszka Holland.
Across prestige TV and features, Norton’s roles have run the gamut from period epics to contemporary espionage, with awards recognition for his villainous turn in ‘Happy Valley’. His screen history with British crime and political intrigue mirrors the MI13 and intelligence threads that frequently intersect with Captain Britain.
Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Jackson-Cohen is known for Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’, and for playing Adrian Griffin in Leigh Whannell’s ‘The Invisible Man’. He has also starred in series such as ‘Dracula’, ‘Surface’ on Apple TV+, and ‘Wilderness’, and appeared in films including ‘Mr. Malcolm’s List’ and ‘The Lost Daughter’.
His projects span gothic mystery, psychological horror, and prestige drama, often anchored in British and European settings. That experience aligns with the occult and Otherworld lore threaded through Captain Britain’s publication history and cross-dimensional arcs.
Luke Evans
Evans has played Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit’ films, antagonist Owen Shaw in ‘Fast & Furious 6’ for director Justin Lin, and Gaston in Disney’s live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ directed by Bill Condon. Additional credits include ‘Dracula Untold’ and television projects across drama and thriller.
His filmography combines fantasy epics, musical spectacle, and high-octane action for major studios, reflecting comfort with large franchises and ensemble storytelling that would sit naturally beside Marvel’s British-set narratives and mythic components.
Regé-Jean Page
Page rose to prominence with Shondaland’s ‘Bridgerton’ on Netflix and has since appeared in the Russo brothers’ spy thriller ‘The Gray Man’ and the fantasy adventure ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. His prior TV work includes ABC’s ‘For the People’ and History’s ‘Roots’.
Upcoming and recent features include ‘Black Bag’, a spy caper, while continuing development in television. The mix of period romance, courtroom drama and modern espionage across these roles intersects with past Captain Britain stories involving aristocratic legacies, MI13 operations and cross-genre stakes.
Theo James
James is known for the ‘Divergent’ films, HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’, and Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series ‘The Gentlemen’, which stars James alongside Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, and Ray Winstone, based on Ritchie’s crime-comedy universe. Earlier credits include ‘Underworld: Blood Wars’ and the Netflix thriller ‘How It Ends’.
‘The Gentlemen’ production materials outline the series’ crime-family dynamics and creative team led by Ritchie and Matthew Read, reinforcing James’s recent pivot into grounded British crime storytelling. That terrain overlaps with intelligence and underworld threads that often surround Brian Braddock’s MI13-adjacent adventures.
Jack Lowden
Lowden stars as River Cartwright opposite Gary Oldman in Apple TV+’s spy thriller ‘Slow Horses’, adapted from Mick Herron’s Slough House novels and created by Will Smith; directors across the series include James Hawes and Adam Randall. On film, he appeared in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ and has led indie features across drama and thriller.
‘Slow Horses’ has earned sustained awards attention and multiple season renewals, underlining Lowden’s ongoing association with British espionage drama. That experience connects directly to the intelligence, surveillance and counter-occult missions that recur in Captain Britain’s comic arcs.
Aidan Turner
Turner played Kíli in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit’ films and headlined the BBC’s ‘Poldark’, while early acclaim came via the supernatural drama ‘Being Human’. Additional screen work spans historical, fantasy and contemporary projects across film and television.
His portfolio covers epic quest narratives and character-focused period drama, a combination that echoes the mythic and national-service strands of Brian Braddock’s stories, including ties to ‘Excalibur’ and Otherworld.
Jamie Dornan
Dornan co-led crime thriller series ‘The Fall’ alongside Gillian Anderson, starred as Christian Grey in the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ film trilogy, and fronted the amnesiac thriller series ‘The Tourist’. Feature work includes collaborations in drama and mystery across studios and streamers.
His recent projects maintain a balance of psychological tension and action-driven storytelling, with international settings and investigators that complement Captain Britain’s mixture of intelligence operations and cross-border stakes.
Henry Golding
Golding’s breakout was as Nick Young in ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ directed by Jon M. Chu, followed by roles in Paul Feig’s ‘A Simple Favor’ and the Guy Ritchie ensemble ‘The Gentlemen’. He played the title role in ‘Snake Eyes’, a ‘G.I. Joe’ spin-off, and appeared in Netflix’s ‘The Old Guard 2’.
His screen work moves between romantic comedy, heist-crime, and martial-arts action, guided by directors including Chu, Feig, and Ritchie. That range fits the tonal shifts common to Captain Britain’s canon, from London underworld dealings to high-fantasy Otherworld conflicts.
Jack O’Connell
O’Connell earned major recognition with ‘Starred Up’ and the war epic ‘Unbroken’ directed by Angelina Jolie, followed by the Western miniseries ‘Godless’. He stars in the BBC drama ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’ from creator Steven Knight, dramatizing the formation of Britain’s special forces.
Profiles and interviews have chronicled his shift from gritty British drama to large-scale action, with awards such as the BAFTA Rising Star underscoring that trajectory. Military, espionage and special-operations themes in his work map closely to MI13 and Captain Britain’s defense-of-realm missions.
Share your own casting picks for Brian Braddock—and who should lead ‘Excalibur’—in the comments!