Top 20 Non-Actors Who Make Cameos in MCU Movies

Spotting surprise faces in Marvel movies is half the fun, and the MCU loves to sneak in quick appearances from creators, musicians, journalists, athletes, and directors who aren’t primarily known as actors. These cameos usually pop up in news clips, post-credits stingers, or blink-and-you’ll-miss-them moments, and they often tie directly into the story world. Here are twenty non-actors who show up across the MCU’s big-screen adventures, plus exactly where you can find them. Keep this list handy the next time you pause to prove to your friends that yes, that really was who you think it was.

Stan Lee

The Marvel legend appears throughout the MCU in roles that range from a pageant judge in ‘Iron Man 3’ to a Watcher informant in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’. He shows up as a Xandarian ladies’ man on Nova Corps world and as a security guard at the Smithsonian in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. His final filmed MCU cameo is in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. Fans can also spot him in earlier entries like ‘Iron Man’ and ‘The Avengers’ in quick, playful bits.

Elon Musk

The tech entrepreneur appears as himself in ‘Iron Man 2’. He meets Tony Stark at the Monaco Grand Prix and mentions an idea for an electric jet. The moment is a nod to Stark’s inspiration from real-world inventors. The cameo happens in the race sequence’s aftermath among the VIPs.

Larry Ellison

The Oracle cofounder pops up in ‘Iron Man 2’ during the Stark Expo scenes. He greets Tony Stark briefly as cameras follow the billionaire hero through the venue. The cameo underscores the film’s Silicon Valley flavor around Stark’s world. Look for it as Tony moves through the Expo introductions.

Adam Goldstein

Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, plays himself in ‘Iron Man 2’. He’s the DJ at Tony’s chaotic birthday party where Iron Man and War Machine brawl through the house. His stickers and booth setup are visible as the scene kicks off. The production dedicated the film to him.

Tom Morello

The guitarist from Rage Against the Machine appears in ‘Iron Man’. He plays a Ten Rings guard who is taken out during Tony’s Mark I escape sequence. Morello also contributed guitar work to the film’s score. His cameo is part of the cave breakout action.

Rob Zombie

The musician voices a Ravager navigation system in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. He returns with another voice bit in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’. These are audio cameos during crew chatter aboard Yondu’s ship. You’ll hear him when the Ravagers coordinate routes.

Miley Cyrus

The singer voices the AI head known as Mainframe in a credits stinger for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’. The moment appears during the original Ravagers reunion tags. Her robotic character delivers a single, friendly line to the team. It’s part of the multi-tag finale.

Trevor Noah

The host and comedian provides the voice of Griot, Shuri’s AI, in ‘Black Panther’. Griot guides the remote piloting of a jet during the Jabari rescue sequence. The voice performance supports the action with tactical callouts. Noah’s cameo is entirely off-camera as a system voice.

Jim Starlin

The comic book creator of Thanos appears in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. He is one of the people in Steve Rogers’ support group meeting in 2023. The scene takes place early in the film as characters grapple with the Blip. Starlin sits among the circle of attendees.

Ed Brubaker

The writer who co-created the Winter Soldier appears in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. He plays a HYDRA scientist involved in the Winter Soldier’s conditioning. His cameo occurs during the bunker and lab sequences tied to Bucky’s past. It’s a quick, silent nod in a lab coat.

Joe Russo

The MCU director makes several small on-screen appearances in the movies he directs. In ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ he’s the doctor who treats Nick Fury in the hospital. In ‘Captain America: Civil War’ he shows up again in a different bit part. In ‘Avengers: Endgame’ he appears in Steve’s support group as a grieving man.

Anderson Cooper

The CNN anchor appears as himself in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. He reports on developments in Wakanda as the film cuts to news coverage. His segments frame political reactions to the film’s events. These appear as in-universe TV broadcasts.

Pat Kiernan

The NY1 news anchor turns up repeatedly as himself across the MCU. He delivers on-screen reports in ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Iron Man 3’. He later appears in ‘Doctor Strange’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ with additional news updates. His segments are presented as New York local news clips.

Christiane Amanpour

The journalist appears as herself in ‘Iron Man 2’. She interviews Pepper Potts on TV while discussing Stark Industries and recent public incidents. The cameo uses a real news show format to ground the superhero story. It’s part of the film’s media montage surrounding Tony Stark.

Bill O’Reilly

The commentator appears as himself in ‘Iron Man 2’. He hosts a segment criticizing Stark-related developments and the Iron Man situation. The clip plays within the movie as characters react to public perception. It adds to the film’s talk-show media texture.

Bill Maher

The ‘Real Time’ host appears as himself in ‘Iron Man 3’. In a brief segment he comments on the Iron Patriot rebrand and national security optics. The bit is shown as in-universe television during the story. It’s one of several real-media inserts in that film.

Lloyd Kaufman

The Troma Entertainment cofounder appears in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. He plays a prisoner in the Kyln who reacts during the chaos of the lockup. The cameo acknowledges director James Gunn’s early filmmaking ties. He later makes another quick appearance in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’.

Kamaru Usman

The UFC champion has a small role in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. He appears as a naval officer during a tense set-piece at sea. The part is brief and dialogue is limited, fitting the film’s military presence. He is credited for the role in the final cast list.

Tyler Bates

The composer of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ makes an on-screen cameo. He appears uncredited as a Ravager pilot visible during a quick cutaway. The moment happens amid the film’s spacefaring sequences. It’s a nod to his behind-the-scenes contribution to the movie’s sound.

George Kotsiopoulos

The stylist and TV personality appears as himself in ‘Iron Man 3’. The cameo occurs within an entertainment news segment that comments on superhero branding and public image. His bit is bundled with other media cutaways in the film. It adds a fashion-industry voice to the in-world chatter.

Tell us which MCU cameo you were most surprised to catch and who you want to see pop up next in the comments.