7 Doctor Who actors who have appeared in the MCU

Spoiler alert! This Doctor Who article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Doctor Who has rightly garnered a worldwide following over its 58 year run so it’s really no surprise that the show has also generated a talented ever-growing list of performers. Managing to move from one multi-verse to another, several Doctor Who stars have went on to find success within the MCU. How many of your favourite Whoniverse actors made the list?

Doctor Who actors who have appeared in the MCU

1. David Tennant – Tenth Doctor/Kilgrave

Before channeling the wickedly manipulative mind-controlling villain in Netflix’s Jessica Jones, Tennant had charmed the entire UK with his charismatic and energized depiction of the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010.

Kilgrave was a far cry from the beloved time traveler, inflicting pain and torture for his own twisted entertainment. Tennant’s portrayal earned high praise from fans and critics alike, having been described as “one of the best villains produced by Marvel.”

2. Jenna Coleman – Clara Oswald/Connie

Coleman’s Clara Oswald accompanied not one but two space-hopping time lords throughout the seventh and ninth season. Clara was welcomed into the series with open arms, completely winning over viewers through an unpredictable quirkiness.

Prior to her intergalactic adventures, Coleman made a brief (and forgettable) cameo as Bucky’s date in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

3. Daniel Kaluuya – Barclay/W’Kabi

Daniel Kaluuya rose to fame in British drama series Skins (2007 – 2013) before impressing global viewers on the big screen; amidst his early UK stardom, he played Barclay – a passenger on Bus 200 – in the 2009 episode ‘Planet of the Dead.’

Kaluuya is recognised for his roles in Get Out (2017), Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), and Black Panther (2018) where he appears as W’Kabi – the best friend of T’Challa, chief of the Border Tribe, and husband of Okoye.

4. Karen Gillian – Amy Pond/Nebula

Following Tennant’s anticipated departure, Gillian entered a whole new terrain alongside future Marvel star, Matt Smith, and boy, did she deliver. It didn’t take long for Amy to become a fan-favourite thanks to her fiery, quick-witted personality.

Now, Gillian still travels around the galaxy, just not in the same wholesome, family-friendly way as before. The Scottish actress became an integral part of the MCU in 2014 with her role as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy and is set to appear in several upcoming sequels.

5. Andrew Garfield – Frank/Spider-Man

In 2007, Spider-Man himself appeared as good-natured Tennessean, Frank, in the third season’s two-part arc where he battled daleks and pig-people. Not quite up to superhero status yet, it turned out that Frank was actually the one in need of rescue this time around.

Nearly 10 years after his debut as the web-slinger, Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man films are officially part of the MCU thanks to No Way Home (2021). 

6. Gemma Chan – Mia/Sersi

When the Tenth Doctor arrives on Mars, he encounters a doomed base team, including Chan’s Mia, who are all fated to die that same day. Unlike the rest of her friends, Mia is one of the few to survive and goes on to make a impact on the state of the future.

Despite appearing in Captain Marvel (2019) as a Kree sniper, Chan found her second footing in the MCU with a much more significant role in 2021’s Eternals.

7. Richard E. Grant – The Great Intelligence/Classic Loki

Previously voiced by Marvel villain Sir Ian McKellan, The Great Intelligence holds another connection to Marvel in the form of Richard E. Grant.

Grant recently made his MCU debut as an elder variant, named Classic Loki, of the Norse trickster. His presence is short-lived, however, and Grant’s character nobly gives his own life in order for Silvie and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki to bewitch Alioth.

Did you know about all these actors who jumped from Doctor Who to the world of the MCU?