The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a great wealth of talent, garnering praise for the actor's acting ability in movies like Moon Knight. In show business, it is not uncommon for a brilliant actor to also have an amazing singing voice. Often, an actor’s vocal talent is overlooked or not outright known to the public. Other times, there is no denying the natural singing ability one may possess.
In addition to their acting talent, several Marvel actors also have a knack for musicianship, performing in roles that require fantastic vocals or making a career out of recording and selling songs and albums. Some have even graced the Broadway stage.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff, the Russian S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who kills it in every scene she’s in. With her clever wits and combat training, she is a huge asset to the Avengers. In Endgame, she sacrifices herself to bring back those they lost when Thanos snapped half of all life in the Universe out of existence.
In recent years, Scarlett Johansson’s singing ability has come to light, largely thanks to her role as Ash in Sing 2. Johansson attempted to have a full-blown singing career in the early 2000s, releasing her debut album in 2008. Titled “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” the album consists of several Tom Waits cover songs. Most recently, Scarlett sang and starred in a music video for “Bad Dreams” with Pete Yorn in 2018.
Donald Glover
Donald Glover plays Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Davis is Miles Morales’ uncle in the comics. He engages in criminal activity to his family. Glover also voices Miles Morales in a couple of episodes of Ultimate Spider-Man.
Donald Glover has range, in his voice and his resume of projects. Glover plays Simba in the live-action musical remake of the Atlanta. As a singer/songwriter, Glover goes by Childish Gambino. He is primarily known for rap, but he can sing too. His song Redbone in particular shows off his wide vocal range. Fans were surprised to hear him sing it live.
Zendaya
Zendaya plays Michelle Jones—also known as M.J.—in the Spider-Man movies. Michelle is Peter’s love interest in No Way Home. She brings a different take to the popular character, as she’s extremely cynical, observant, and awkward.
The Greatest Showman where she sings “Rewrite The Stars” with Zac Efron.
Hailee Steinfeld
Hailee Steinfeld plays Kate Bishop, a reckless archer, and protégée of Clint Barton in the Disney+ series, Hawkeye. When she gets a hold of the Ronin suit, she meets her hero, and together, they work to uncover the truth behind the tracksuit mafia.
Steinfeld has been thriving in both her acting and singing career. She played Emily in Pitch Perfect 2 and 3, a Bella with amazing talent and a knack for songwriting. In real life, Steinfeld has released several songs, one of her most popular being “Most Girls.” She also sings “Love Myself,” “Rockbottom” and several other big hits. She told Kelly Clarkson toward the end of 2021 that she is working on new music and hopes to share it with the world soon.
Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield dawned the Spider-Man suit in his countless denials in interviews ahead of the film’s release, he appears as the character again in No Way Home. He helps Holland’s Peter Parker cure the villains who came to Earth 616 through Doctor Strange’s failed spell.
Garfield never used to consider himself a singer, but when Lin Manuel Miranda approached him about playing Jonathon Larson, Garfield was motivated to learn the craft. He spent a whole year in vocal training for Tick Tick… Boom, and it was worth it. He shocks audiences with his musical talent, singing the majority of the songs in the film. He is praised for his performance by many, even winning a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Larson.
Brie Larson
Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, the titular character in Captain Marvel. Danvers is one of the most powerful Avengers, having absorbed the power of the Tesseract in an explosion that knocked her out. She helps defeat Thanos in Avengers: Endgame and is set to have a bigger role in the MCU moving forward.
Like Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson tried to make a career out of her singing voice. She released several songs including “Done With Like” and “She Said.” Brie even put out an album titled “Finally Out Of P.E.” in 2005. Her singing career may not be a priority right now, however, she often posts videos on Instagram of her covering popular songs by Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and more.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper voices Rocket, the genetically-modified, high-functioning raccoon who plays a big part in the guardians of the galaxy team. Rocket is sarcastic and has a short temper. He tends to take things that aren’t his, which sometimes gets him in trouble.
Bradley Cooper directed, produced, and starred in A Star Is A Born. The musical journey, also starring Lady Gaga, was one of Cooper’s first projects with singing involved. It may come as a shock, but he didn’t sing much before this role. Instead, he spent over a year training his voice and learning about the technicalities of music. A Star is Born went on to win several awards, including a BAFTA and a Grammy.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close plays Irani Rael, the highest-ranking member of the Nova Corps which exists with the purpose to protect the people of the Nova Empire. Also known as the Nova Prime, Rael helps defeat Ronan in the Battle of Xandar.
Before her prolific film career, Glenn Close got her to start on Broadway in plays and musicals. She is often praised for her beautiful and vulnerable voice. She starred in several shows, including “Sunset Boulevard,” which won 7 Tony awards and put her on the map. Close went on to win three Tony awards for her contributions, and she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2016.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster, the scientist who greets and falls for Thor when he’s banished to Earth. She also stars in this summer’s most anticipated movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, where she’ll be able to wield Mjolnir.
Natalie Portman is not the first Marvel actor to come to mind as being a great singer, but anyone who has seen Saturday Night Live.
Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson plays the badass warrior Valkyrie, who fought Hela twice. Valkyrie meets Thor on Sakaar where she works as a bounty hunter. She becomes Thor’s friend and in the final moments of Endgame, she becomes the King of New Asgard. She’s set to appear in the next Thor movie which is scheduled to be released in July 2022.
Tessa Thompson plays Bianca in the Dear White People, a movie Tessa was in that was the basis for the series of the same name.
