Thanks to his performance in Shogun, Hiroyuki Sanada has gained a whole new fanbase. However, fans are now noticing the missed potential of the highly esteemed Japanese actor in the MCU.
Ever since his debut in The Last Samurai, Sanada has been a well-known actor. He has continued to star in major successes such as John Wick: Chapter 4, Westworld, and Mortal Kombat. In addition, he played the role of Shingen, a long-standing adversary of Wolverine, in 2013’s The Wolverine.
Despite receiving critical acclaim for his latest role in the FX original Shogun, some die-hard MCU fans are disappointed by the fact that he was not utilized effectively in the MCU.
It’s understandable if you forgot that Sanada had a role in an MCU movie. He only makes a brief cameo appearance in Avengers: Endgame as Akihiko, a Yakuza boss who is killed by Clint Barton while he’s disguised as Ronin.
The role that Sanada played in Endgame was a topic of discussion among users on the MarvelStudios subreddit, sparking a debate about whether the actor had the most untapped potential in the MCU.
“MVHutch expressed disappointment in seeing Hiroyuki Sanada, who had previously played a samurai character in The Wolverine, cast as a throwaway gangster in another “white guy does samurai better”storyline in Shōgun. In a Reddit post discussing wasted MCU actors, MVHutch stated that Sanada could have played a more dynamic and cool character instead.”
Upon reading the post, other Reddit users chimed in to express their agreement, with one user even stating, “I completely forgot that Sanada was a part of the MCU. He barely had any significant screen time.”
“One user commented, ‘He always stands out in every movie he appears in.’ However, it is unfortunate that he never gets to play the lead role.”
However, despite many others pointing out that it may not be the conclusion of Sanada’s involvement in the MCU, there is potential for his character to return. As the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand, we have witnessed numerous actors who previously had minor roles reprise their characters in more prominent roles.
Ralph Ineson, known for his role as a Ravager pilot in Guardians of the Galaxy, will reprise his role as Galactus in Fantastic Four. Michelle Yeoh, who made a cameo appearance in Guardians Vol. 2, has also taken on a significant role in Shang-Chi, while Gemma Chan, who previously appeared as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, will now portray Sersi in Eternals.
Despite his death at the end of The Wolverine, there is still a possibility for Sanada to reprise his role as Shingen in the Fox X-Men universe. With the multiversal and time-travel elements present in recent stories, as well as potential shenanigans from Deadpool and Wolverine, his return is not completely ruled out.
The MCU has demonstrated a willingness to find the perfect actor for each role, even if it means recasting. Sanada’s popularity has reached new heights with the success of Shogun, making him a strong candidate for future projects. As the X-Men enter the picture, there are numerous Japanese characters from the Marvel universe that Sanada could potentially bring to life.
You can now stream all episodes of Shogun on Hulu and explore the latest updates on the plans for Shogun Season 2, as well as the significance of its ending. Additionally, you can learn more about the potential cameos of Deadpool and Wolverine that may be featured.
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