Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Multiverse Adds Another Community Actor To The MCU

The MCU has featured several Community cameos but thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home’s multiverse crossovers, another has been added. Ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off in 2008, the movies have been rife with cameos. They have been plot-based, such as Samuel L. Jackson debuting as Nick Fury to set up the wider world(s) in the Iron Man post-credits scene. They have been purely amusing like Matt Damon portraying an Asgardian actor that in turn played Loki in Thor: Ragnarok. They have also been deeply poignant, as was the case with Stan Lee’s legacy of cameos in the Marvel movies. Dan Harmon’s popular and critically-acclaimed sitcom, Community, however, has especially overlapped with the MCU in an ever-increasing number of ways.

Though Community frequently mocked the Marvel Cinematic Universe, multiple writers crossed streams to work on the movies. Dan Harmon himself contributed to the script for Doctor Strange. Meanwhile, Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers penned each installment of Tom Holland’s first Spider-Man trilogy. On top of that, frequent Community directors Joe and Anthony Russo made the leap to the blockbuster movies, helming multiple outings from Captain America: The Winter Soldier all the way to the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame. As a result of their inclusion, their sitcom roots have been referenced, including an Arrested Development Easter egg in Avengers: Infinity War. Equally, several Community actors have directly appeared in the Russo Brothers’ various MCU installments.

Danny Pudi, who played Abed Nadir on all six seasons (not yet a movie) of Community made a cameo as a SHIELD officer in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Donald Glover played Aaron Davis (a.k.a. The Prowler) in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Shirley Bennett actress Yvette Nicole Brown appeared in Avengers: Endgame, as did Ken Jeong. Meanwhile, Jim Rash, who played Greendale Community College’s eclectic Dean, similarly played an MIT faculty member in Captain America: Civil War. In addition to all of them, and Community guest stars that later appeared in the MCU, Joel McHale can now be technically added to the list — courtesy of the multiversal adventure that is Spider-Man: No Way Home.

As was already widely confirmed, Spider-Man: No Way Home will pit Tom Holland’s newly unmasked Peter Parker against villains past. That will include Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2.  As many no doubt remember, Joel McHale featured in a prominent scene in the Sam Raimi-directed sequel. He played Mr. Jacks, a bank worker who denied Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) financial assistance shortly before Doc Ock robbed the place. Given that the mechanical-armed villain will be pulled across universes from Spider-Man 2’s final act, the bank scene will still have happened and thus will technically become also MCU canon. As such, though Joel McHale’s Spidey cameo predated his work as Jeff Winger, it will nonetheless make his addition to the list of Community/MCU crossovers equally valid.

As a result, the Marvel Cinematic Universe moved one step closer to having the full Community set. With the addition of Joel McHale to the MCU extended cast list that only leaves two main Community stars remaining (three, with the inclusion of the controversial Chevy Chase). For a time, it looked as though one of them, Alison Brie, who played the studious Annie Edison, might make the jump. When casting Jennifer Walters (a.k.a She-Hulk), Brie was considered the template. Ultimately, however, the role went to Tatiana Maslany.

The second still to crossover is Gillian Jacobs, who played erratic wild card, Britta Perry. Though she has accumulated a wealth of superhero-related roles, the MCU has yet to beckon the popular Community star. Still, with seemingly no end in sight for MCU Phase 4 and beyond, there will remain every chance Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs can join their former co-stars one day, either for a cameo or a more prominent role. In the meantime, many will no doubt content themselves with theorizing who the two actresses could play, as well as the fact that Joel McHale’s retroactive addition to wider MCU via Spider-Man: No Way Home moved things in the right direction.