Every Avenger's Best Performance OUTSIDE The MCU

For an actor, being cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a recurring character must feel like a double-edged sword:

On the one hand, it's a well-paid, profile raising gig that locks actors into guaranteed work for the foreseeable future, and carries with it a devoted fan base.

But on the other hand, being locked in such a grand franchise could be a restriction too. Commitments to such a long thought out series could restrain actors from taking other roles in the meantime, and even when they get a part in a completely different film, there's a strong chance that they could hurt their "brand".

For over a decade now, the MCU has acquired a long line of recurring actors who have a uniquely diverse range. We've seen the heroes play all sorts of villains (or different types of heroes) and it's been difficult at times to separate them from their MCU counterparts.

But every now and then, they shine through and we as an audience can witness a role that floors us, and reminds us they are actors and not just vessels to sell superhero toys.

Because the MCU has had so many actors, I'm limiting this list to exclusively the heroes of the franchise. Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy (Groot and Rocket have been excluded as they were voice acting) and Thor's "Revengers" are all included.

Whether you like them or not, the rebooted Star Trek films have got themselves some talent behind them.

Playing a rebooted take on a beloved character comes with a lot of pressure. For Zoe Saldana, she had to honour the role left to her previously by Nichelle Nichols, while at the same time carve out a performance of her own to separate herself from the past.

As the (technically) third lead in the film series, Saldana calves a place in the team as the level-headed den mother of the Starship Enterprise - not unlike her character Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Between Chris Pine's quips and Zachary Quinto's deadpan delivery, Saldana (alongside Karl Urban to be fair) provides the middle-ground that the franchise needs to keep the audience on an even keel throughout the films.

And as far as we can tell on screen, Saldana is the only recurring performer to learn and speak the complicated (and totally real) Klingon language - an impressive achievement for any performer to accomplish.

Given that Saldana has already proven herself to be an action star, here's hoping that after her time in the MCU is complete, she continues with broad and heroic roles like these.