Netflix’s brand-new sci-fi movieThe Electric Statehas a shocking number of cast and crew members in common withthe Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU).The Electric Statedebuted on Netflix on August 05, 2025, and it has already begun making waves. In addition to beingNetflix’s most expensive movieto date,The Electric State’sRotten Tomatoes scoresreveal that audiences and critics are incredibly divided.
There are myriad reasons the movie has had a mixed response, includingThe Electric Statemovie being nothing like the novel, but the impressively star-studdedcast ofThe Electric Stateis certainly among the reasons many viewers have taken to it regardless. In addition to acclaimed actor Millie Bobby Brown playing the leading character, Michelle, the movie had a number of major names both on and off the screen.These cast and crew members in particular represent all the MCU actors and crew who also worked onThe Electric State.
The Russo Brothers
The Russos Directed The Electric State And Several MCU Movies
The Russo brothers' name will be familiar to many, asthey’ve directed numerous major movies, including several of the MCU’s biggest films. The Russos directedCaptain America: The Winter Soldier,Captain America: Civil War,Avengers: Infinity War, andAvengers: Endgame. They will also be directingAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, two of the biggestupcoming MCU movies.
It seems big budgets for Netflix movies are also very much in the Russo brothers' wheelhouse, asbefore directingThe Electric State, the Russos directedThe Gray Man, the most expensive Netflix movie at the time. Now,The Electric Statehas that title. It’s not all that surprising, given the projects they’ve worked on, that the Russos have brought a big budget mindset to streaming services, although it raises some interesting questions about the future.
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Christopher Markus
Markus Has Written For Multiple Major MCU Movies In Addition To The Electric State
Christopher Markus is yet anotherElectric Statecrew member who has a significant history working with the MCU. Before working onThe Electric Stateas a writer,Markus worked onEndgame,Infinity War, andCaptain America: The First Avenger, among others. Markus has also worked on prominent TV shows, including Marvel’sAgent Carter.
Outside the MCU, Markus has experience working for other major franchises as well. Most notably, Markus was a writer forThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobeand its sequels,The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianandThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It seems Markus and the Russos also have an extensive work history together, as Markus was also a writer on projects likeThe Gray Manalongside the Russo brothers.
Markus was a writer forThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobeand its sequels.
Stephen McFeely
McFeely Was A Writer On The Electric State And Multiple MCU Movies
Another writer, Stephen McFeely, has also worked on multiple MCU movies in addition to being a writer onThe Electric State. In fact, McFeely’s projects have considerable overlap with Markus and with the Russo brothers.McFeely has worked onEndgame,Infinity War,The Winter Soldier,Agent Carter,The First Avenger, and many others.
Also like Markus, McFeely previously worked on all threeChronicles of Narniamovies. Along with many of hisElectric Statecounterparts, McFeely wrote forThe Gray Manas well. McFeely is currently signed on for bothDoomsdayandSecret Wars, suggesting his relationship with the MCU (and with the Russo brothers) is far from over.
Alan Silvestri
Alan Silvestri Was A Composer For Some Of The Most Popular Movies In The Last Several Years
Award-winning composer Alan Silvestri has worked on a staggering number of major movies, in addition to his work onThe Electric State. In terms of the MCU, Silvestri has been a composer forInfinity War,Endgame,The Avengers, and others. He is also signed on forDoomsdayandSecret Warsat this time, per IMDB.
Silvestri has been a composer forInfinity War,Endgame,The Avengers, and others.
While these are all major titles, Silvestri’s record includes a host of other movies as well.Among those projects areForrest Gump,The Polar Express,A Christmas Carol,Ready Player One, and so many others. Silvestri has also composed for shows and series, such asTales from the Crypt,Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, andCosmos: Possible Worlds.
Jeffrey Ford
Ford Was An Editor On The Electric State And Multiple MCU Projects
Editor Jeffrey Ford has worked on some of the biggest MCU movies to date. Ford was an editor forThe Avengers,Avengers: Age of Ultron,Infinity War,Endgame, andSpider-Man: No Way Home. This impressively means that Ford has worked on many of the projects that are largely considered some ofthe best MCU movies.
Ford also worked on the Marvel TV movieWerewolf by Night. Outside the MCU, and in addition to his work onThe Electric State, Ford has been an editor for movies likeThe Family Stone,Shattered Glass, andI, Robot. Interestingly,The Electric Statewas Ford’s first non-Marvel project over the last several years—only reinforcing all the more that there were extensive connections between this movie and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Chris Pratt
Pratt Is The Most Obvious MCU Connection In The Electric State
The most obvious MCU connection inThe Electric Stateis Chris Pratt. InThe Electric State, Pratt plays Keats, one of the main characters in the movie. At first, Keats is an outcast, living with a robot named Herman despite the fact that humans and robots are meant to be entirely at odds following the robot revolution. Over time, though, Keats' more vulnerable side begins to show, and his character has a meaningful arc.
In the MCU, Pratt plays Peter Quill/Star-Lord, a key character in the franchise’s threeGuardians of the Galaxymovies. While there are plenty of other prominent MCU characters inThe Electric State, Pratt is the most front and center because his character is so important to the narrative. Moreover, some of the MCU actors are robots inThe Electric State, making them harder to identify.
Pratt plays Peter Quill/Star-Lord, a key character in the franchise’s threeGuardians of the Galaxymovies.
Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan’s Characters In The Electric State And The MCU Are Both Lovable
Unlike a few other MCU actors inThe Electric State,Ke Huy Quan is very easy to identify in the movie because his character is so similar to his MCU character. InThe Electric State, Ke Huy Quan plays Dr. Amherst, a doctor who has found himself on the wrong side of things but who wants to do better. Even this arc is incredibly similar to Ke Huy Quan’s role inLoki, in which he plays Ouroboros, or simply OB.
Even this arc is incredibly similar to Ke Huy Quan’s role inLoki.
Like Dr. Amherst, OB is a brilliant scientist who is at first working for the ‘bad’ guys—in Dr. Amherst’s case, Sentre, and in OB’s case, the TVA. In both cases, though, these characters ultimately care about the people they meet, and it leads them to do the right thing. However incidentally, Ke Huy Quan’s two characters actually end up becoming quite similar, making him especially recognizable in this role.
Stanley Tucci
Tucci Is The Main Villain In The Electric State
Stanley Tucci’s roles in the MCU and inThe Electric Stateare quite different, although they share some interesting similarities. InThe Electric State, Tucci’s character, Ethan Skate, is the primary antagonist. As the head of Sentre, Ethan Skate has stoked the flames of the hatred between humans and robots, and he’s also been harboring a horrible secret about the fate of Michelle’s brother.
However,inThe Electric State, Ethan Skate is also a brilliant scientist (for better or worse), which connects to Tucci’s MCU character. In the MCU, Tucci played Dr. Abraham Erskine, the scientist who gave Steve Rogersthe super soldier serumthat allowed him to become Captain America. In both cases, Tucci plays someone with a brilliant mind, although his aims are much more nefarious inThe Electric Statethan they are in the MCU.
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Giancarlo Esposito
Esposito Just Starred In The Newest MCU Movie
Giancarlo Esposito is much newer tothe MCU timelinethan many other entries on this list, as he has only appeared inCaptain America: Brave New World, which released just last month. InBrave New World, Esposito playedthe Marvel villain Sidewinder, who acts as a mercenary in the movie. Interestingly, yet again,Esposito’s character in the MCU is not all that dissimilar from his character inThe Electric State.
InThe Electric State, Giancarlo Esposito plays Colonel Bradbury, a former military man who has effectively become a robot bounty hunter following the robot revolution. His role inThe Electric Stateis a little unusual, as he is using the Sentre technology to project his face onto and see through a walking drone. Although that might make him temporarily difficult to spot, Giancarlo Esposito is indeed inThe Electric State, in a role quite similar to Sidewinder in the MCU.
Anthony Mackie
Mackie Plays The Falcon And Captain America In The MCU
Finally,Anthony Mackie, who began in the MCU as Sam Wilson/the Falcon and is now Captain America, is also inThe Electric State—although he’s especially difficult to spot. InThe Electric State, Mackie voices Herman, or “Herm,” as Keats calls him, the droid that has stayed by Keats' side as a best friend over the years. As can be expected of Mackie, Herm is absolutely hilarious.
In the MCU, Mackie’s importance has only grown, with him recently being the titular lead ofCaptain America: Brave New World, and his return already confirmed for future MCU projects. Although that role looks incredibly different from Herman inThe Electric State, both reflect Mackie’s humor, charm, and acting chops. Clearly, there was plenty of crossover between the Marvel Cinematic Universe andThe Electric State, as all these cast and crew members have worked on both.
