Why You’ll Never See Mark Wahlberg in a Marvel Movie

Mark Wahlberg explained in a new interview why he might never portray a Marvel character. The 54-year-old actor, whose new movie Play Dirty debuts on Prime Video on October 1, 2025, also disclosed the DC superhero role he’s glad he didn’t end up playing.

Mark Wahlberg says he isn’t confident enough to wear a Marvel costume

Wahlberg spoke about superhero movies in a chat with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of Play Dirty, which is produced by Team Downey, a production company founded by Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey. Wahlberg revealed that Downey Jr. was slated to portray his character Parker before he boarded the project. When asked if Downey Jr. can lure him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wahlberg said, “I don’t know if I have the confidence to walk out of my trailer in one of those costumes.”

The Flight Risk actor added, “I have seen many that I love, Iron Man being my favorite. I think that was really the epitome of quality superhero films. But I just never really had the opportunity, so I never had to make any decision on whether I would or not. But I hadn’t really pursued anything in that genre either.”

The Father Stu star also disclosed that he was in talks to play Dick Grayson / Robin in Batman & Robin and is glad that he didn’t get the role. Chris O’Donnell ultimately portrayed the character in the critically panned movie.

Wahlberg has been active in the industry since the late 1980s. While he is often seen in action projects these days, he has accumulated a diverse portfolio over the years. He has appeared in movies like The Basketball Diaries (1995), Fear (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), The Italian Job (2003), The Departed (2006), The Fighter (2010), Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). The last two of those projects might not be superhero movies, but they include a lot of elements common in that genre. So, that’s the closest he is expected to get to the superhero genre.