The Two Howard Starks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark

While watching the movie "Avengers: Endgame" in the theater earlier this year, I was thrown by the actor who played Howard Stark. He seemed different to me than the man who had played the father of Tony Stark (Iron Man) in "Captain America: Winter Soldier." As it turns out, I soon discovered I wasn't the only one. I told a local comic store owner about my confusion, and he agreed with me that he found the portrayal confusing too.

This weekend, I watched "Captain America: Civil War" for the first time since its theatrical release. I was struck by how the actor who played Howard Stark was the same man who had portrayed him in "Avengers: Endgame." While the character belongs to the past, what occurred between the Winter Soldier and Howard Stark drives much of the action in "Captain America: Civil War," so it's a fairly important role. Obviously, the Marvel Cinematic Universe extends over many films, so recasting of minor roles is inevitable. Still, I was curious about the two actors who played Howard Stark, so I decided to investigate further.

John Slattery as Howard Stark

American actor John Slattery portrayed Howard Stark in "Iron Man 2" (2010), "Ant-Man" (2015), "Captain America: Civil War" (2016), and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019). British actor Dominic Cooper portrayed Howard Stark in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011), the short film "Agent Carter" (2013) included as an extra on the home video release of "Iron Man 3," and several episodes of the "Agent Carter" TV series in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, he will voice the role of Howard Stark in an animated web series (or streaming TV series?) in 2021 called "What If...?"

Or, to put the two faces in chronological order:

Movie/TV Series                                       Actor                 
Iron Man 2                                               John Slattery      
Captain America: The First Avenger       Dominic Cooper
Agent Carter (Short Film)                        Dominic Cooper
Ant-Man                                                  John Slattery     
Agent Carter (TV series)                         Dominic Cooper
Captain America: Civil War                     John Slattery     
Avengers: Endgame                               John Slattery      
What If...?                                               Dominic Cooper

Obviously, "Captain America: The First Avenger" is set before all the others (in the 1940s during World War II), and the "Agent Carter" film and TV series would naturally follow. Dominic Cooper plays Howard Stark then. But when Tony Stark travels back in time to 1970 and speaks with his father in "Avengers: Endgame" that's John Slattery playing Howard Stark. John Slattery then plays the role forward, as he portrays Howard Stark's death in 1991, as revealed via a video recording in "Captain America: Civil War."

Was it necessary for two actors to span the fifty years of Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given the wizardry of make-up and modern special effects? Or was the casting of the two Howard Starks determined simply by actor availability? At least I know what actor played Howard Stark when now, and as a result, so do you.

Dragon Dave

Iron Man & the SR-71 Blackbird

In the movie based on the Marvel Comics' character "Iron Man," when weapons expert Tony Stark is kidnapped in Afganistan, he builds a metal suit equipped with weaponry to escape his captors.  After he returns to America, he builds a more high tech version in his garage.  

Tony Stark (aka Iron Man)

When his computer-assistant Jarvis tells him that numerous tests should still be run before attempting flight, Tony Stark tells him, "Sometimes you need to run before you can walk.

Iron Man's "Heads-up" display

Tony Stark flies out of his garage and into the night sky.  Stark asks the altitude record for the SR-71 Blackbird.  The icon of this amazing airplane appears on his heads-up display, and Jarvis rattles off its record.  Stark then tells Jarvis to punch it, and shoots up toward the moon.  

The SR-71 Blackbird: side view

The scene reminds how comforting it can be to complete a "more readily achievable goal."  Why do I tell myself that I must accomplish lessor goals, before one day reaching for the sky?  While every house needs a strong foundation, I can't just keep improving, strengthening, and redesigning the foundation.  Some day, I must begin work on the house.  

Standing before the SR-71

Or, to put it in more readily accessible terms, were I to rank all my desired goals with grades such as A, B, and C, it's the A's that I most want to look back on later and say, "Yes, I did that.  I accomplished that." 

You know, maybe it's time I took up running.  Every day.

Dragon Dave