The 8 ‘High School Musical’ actors most likely to appear in upcoming MCU projects

Disney Plus subscribers are getting their heads back in the game as the fourth and final season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series debuts on the platform. While the Mouse House hasn’t always had the best luck with its streaming reboots of beloved IPs, HSM:TM:TS has arguably been the most successful of the lot, both in terms of the positive response it’s received and the many careers it’s helped launch, much like the original High School Musical movies of the 2000s.

But with the series officially wrapping up, these stars are free to move onto pastures new. And yet they might not need to leave the Disney multiverse altogether as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is always looking for fresh talent to fill its never-ending procession of movies and TV shows. Plus, certain alumni from the old films could easily slip into the MCU themselves. It’s not always better by far to keep things as they are, so why doesn’t Marvel shake it up by casting some of these High School Musical graduates?

Olivia Rodrigo

Not to diminish the success of the rest of the HSM:TM:TS cast, but it’s fair to say that Olivia Rodrigo is the show’s biggest breakout star, as her leading role as Nini across its first seasons (and then recurring presence in the third) coincided with her rise to international superstardom. She’s definitely focusing more on her music career these days, but if a Marvel role came along that could utilize her vocal talents then Rodrigo would definitely be a coup of a casting for the studio. How about singer/X-Men member Dazzler?

Joshua Bassett

Unlike Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett has stuck with HSM:TM:TS for the whole ride as Ricky and has become the face of the High School Musical franchise in the process, essentially its “new Zac Efron.” And with appearances in the likes of Better Nate Than Ever and Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, Bassett is very much part of the Disney Plus family so he must be on Marvel’s radar when it comes to finding a young male lead for one of its upcoming streaming series. How about a grown-up Tommy Maximoff/Speed?

Sofia Wylie

Sofia Wylie began the series practically filling the Sharpay role as the new mean girl Gina, but due to Rodrigo’s exit, she’s been bumped up to female lead over the past two seasons, even taking over from Nini as the new Gabriella in season four. Outside of the HSM-verse, Wylie also had a role in Netflix’s high-profile fantasy movie The School for Good and Evil as Agatha (no, not that one). Plus, she’s even played a Marvel role before, as she’s voiced none other than Riri Williams/Ironheart in several animated shorts.

Julia Lester

Julia Lester has been a real scene-stealer in the High School Musical series, thanks to her turn as Ashlyn, who really comes out of her shell across the show, particularly when she played Belle in season two. Outside of HSM, Lester is best known for her incredible success on Broadway — she was recently nominated for a Tony for her performance as Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods. Fellow Broadway icon Renee Elise Goldsberry just appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, I’m just saying. Can we get Lester in season two somewhere? Can we also get a She-Hulk season two?

Andrew Barth Feldman

Andrew Barth Feldman is surely one of the HSM:TM:TS veterans most likely to make a move into the MCU as he’s already successfully transferred his success on the streaming series to making a splash on the big screen. Feldman entered the show in season two, as the intense method actor Antoine who gets cast as Lumiere. These days, though, he’s most famous for playing the lead in the recent romcom No Hard Feelings, opposite Mystique herself Jennifer Lawrence. That naturally makes us think he could be a perfect fit for Marvel’s rebooted X-Men. Nightcrawler, anyone?

Austin Butler

No, you’re not going crazy. Elvis star Austin Butler has never appeared in the TV show, nor the original HSM movie trilogy. He did, however, appear in the spinoff Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure as the character’s love interest, Peyton. Since then, Butler has obviously become one of the biggest upcoming actors in Hollywood, so you can bet that Marvel has had conversations about him behind closed doors. In fact, Butler himself is believed to be very keen to enter the MCU, maybe even as the Human Torch. He’s got a lot of stiff competition for Johnny Storm, but we’ll see how that one plays out.

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa (formerly Ann) Hudgens has a lot of DC street cred, thanks to working with Zack Snyder in Sucker Punch and the upcoming Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, being rumored as Catwoman in The Batman, and for starring in the short-lived DC sitcom Powerless. But, strangely enough, she’s never really entered the Marvel conversation before. Seeing as she’s taken a lot of voice roles in recent years, though, some kind of part in one of the MCU’s animated series seems a high possibility, maybe in a future season of What If…? or Spider-Man: Freshman Year?

Zac Efron

At this point, it’s faintly ludicrous that Efron hasn’t appeared in the MCU as he’s been fancast as various characters by the Marvel community so much over the years. Chiefly as Adam Warlock, although James Gunn obviously elected to go in a very different direction in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Will Poulter. Still, if he wants to play another cosmic hero there’s always the Richard Rider Nova. Or, if he wants to steal Channing Tatum’s dream role away from him, he could always play X-Men’s Gambit. Anyone know if he can do a Cajun accent?