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AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Will Continue the MCU’s COMMUNITY Cameo Trend

Before saddling up for what would turn out to be a lengthy stay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directing brothers Joe and Anthony Russo were predominantly known for their television work. Sure, the Russos had a few features to their name prior to Captain America: The Winter Soldier—most notably You, Me, and Dupree—but all-purpose geeks celebrated their induction into the MCU based primarily on the merits of their small screen work, such as Arrested Development and Community.

The brothers’ endeavors on the latter program especially seemed befitting of a turn in the Marvel game; just as Community had tampered in the art of genre parody and homage from episode to episode, so was Marvel beginning to. Under the guidance of the Russos, Winter Soldier took the franchise into the espionage thriller genre, and to great aplomb.

But trope deconstruction was not all the directing duo had brought over from the Community set; Winter Soldier featured a surprise cameo from the sitcom’s fan favorite actor Danny Pudi. Two years later, the Russos’ next Marvel turn, Captain America: Civil War, doubled down with a role for Jim Rash (playing a character nearly indistinguishable from Community’s Dean Craig Pelton, in fact).

So we’ve got to wonder if the Russos will continue the trend in their forthcoming Marvel ventures: Avengers: Infinity War and its yet-to-be-retitled sequel. Cinemablend writer Eric Eisenberg, and lover of Marvel Comics and Community alike, earned a very satisfying answer when he hit the brothers with this very question.

“Yeah, absolutely. We’ve got to keep the streak going,” Joe Russo told Eisenberg. “We’re literally in that phase of the pre-production where we start thinking about those kinds of things, and right now we’re looking for the right part to see who’s a match for the next cameo.”

With plenty of options to choose from, it’s up to us in the fan community to ruminate on which actor would best befit what role in Infinity War. Perhaps we’ll see Yvette Nicole Brown revive Shirley’s hair-trigger temper as a high ranking HYDRA official, or maybe Joel McHale put his superhuman height—and snark—to good use as an Asgardian court jester. Hey, perhaps we could even go for the big guns, and have the secretly vicious Alison Brie bring Thanos’ betrothed Death to life, or cast Erik Charles Nielsen (the actor who played Garrett) as the all-powerful The Beyonder.

…More likely, though, we’ll just see Gillian Jacobs clumsily knocking over an Iron Man suit at Stark Industries. Which, of course, would be more than sufficient.

Watch below to find out how Avengers: Infinity War will affect the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase IV!

Featured Image: Marvel

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