Marvel Cinematic Universe profile: A look at Dominic Cooper’s career

The Stark family line was enhanced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Dominic Cooper stepped in as a youthful Howard Stark.

Captain America: The First Avenger is set during World War II and therefore does not contain as many connections to the present-day Marvel Cinematic Universe as the other solo hero movies. However, a younger version of Iron Man’s father is appealingly embodied by Dominic Cooper. After John Slattery originated the character in the MCU a year earlier for Iron Man 2, through 1970s video footage, Cooper takes over for Howard in the 1940s.

Fans of Iron Man were immediately delighted to spend some time with Tony’s dad Howard, who is deceased before the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist becomes an armored Avenger. Cooper infuses Howard with a similar brash cockiness that Robert Downey Jr. perfected in the Iron Man movies. Howard is a less emphasized version of the bold, audacious, and spirited Marvel hero.

This Stark is also a smooth talker and can come on a little too strong with Peggy, Steve’s love interest. The spark of a peer rivalry between Steve and Howard Stark is a sneak peek at the opposing methods and philosophies between Captain America and Iron Man, with the superhero leaders butting heads in the Avenger crossovers, hitting an apex of altercation in Captain America: Civil War.

One of the enticing aspects of Hayley Atwell leading her own television series, set post-Captain America: The First Avengers was the prospect of Dominic Cooper reprising his role as Howard Stark. He was featured in several episodes across two seasons of Agent Carter and layered the show with Howard’s magnetism as well as his trademark comic relief. The only other occasion for Cooper to revisit the beloved character was lending his voice to the animated Disney Plus series What If…?, in a chapter where Peggy Carter became the super soldier instead of Steve Rogers.

Dominic Cooper is a British actor who graduated from the prestigious London Academy of Dramatic Art. He started his career in the early 2000s with a string of bit parts in cinema, while making a name for himself on the London stage. He was a part of the original History Boys ensemble, which was famously adapted to screen in the mid-2000s. Cooper stood out among the class of newcomers that included Sacha Dhawan and James Corden, proving he had the most promise of blossoming into a movie star.

During the four year period stretching from 2008 to 2011, Cooper landed some of the most prominent roles of his career. He sang and danced alongside Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried in Mamma Mia and would reprise the role ten years later in the sequel, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. Cooper actually has limited screentime among a wide ensemble in both movies, but turns up the charm to maximum effect. The same year as Mamma Mia, Cooper ignites a passionate side in The Duchess. The costume drama features Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, whereas their supporting counterparts are played by Cooper and his MCU co-star Hayley Atwell.

Perhaps the best movie Cooper has appeared in is Lone Scherfig’s sensationally staged adaptation of Lynn Barber’s memoir An Education. 1960s England is painstakingly brought to life with exceptional writing, production design, and a budding cast on the verge of greatness; Cooper is coupled with Rosamund Pike as friends of a sly Peter Sarsgaard at the top of his game, who all revolve around the career defining turn by Carey Mulligan.

Then, in the middle of joining the MCU, Cooper simultaneously works with Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn, effectively complementing the respectable 1950s British filmmaking scene, and takes the lead in The Devil’s Double. In the latter, Cooper essentially provides a dual role as Saddam Hussein’s erratically unpredictable son, as well as the subdued and reluctant soldier who happens to look like Uday Hussein. It is supposedly a true story and Cooper is completely believable as the uncontrollable and brutal oppressor. With the two parts he magnificently transitions from immensely intimidating to someone viewers instantly empathize with.

While his Captain America comrades, Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan, are more likely to seek out projects with distinguished directors (from Danny Boyle, Bong Joon-ho, and Rian Johnson for Evans and Jonathan Demme, Ridley Scott, and Steven Soderbergh for Stan), Cooper has found himself in some less favorable cinematic situations this past decade; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Dead Man Down, Need for Speed, Dracula Untold, and Warcraft all failed to resonate with a large fanbase, on top of critical reproach. Although Cooper and colleague Ben Foster elevated the Warcraft videogame adaptation at times.

His most recent feature, The Princess, also falls below mediocracy despite having a flair of originality in flipping the conventions of the medieval action genre – Joey King is alluring as the titular princess, while Cooper is worth watching as her contemptible suitor. He fared far better on television between his Ian Fleming miniseries, as a fictionalized version of the James Bond creator, his guest spots on Agent Carter, and headlining the comic book adaptation of Garth Ennis’ Preacher.

As Jesse Custer, Cooper digs into a darkness where he can convey a weary, soul-consuming anti-cleric with a deep moral ambiguity. Preacher ran for several seasons, allowing Cooper to carve out his character more so than most of his film performances, even if the second half of the series stretched its entertainment value thin.

Dominic Cooper’s Top 10 Movie Roles

1. Latif Yahia/Uday Hussein in The Devil’s Double
2. Danny in An Education
3. Charles Grey in The Duchess
4. Howard Stark in the MCU
5. Milton Greene in My Week with Marilyn
6. Sky Ramand in the Mamma Mia series
7. Kit in Miss You Already
8. Stuart Dakin in The History Boys
9. King Wrynn in Warcraft
10. Julius in The Princess

Howard Stark will always be one of the highlights of Dominic Cooper’s career, whether or not he is asked to come back to the MCU. Due to the time period that his version of Howard occupies in the timeline, there are few opportunities for Cooper to revisit the same role. Perhaps Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios may call on Cooper in a varied capacity, similar to Gemma Chan. Despite Cooper’s better half, Gemma Chan, appearing in two separate franchise films (Captain Marvel and Eternals) as different characters, Cooper has not worked with Chan in the MCU. Knowing how Marvel utilizes their company of actors, one shouldn’t rule out that possibility completely.

Would you like to see Dominic Cooper return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe?