If you’re watching Captain America: The First Avenger and then jump straight into Avengers: Infinity War, your brain might play a little trick on you. You see the crimson, skeletal face of Johann Schmidt and think, "Yeah, that's the same guy." But it isn't. The story of who played Red Skull is one of the weirdest bits of MCU trivia because it involves a high-profile departure, a world-class impressionist, and a whole lot of prosthetic makeup that makes telling the difference almost impossible.
Hugo Weaving originated the role in 2011. He was the perfect foil for Chris Evans' Steve Rogers—cold, menacing, and deeply Shakespearean in his villainy. Then, for seven years, the character just... vanished. When he finally reappeared on the desolate planet of Vormir to guide Thanos toward the Soul Stone, the voice sounded right. The face looked right. But Hugo Weaving was nowhere near the set. Instead, a young actor named Ross Marquand stepped into the boots of the Nazi scientist turned wraith.
Hugo Weaving and the Birth of a Supervillain
Back when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still finding its footing, landing an actor of Hugo Weaving's caliber was a massive win. He already had The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings under his belt. He knew how to play iconic, larger-than-life antagonists. In The First Avenger, Weaving brought a certain gravitas to Schmidt that kept the movie from feeling like a campy Saturday morning cartoon. He played the character with a thick German accent and a simmering resentment toward Adolf Hitler, whom Schmidt viewed as a small-minded amateur.
The physical transformation was grueling. Weaving spent hours in the makeup chair every day. They applied thin silicone prosthetics to his face to create that sunken, muscular look. It wasn't comfortable. Honestly, most actors hate that kind of work. It’s hot, it’s itchy, and it limits how much you can actually use your face to act. Despite the discomfort, his performance became the gold standard for MCU villains.
But there was a problem brewing behind the scenes. Weaving didn't exactly hide the fact that he wasn't interested in coming back. In various interviews over the years, he was polite but blunt. He enjoyed the experience, sure, but he didn't feel a "creative pull" to return to the world of comic books. Marvel usually signs actors to multi-picture deals, but for whatever reason—contractual loopholes or simply a desire to keep a prestigious actor happy—Weaving didn't return when the character was resurrected for the finale of the Infinity Saga.
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Why Ross Marquand Was the Perfect Replacement
When the Russo Brothers decided to bring Red Skull back for Infinity War, they had a problem. They needed the character to be a "Stonekeeper," a ghost-like figure who had been humbled by the power of the Tesseract. If they couldn't get Weaving, they needed someone who could disappear into the role so completely that the audience wouldn't be distracted by the change.
Enter Ross Marquand. You probably know him as Aaron from The Walking Dead. But in the industry, Marquand is famous for something else: he is a terrifyingly good impressionist.
Marquand didn't just play the role; he channeled Weaving's specific cadence. He studied the way Weaving clipped his vowels and the specific "hiss" in the Red Skull’s voice. When he auditioned, he reportedly did such a spot-on imitation that the producers knew they had found their man. Marquand played the character in both Infinity War and Endgame. Because the character was now a floating, hooded spirit, the transition was seamless.
It’s a rare case where a recast didn't spark an internet riot. Usually, when a major character changes actors—think Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle—it's a huge talking point. With Red Skull, the makeup and the vocal mimicry were so precise that half the audience probably still thinks Hugo Weaving was the one standing on that cliff in Vormir.
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The Tech and the Makeup: Hiding the Swap
You can't talk about who played Red Skull without talking about the people who actually built the skull. In 2011, the look was achieved through a heavy mix of practical prosthetics and digital enhancement. They actually had to digitally "shrink" Weaving’s nose in post-production because, well, humans have noses and skeletons don't.
By the time Marquand took over, the process had evolved. There was more CGI involved to give the character that ethereal, translucent skin quality. However, the bone structure remained the same. It’s a testament to the character design that two different men, with different facial structures and different heights, could play the same person without breaking the immersion.
Marquand has since gone on to voice the character in the animated series What If...?, essentially becoming the "permanent" Red Skull of the franchise. It’s a fascinating career move. He started as a fan-favorite actor on a zombie show and ended up inheriting one of the most iconic villain roles in cinema history because he was just that good at "doing the voice."
Beyond the Big Two: Other Red Skulls
While Weaving and Marquand are the heavy hitters, they aren't the only ones to ever wear the red face. If we’re being thorough, we have to look back at the 1990 Captain America movie. That one featured Scott Paulin as the villain. It was... not great. In that version, the Red Skull was actually an Italian mobster-type character, and the makeup looked a bit like a burnt pepperoni pizza. We don't talk about that one much.
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Then there’s the voice acting world. Liam O'Brien has voiced the character in several animated projects, and he brings a much more "classic comic book" sneer to the role. But in the minds of the general public, the character belongs to the MCU duo.
The Takeaway for Fans
Recasting is usually a sign of trouble in a franchise. It often means a contract dispute or a falling out between an actor and a studio. In the case of Red Skull, it was actually a win-win. Weaving got to move on to the smaller, more personal projects he prefers. Marquand got to join the biggest franchise on earth and prove that his vocal talents were more than just a party trick.
If you’re a trivia buff, the most important thing to remember is the split. Hugo Weaving is the "Earth" Red Skull—the man of flesh and blood, the soldier, the leader of HYDRA. Ross Marquand is the "Cosmic" Red Skull—the wraith, the guide, the soul-bound protector of the gems.
Next Steps for Your Rewatch:
- Watch the Vormir scene in Infinity War again. Pay close attention to the way the character says "Thanos, son of A'lars." Marquand is doing a specific vocal tick there that perfectly mirrors Weaving’s performance in the first Captain America film.
- Compare the 1990 version to the modern MCU version if you want a good laugh (and a lesson in how far special effects have come).
- Check out Ross Marquand’s YouTube videos where he does "micro-impressions." It makes it very clear why Marvel trusted him to take over such a massive role without a hitch.