Few actors are as recognizable yet underappreciated asKat Dennings. After her rise to prominence during the early 2000s, Dennings starred in a few movies during the second half of the decade, most notablyThe House BunnyandNick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Dennings made her MCU debut with SirKenneth Branagh’sThorin 2011 as Darcy Lewis, a political science major who’s interning for Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) during Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) first trip to Earth.
Following that movie, Dennings returned four more times to the MCU: twice on the big screen forThorsequels and twice on television for Disney+ shows. Darcy is as underrated within the MCU as Dennings is in real life. Although it could be easy to just discard her as a typical comic relief side-character, Darcy was crucial to the firstThor’s successful formula, bringing much-welcome skepticism and sarcasm to contrast with the God of Thunder’s more stoic approach. Yet, for some reason, the MCU has never really done anything with Darcy, which is a real shame considering how promising the character is. In honor of this undersung character,we rank all five of Kat Dennings' appearances as Darcy within the MCUbased on their quality, Dennings' role within the story, and their overall standing within the franchise.
5’Thor: Love and Thunder' (2022)
Directed by Taika Waititi
To callTaika Waititi’sThor: Love and Thunder"disappointing" would be an understatement. The film squanders two of Thor’s most iconic comic book storylines — Gorr the God Butcher and Mighty Thor — in a weak and overly cramped narrative that’s so absurd it borders on stupidity. It’s such a shame becauseChris Hemsworthremains as charming as ever,Natalie Portmanis very obviously game to wield Mjolnir and kick some ass, andChristian Baleis genuinely disturbing as Gorr.
Dennings returns for a cameo as Darcy, who is visiting Jane at the hospital during a chemotherapy session. It’s a short but very sweet scene that echoes back to Darcy’s days as Jane’s ultimate fan.Dennings and Portman share a lovely chemistry, and the scene is very effective at depicting Jane’s fight with cancer and her stubborn approach to the disease. That said, it’s only one scene, andthe movie surrounding it is uneven, going from interesting and engaging to inane and infantile, often with only seconds of separation.Thor: Love and Thundercould’ve used more Darcy, if only to ground Jane’s illness in something more real and compelling.
Thor: Love and Thunder
4’What If?…' (2021-2024)
Created by A.C. Bradley
Of the many MCU projects currently occupying space in Disney+, none is more puzzling thanWhat If…?An animated series that focuses every episode on a hypothetical “What if” situation, the project started with a bang and ended with a whimper, becoming the embodiment of “this could’ve been an e-mail.” Still, some of its episodes feature genuinely intriguing premises, including the Season 3 gem “What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched?”
Dennings reprises her role in a story that sees Darcy Lewis marrythe infamous Howard the Duck(Seth Green). The episode doesn’t quite get as wild as its premise would suggest, although it does feature Darcy becoming pregnant and giving birth to a baby with the form of an egg. Beyond the initial discomfort of interspecies mating,the episode is actually wacky enough to be a standoutinWhat If…?If only the rest of the series were as willing to engage in its inherent absurdity, perhaps it would’ve been far more successful. Dennings returns for three more episodes focused on the usual Marvel shenanigans, but none is as unique as the one where she marries Howard the Duck.
What If…?
3’Thor: The Dark World' (2013)
Directed by Alan Taylor
Widely considered among the MCU’s most forgettable outings, 2013’sThor: The Dark Worldtakes place after the events ofThe Avengers. It sees Thor fighting Malekith the Dark Elf (Christopher Eccleston) while attempting to save Jane Foster, who inadvertently became the host of a mysterious energy known as the Aether, later revealed to be the Reality Stone. Dennings returns as Darcy, joined by the ever-gameStellan Skarsgårdas Jane’s mentor, Erik Selvig.
Thor: The Dark Worldgets a terrible rep, and it’s not entirely undeserved. Boring and strangely low-stakes, the film is a rather one-note entry into the franchise, featuringone of the MCU’s worst villainsand a story that feels boring. Thus, every glimpse of energy feels all the more impactful, especially Dennings' Darcy. Sheremains a comedic relief but gets a more expanded role, largely through her love for Jane. In a way, Darcy sees everything through romance-tinted lenses, with Jane and Thor are the protagonists, and all she wants is to see them together. It’s a cute quality that would return in Dennings' future appearances and injectsThor: The Dark Worldwith much-needed humor and energy.Darcy’s romance with her intern is also a fun addition, which thankfully doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Thor: The Dark World
2’Thor' (2011)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Thor’s debut came courtesy of Sir Kenneth Branagh’sThor. The film opts for a straightforward and Shakesperean approach to the God of Thunder’s story, featuring a stoic and vain Thor cast out to Earth by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). After meeting Jane, Erik, and Darcy in New Mexico, Thor becomes more acquainted with humanity’s ways and rediscovers his humility, leading him to reclaim his power and birthright.
Thorfeaturesa classic fish-out-of-water story, and it’s all the better because of it. Dennings has a key supporting role as Darcy, Jane’s intern and a political science major.She mainly functions as the film’s comic relief, offering snarky comments and reactions to Thor’s socially inept and out-of-this-world behavior. Although she has no semblance of a character arc, Darcy remains an important player in the story, and it’sa testament to her talent that she makes Darcy feel so three-dimensional.Thoris a much better film than it’s given credit for, and it’s thanks to characters like Darcy, who make this fantastical world feel lived-in and compelling.
1’WandaVision' (2021)
Created by Jac Schaeffer
WandaVisionwasthe first MCU Disney+ series and remains the bestby far. It follows Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they attempt to form a new life in the seemingly idyllic town of Westview. However, not all is as it seems, and it soon becomes clear the whole thing is one elaborate hex from Wanda, who has put the entire town under her spell. Dennings returns for the first time in eight years as Darcy, now a doctor in astrophysics, summoned by the organization S.W.O.R.D. to try and explain the hex’s nature.
It’s quite surprising justhow important Darcy is toWandaVision. Yes, the titular characters are very much the center of the action, but Dennings’Darcy is a key supporting playerwhen it comes to unraveling the mystery. It’s she who first discovers the WandaVision signal, cracks the secrets behind S.W.O.R.D.’s true motivations, and reveals the truth to Vision.Dennings is perfect as a more experienced and confident Darcy, yet she keeps the character’s basic qualities intact; she’s still shipping the main characters hard, still living in her little soap opera.WandaVisionfumbles the ending for every character, Darcy included (she has one scene in the final episode, a true disservice to the character), but it’s not enough to stain its reputation as the MCU’s finest achievement on the small screen andDarcy’s finest hour in the franchise.
WandaVision
NEXT:10 MCU Characters Who Aren’t as Powerful as Their Comic Book Counterparts
