The Marvel Character You Likely Didn't Realize The White Lotus Star Carrie Coon Played

Carrie Coon is a gift. Ever since she made her Broadway debut as Honey in the 2010 revival of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," she's been one of the most sought-after actors for the kinds of roles that are reserved for performers who have that extra oomph factor. It's an ineffable quality. You just know it when you see it, and Coon possesses it in spades. She was transcendent on television as the grieving Nora Durst in "The Leftovers," the dogged sheriff Gloria Burgle in "Fargo" season 3, and would-be New York City socialite Bertha Russell in "The Gilded Age," and has also been sensational in movies like "Gone Girl," "His Three Daughters," and "Lake George." Coon is both an invigoratingly versatile actor and an arresting presence regardless of her character's demeanor.

When Coon was cast for the third season of Mike White's acerbic actors' showcase "The White Lotus," viewers were amped up to watch her fire off the writer's tart-tongued dialogue. To no one's surprise, she has proven to be a perfect addition to this darkly comedic world, which may have the show's fans clamoring for more Coon in their viewing diet. If so, they should definitely check her out in the aforementioned shows and movies. You also can't go wrong with her small yet integral role in Steve McQueen's spectacularly entertaining thriller "Widows," as well as her superb performance in Sean Durkin's inexplicably underseen drama "The Nest."

As is the fashion nowadays, you might be wondering if she's similarly one of the legion of great actors who've visited the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The answer is an emphatic yes. Multiple times, in fact!

Created by writer-artist Jonathan Hickman, Proxima Midnight was a member of Thanos' Dark Order in the comic books, and went on to join the villainous supergroup the Cabal. She was killed off three years after her debut in "The Unworthy Thor" before being resurrected in 2018 for a run in "The Avengers." Overall, she wasn't a terribly interesting character.

She wasn't exactly a major player in the MCU either, despite making three appearances. She's introduced in "Avengers: Infinity War" as an adoptive daughter of Thanos (Josh Brolin), but gets knocked off by Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) near the end of the film while attempting to swipe Vision's (Paul Bettany) Mind Stone. Because this is the MCU, a place where no one is ever truly dead, an alternate timeline version of Proxima Midnight turned up in "Avengers: Endgame" to help Thanos in his unsuccessful attempt to crush the eponymous heroes. MCU rebirth rules were then invoked once again in the "What If...?" episode "What if ... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord," where another alternate timeline version of Proxima Midnight shows up to do ... not a whole lot of interest.

If you're wondering how Coon could make such little impact in a feature film, well, you might've noticed that MCU movies are awfully cluttered? Also, it's worth noting that she was never on set with her fellow actors. Proxima Midnight's voice and facial capture are all Coon, but the physical performance was executed by Monique Ganderton. Basically, Coon was way too much actor for such a minor character.

Since the MCU has moved on from Thanos (though, who knows, maybe it'll trot him back out again if "Avengers: Doomsday" follows the same downward trajectory as other MCU flicks of late), we've probably seen the last of Coon as Proxima Midnight. We have not, however, seen the last of Carrie Coon. Not by a damn sight.