Sci-fimovies come with their fair share of surprises, from uniquely mindblowing concepts to breathtaking worlds beyond our imagination. Surprises can even come in the form of long-awaited crossovers of famous sci-fi characters and creatures. For instance,Alien vs. Predatorisa horror movie that gets a lot of flack, but it offers viewers a chance to see the two iconic creatures from their franchises meet up in a large-scale blockbuster event. Similarly, theMonsterverse movies featuring Godzilla and King Kongprovide viewers with the surprising match up of two of the most famous monsters in the genre’s history.
Another common way in which sci-fi movies surprise us is through casting. It isn’t rare forsci-fi movies to have incredible ensemble castswith well-known actors playing the lead characters. However, the best surprise to receive as a sci-fi movie buff is when an unexpected person appears in a movie, like when Jamie Lee Curtis appeared inStar Trek: Section 31, a movie rightfully panned because of its confusing creative choices. Curtis' cameo is perhaps the only hidden gem in an otherwise forgettable film. Such surprise cameos in sci-fi movies we never see coming enrich the viewing experience.
10Gene Hackman
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Mary Shelley’s 1818 novelFrankensteinis among the most frequently adapted stories for horror movies. Few adaptations have stuck to the material, though, as there have been innumerable reinterpretations and extrapolations of the experiences of Frankenstein’s monster over the years. Most of thesepay homage to her seminal work and merely adopt the premiseto tell similar stories. Among these unique adaptations is Mel Brooks’Young Frankenstein.
Young Frankensteinis a comedic parody of the classic Universal Monsters era of filmmaking, and specifically ofFrankenstein(1931), ablack-and-white horror movie that still holds up today. Among the various goofy moments is a short scene featuring an unrecognizableGene Hackman as a blind man who tries to introduce Frankenstein’s monster to cigars,but lights his finger on fire instead. The scene ends with an iconic line that was improvised by Hackman and left in the footage as is, because its hilarity prevented him from repeating it with a straight face again.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
David Leitch’sDeadpool 2is a hilarious superhero movie that often misses its narrative beats in favor of its comedy. However, the funny scenes are so memorable that the drawbacks don’t have a major negative impact on the viewing experience. The R-rated goofiness of the character, buoyed by one of Ryan Reynolds' best performances ever, elevates the film by introducing further hilarity into the already funny scenes with his commentary.
Ryan Reynolds has a cameo in David Leitch’sBullet Train, which stars Brad Pitt as the protagonist, and his cameo is exactly as long as Brad Pitt’s cameo inDeadpool 2.
One of the most memorable moments inDeadpool 2is when his newly formed group of heroes are deployed for missions. Deadpool lands perfectly and waits for his teammates' parachutes to show up on the horizon. Among the first people to jump is the invisible man, who has neither spoken nor shown us his face until now. When he hits a live wire,it is revealed that Brad Pitt played the character, giving him a two-second cameo in the film.
8John Hurt
Spaceballs (1987)
Mel Brooks' parodies of iconic movies have enthralled audiences for years, and among the best of them isSpaceballs, a spoof ofStar Wars, aperfect non-animated action movie for kids. It features caricatures of iconic characters who go on a similar adventure in a world where the Force is known as the Schwartz. Rick Moranis stands out in the movie with his performance as Dark Helmet, a parody version of Darth Vader.
Another common trait of Mel Brooks' parodies is the stellar casting, particularly the trend of celebrity cameos and surprise movie scenes featuring Hollywood stars. WhileSpaceballsis aStar Warsparody, it features an unexpected cameo fromJohn Hurt reprising his role from theAlienmovies. It’s impossible to predict that the famous birthing scene fromAlienwill be spoofed inSpaceballs, and it gets me every time I watch the movie.
7Jimmy Buffett
Jurassic World (2015)
TheJurassic Worldfandom, which is a spin-off from theJurassic Parktrilogy, has evolved into a major blockbuster franchise, with a new movie slated for release in 2025. Among the many memorable moments in the franchise isLaura Dern’s cameo inJurassic World Dominionas her famous character from theJurassic Parktrilogy. It was a sweet moment of nostalgia for fans who grew up watching the original movies.
He can be seen balancing two Margaritas and running when the dinosaurs break free.
However, the funniest and perhaps the most memorable cameo in theJurassic Worldfranchise is in the first movie. The legendary rock starJimmy Buffett has an unexpected cameo inJurassic Worldas a bartender. His iconic song, Margaritaville, serves as the inspiration for the bar his character runs. He can be seen balancing two Margaritas and running when the dinosaurs break free and start wreaking havoc.
6Matt Damon
Thor: Ragnarök (2017)
Among the biggest names to not have played a major character in the MCU is Matt Damon. However, he has appeared in an MCU film in a fan-favorite scene. Back in 2017, when the MCU had already grown into a global blockbuster cinematic phenomenon, its growing roster of eminent actors was expanding quickly. For instance,Thor: Ragnarökgave Cate Blanchett her major MCU roleas the antagonist.
The casting choice that stands out in the film, though, is Matt Damon’s. In a stage play which dramatizes Loki’s adventures fromThor: The Dark World, thedisappointing second movie theThorfranchise bouncedback from, Matt Damon plays the actor portraying Loki. It’s a short and hilarious scene that showcases Damon’s comic timing and is a fun nod to Damon’s experience as a stage actor during his high school years.
5Daft Punk
TRON: Legacy (2010)
This might be anunpopular opinion about a famous movie, butTRON: Legacyis an underrated sci-fi classic. With gorgeous special effects and memorable action sequences, it expands on the world introduced in the 1982TRONfilm. The writing may leave much to be desired, but the set pieces will live on in the hearts and minds of fans for years to come, which explains the hype for the upcomingTRON: Ares.
TRON: Legacyhas a uniquely futuristic world design with motifs of white, yellow, red, and blue drawn across black walls, floors, and ceilings. The visual aesthetic is perfectly complemented by the futuristic background score composed by the musical duo Daft Punk. No one could have seen it coming, but Daft Punk have a cameo in the movie during a fight scene set in a club.The duo can be spotted playing their iconic score from inside a DJ boothas the fight starts.
4Chris Evans
Free Guy (2021)
Free Guyhas one of the most imaginative video game movie premises in recent years, and squanders that potential in favor of talking points and memorable scenes. It follows Ryan Reynolds as an NPC in a video game, who unexpectedly gains free will and decides to break out of the routine decided for him by the code. He is able to influence the game and interact with the online players, who are taken aback by the apparent glitch in the system.
Among other celebrity cameos,Free Guyfeatures an appearance by prominent video game streamer Ninja and a host of other prominent figures in the field.
Throughout the film,Free Guydrops references to popular video games and franchises and cashes in on people’s love of existing franchises while attempting to tell a story about the creative bankruptcy of an industry that relies solely on the popularity of franchises. However, there are a few cool moments to cherish, like when the protagonist taps into the code and starts arming himself with iconic memorabilia like lightsabers and Captain America’s shield. In a surprising and hilarious blink-and-you-miss cameo,Chris Evans is shown watching the game’s livestream and reactingto this moment.
3Craig Lamar Traylor
Renner (2025)
Frankie Muniz ofMalcolm in the Middlefame stars as the protagonist in the recent sci-fi thriller movieRenner. His character is a computer genius who creates an AI to help him find a suitable romantic partner. He unintentionally codes the consciousness of his mother into the AI, which affects its behavior, and soon, the character is torn between choosing what the AI dictates and his sexual attraction towards his neighbor.
Muniz has largely been focusing on his car racing career, having practically quit acting for a while, but even if the movie’s not memorable, he delivers a solid performance as the lead. In one of the most surprising sci-fi movie cameos in recent years, Craig Lamar Traylor,who plays Malcolm’s friend Stevie inMalcolm in the Middle, makes an appearance as a neighbor who the protagonist walks past. They don’t really interact, but as a reunion for fans of the sitcom, it’s a sweet surprise!
2Steven Spielberg
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Filmmaker cameos aren’t uncommon, with directors likeAlfred Hitchcock and Quentin Tarantino frequently appearing in their own movies. Other creatives are also known to make cameos in films based on their work, with the famous example of Stan Lee, who appeared in most of the MCU films made during his lifetime. However, a surprise director cameo can be found in Cameron Crowe’sVanilla Sky, where Steven Spielberg appears for a couple of seconds.
[Steven Spielberg] he had been visiting the set one day and Crowe had requested him to make an appearance.
Spielberg wasn’t involved with the film in any capacity and his cameo exists simply because he had been visiting the set one day and Crowe had requested him to make an appearance. The scene in question depicts Tom Cruise’s character, the protagonist ofVanilla Sky, celebrating his birthday. Among the people who walk up to wish him is Steven Spielberg. The two of them would later work together onMinority Report, amovie to avoid if you’re nervous about AI.
1Bill Murray
Zombieland (2009)
Comedy movies often feature celebrities playing themselves. It’s particularly common in parody and mockumentary-style movies, likeThe InterviewandPopstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Actors, musicians, and eminent figures from other fields make small appearances as themselves, reacting to various circumstances in such movies.Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, a1990s horror movie that was ahead of its time, features many actors, directors, and producers playing themselves on a movie set.
However, the smartest and most hilarious cameo of an actor playing himself is perhaps in the zombie comedy movieZombieland. It follows a group of people who have survived a zombie apocalypse and are looking for shelter. They take refuge in actor Bill Murray’s house, which is seemingly abandoned. Murray has disguised himself as a zombie so he doesn’t get attacked by other zombies, but in an unfortunate event,one of the team members shoots him after mistaking him for a zombie. The scene is made funnier by one of the other teammates being a die-hard Bill Murray fan.
