The Big Bang Theory Star Jim Parsons Played A Marvel Villain Only Hardcore Fans Remember

Most people are familiar with Jim Parsons as the actor who brought Sheldon Cooper to life on "The Big Bang Theory," from the CBS sitcom's launch in 2007 to its conclusion in 2019. He returned to the character, mainly in voiceover, in the spin-off series "Young Sheldon," which starred Iain Armitage as a younger version of the Caltech physicist. While Parsons is best known for playing Sheldon, he also made a brief excursion into the Marvel Universe, although many diehard fans might have missed it.

That's because Parsons' Marvel role wasn't in any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies or TV shows. Rather, Parsons had a voice role in the animated series, "The Super Hero Squad Show." Running for two seasons between 2009 and 2011, the Marvel comedy was primarily aimed at younger viewers and might have flown under the radar of older fans. Parsons appeared in only one episode, playing the villain Nightmare in "Blind Rage Knows No Color!," the ninth episode of Season 2.

The "Big Bang Theory" star's sole Marvel appearance sees his demonic character becoming an unlikely ally to the Avengers when Thanos uses the Mind Stone to control the Hulk through his nightmares. Nightmare transports the Hulk's friends into his dreams in exchange for a year's membership in the Cheese of the Month Club.

Jim Parsons' pouting, cheese-loving take on Nightmare made the Marvel villain far less intimidating than he has traditionally been portrayed. In Marvel's comic continuity, Nightmare is a demon who feeds off the fear of humans to sustain himself. He reigns over his own domain, the Nightmare World, a manifestation of all the world's nightmares. Nightmare has typically been an enemy of Doctor Strange, though he has also crossed paths with heroes such as Moon Knight, Black Panther, and Spider-Man.

Nightmare was reimagined for "The Super Hero Squad Show," along with every other Marvel character who made an appearance. The animated series was modeled after the "Marvel Super Hero Squad" toyline released by Hasbro, depicting some of Marvel's most popular heroes and villains in a chibi-inspired style. While the series' primary audience was young children, it was very much a self-aware parody, with many jokes for older fans to enjoy.

The sillier, more lighthearted tone of "The Super Hero Squad Show" compared to other Marvel projects made the series the perfect home for a sitcom star like Parsons. The series transferred the Marvel Universe's heroes to a comedic setting as humorous caricatures of themselves. This included Nightmare, who was turned into a jealous, childish imp and brought to life with melodramatic glee by Parsons in an impressive exercise of his comedic talents.