Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universeis full of wasted potential, with many of its better characters never getting the time in the limelight they deserved. The MCU survives and thrives off of its characters, the personalities of its most iconic heroes and villains being the main draw that’s kept audiences coming back for over a decade. But acrossthe MCU’s many films, not every character was given enough time to shine before being retired, killed, or never seen again.
Many of the MCU characters that fall into this category are the series' many villains. It’s no secret thatthe MCU’s villain problemhas frequently hamstrung the potential of its antagonists, frequently killing them off within the same film they’re introduced and preventing them from being allowed to shine. In other instances, the MCU is equally unkind to some of its supporting heroes, who are consistently overshadowed by their more famous counterparts.
10 MCU Characters Who Are Most Definitely Living A Brat Summer
2024 is the year of Brat Summer, and there are a multitude of MCU characters who would embrace it if their previous behavior is anything to go by.
10Ultron
Perhaps the MCU’s biggest missed opportunity
In the comics, Ultron is one of the most fearsome opponents the Avengers have ever had to face. His MCU debut inAvengers: Age of Ultronstarted off promising, with a menacing vibranium body and a sultry evil voice provided by the acting talents of James Spader. For as intimidating as he could be at times, Ultron was sadly wasted far too early in the MCU, not living up to his comics acclaim and being killed off in his titular movie.
Marvel Studios could’ve done so much more with Ultron, who deserved to be a Phase-defining villain on the same level as Loki or Thanos.Yet he was casually gunned down by The Avengers,though his actions contributed to the Avengers' internal conflict inCaptain America: Civil War.Ultron’s episodes inWhat If…?further demonstrated his wasted potential, giving a brief glimpse at what an Ultron who lives up to his name could look like. Sadly, it seems as though he’ll never be given this treatment in live-action.
9MODOK
Was made into a poorly-rendered joke
Admittedly, MODOK is a difficult villain to earnestly adapt to live action, being essentially a massive floating head bristling with cybernetic weaponry. Yet MODOK is one of the most classic Iron Man and Avengers villains in the comics, and there was a time when he was considered for the very first MCU villain in anearly scrapped version ofIron Man.Though MODOK’s CGI inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniawas less than impressive, using him as an opportunity to bring back Darren Cross was a clever trick.
They could’ve done more with him as a villain rather than making him a comedic stooge
Unfortunately,Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniatook MODOK as an opportunity to squeeze in more lame jokes, from his tiny, warped butt being briefly visible to his triumphant final words of"I’m not a d*ck!" It didn’t help that actor Corey Stoll’s face awkwardly stretched across the character’s squat frame was a decidedly unimpressive visual. Even if the MCU couldn’t nail MODOK’s appearance, they could’ve done more with him as a villain rather than making him a comedic stooge that quickly turns traitor with little convincing.
8Quicksilver
Couldn’t outrun his fate
Not every character Marvel introduces only to misuse is a villain. Wanda Maximoff’s brother Pietro had his arc in the MCU end tragically early, suffering a particularly humiliating death by gunfire for a speedster hero. This was a shame considering Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s cheeky performance as the fastest man alive in the MCU left a big impression with what little screentime he did have, his absence being sorely felt throughout the rest of Scarlet Witch’s journey.
As if that weren’t frustrating enough, the MCU had the chance to bring Quicksilver back inWandaVision, re-casting Evan Peters from the FoxX-Menmovies in a move that could’ve officially introduced mutants into the MCU far earlier thanDeadpool & Wolverinedid. Unfortunately,Marvel Studios left Quicksilver out once again in favor of a juvenile joker,and Peters' character turned out to be a simple impostor. Mikkari fromEternalsdemonstrated how engaging a speedster could be in the MCU, and it’s a shame Quicksilver hasn’t been there to continually do so.
7Malekith
Condemned to obscurity in one of the least-viewed MCU films
Whenranking every MCU film from worst to best, it’s common thatThor: The Dark Worldis among the very lowest of the series' offerings. As a result, few fans have even bothered to check off the entry on their MCU watchlists, and knowledge of Malekith the Dark Elf has become increasingly rare.This is a shame considering how prominent of an antagonist Malekith is in the Thor comics, being far more threatening than his movie counterpart might imply.
For what it’s worth, Christopher Eccelson did a fantastic job at conveying Malekith’s classic fantasy villain archetype, making Malekith feel genuinely threatening. Unfortunately, he’s let down by the single film he’s in, killed off before he can evolve into the existential threat he deserves to be. By the time he’s next mentioned inAvengers: Endgame,Malekith is made to be a joke, with Thor jokingly emphasizing the threat he and his Dark Elves posed.
6Ulysses Klaue
Andy Serkis' performance deserved more
If there’s one actor in the MCU that seemed to have an utter ball playing their character, it’s Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue. Likely relishing the chance to play a non-CGI character, Serkis leaned in hard to Kalue’s gleefully evil persona, giddy with joy as he commits unspeakable crimes. This translated into being an absolute ball to watch, and Klaue’s appearance inBlack Pantherwas one of the best parts of the film, only overshadowed by the excellence of Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger.
It’s a shame that Killmonger took it upon himself to kill off Klaue so early, considering just how much scenery Serkis was able to chew as the disposable thief and arms dealer. It’s even more of a missed opportunity that Klaue doesn’t seem to follow the fate of his comic counterpart, who becomes a being of pure sound and goes on to be strangely important in theSecret Warscomic.That’s a shame consideringthe upcomingAvengers: Secret Warscrossoverfilm aims to adapt the same story.
5The Wasp
Should be more than a subtitle
The Wasp was one of the founding members of the Avengers in the comics, but Marvel Studios took their time in introducing her. Janet van Dyne was the original Wasp, who was revealed to be active in the 80s working as a covert agent alongside Hank Pym. Later, her daughter Hope takes up the mantle, officially adopting the title of Wasp inAnt-Man and the Wasp.Despite getting double billing, Hope hasn’t had much to do since her introduction as an official hero.
Even in the most recent film to feature her,Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,The Wasp isn’t given terribly much screentime, with even Scott’s daughter Cassie outperforming her as a hero. The Marvel Cinematic Universe simply can’t find a good space to fit The Wasp in, never giving the character room to shine outside the shadow of Scott Lang.
4Aaron Davis
Is only a small-time criminal
There was a time when Donald Glover as Miles Morales was one of the popular fan-casts in Marvel. As time passed, Glover aged out of the role, but got to at least show up in the MCU as Miles' Uncle Aaron Davis, better known as The Prowler. While Aaron features prominently as The Prowler inSpider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, in the MCU, it seems as though Aaron is still only a small-time crook. After a brief conversation with Spider-Man, Davis is easily outmaneuvered by a single spray of webbing.
At the risk of including too many villains in the MCU Spider-Man saga, it’s a shame that Aaron Davis is never developed as the Prowler. In what little screen time he gets, Donald Glover’s take on the character leaves one wanting more. Outside a cheekycameo inSpider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse,Glover never gets to truly shine as a live-action Prowler,leaving heaps of villainous potential on the table.
3Maria Hill
Could’ve been Nick Fury’s successor
One unsung hero of the MCU that’s been with the series since nearly the very beginning is Maria Hill. The dedicated S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, played by Cobie Smulders ofHow I Met Your Motherfame, deserves more credit for holding down the fort of the shadowy homeland security institution, putting her life on the line multiple times. Sadly, Hill is unceremoniously killed off inSecret Invasion, which is commonly regarded as the weakest Disney+ series in the MCU’s catalog.
It’s a shame Maria Hill was never given the chance to evolve into something more in the MCU, considering how much work she’d put into the series over the years. With Samuel L. Jackson not getting any younger, Marvel Studios had an excellent opportunity to see Maria take over Nick Fury’s role as the Avengers' primary organizer and ally on the ground. Unfortunately, Marvel Studios rewarded Smulders’lengthy tenure as the character with a disappointing death.
2Goliath
Another size-changing hero fallen by the wayside
The Wasp isn’t the only fellow Pym particles user to be utterly neglected by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Ant-Man and the Waspintroduced Bill Foster, a scientist and former colleague of Hank Pym who specialized in utilizing Pym particles' ability to increase their user’s size. In the comics, Bill Foster uses the superhero alias of Goliath to fight villainy, being the premiere giant of the Avengers' allies.
Fishburne’s performance is one of the highest points of the otherwise lukewarm film
Despite casting Laurence Fishburne in the role, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemingly had no plans to ever incorporate Goliath as an active hero. Considering that Fishburne’s performance is one of the highest points of the otherwise lukewarm film, it’s tragic that audiences weren’t treated to seeing Goliath grow in size for a final time at least once. At leastBill Foster got aWhat If…?episodethat gives himsome time in the spotlight, albeit in another universe.
1Jane Foster
Wasn’t the Mighty Thor for long enough to matter
Despite actress Natalie Portman’s weary relationship with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios managed to convince her to reprise the role of Jane Foster inThor: Love and Thunder.Here, it’s revealed that Jane Foster ends up claiming Mjolnir and becoming the hero known as Mighty Thor, with a costume change and fancy helmet to match. Sadly, the film also reveals that Jane is terminally ill, with each use of Mjolnir only draining her life force further.
Portman seemed to truly come into the role of Jane Foster in the fourth Thor film, giving her far more personality as a hero than she had ever exhibited in two films as a simple love interest. But this time around, Marvel gave their new hero a literal expiration date, making her return a bittersweet waste of talent. Considering how far removed Thor is as a superhero operating in the Galaxy, let alone on Earth, Foster could’ve been the perfect opportunity to fill in as theMCU’s missing thunder god.
