TheMarvel Cinematic Universeis loved by many for drawing attention to iconic characters like Iron Man and Captain America, but it hasn’t always adapted them faithfully from the comics. As a result, mainstream audiences have a different perception of many heroes and villains due to the changes made between the comics and the films or TV shows. While some differences benefit the characters, others strip these Marvel icons of their best traits.
Marvel’s comicslaid the groundwork for how these characters are meant to be perceived by readers, whereas the MCU has tried to streamline decades of continuity so that any viewer can understand what’s happening. In some cases, this leads to the movies not doing justice to certain characters, much to comic readers' dismay. Without further ado,here are 10 Marvel characters that the MCU has failed to adapt properly.
10Malekith
First Appearance:The Mighty Thor#344 by Walt Simonson
Many MCU fans may not even remember who Malekith is, and that’s the crux of the issue with his transition from page to screen. Believe it or not, in the comics,Malekith is one of Thor’s most dangerous adversaries. This Dark Elf of Svartalfheim isn’t afraid to kill anyone who dares to stand in the way with the help of his powerful magic. He once went as far as feeding his mother to dogs, proving just how cruel this villain can be.
Unfortunately, the MCU’s version of Malekith was never given the chance to live up to the original’s twisted potential, as he couldn’t speak in a comprehensible language and was killed off after a single film. Meanwhile, the comics' Malekith enjoyed decades of battles against Thor.
9Drax the Destroyer, aka Arthur Douglas
First Appearance:Iron Man#55 by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich
As endearing and hilarious as theMCU’s take on Draxis in theGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy, it strays surprisingly far from the comics' vision for the character. Drax was originally a human named Arthur Douglas in the comics' continuity, before Thanos' ship flew over their car and destroyed it to avoid being detected by anyone on Earth. Arthur’s soul was then channeled into a different body that possesses superhuman powers, transforming him into Drax the Destroyer.
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Drax has a much higher body count in the comics than he does in the MCU, hence his “Destroyer” title, and he’s intended to be a much more serious character.His live-action adaptation often reduces him to the punchline of a joke, making him less impressive than his comic counterpart.
8Thor Odinson
First Appearance:Journey Into Mystery#83 by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby
Thor’s inclusion on this list may come as a shock, since he’s received much more screen time and solo outings than other characters who have been overlooked by the MCU. However, his film counterpart doesn’t even come close to the power level of his original depiction. He’s become themost powerful thunder godwithin Marvel’s comic continuity, and this mighty deity is even exploring hisimmortal potential.
From facing gods to becoming one himself, Thor is a true force to be reckoned with in the comics.The MCU falls short of giving Thor the respect he deserves, reducing him to comic relief in his most recent appearancesand robbing him of his iconic Shakespearean speech pattern that gives him much of his gravitas.
7Ultron
First Appearance:The Avengers#54 by Roy Thomas and John Buscema
Ultron briefly shined in the MCU as the main antagonist of an Avengers film, but that doesn’t absolve his live-action iteration from missing the mark. For starters, he wasn’t created by Tony Stark in the comics. It was Hank Pym who gave life to his monstrous machine in the original story. Moreover, he isn’t a one-off villain like he is in the MCU. BecauseUltron is a machinethat can’t technically die, he can appear frequently to take on the Avengers.
Recently, the comics have benefited from constantly reviving back-ups of Ultron by turning him into amember of the West Coast Avengers.With Ultron definitively destroyed in the MCU, there’s no sign of him coming back, which means his boundless potential has been squandered after one movie.
6The Hulk, aka Bruce Banner
First Appearance:The Incredible Hulk#1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
The Hulk is one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel lore, but the MCU would lead many to think otherwise due to how underutilized he’s become.Bruce Banner’s exposure to gamma radiation grants him the ability totransform into a powerhousewho’s capable of standing up to the most deadly gods, yet he doesn’t get much to do in the MCU due to his lack of solo stories.
Because he tends to be a side character to allies like Thor, he’s failed to stand out the way he does in the comics as animmortal entity with an unbeatable healing factor. Furthermore, he’s since merged with Banner to become Professor Hulk in the MCU, limiting him from being the beast he is in the comics.
5Agent 13, aka Sharon Carter
First Appearance:Tales of Suspense#75 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers
It can’t be denied that theMCU has done Sharon Carter dirtysince introducing her in 2014’sCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. In the comics, she plays a big role in S.H.I.E.L.D. as Agent 13 and ends up becoming an integral ally to Captain America. They’ve developed a romantic relationship over the years, and she is considered Steve’s main love interest in the comics.
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As for the MCU, Steve Rogers returns to the past and rekindles a romance with Peggy Carter, leaving Sharon in the dust. She ultimately becomes a villain called Power Broker in a shocking twist.The comics' Sharon has been the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the superhero Iron Patriot, while the MCU’s version always gets the short end of the stick.
4Taskmaster, aka Tony Masters
First Appearance: The Avengers #175 by David Michelinie and George Pérez
When asked about which character has changed the most dramatically from the comics to the MCU, many fans will nameTaskmaster, and they aren’t wrong in doing so. In the comics, Tony Masters takes on the mantle of Taskmaster to carry out deadly mercenary work. He can alsomimic any fighting stylehe sees thanks to his astounding memory, which comes at the cost of sacrificing unnecessary details to retain information that can aid him on missions.
As badass as Taskmaster is in the comics, his MCU counterpart unfortunately misses the mark by failing to incorporate Tony Masters himself.Instead, Taskmaster is stripped of his internal struggle to become Antonia Dreykov, who is incapable of speech and thus lacks the original’s personality.
3Star-Lord, aka Peter Quill
First Appearance:Thanos#8 by Keith Giffen and Ron Lim
The Guardians of the Galaxy have gained a surge of mainstream popularity thanks to their MCU film trilogy, but their newfound attention hasn’t always been beneficial.Star-Lord is a prime example of how inaccurate the MCU can be.As it turns out, theMCU made major changes to Star-Lord, from Ego the Living Planet being his father to him sparking a romance with Gamora.
In the comics, Peter Quill is also meant to be taken far more seriously than he is in the comics, which is even evidenced by his design. He typically wears a more battle-ready uniform, whereas his MCU iteration trades it for a more casual look until the third movie. TheMCU failed Star-Lordby making him a joke to his allies, unlike the comics.
2The Wasp, aka Janet Van Dyne
First Appearance:Tales to Astonish#44 by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby
When MCU fans think about the Wasp, Hope Van Dyne may first come to mind, but it’s Janet Van Dyne who is most closely associated with the mantle in the comics. She was actually one of thefounding Avengersalongside her husband, Hank Pym, also known as Ant-Man or Giant-Man. She has fought bravely for decades within the Marvel Universe, and she’s also part of theUltimates' rosterin the new Earth-6160 continuity to cement herself as a hero across continuities.
The MCU hasn’t explored Janet Van Dyne as the Wasp beyond flashbacks for the most part, nor has it associated her with the Avengers.Despite her importance in the comics, she’s been relegated to a supporting role in live-action while her daughter steals the spotlight.
1Quicksilver, aka Pietro Maximoff
First Appearance:The X-Men#4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Quicksilver is perhaps the most egregious instance of a character being wasted in the MCU. In the MCU, he gets killed off at the end ofAvengers: Age of Ultron, then teased but never properly brought back inWandaVision. The comics explore him further as the son of Magneto and a formidable speedster in his own right, earning his status as one of thefastest characters in the Marvel Universe.
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Meanwhile, the MCU kills him with a single bullet, which he could have dodged in the comics without breaking a sweat. With no connection toMagneto or the X-Menand his life cut tragically short, Quicksilver’s live-action adaptation is nothing short of a disappointment and proves that theMarvel Cinematic Universedoesn’t always do the comics justice.
