Since the events ofAvengers: Endgame, theMarvel Cinematic Universehas introduced many characters that it has ultimately wasted. For the franchise’s first 11 years, themovies of the MCUbuilt up to the events ofEndgame. The finale of the Infinity Saga was an epic cinematic event that forever changed the landscape of the MCU. The entries into the franchise that followed began the Multiverse Saga, introducing many new characters as part of its own story.
Unfortunately, many of the characters added to theMCU’s movie timelineafterAvengers: Endgamehave been wasted. Where some have been killed off far too soon, others were written in a way that didn’t allow them to live up to their full potential, and the sad truth is that there are many characters in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga that just haven’t been properly used within the franchise. With that in mind, here are 10 post-Endgamecharacters that the MCU has wasted.
Secret Invasion (2023)
2023 saw the release of anMCU TV showthat continued the story of the Skrull refugees first introduced inCaptain Marvel.Secret Invasionsaw Nick Fury fighting to stop a rebel plot to destabilize human society, led by the Skrull General Gravik. Gravik also developed a serum using the Harvest which gave him the powers of all the combined Avengers, making him an incredibly powerful and dangerous villain.
Gravik’s role as the main antagonist ofSecret Invasion’s castdidn’t quite match up with the way in which he was written.Though his character should have been an incredibly interesting and complex figure, he simply didn’t live up to his potential.Not only did this hurtSecret Invasion’s story, but it meant that the show utterly wasted Gravik by not making him the villain he deserved to be.
9The Scarlet Witch Didn’t Get A Chance At Redemption
WandaVision (2021)
Among the first releases afterAvengers: EndgamewasWandaVision, the MCU’s first official TV show released on Disney+. The show followed Wanda Maximoff, who, in her grief over losing Vision, trapped an entire town inside a magical hex in which she lived out a sitcom-inspired family life with her late hero partner. The show’s finale saw Wanda read from the Darkhold, tapping into its power and transforming into the Scarlet Witch.
Wanda’s second stint as a villain was relatively short-lived, as she died at the end ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessafter threatening to tear entire realities apart. Though the MCU’s take on the Scarlet Witch was largely very good,the franchise didn’t give the Avenger-turned-villain any chance at redemption before killing her off.In doing so, the MCU only opted to adapt part of Wanda’s story, wasting her incredible narrative potential.
8Ikaris Was Wasted By An Unexciting Plot Twist
Introduced in: Eternals (2021)
2021’sEternalsadapted one of Marvel’s lesser-known hero teams to the big screen, adding a cosmic perspective to the MCU. The movie saw the team of heroes loosely based on gods and god-like figures from different human mythologies arrive on Earth, and live among humanity ahead of uncovering the dark secret of their creation. One of the most powerful members of the team, Ikaris, is revealed to have been acting as a villain all along, hoping to destroy Earth for the Celestial Arishem.
Ikaris was the closest thing to Marvel’s Superman yet adapted to the MCU. His range of powers made him an interesting addition to the franchise, and he had considerable hero promise as a result. Unfortunately,Eternals’ twist and Ikaris underwhelming death make further exploration of the character unlikely, particularly after the mixed reactions to the movie.
7The Illuminati Were Wasted For Pure Shock Factor
Introduced in: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Some of the most exciting additions toDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ castwere the Illuminati, introduced as the greatest heroes of Earth-838. Among them were Multiversal variants of familiar Marvel heroes, including Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, Anson Mount’s Black Bolt, and Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter. The Illuminati of Earth-838 were initially incredibly powerful, though their potential was almost immediately wasted.
Shortly after being introduced, the Illuminati are attacked by the Scarlet Witch, who murders them each in gruesome fashion. Introducing a team of powerful heroes only to kill them off was one ofMultiverse of Madness’ most shocking moments, but it was also incredibly wasteful. Though they might not have been from the MCU’s main timeline,the powerful team of heroes deserved far better than to be killed so unceremoniously.
6Gorr The God Butcher Deserved MCU Longevity
Introduced in: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor: Love and Thunderadded many new characters to the ranks of the MCU, including a number of gods. Leading up to its release, however, it wasLove and Thunder’s antagonist that earned most of the press, with Christian Bale cast to play Gorr the God Butcher, one of the God of Thunder’s most dangerous and bloodthirsty foes in the comics. Despite having a world-class actor and a potentially devastating story to work with,Love and Thundercompletely wasted Gorr.
Theending ofThor: Love and Thundersaw Gorr die after asking Eternity to revive his daughter. The death felt cheap and unnecessary, especially as Thor was unable to defeat Gorr, and it marked the passing of what deserved to be one of the MCU’s most exciting new villains.With a huge star like Christian Bale in the role, Gorr could have been great, butLove and Thunderwasn’t able to fulfill his potential.
5The MCU’s MODOK Was A Short-Lived Villain
Introduced in: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Thecast ofAnt-Man & the Wasp: Quantumaniabrought back many familiar MCU characters, though one in particular stood out as a shocking inclusion. The film saw the unexpected return of Corey Stoll, who had previously played Darren Cross/Yellowjacket, the main antagonist ofAnt-Man. It was revealed that his passage into the Quantuam Realm transformed him, with Cross becoming the MCU’s very own MODOK, giving the villain an entirely different backstory in the process.
Considering MODOK’s power levels and his potential for both high-stakes stories and genuine moments of levity, the character had major MCU potential. The franchise wasn’t able to capitalize on it, though, as it killed MODOK off during an ill-advised third-act hero turn. From concept to ending,Quantumania’s handling of MODOK as a character left a great deal to be desiredand a lot of potential completely wasted.
4Battlestar Could Have Been A Hugely Interesting Character
Introduced in: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Introduced inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Battlestar served as the sidekick of John Walker’s Captain America. Introduced as a hand-picked sidekick for the government-approved successor to Steve Rogers, Battlestar was one of the MCU’s few heroes of color. Unfortunately, he was killed partway through the series by a Flag Smasher, forcing John Walker to work alone and wasting one of the show’s most promising new characters.
Battlestar as depicted in the MCU had very little chance to become interesting. However, his time in the comics serving as Captain America’s sidekick outlined some of his ability, and the chance for greater representation in the MCU by adapting a Black hero into the franchise would have been a welcome choice. Instead,Battlestar was treated as expendable, which completely wasted the potential of the characterto play a major role in later MCU stories.
3The Mighty Thor Deserved More Than A Single Appearance
Natalie Portman’s earliest roles in the MCU came in 2011 and 2013, where she played Dr. Jane Foster, astrophysicist and love interest to Thor. It wasn’t until 2022’sLove and Thunderthat Foster finally became The Mighty Thor, adopting the same hero mantle she once enjoyed in the comics. As triumphant as it might have been to finally see Portman don the Mighty Thor armor, it quickly proved bittersweet.
Thor: Love and Thunder’s ending sees Jane die after her terminal cancer claims her life, but not before she gets to showcase her hero abilities. The Mighty Thor’s role fighting alongside Thor as an incredibly similar force of nature was refreshing and paid off years of teases, only for it all to be ripped away shortly after. The sad fact is thatonly a single movie after becoming the Mighty Thor, the mantle was taken from Janeby her own death.
2Xu Wenwu’s Mandarin Was Killed Too Quickly
Introduced in: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
From the MCU’s very first movie, the franchise was teasing the existence of the Ten Rings.Iron Man 3’s Mandarin fake-out soured the legacy of the villain, although 2021’sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsthoroughly revived it. The movie introduced the real Mandarin, also known as Xu Wenwu - the wielder of the Ten Rings and a near-immortal warlord. Despite finally paying off one of the MCU’s oldest teases, Wenwu never got to shine the way he deserved.
With the talented Tony Leung Chiu-wai cast in the role, the MCU’s Mandarin was as fearsome as he was compelling. However,Shang-Chi’s ending saw Wenwu killed by the Dweller-in-Darkness, with his weapons passing down to his son.A villain of the Mandarin’s stature certainly deserved far better than the swift death he got after years of build up, making it all too clear that the franchise wasted him entirely.
1Kang The Conqueror Was Wasted For Real-World Reasons
The MCU’s biggest ever waste of an incredible character came about through no fault of the studio itself. Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror was dropped from the MCU after he was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment, with Marvel cutting ties shortly after.
With Majors having also played every multiverse variant of Kang, the complications around Kang still being the main villain in the upcoming Avengers movie appeared clear, and the movie now having Doctor Doom in the central villain role suggests the character will never return. Though completely unavoidable, the waste of Kang the Conqueror is undoubtedly one of the biggest in the history of theMarvel Cinematic Universe.
