Captain America: The First Avenger introduced the Sentinel of Liberty into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, showing a glimpse of what this world's "Golden Age" was like. Of course, this was far more truncated than what happened in the Marvel Comics Universe, with Cap seemingly being the only one of the "Invaders" around. However, the film did hint at the existence of another Golden Age hero.
A reference to the original Golden Age Human Torch appears in The First Avenger, but sadly, it's yet to amount to anything within the MCU. With the Fantastic Four likely on the way, it seems that the original Human Torch may never show up on the big screen, though perhaps future MCU projects could change this.
Who Was the Original Human Torch?
Created by Carl Burgos, the Human Torch of the Golden Age debuted in and on the cover of the very first issue of Marvel Comics ever. The creature was an android created by scientist Phineas Horton, though exposure to oxygen made it spontaneously combust. Intended to be destroyed, the android escaped his prison and revealed himself to humanity at large. Learning to control his flame powers, he then became a public superhero. This career had him fight against, and later alongside, Namor the Sub-Mariner, as well as other Golden Age good guys like Captain America and Bucky Barnes. The character was retired by the Golden Age's end, though his name would be taken by a new kid in the Fantastic Four by the beginning of the Silver Age.
He then sort of made his MCU debut in Captain America: The First Avenger. In the film, Steve Rogers and his friend Bucky visit a science exhibit where Phineas Horton is showing off his "synthetic man." This mannequin is wearing the Golden Age Human Torch's costume, and it's encased in glass like the Torch was in the original comics. Sadly, this cool cameo has yet to amount to anything, even as the MCU has grown since 2011.
Will the Android Human Torch Ever Be a Big Part of the MCU?
There's been no mention of this original Human Torch since the Easter egg in The First Avenger, despite how many other characters have been retroactively added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. During his tour of service in World War II, Captain America was never suggested to have fought with any sort of Human Torch, and if that part of his history matches the comics, surely it would have come up by now. This makes it unlikely that this version of the Torch will ever truly be in the MCU proper.
One way that he could join its multiverse, however, might be through additional episodes of the animated What If...?. This series has an alternate Earth where Peggy Carter became Captain Carter instead of Steve becoming Captain America, and it could further differentiate itself by having Phineas Horton's "synthetic man" be the Human Torch. The events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could also show another alternate Earth where the Human Torch rages in the skies against the Sub-Mariner. What's most ironic about this is that Chris Evans played both the Human Torch and Captain America, and he could "reprise" the role here.
The Fantastic Four will surely be on their way to the MCU soon, and their ranks will include the more popular Johnny Storm version of the Human Torch. This makes it even more unlikely that Jim Hammond will be the Torch in any major MCU project. The jury's still out on whether this forgotten Golden Age figure will have any real prominence in the movies or even the comics ever again, but The First Avenger did briefly turn his flame on, if only for a moment.