The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been host to rogues of all types from the deepest depths of the comics. With the debut of Man-Thing in the Disney+ special, Werewolf By Night, the stage has been set for the return of one forgotten Iron Man 3 villain.
Fans remember well the Extremis experiments that caused chaos for the world at the direction of Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian. The villainous A.I.M. organization used its explosively powerful soldiers and a false-flag Mandarin to turn a quick buck and corner the market on terror. The bumbling Trevor Slattery has already seen a comeback and given new purpose to the Mandarin, proving that the impact of Iron Man 3 is still being felt throughout the MCU. Though Pearce has expressed interest in returning to the screen as Killian, viewers could see one of his less recognized underlings return much sooner.
Who Is Ellen Brandt in the MCU?
Ellen Brandt, played by Stephanie Szostak, was no more than a throw-away character in Iron Man 3. She was one of Killian's dutiful footsoldiers and quickly met her demise by way of exploding microwave and some nearby power lines: in short, a real blink-and-miss-it character on the screen. But readers of the comics know her as so much more.
In the comics, Ellen Brandt is almost solely responsible for the creation of the Man-Thing. She was the wife of scientist Ted Sallis as he attempted to recreate the Super-Soldier Serum that made Captain America. As Sallis delved further into his research, their relationship fell apart, and Ellen chose loyalty to A.I.M. over Sallis. After a heated confrontation, she shot her husband multiple times in the back and left him to die. Sallis then fell into the swamp, consumed his experimental serum and became the monstrous Man-Thing.
Ellen Brandt's Return Could Have a Multiversal Impact
As Phase Four plays with the idea of the multiverse and Kang the Conqueror becomes the new big bad, Man-Thing is becoming a potentially important character. His lot in life is to serve as the protector of the Nexus of All Realities, a cross-dimensional gateway to all universes, realities and everything in between. This is an obviously juicy target for anyone looking to rule the multiverse, as Kang hopes to do.
Since Ellen was dosed with the Extremis serum, it's entirely possible that she survived the harrowing events of Iron Man 3 and has been lurking in the background. Though most viewers, even the most vigilante ones, have long since forgotten her presence, she is an ideal candidate to bring the Avengers in tight with the reclusive Man-Thing. Her roots may be villainous, but she's always been an anti-hero, often working with the likes of Howard the Duck and the Silver Surfer to save The Man-Thing and reality itself. She even gave birth to Ted's son, Job Burke, aka The Dreamer, who has the power to manipulate and repair the fabric of reality. Though there are currently no confirmed signs of one, it would come as no surprise for Ellen Brandt to make an Extremis-level explosive return to the screen if the Nexus of All Realities becomes the new Infinity Gauntlet.