There have been a lot of great characters that have made their live-action debut in the MCU. From powerful and iconic Avengers like Iron Man and Thor to fan-favorite characters like Spider-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp and more. Yet the world of Marvel Comics is so vast, that there are still several heroes to bring into the MCU that would be considered “lower-tiered”.
Heroes who are fun, memorable or integral to the Marvel Universe, but aren’t quite as iconic or powerful as the larger names that came before them make up this group of heroes. Here are the five lower-tiered heroes who deserve a live-action debut, and the five who don’t.
10 Genis-Vell (Doesn’t)
One of the first heroes who most likely will not be getting a live-action debut has to be Genis-Vell. In Marvel Comics, Genis-Vell is the son of Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel of the Marvel Universe. In this universe after the passing of Mar-Vell, his love interest, the Eternal Elysius, takes some of his genetic material and uses the technology of Titan to create a son.
She implants false memories into Genis-Vell that makes him believe he is Starfox’s son. He would go from hero to villain throughout his comic book career, but as many fans know Mar-Vell had a much different approach in the MCU, making this outcome less likely than others.
9 Warpath (Does)
One of the things that the MCU has done a great job of is searching for new ways to include diversity into their heroic roster. With heroes like Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, Black Panther and the upcoming Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, the MCU is always looking for new ways to diversify their heroes.
When the MCU eventually introduces the mutants of the X-Men universe into the world, one hero that would represent this diversity greatly is Warpath. A mutant hero born on an Apache reservation in Arizona, his brother was an X-man who’s passing made him blame Professor X. He joined the Hellions until he realized their villainous ways, later joining X-Force and becoming a hero.
8 Warlock (Doesn’t)
Introducing the mutant population into the MCU is going to be a lengthy process, as that part of the Marvel Universe is vast and just as complex as the larger Marvel Universe as a whole. There are so many characters in that part of the world that lead into various storylines, that it is likely some of the lesser-known or utilized mutants won’t arrive in the MCU.
One such mutant has to be Warlock, a member of the Technarchy, who are mechanical organisms who survive by infecting sentient beings with the techno-organic virus. A complex, mechanical mutant hero is perhaps too complex to introduce into the MCU.
7 Strong Guy (Does)
One under-utilized hero that would be an interesting fit for the MCU has to be Strong Guy. A mutant who lost his parents early in life, gaining a large settlement in the process, the boy known as Guido would find his mutation triggered when he was being bullied in the schoolyard and subsequently being hit by a bus.
His body transformed from a skinny and shy kid to a large, over-muscled mutant. He hid his pain from the world, but his loving aunt and uncle he survives. He later finds himself protecting a mutant musician which leads him to Muir Island and later the X-Men, joining X-Factor.
6 Jim Hammond (Doesn’t)
This next hero is unique in that he had a brief cameo in the first Captain America film of the MCU, but didn’t go much further than that. That hero is Jim Hammond, the first Human Torch. Briefly seen at the Stark Expo in that film, the synthezoid, fire-based hero of WWII has not been seen since.
Despite his interesting connection to Captain America, it is very unlikely that this hero will appear again. Not only is Captain America, at least Steve Rogers part, over in the MCU for now, but with the Fantastic Four looming, another Human Torch is set to appear, making two Human Torches unlikely.
5 Ka-Zar (Does)
As the MCU expands and explores the other aspects of the Marvel Universe, there is one land on Earth that would be fantastic to see explored, and given the wide array of heroes that are being introduced into the MCU, the Savage Lands are one such land that would be amazing to see in a live-action setting.
One hero who has made the Savage Land his home is Ka-Zar, aka Kevin Reginald. After his mother’s passing and his father being taken and ended by Man-Ape natives of the Savage Land, Ka-Zar is found and raised by the highly human intelligent sabertooth tiger Zabu. He is a skilled hunter, survivor and hero of the land.
4 Julia Carpenter (Doesn’t)
One thing that will make a live-action debut of this next character difficult to appear in a live-action setting is that there is another hero who needs to be introduced well before this character does. The character who won’t have their live-action debut, at least not yet, is Julia Carpenter, the second Spider-Woman.
She would later become Arachne and then the second Madame Web. However the first Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, still needs to be introduced, and not only that but the MCU’s ability to use Spider-Man properties is still not quite as well cemented as other heroes.
3 M (Does)
Another character that would be a perfect way for Marvel to continue to diversify their heroic roster has to be M, one of the first Muslim superheroes of the Marvel Universe. A mutant born in Bosnia and raised as the favored daughter of a diplomat, Monet’s brother was the villainous, vampiric mutant Emplate.
After she rejected her brother’s request to help him conquer another dimension, he retaliated and turned her into a creature known as Penance. Her sisters joined together to make their father believe Monet was still alive until Monet returned and became the powerful hero M, a member of X-Force and the X-Men.
2 Stingray (Doesn’t)
One hero who is far from ever appearing in the MCU has to be Stingray. A hero who was introduced in the same comics as Namor the Sub-Mariner and Lady Dorma, Walter Newell is an oceanographer working with the United States government. While building a domed sub-sea city, he meets Namor and Dorma, and the city is destroyed by the villain Plunderer.
From there he becomes a supporting character to Namor, fighting Tiger Shark, until the government believes Namor to be in league with aliens taking water from Earth’s oceans. He creates the suit to become Stingray, and despite arresting Namor believes him to be innocent.
1 Iron Lad (Does)
One character that is not quite in the public eye as much as heroes like Iron Man but is likely to make a live-action debut has to be Iron Lad. A member of the Young Avengers and a younger version of Kang the Conqueror, Nathaniel “Nate” Richards has a suit that responds to his mental commands.
Not only are the Young Avengers likely to appear in the future of the MCU, but thanks to the time-traveling elements of Avengers: Endgame, the heroes have opened the doorway for the time-traveling Kang the Conquerer to arrive, leaving Iron Lad a probable addition to the MCU.