For the past ten years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has molded the way we look at the superhero genre of films, forever changing cinema in the process. The MCU has given us a run of twenty films, all raking in tons of movie-going cash and receiving mostly positive reviews. The many decades of rich, culturally-relevant stories and multi-layered characters has given MCU helmer Kevin Feige and his band of talented writers and filmmakers much to work with. The MCU has been able to draw from these heroes and villains, all diverse in backgrounds, mindsets, motivations, and skills. The films of the MCU keep outdoing themselves in regards to the action, effects, and visuals.
That being said, not every character the MCU has brought to the big screen is all that fascinating or compelling. In fact, some are just downright one-dimensional. Sure, character cameos such as Howard the Duck, Cosmo the Dog, or even the villain Batroc, were included in their respective films as a laugh, an Easter egg, or, in Batroc’s case, as a prologue character or plot device to simply set up the main narrative. Also, not every character has the benefit of great writing, casting, or a memorable performance. The MCU has given us plenty of characters we’ve fallen in love with, but we also have a handful we haven’t. For those we can’t get enough of, fans clamor for more and hope their favorites show up again and again. For the others, we’re hopeful we’ve seen the last of them. Join us as we take a look at twelve characters in the MCU that demand more screen time, and twelve that we’re happy are gone.
24 NEED MORE: LOKI
I know what you’re thinking: Loki has been in five MCU films already (including his sad demise in Avengers: Infinity War). However, that’s just not enough! We need, nay, we demand more Loki! Tom Hiddleston has delivered fans one of the most complex and appealing villains the MCU has seen. His portrayal changes just a bit in every appearance and leaves viewers wondering just what Loki will be up to next!
We just never know if he’s being genuine or hatching a scheme and the way his love-hate relationship with Thor plays out is always worth watching. Recently, the rumor mill is buzzing that the new Disney streaming service will be featuring a limited series featuring Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. Our fingers are crossed!
23 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: THE MANDARIN
Everyone knew this had to be the #1 please-no-more character on this list! What some saw as a wily villain twist in Iron Man 3, most saw as a slap in the face to comic book fans and a wasted opportunity for the MCU. The Mandarin is such an exciting character that a true, faithful depiction would’ve been a genuine threat to not only Iron Man, but to all the heroes of the MCU.
The reveal that Trevor Slattery was a hired actor to play the role of Mandarin was a let-down. Later, in the One-Shot: All Hail the King, Marvel Studios tried to retcon this by revealing that the real Mandarin is still out there and angry his name was used so disrespectfully. Still, it’s almost a sure thing that Marvel won’t bring the character back any time soon, even if it is the real thing.
22 NEED MORE: ROCKET RACCOON
Definitely one of the more broken and cynical members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket has found a special place in the hearts of fans. When we first encounter him, he’s ruthless and only in it for himself. He has just one friend, Groot. By the end of the first film, he’s begrudgingly accepted that he’s found a new family.
The second film saw Rocket continue to grow and develop, while still retaining his rough façade. He’s learning how to be open himself up emotionally to let others in by witnessing first-hand the sacrifices made by Groot and Yondu. Of course, fans still love Rocket’s more ruthless attributes, as well. I’m anticipating we get to see much more of him in films to come!
21 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: THE ABOMINATION
Wow, it seems just like every character from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk needs to be shelved. Emil Blonsky was portrayed by Tim Roth. In the film, Blonsky is a Russian-born officer in the British Royal Marines, who somehow wears a U.S. Army uniform. He’s helping General Ross capture the Hulk.
To better his chances, he gets a transfusion of Banner’s blood and becomes the Hulk-like Abomination. Everyone caught up? After being beat by Hulk, he’s reportedly cryogenically imprisoned in a hidden Alaskan facility – ready to be pulled out and utilized later in the MCU. Please don’t. Roth was really miscast in the role and failed to capture the elite, battle-tested Blonsky of the comics and came off more like an angry Brit.
20 NEED MORE: SCARLET WITCH
Though she lost her brother, Pietro, in the battle of Sokovia, Wanda has grown exponentially since her first appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). I still don’t think we’ve seen the full range of her abilities. Especially now that Fox’s X-Men is being brought back under the Marvel fold, the fact that mutants can now exist in the MCU, it is exciting to see what they do with Wanda’s character.
We know she was snapped out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), but we are optimistic that she’ll be brought back in the next film. She is just too powerful and mysterious a character to be snuffed out so soon.
19 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: THE LEADER
In 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, Sterns, not yet fully The Leader, is the character that tries to help Bruce Banner rid himself of the Hulk. He also then assists Emil Blonsky to become the Abomination. In his final moments on screen, he is seen undergoing a skull-enlarging metamorphosis after some of the Hulk’s blood falls into an open wound.
This is a not-so-subtle hint that Sterns is becoming The Leader of comic lore – a powerful foe. However, a decade later, we have yet to hear from him. The character had some potential but now, after all these years, many don’t even remember him. Those that do believe it is best to leave the character abandoned and move forward fresh.
18 NEED MORE: VULTURE
Adrian Toomes’ appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) was one of the best parts of the film. This is primarily due to the character’s portrayal by Michael Keaton. Instead of just another villain-of-the-week feel, we actually get to understand and relate to the motivations of Keaton’s Toomes. We can even feel empathy for him, while not forgetting the brutal crimes he’s committed.
Though Spider-Man’s interference thwarted Toomes’ plans and ultimately caused him to be tossed in prison, he remains a man of conviction (not revealing the web slinger's identity). Here’s hoping we get to see more of the Keaton’s Vulture in future films.
17 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: WHIPLASH
The sequel to the fan-favorite Iron Man was a little of a disappointment; not a bad film, but far from one of the better ones. It definitely failed to live up to the anticipation. One of the worst parts of it was the villain, Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash. The character was portrayed by Mickey Rourke, a great actor when he wants to be, but this seems to be a role Rourke just considered a throw-away.
With evident lack of prep and a lackluster performance, Vanko comes off as a stereotypical vodka-guzzling Russian, thick accent and all; very one dimensional. Even when we know his motivation, viewers never really feel any connection and with Rourke’s lazy performance, we know why.
16 NEED MORE: VISION
Everyone’s favorite synthezoid, Vision, is a truly powerful character and we have yet to fully explore his abilities in the MCU. His handling of Mjolnir in Avengers: Age of Ultron depicted his strength of character and goodness (worthy), but he was wounded too early in Avengers: Infinity War to see him in his full glory against Thanos.
Sure we’ve seen him take on Ultron, a few fellow Avengers, but how much power does that Mind Stone actually give him. The whole question could possibly be rendered moot now that Thanos plucked it from his head, effectively ending him. We are hopeful that Vision will be restored to full power in some way and take his rightful place alongside his fellow Avengers.
15 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: JASPER SITWELL
Oh, that darn traitorous Sitwell! S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Jasper Sitwell was a constant figure in the early MCU films, the Marvel one-shots, and then on TV’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. When it was revealed in Winter Soldier that he was really a Hydra double-agent, fans everywhere felt betrayed!
Whether it was the pain from that betrayal, or the feeling that Sitwell had served his purpose in the MCU, many believe there is no real need to ever see the character again. We know he was thrown out of a car and is presumed passed, but in the MCU, unless you see it happen, and even then don’t be so sure, there’s always a chance to come back. Here’s hoping this character doesn’t (not even in flashbacks).
14 NEED MORE: HAWKEYE
Poor Clint! In the MCU, he’s a founding member of the Avengers, fought side-by-side with the Black Widow for years, but still can’t seem to catch a break. His cameo in the first Thor (2011) was tantalizing, but he spent most of The Avengers (2012) under Loki’s control and we really didn’t get to see him in real action until the film’s climax. We never got to really see his character explored and as such he is under-appreciated.
Then they go off and leave him out of Avengers: Infinity War completely. We know, he was under house arrest and, like Scott Lang’s Ant-Man, had no real way of knowing what Cap and the gang were up against. Here’s hoping the MCU redeems its most underutilized character in the next Avengers film!
13 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: HARLEY KEENER
Iron Man 3 was a divisive film. Some loved it while others thought it was terrible. The infamous Mandarin debacle, Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian, and Ty Simpkins’ Harley Keener characters were usually at the heart of any discussion. I thought it was better than the sequel but not as good as the first film.
While Simpkins’ acting was good and it appeared he genuinely had some chemistry with Robert Downey Jr., the character felt a little unnecessary. We could be wrong, but we just think they could’ve done it another way without him. Even if you can adequately justify his inclusion, his further input in the MUC is really not needed and many fans hope we’ve seen the last of Keener.
12 NEED MORE: SHURI
Wisecracking, hyper-intelligent, and fun-loving Shuri is one of the highlights of Black Panther (2018). Letitia Wright’s portrayal was outstanding and fun, a standout in a film full of standouts. She brought warmth and compassion to a role that has a long history with Marvel.
Whether we ever get to see her assume any of the roles she has played in the comics is debatable, but fans know she’ll be instrumental in helping the Avengers deal with the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War. From there, her future in the MCU is full of wondrous possibilities and we, for one, am hopeful to be seeing much more of her in future films.
11 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: BETTY ROSS
We may be wrong but we believe Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross was better than Jennifer Connelly’s version. Tyler has always been sold short as an actress. She is soft-spoken and adorable, almost fragile, and the ideal Betty Ross; the perfect counterpoint to the raging fire that fuels the Hulk.
Even with all that, there’s probably very little need for her character to return to the MCU. Currently, it seems, Bruce Banner is falling into the romantic web of the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. To bring Betty back now would not only be awkward, but then we’d be denied the proper conclusion to Banner’s current romance.
10 NEED MORE: VALKYRIE
We only just met Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and she’s still a bit mysterious. We’ve seen glimpses of her past and know she’s semi-secluded herself for many years on Sakar, but that’s about it. We don’t even know her real name. Is she the MCU’s Brunnhilde, or was the blonde Valkyrie that we see in flashback sacrificing herself for her the real Brunnhilde?
We don’t know! She’s pretty close to the Hulk; Bruce Banner… maybe not so much, but she was warming up to Thor. Her storyline dropped off when she didn’t appear in Avengers: Infinity War, and hopefully, we’ll find out why and where she’s been in the next film. Fans are clamoring for this legendary warrior’s return to battle!
9 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: THUNDERBOLT ROSS
The antagonistic relationship between General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Bruce Banner was played out pretty well in The Incredible Hulk (2008). With the likelihood of another standalone Hulk film not being very high, it’s doubtful that the MCU will explore the Ross-Banner dynamic much further. Though Ross did return for Captain America: Civil War as a now-retired general, current secretary of state, he is now more of a bureaucrat.
Gone is the hard-charging military commander bent on getting the Hulk. That being said, it’s probably better to let him retire into the background, as it’ll be pretty hard to swallow him assembling the Thunderbolts or becoming the Red Hulk now.
8 NEED MORE: NEBULA
Nebula is a fascinating character. When we are first introduced to Karen Gillan’s Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), she is absolutely psychotic and has no qualms about ending her sister, Gamora. This adversarial role continued early in the second film, until they pair were able to get to the root of their relationship: Gamora was a warrior, always competing, while Nebula just wanted a sister.
They began to understand where each other stood and started to repair their relationship; a fascinating character arc. By the time of Avengers: Infinity War, Nebula still has unresolved anger towards Thanos (who doesn’t!). We can’t wait to see how this plays out in the next Avengers film.
7 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: DARCY LEWIS
We absolutely adore Kat Dennings! We loved her raunchy character in TV’s Two Broke Girls, and we thought her Thor appearances were really hilarious and charming. But truthfully, like Korg in Thor: Ragnarok, we think we’ve explored all we can with that character.
We mean, if you think about it, her character was just the lighter side to Jane Foster; providing the humor to Foster’s seriousness. She contributes very little to the progress of the MCU through her lines, and her role of providing levity can easily be shouldered by other characters. With Jane Foster gone, we have very little need for Darcy Lewis.
6 NEED MORE: PEGGY CARTER
Again, we know what you’re saying. We saw plenty of Agent Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Then she popped up in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), TV’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., another Avengers movie, Ant-Man (2015), and even her own short-lived television series before we sadly witnessed her funeral in Captain America: Civil War (2016).
But you know what? Hayley Atwell’s portrayal of the co-founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. was so loved by fans that we dare say we cannot ever get enough Peggy Carter! Even if her series never returns, filmmakers keep finding ways of inserting her into little cameos and flashbacks in other MCU films. Here’s to more of Agent Carter!
5 HAPPY TO SEE GONE: JANE FOSTER
Natalie Portman, despite what some might say, is a talented actress, especially when she is committed to a project. She is an Academy Award-winner, after all; however, as with most actors, there are some roles that are taken because a true connection is felt and then others that are taken just for the money. For example, for every Leon: The Professional, there’s a Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
For every Black Swan, there’s Thor: Dark World. We mean, Portman has made it really clear that she doesn’t have any longing to return to the MCU. Let’s let Jane Foster continue on with her career in the background and maybe, someday, if there’s a reason for her to return, we’ll welcome it.