The MCU is the largest and most successful franchise in the history of cinema, thanks to its colorful characters and dramatic stories. It all started with 2008's Iron Man, which set the precedent for the entire universe and lead to the world-building fans are used to these days, and culminated in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The MCU is showing no sign of slowing down and is still churning out more content, including television shows on Disney+ and crossing into other worlds thanks to the Multiverse.
Every character that has been a part of the MCU has served a glorious purpose, however, some of them have more importance than others and seemed to act as parental figures to younger characters. While there have been a lot of actual familial relationships, some of the best mentors and protégés have been born out of friendship. Regardless, many parental figures in the MCU seem to have stepped up more than others and watched out for their younger friends just a little bit more.
10 Aunt May Stays Strong For Peter & Supports Him Being Spider-Man
Aunt May is an iconic character in Marvel Comics and Marisa Tomei's take on the character has been a refreshing new iteration. While comic book fans think of Aunt May as an older woman, the MCU and newer comic books have made Peter's aunt a little more youthful. Regardless of her age, Aunt May is usually depicted as a loving person that steps up to take care of Peter after his parents and Uncle Ben are killed. Uncle Ben has only been referenced quickly in the MCU, but Marisa Tomei plays Aunt May to perfection and is as funny as her predecessors, Sally Field and Rosemary Harris.
Spider-Man: Homecoming was Spidey's first solo outing in the MCU for the wall-crawler and May didn't have any idea her nephew was Spider-Man until the final scene, although, she was constantly worried for Peter's safety and told him she was uncomfortable with his "internship" with Tony Stark. Aunt May finding out Peter's secret identity made for a hilarious ending in Homecoming, with her shouting, "what the... ?!" Regardless, she has since been supportive of Peter's role as Spider-Man and even had him help with her charity drives.
9 Odin Cared For Loki When He Was Abandoned & Taught Thor What It Meant To Be King
While Odin may have been more of a killer before he met Frigga, he more than made up for it when he adopted Loki and raised Thor to be a wise King. Although, Odin and his first daughter, Hela, ran rough shots over the galaxy and were constantly fighting and winning wars. After he sustained peace across the nine realms, Odin banished Hela because her love of death grew too strong and she was becoming too powerful. Odin met his wife, Frigga, and the two conceived their son, Thor, the future King of Asgard and member of the Avengers.
Additionally, while fighting Laufey and the Frost Giants, Odin found a young Frost Giant baby and took him back to Asgard, who turned out to be Loki. Odin would later have a complicated relationship with both Thor and Loki, banishing the former to Earth after he disobeyed him and locking up the latter after Loki tried to conquer Earth. Thor and Odin would repair their relationship, with Odin telling his son that he was proud of him and that he would make a great King one day. Loki, using the same powers as Frigga, put a spell on Odin and sent him to Earth. Odin was impressed and when he knew he was dying, he sat with both his sons and told them both he loved them.
8 Hank Pym Wasn't Perfect But Always Had Hope's Best Interest At Heart
Hank and Hope's relationship in Ant-Man was strained at the beginning of the movie, due to Hank never telling his daughter how her mother was really killed. After meeting and recruiting Scott to wear the Ant-Man suit, Hank and Hope grew close again as they worked to take down the evil Darren Cross. However, Hope wanted to put on the suit and do it herself, without Scott, but Hank angrily refused out of concern and love for his daughter. Hank finally tells Hope the truth about her mother Janet, who was thought to be dead, and with Scott's help, they stop Cross from selling PYM particles to HYDRA.
Hank later makes a Wasp suit for Hope and the two grow closer while they're on the run, after Scott used the suit to help Captain America. Hank and Hope were not happy about Scott's actions but would later forgive and he helped them travel into the Quantum Real to find Janet. Hank not only serves as a loving father to Hope but also has a father-son bond with Scott, especially since Scott survived the Quantum Realm and later helped them reunite with Janet.
7 Maria Rambeau Bonded With Captain Marvel & Raised Monica To Be Heroic
Maria Rambeau was a loyal friend to Carol Danvers, especially since the two flew fighter jets for the U.S. Airforce. She also was a strong, single mother to Monica, who was close with Carol as well. When Carol reappears after years of being away and losing her memory, Maria and Monica help her regain her thoughts and aid Nick Fury. Talos, who just wants to keep his Skrull family safe and away from the dangerous Yon-Rogg and the Supreme Intelligence, helps Carol, Fury, Maria, and Monica locate a cloaked lab that orbits the Earth.
Before they locate the lab, young Monica helps Carol pick out her suit's colors and Carol reminds Monica how heroic and awesome she is. Unfortunately, when Thanos snaps his fingers years later, Maria is in the hospital and Monica is one of the people who was dusted. When Monica is brought back, she finds out it's been 5 years and that her mom passed away. Despite the loss, Monica goes back to work at S.W.O.R.D. and helps deal with the Wanda Maximoff issue, even gaining her own powers when she gets thrust into Wanda's magical world.
6 King T'Chaka Taught T'Challa How To Be A Good Warrior & A Good Man
Wakandan King T'Chaka may have made a mistake leaving his young nephew orphaned and alone in Oakland, but he did his best to make up for it by raising two heroes in T'Challa and Shuri. T'Chaka was a great diplomat and wanted to work the Avengers after an accident went wrong and a few Wakandans were accidentally killed. Before a press conference at the United Nations, T'Chaka meets Natasha Romanoff while she is speaking with his son, T'Challa. After Natasha leaves the conversation, T'Chaka thanks his son for his support and touches his son's face in a fatherly manner.
Unfortunately, T'Chaka is killed during the press conference in front of his son, who holds his father's body in a shockingly sad moment. When T'Challa becomes King and the new Black Panther, his father visits him in a vision and explains his reasoning about leaving his nephew in Oakland. No father is perfect and T'Chaka certainly wasn't, but he was a very loving person who wanted peace in the world and was proud of his Wakandan heritage.
5 Pepper Potts Was A Loving Mother To Morgan & Took Care Of Tony All The Time
Pepper Potts was really the first parental figure in all of the MCU, seeing as she helped Tony out even before the events of 2008's Iron Man. She may have come off as a personal assistant at first, however, it was clear that Tony wouldn't be able to find his socks without her. Pepper helps Tony with everything, including all Stark Industries business and even helping him replace his chest piece by reaching into his chest with her fingers.
Pepper and Tony eventually fall in love with each other and become a couple, but then break up and get back together again. Pepper clearly loved him but she constantly worried about Tony's and her own safety, which leads to them taking a break. Thankfully, the two end up surviving Thanos' Snap and decide to get married, which leads to the birth of their daughter, Morgan. Pepper played a parental figure to several people throughout her time in the MCU, including Happy Hogan in Iron Man 3 and Spider-Man in Endgame, but the two most important people in her life were Tony and Morgan.
4 Tony Stark Was A Loving Father To Morgan & A Father Figure To Peter
While Pepper was a great mom to Morgan, a loving wife, and the head of a billion-dollar industry, none of it would have been possible without Tony Stark. Tony went from being a big kid himself in Iron Man to becoming a father figure to Peter Parker and later an actual father to Morgan Stark. Tony scouted Peter Parker and brought him to help his team capture Cap and Bucky. Although Cap and Bucky got away, Peter did a good job helping the team and even helped bring down Giant-Man with his Star Wars reference.
Tony would later take Peter's suit away after he hacked into it to stop Vulture and his men, but gave it back to him after Peter stopped them using only his homemade suit. Peter was asked to join the Avengers but respectfully declined, although, he would later join the team when Thanos attacked New York. Unfortunately, Peter was snapped away by Thanos, which left Tony devastated, and later decided to help the Avengers bring everyone back. Peter being dusted into Tony's arm was extremely sad but when he reappeared, the two shared an emotional hug. Tony not only helped bring back the snapped Avengers back but also raised his young daughter, Morgan, who loved her father 3,000.
3 Yondu Didn't Give Peter To Ego & Taught Him How To Be A Ravager
When viewers first meet Yondu in Guardians Of The Galaxy, he comes off a little rough around the edges and almost as an enemy of Peter Quill. However, it's later revealed that Yondu took Peter off Earth to keep him safe from Peter's celestial father, Ego. Ego was known for having many children and they all died shortly after meeting their evil father, thankfully, Yondu not only adopted Peter when he was a boy but would later sacrifice himself to save his "son."
Peter believed Yondu only adopted him so he could sneak into places and steal things but later learned Yondu was his real "dad" and he loved his son very much. In one of the most emotional scenes in the MCU, Yondu gives his own life to save Peter and caresses his son's face, who finally realized his "dad" was as amazing as David Hasselhoff. Yondu, who was thought to have broken the Ravager code of stealing children, was given a proper funeral when his Ravager teammates learned of his sacrifice.
2 Happy Hogan Watched Over Tony & Then Peter After Tony's Death
Pepper Potts isn't the only parental figure that was introduced in Iron Man, Happy Hogan was also a loyal servant and friend to Tony Stark. Although Happy comes off a little awkward and is young at heart, he steps up big time when Tony needs him and he helps Peter heal from Tony's death. Happy takes his job as "forehead of security" seriously and even watches over Pepper when Aldrich Killian shows up in Iron Man 3.
He's almost killed when he tries stopping one of Killian's powerful cronies but still leaves enough clues for Tony to solve the issue. Later, he watches over Peter for Tony and tells him that Peter is a good kid who deserves a spot on the Avengers. After Tony's death, Peter gives Mysterio the E.D.I.T.H. glasses but is thankfully saved by Happy, who tells Peter that Tony wouldn't have sacrificed himself if he didn't know that Peter could step up as a leader.
1 Nick Fury Had An Idea To Bring A Group Of Remarkable People Together
The man who brought the team together and first showed up in the post-credits scene in Iron Man, Nick Fury was a super-spy who knew the world needed The Avengers. Throughout the MCU, Nick Fury went from being a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who is infatuated with kitty cats to one of the most respected leaders of the agency. Fury brings the Avengers together to stop Loki and his alien army from destroying New York City.
He's later thought to be killed by The Winter Soldier but thankfully fakes his own death so he can stay off the radar and help Captain America stop HYDRA's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. He then shows up in Avengers: Age of Ultron and gives the team a morale boost and even an old Hellicarrier to stop Ultron and his robotic army. Whether he was a young agent helping Carol Danvers or a seasoned veteran bringing Earth's Mightiest Heroes together, Nick Fury served as a parental guide to many of the world's greatest heroes.