The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow with each entry.The anticipatedAvengersmovieSecret Warswon’t arrive in 2027, but there are still plenty of upcoming exciting films in the studio’s ever-expanding slate, includingThunderbolts,Fantastic Four, andDeadpool and Wolverine, which is set to release in 2024 and introduce some key characters of the X-Men into the MCU.
With such a busy schedule, it’s logical that plenty of characters the MCU adapted from the comics have never reached their full potential. In fact, some viewers might agree thata good handful of key figures were wasted by Marvel, either dying before meeting their true potential or living long enough to see their original characterization altered drastically. Some of these characters were fan favorites, and perhaps they will be redeemed in future films due to the expanding multiverse; alas, for now, they remain the biggest fumbles in the MCU’s history.
10Jane Foster
Played by Natalie Portman
Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) plays a crucial role in three Marvel films:Thor,Thor: The Dark World, andThor: Love and Thunder. Although Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) love interest, Jane remained interesting and intricate. However, afterThe Dark World, Jane disappears untilLove and Thunder, where she becomes Mighty Thor. Sadly, she also gets cancer and is going through treatment, passing away after succumbing to her cancer at the end of the film.
Jane Foster as Mighty Thor in the MCU was a treat; it was fun watching her go from a love interest to a full-on superhero. However,Jane’s time as Mighty Thor is short-lived, appearing only for one film and then being killed off. Furthermore,Love and Thunderfails to develop a compelling story for her, instead treating her as a mere plot device. This approach speaks toPhase Four’s shoddy female representationand wastes one of the comics' most important storylines.
Thor: Love and Thunder
9Malekith The Accursed
Played by Christopher Eccleston
Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) is the ruler of the dark elves, leading his people against the Asgardians. However, this war almost extinguishes his people, leaving Malekith the only survivor of the dark elf race. Thousands of years later, Malekith invades Asgard once more, only to fall before Thor.
In the comics, Malekith is known as a mighty being, a reputation his movie counterpart doesn’t share. Instead,movie Malekith has a weak and uninteresting presence. Compared to other villains in the Thor franchise, Malekith lacks development the most, never holding a candle to Hela (Cate Blanchett) or Loki (Tom Hiddleston). A huge reason behindThor: The Dark World’spoor reception is due to how forgettable Malekith is, to the point where he’s easily amongthe worst villains of the 21st century.
Thor: The Dark World
Played by Benedict Wong
Introduced inDoctor Strange, Wong (Benedict Wong) is a sorcerer in Kamar-Taj and the new Sorcerer Supreme, one of the most powerful mages and magic users. He inherits the prestigious and coveted following Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) disappearance in the Blip.
Although he remains the MCU’s Sorcerer Supreme,Wong has done very little to prove that he is worthy of the title. In fact, inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wong did very little to justify his role as the world’s powerful mage. Instead, Doctor Strange saved the multiverse, arguably proving why he should have remained Sorcerer Supreme and giving Wong barely any screen time to prove his magical prowess.
Doctor Strange
7Pietro Maximoff, AKA Quicksilver
Played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), otherwise known as Quicksilver, debuted inAvengers: The Age of Ultron. He is Wanda Maximoff’s (Elizabeth Olsen) brother and an “enhanced” individual with the power of super speed. Initially an ally of Ultron (James Spader), Quicksilver changes sides before dying during the final battle in Sokovia.
In the comics, Quicksilver plays a larger role in the Avengers and the X-Men. However, his movie counterpart dies before making an impression, likely for Wanda’s emotional development. His death is also nonsensical becausea speedster like him should’ve been able to outrun a normal bullet, further adding salt to the wound.The MCU truly failed Quicksilver, especially now that X-Men are entering the MCU, but perhaps with the multiverse opening up, he can make a comeback, just as other characters have.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
6Ronan the Accuser
Played by Lee Pace
Another MCU villain with wasted potential, Ronan (Lee Pace) is supposedly a powerful and ruthless tyrant. As he once worked for Thanos—ultimately betraying him once he retrieved the Power stone—fans would think that Ronan is a dangerous and mighty enemy for the Guardians of the Galaxy, especially once it’s revealed that he murdered Drax’s (Dave Bautista) wife and child.
However,Ronan proves to be nothing more than a hurdle to get the Guardians of the Galaxy to work together. Barely appearing in the film, Ronan’s bark is stronger than his bite. In fact, the newly-formed Guardians of the Galaxy make a joke of defeating Ronan, never really testing their strength against him. It’s almost hard to believe that Drax had such a heavy grudge against such a pushover; he was by far one ofthe weakest villains in the MCU.
Guardians of the Galaxy
5Gorr the God Butcher
Played by Christian Bale
Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) is the main antagonist ofThor: Love and Thunder. After losing his daughter, Gorr becomes a galactic menace, vowing to kill all the gods, who he feels neglected his people, including his daughter. Wielding the powerful Necrosword, Gorr travels the galaxy, slaying the gods.
Although supposedly incredibly powerful and feared throughout the realms, viewers only really see Gorr kill a god at the beginning of the film.He talks a tough game, but there’s not much evidence of his deeds. Not to mention, for a character who is supposed to be compelling and empathized with to a certain degree, he lacks depth and nuance.Thor: Love and Thunderis disappointingin multiple ways, but its biggest sin is probably wasting a character as interesting and full of potential as Gorr, not to mention giving Oscar-winner Christian Bale nothing to work with.
4Bruce Banner, AKA The Hulk
Played by Mark Ruffalo
The Hulk, also known as Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), is one of the primary Avengers and a founding member. A scientist who turns into a raging green monster when angry following exposure to gamma radiation, Bruce struggles to control his emotions. He goes through an interesting journey throughout his time in the MCU but becomes increasingly comedic over time.
Although he has plenty of screen time,the MCU continues to waste The Hulk’s potential by nerfing his powers and turning him into a comedic sidekick. The Hulk is supposed to be a powerhouse andone of the most intelligent Avengers; however, the franchise has continuously put him into a weakened state where he can no longer really be relied on to protect the Earth. He is now a mix between Hulk and Banner, known as Professor Hulk, but this version has received mixed reviews from both critics and fans.
The Avengers
3Hope Van Dyne, AKA The Wasp
Played by Evangeline Lilly
Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) is the daughter of the original Ant-Man and Wasp, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). After losing her mother to the Quantum Realm, Hope develops a strained, almost hostile relationship with her father. Eventually, Hope receives a prototype suit and becomes the new Wasp.
Alas, it still feels likeHope doesn’t play as much of a big role as other superheroes in the MCU. She is present during the final battle against Thanos and helps defeat Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but unlike other women in the Avengers, Hope is sidelined too often to really be considered a superhero. Still, the MCU is an ever-expanding universe, and Hope can get more action as a fully-fledged character, especially now that many of the previous heroes are passing on the torch.
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Played by Idris Elba
Former guardian of the Bifrost and an Asgardian with the ability to see and hear all, Heimdall (Idris Elba) protects the Nine Realms and plays an important role in preparing the Rainbow Bridge. Heimdall is also a leader among the Asgardians, helping them flee Hela’s control and providing sanctuary to the misplaced citizens.
Although he plays an important role in certain scenarios,Heimdall never reached his full potential and remained limited to a sporadic and underdeveloped supporting rolethroughout his time in the MCU. His eventual demise inAvengers: Infinity Warcame across as emotional shock value, abandoning any chance of further exploring his relationships with Thor and Loki.
Thor: Ragnarok
Played by James Spader
Ultron is the primary villain ofThe Avengers: Age of Ultron. He is a piece of artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner to keep peace. They used the Mind Stone to activate Ultron, but after examining the internet archives and realizing humanity’s potential to become its demise, Ultron becomes corrupted and seeks to destroy humanity.
The debate of Ultron as a character has been going on ever since his debut. Though an extremely powerful enemy that speaks on the horrors of AI,Ultron gets destroyed in a single film, as opposed to other villains who span across several entries. It’s a shame because Ultron had huge potential, to the point wherehe deserves a second chance as a villainin the Avengers films.Many fans were also unhappy with Ultron’s adaptation, as it erased Hank Pym’s involvement and deprived him of considerable and much-needed character development.
