The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a remarkable job of transforming even its most obscure characters into global icons, but some of them have barely appeared on-screen. The MCU has given dozens of lesser-known comic book characters the chance to become household names. However, the opposite is also true.
Several of Marvel’s most important and iconic heroes have barely made a dent in the MCU. Some of them have only appeared in fleeting cameos or as secondary characters even though they’re highly influential figures in Marvel’s comic universe. These heroes remain overlooked, waiting for their moment to truly shine in live-action.
8
Hank Pym
Hank Pym Is A Secondary Character In 3 Movies And Makes 2 Cameos In A Crossover Film
Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym is a major scientific mind but a surprisingly underused character. Pym appears as a secondary hero in all three Ant-Man films, makes a cameo as a young scientist in a 1970s scene in Avengers: Endgame, and assists Tony Stark’s funeral in the same movie. The bulk of Hank Pym’s story unfolds mostly through flashbacks or indirect references.
Hank’s Pym Particles and quantum technology make him vital to the MCU’s lore, but much of his life as the original Ant-Man remains largely untold. In the comics, Hank Pym is a founding Avenger, Ultron’s creator, and a figure of immense narrative importance to the entire Marvel Universe. Janet van Dyne’s late debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp underscores how both original heroes have been sidelined.
7
Elektra
Elektra Is A Supporting Character In 2 Shows
Elektra Natchios appears in Netflix’s Daredevil and The Defenders, where she’s portrayed as both Matt Murdock’s romantic interest and deadly foe. However, Elodie Yung’s Elektra is only considered part of the MCU through virtue of Daredevil: Born Again‘s canon status. While Elektra’s future is uncertain, she could still return in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, or another New York–based street-level project.
Elektra’s importance goes far beyond her romantic and tragic past in Marvel Comics. She has evolved from assassin to antihero, even stepping into the Daredevil mantle and joining the Avengers. Despite being one of Marvel’s most dynamic street-level characters, her MCU version remains underutilized, with most audiences only remembering her from Netflix’s saga.
6
Quicksilver
The Real Quicksilver Has Only Had 1 Supporting Appearance
Quicksilver’s time in the MCU is shockingly brief. Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Pietro Maximoff debuted and died in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he’s the Avengers’ only casualty despite his unmatched speed. Since then, the MCU has barely acknowledged Pietro’s existence. WandaVision introduced Evan Peters’ Pietro, but he turned out to be an impostor, meaning he doesn’t count as a Quicksilver appearance.
Quicksilver is far too significant to be sidelined. As the son of Magneto, brother of Scarlet Witch, member of the Avengers and the X-Men, and extended family of the Inhumans, Quicksilver sits at the crossroads of multiple major Marvel factions. Pietro Maximoff’s super speed and volatile temperament makes him an incredibly dynamic hero. Unfortunately, the MCU has wasted this top-tier hero for too long.
5
Charles Xavier
Professor X Has Only Had 1 Supporting Appearance In The MCU Proper
As the founder of the X-Men in Fox’s X-Men franchise, Charles Xavier served as the philosophical center of that universe. Professor X is the second protagonist of Fox’s X-Men movies, behind Wolverine. In the MCU, however, Patrick Stewart’s return as Xavier’s Earth-838 variant in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was only a small role, though he’s the Illuminati member who comes the closest to stopping Scarlet Witch.
Stewart’s Professor X is set to appear again in Avengers: Doomsday, where he may have one of the longest screentimes among the returning mutants. Still, his second MCU appearance will likely be quite short in comparison to his previous ones. After Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Charles Xavier will be recast for Jake Schreier’s X-Men reboot.
4
Black Bolt
Black Bolt Stars In 1 Non-Canon Show & Appears In 1 MCU Action Sequence
Black Bolt is one of the most important Marvel Comics superheroes to not play a major role in the MCU. Anson Mount’s Blackagar Boltagon is tangentially part of the MCU through the poorly-received Inhumans TV show, as well as officially through his Earth-838 variant’s small role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Unfortunately, Black Bolt barely got a chance to make his proper MCU debut before he was killed off.
As one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful regal figures, Black Bolt’s absence is difficult to ignore. Black Bolt’s voice alone can level cities, and his leadership of Attilan makes him an essential part of the Marvel cosmic hierarchy. The MCU is unlikely to explore Black Bolt and the Inhumans’ connection to other Marvel characters like the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and cosmic empires like the Shi’ar and the Skrulls.
3
Beast
Hank McCoy Has Only Made 1 Cameo In The MCU Proper
Kelsey Grammer first played Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand before Nicholas Hoult took over as the younger Hank McCoy in the following four X-Men movies. After years of absence, Grammer’s older Beast, now a proper MCU variant of the mutant genius, made his debut in The Marvels’ post-credits scene. This Beast is remarkably similar to the Hank McCoy from X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97, at least physically.
Beast’s MCU future still seems limited. Despite Grammer’s confirmed return in Avengers: Doomsday, the movie’s massive twenty-seven-character ensemble likely means Beast’s role will be short. It’s a shame, considering Hank McCoy’s charisma could add some flourish to the MCU. Like Professor X, Marvel Studios will find a new Beast actor for the upcoming X-Men reboot.
2
Howard the Duck
Howard The Duck Has Made 4 Cameos
Howard the Duck is the MCU’s resident cameo character, appearing briefly in all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and during Avengers: Endgame‘s final battle, the latter of which might be the shortest cameo in the whole franchise. Howard’s role in the MCU is little more than comic relief. Besides his participation in the Battle of Earth, he doesn’t seem too interested in joining major conflicts.
Marvel Comics’ Howard the Duck is a cult icon. Howard has starred in multiple solo runs filled with witty satire and existential absurdity. Besides, Howard holds a key place in Marvel movie history, as Willard Huyck‘s 1986 Howard the Duck movie is one of Marvel’s first proper live-action movie adaptations, though it infamously flopped.
1
Johnny Blaze
Johnny Blaze Makes 1 Cameo In A Tangentially-Canon TV Show
Like Black Bolt, Johnny Blaze is one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes with the least MCU screentime. Blaze’s only appearance is a cameo in the Agents of SHIELD episode “The Good Samaritan.” Since Agents of SHIELD’s continuity branches off from the MCU’s Sacred Timeline, its Johnny Blaze can be considered MCU canon, or at least more so than Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider.
The fact that Johnny Blaze has yet to properly debut in the main MCU continuity feels like a missed opportunity. Blaze is the most iconic Ghost Rider and the one with the longest supernatural legacy. Mephisto recently made his MCU debut in Ironheart, which makes all Ghost Riders more likely to make their introduction soon.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
