The Marvel Cinematic Universe might be one of the biggest franchises in modern cinema, but it doesn’t always know how to handle its characters. Since the MCU first began in 2008 with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, the franchise has grown into one of the most expansive shared universes ever to grace the big screen. The movies of the MCU have introduced many Marvel characters into live-action, bringing the pages of the comics to life in major blockbusters, and also taking creative license with their stories in order to better entertain audiences. The result has been massively successful, but that isn’t to say that the MCU handles all of its characters perfectly.
There are many MCU characters weaker in the movies than in the comics, and some that barely resemble their comic book counterpart. However, it’s even sadder when the franchise simply doesn’t seem to know how best to use a character, and instead wastes their potential. Whether through being criminally underused or not being featured enough in stories that allow them to shine, there are many characters in the MCU that Marvel seems not to know how to handle.
7) Hawkeye
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Despite being introduced into the MCU way back in 2011 and serving as one of its founding Avengers, Hawkeye is a prime example of a character that the franchise consistently fumbled. While 2022 saw him finally star in his first solo project — which is one of the MCU’s most rewatchable TV shows — the decade leading up to it saw Hawkeye repeatedly sidelined. In hindsight, it’s clear that Marvel hadn’t quite worked out how he fit into the bigger picture of the MCU, which is a shame, as it wasted some great story opportunities.
6) Hank Pym
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From the character’s first appearance, it’s abundantly clear that Hank Pym is one of the smartest characters in the MCU. However, he’s another character that the franchise seemed unsure of how to handle, as Marvel opted to skim over his time as Ant-Man and instead have Scott Lang be the MCU’s main iteration of the hero. This seems likely to be due to Pym’s traditional role as one of the sharpest minds on the Avengers, which the MCU had already given to Tony Stark, making it seem as though Marvel wasn’t really sure how to properly integrate Pym into the shared universe.
5) Red Skull
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Captain America’s debut also introduced another powerful MCU super soldier in the form of the Red Skull, his traditional comic book nemesis. The former Nazi turned Hydra leader proved a dangerous adversary, but was seemingly vaporized by the Tesseract. The MCU eventually brought him back as the guardian of the Soul Stone on Vormir, but it was obvious that Marvel simply had no idea how to work him into the MCU’s wider story as the major villain he should have been.
4) Scarlet Witch
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The Scarlet Witch has been established as the most powerful magic user in the MCU, but her stories within the franchise have been little more than a narrative mess. Introduced as a villain before her swift hero turn, her story then took repeated tragic turns as the franchise nudged her back towards being a villain. While the MCU established just how powerful Wanda Maximoff was, it was clear Marvel didn’t know what more to do with her, and instead, she was killed off unceremoniously.
3) Nick Fury
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It’s hard to deny that Samuel L. Jackson is one of the MCU’s massive stars, and his version of Nick Fury played a huge role in laying the foundations of the shared universe. Unfortunately, ever since Phase 1 of the MCU, Nick Fury has been all over the place within the franchise, making it appear that Marvel hasn’t got a clue what to do with him. He’s been featured consistently in prequels, stand-alone stories, and in supporting roles alongside major heroes, but nothing has quite managed to make it seem as though there’s any sort of plan for the character.
2) Ulysses Klaue
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Andy Serkis’ turn as Ulysses Klaue was one of the most unexpectedly excellent inclusions in the MCU. The franchise’s take on the character was decidedly different from his comic book counterpart, better suiting him to the tone of the franchise. After standing out in his brief appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Klaue was brought back for Black Panther, but was killed off before his story went any further. He was a great and entertaining villain, but it seems as though Marvel had no idea how to put him to use within the MCU.
1) Vision
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Vision possesses some of the best MCU powers that nobody talks about, and that’s largely down to how the franchise has handled the character’s story. He was introduced as majorly overpowered, but was almost instantly nerfed, with his power level subtly lowered in subsequent appearances. Vision’s role as a supporting MCU hero was painfully limited, then the franchise seemed to retire him entirely. While he is set to officially return to the MCU in VisionQuest, it already seems as though Marvel aren’t really sure how to handle the character.
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