The Marvel Cinematic Universe is populated by characters with considerable power, but not all of them have been given the attention they deserve. Since it was first established in 2008, the MCU has grown into one of the most expansive and successful franchises in modern cinema. The movies of the MCU have seen the franchise’s roster of heroes continue to grow year on year, establishing an increasingly powerful stable of characters. With the franchise heading towards the epic conclusion of its Multiverse Saga, these powerful characters will undoubtedly form a key part of the MCU’s wider story as it prepares to enter its next major narrative arc.
Even so, some of the most powerful MCU heroes — and, in some cases, villains — still haven’t had their own much-needed solo movies. Looking at some of the franchise’s strongest heroes who haven’t yet been given a solo project in the MCU, it’s clear that there is a considerable amount of wasted potential. We’ve taken these powerful underutilised characters and reranked them in order of how desperately they deserve to be given their own individual story.
7) Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk
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While the Hulk as a character has featured in his own solo movie, 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo’s iteration of the hero has not. Considering most of the scenes that have defined Hulk in the MCU have come in Avengers movies or other heroes’ projects, it seems imperative that Ruffalo’s Hulk gets his own movie as soon as possible. The only reason he doesn’t rank higher is that he only qualifies on a technicality, but a solo movie following Ruffalo’s Hulk is something that many MCU fans still hope to see.
6) Scarlet Witch
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Wanda Maximoff’s time in the MCU has been turbulent, and it has seen her become a tragic figure who fluctuates between heroism and villainy. She has previously featured in a solo project, of sorts: WandaVision was primarily her story, but came as one of the MCU’s TV shows and precipitated her turn as the incredibly powerful Scarlet Witch. A solo movie concerning the Scarlet Witch could adapt a number of iconic Marvel Comics stories, and give the character some much-deserved redemption in the MCU.
5) War Machine
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Having been introduced way back in the MCU’s first-ever movie, War Machine ranks as the franchise’s longest-serving active hero. However, he has yet to feature in a solo movie, despite having spent years serving as an Avenger and alongside the other heroes of the franchise. While Armor Wars has long been set to finally deliver War Machine’s solo story, it remains one of the most exciting announced MCU projects that has yet to materialize.
4) Namor
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Namor’s introduction saw him rank as one of the best MCU villains since Avengers: Endgame, but he has, to date, only made a single appearance in the franchise. While he’s set to return for Avengers: Doomsday, he’s another powerful MCU character that thoroughly deserves a solo project. His Marvel Comics history is fascinating, and expanding upon his story would give the MCU license to explore a novel aquatic narrative avenue that would stand apart from other releases.
3) Vision
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Vision was first introduced into the MCU in 2015 as part of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and immediately ranked as one of the franchise’s most powerful Avengers. He was then killed off in Avengers: Infinity War before his story was resurrected in WandaVision, but he has been markedly absent since. VisionQuest is set to bring the hero back once more, but he’s another hugely powerful character that has yet to be given a solo movie in the MCU, despite being something of a fan favorite.
2) Sentry
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After making his highly anticipated debut in 2025’s Thunderbolts*, Sentry quickly earned the accolade of being one of the MCU’s most overpowered heroes. His list of abilities is as impressive as it is long, and his personal story is emotionally complex and incredibly compelling. Sentry is one of the MCU characters with the best potential for an incredible solo opportunity, but, being one of the franchise’s most recent additions, he hasn’t been given the chance to fly alone just yet.
1) Bucky Barnes
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The character has become one of the franchise’s most beloved figures, but all of Bucky Barnes’ best MCU moments have come as a supporting character. Despite being first introduced in Phase 1 of the MCU, Bucky has yet to be given a solo project within the franchise. As well as being an excellent and powerful character, he’s one of the most popular figures in the entire franchise, making a Bucky Barnes solo movie one of the most longed-for unmade projects in the entire MCU.
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