The favorite heroes and villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have had long lives in the comics well before they were ever brought to the big screen (or, since the premiere of the Disney+ shows, the small screen). Yet some of the best characters in the MCU were completely new creations, made just for the films.
The unprecedented success of the MCU has allowed them to bring classic comic book heroes to life alongside other unknown, obscure and often bizarre figures, like the Guardians of the Galaxy. It has also given the writers and producers creative license to craft all new characters to take the stage alongside beloved heroes. Some have been forgettable, but others have carved out their own unique and significant place within the MCU and the hearts of its fans. Here are the best character additions to the MCU that didn’t come from the comic books.
Jane Foster’s sassy intern was an instant delight, bringing some much needed levity to Thor and Thor: The Dark World. Darcy Lewis is the wisecracking stand in for the audience, as she often points out the absurdity of the superhero universe and the cape clad God of Thunder. Her unexpected appearance in WandaVision revealed that in the years since she was last seen in Thor: The Dark World, she followed in her mentor’s footsteps and completed her PhD. Darcy is particularly unique because she is a strong woman who is neither a romantic counterpart to a hero nor an expositional plot device.
Ant-Man was an unexpected hit due in no small part to the inspired casting of Paul Rudd. However, the true star who stole the show was Michael Peña’s boisterous, happy-go-lucky Luis, Scott’s friend and former cell mate in prison. His importance to the films redefined “comic relief” and his naïve smile combined with his unending loyalty makes it impossible not to find him endearing. Luis is responsible for some of the funniest moments in the entire MCU and his fast talking storytelling has been a highlight of both Ant Man films. Who isn’t looking forward to watching Luis explain the concept of the infinitely complicated multiverse in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?
Whether they love him or hate him, Ralph Bohner’s appearance in WandaVision sparked more fan theories and speculation than any other cameo in the MCU. Evan Peters appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix as Quicksilver/Peter Maximoff. Fans were thrilled at the possibility that this casting choice could mean that he was entering the MCU as Wanda’s brother from a different reality. Though fans were ultimately disappointed by the reveal that this Fake Pietro was just Ralph Bohner, he represents the very best of fan culture because his X-Men crossover potential fueled conversations across blogs, podcasts and group chats for weeks.
There have been few characters in the MCU who rival the combination of intrigue, horror and sheer cuteness that Miss Minutes brings to the table. The animated (seemingly) sentient A.I. clock pops up in Loki to deliver some much needed exposition in Episode 1 and does so with charisma and southern charm. Fans thought that they had seen the last of her, but the old school cartoon clock proved to be more involved in the larger story than originally anticipated. She went from friendly to mysterious to sinister and gave audiences a particularly startling jump scare in the process. Given her connection to He Who Remains and her knowledge of the TVA's history and inner workings, fans are eager to have their Miss Minutes questions answered in Loki Season 2.
Zendaya’s Michelle Jones seemed to fly under the radar until the very end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. When her nickname, MJ, was revealed, audiences immediately knew that this version of the friendly neighborhood hero was taking a different approach with his love interest. Rather than the redheaded Mary Jane Watson, MJ is a loner with a dark sense of humor who peaks the interest of Peter Parker. She revels in Peter's discomfort and is far from the typical damsel in distress. Not only a pretty face, MJ observes Peter’s odd behavior and is the only one smart enough to figure out that he is secretly Spider-Man. The two make an adorable pair that audiences can’t wait to see more of in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Iron Man 3 tends to hang out towards the bottom of MCU movie rankings, but it’s impossible to deny that Robert Downey Jr. is somehow even more charming when paired with an adorable child actor. In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark finds himself alone, without a suit and enlists the help of an unlikely sidekick: Harley Keener. The two bicker nonstop, but Harley proves to be a worthy right hand man as Iron Man has to problem solve without any of his usual tools and resources. He’s adorable, heartwarming and he brings out the best in Tony. And for those who couldn’t identify the seemingly random teenager in the crowd at Tony’s funeral, that was Harley Keener all grown up.
Agent Phil Coulson is perhaps the most beloved MCU character who didn’t come from the comics. To the casual viewer, Phil Coulson was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who made a couple of small appearances in the films before dying at the hands of Loki in The Avengers and uniting the team. Much like Steve Rogers, Phil Coulson was always willing to make the sacrifice play for the safety of others and his death was a tearjerker moment. However, ride-or-die MCU fans know that his character was around well past 2012 and went on to lead his own team for seven seasons in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Phil Coulson was a loyal leader, a loving father figure and a fan boy nerd turned hero in his own right.
0 Comments