The MCU has made Avengers like Iron Man and Black Widow household names, however not all of the franchise’s heroes have benefited from appearing on the big screen. In fact, some Avengers characters were explicitly cheated by the movies.
Here are the 10 Avengers characters who have been robbed by the MCU: their huge moments given to other characters, their characterization drastically changed, or being killed off way before they could realize their proven potential.
10
Wasp – As Seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp
The Founding Avenger Skips Her Whole Career
It’s wild that in adapting The Avengers, Marvel replaced two of their five (now technically six) founding members. In the MCU, Janet van Dyne never even joined Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and is stripped of the honor of being the person who gave the team their name.
Quantumania made some slight restitution by referencing Wasp’s time as a freedom fighter in the Quantum Realm, but it’s a harsh trade for being removed from every major event and never getting to lead the team, as she did for six real-world years in the comics.
9
Agent 13 – As Seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Sharon Carter Became a Half-Hearted Villain
In Marvel Comics, Sharon Carter is Steve Rogers’ main love interest in the modern day, with the two even having an adopted son in Ian Rogers’ Nomad. Sharon is a crucial member of SHIELD who eventually became a full-fledged hero by taking on the Destroyer codename, helping to bring down major villains including MODOK and the Outer Circle.
In the MCU, Sharon was set up as a love interest and ally to Steve, but he ultimately went back to his own time before this proved significant. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier teased that she’d become the villainous Power Broker in a plotline that has yet to pay off.
8
Nova – As Seen in Guardians of the Galaxy
Richard Rider’s Hero Has Been Totally Ignored
An incredibly powerful war hero, Nova was at the heart of what many consider Marvel’s best event, the ambitious Annihilation. Depicted as the Captain America of space, Nova has a longstanding will they/won’t they relationship with Gamora and held the galaxy together when no-one else could, even heroically sacrificing himself to be eternally locked in the demonic Cancerverse (before eventually escaping.)
In the MCU, the peacekeeping force are lacklustre cops who get massacred off-screen by Thanos. Rumors of a new project starring Richard Rider’s Nova have persisted since the group’s introduction, but without anything to show for it.
7
Quicksilver – As Seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron
The Speedster Dies in His First Appearance
Quicksilver was quickly killed off in the MCU, erasing one of the most complex characters in the Avengers franchise. An arrogant, ultra-defensive but ultimately heroic individual, Quicksilver is integral to major stories like House of M (where he’s the hidden villain) and No Surrender.
The eighth hero to ever join the Avengers, Quicksilver was robbed of eventually leading the team and ever meeting his (sort of) father Magneto or daughter Luna. Even when WandaVision teased his resurrection, it was a fakeout.
6
Hawkeye – As Seen in The Avengers
Clint Barton Got One of the MCU’s Biggest Character Assassinations
While the MCU treated Hawkeye fine as a superhero, it totally rewrote Clint Barton as a character. A circus kid from an abusive background, comic Clint hates authority and spent his early days on the team needling Captain America at every opportunity. Since then, he’s become a schlubby rebel who founded the Occupy Avengers to get back to helping regular people, no matter whose side the law might be on.
Avengers comics depict Hawkeye as someone who grounds the team, aggressively advocating for the mere mortals they’re meant to protect. He’s also a deeply flawed person, with disastrous affairs with the Wasp and Spider-Woman that hurt team unity.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe turned Clint into a committed family man and rule-following SHIELD agent, with his introduction showing him as someone willing to assassinate Thor without knowing anything about him. At the same time, Bucky Barnes stole his role as the heroic mentor to the Thunderbolts – something Clint took on when (and partly because) no-one else would give the team a chance.
In the comics, Hawkeye becomes Ronin when Captain America is assassinated and the Avengers are criminalized, eventually taking the heavy decision to try and assassinate Norman Osborn, who he believes can’t be brought down in any other way. In the MCU, this was adapted into him basically becoming a serial killer.
5
Ant-Man – As Seen in Ant-Man
Hank Pym Was Stripped of His Biggest Triumph and Worst Mistake
The MCU essentially skipped the first Ant-Man, Hank Pym, to begin the franchise with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. While the decision makes sense given Pym’s controversial history in the comics, the change stripped Ant-Man of his founding Avenger status and replaced him as the creator of Ultron, with Tony Stark taking his place.
While a lot of characters on this list were robbed of their achievements by the MCU, few actively had their most iconic moments handed to another character. Hank’s creation of Ultron even got a grisly payoff in the comics, with the android stealing his father’s body in revenge.
4
The Mighty Thor – As Seen in Thor: Love and Thunder
For Jane Foster, Thor Was Only the Beginning
In the MCU, Jane Foster becoming Thor is a side plot, with the hero dying in the same movie where she first gains powers. In the comics, Jane becoming Thor lasted four years, and her heroic death resulted in her becoming the new Valkyrie and continuing to have adventures to this day, wielding the unique Undrjarn the All-Weapon.
3
Red Hulk – As Seen in Captain America: Brave New World
The Tactical Genius Became a Brute
Two things set the Red Hulk apart from the original green version, and they were both stripped away by the MCU. One of the most interesting things about Red Hulk is that he keeps his intelligence when he transforms: the intelligence of a lifelong soldier. Red Hulk is a tactically sophisticated character who knows how to use his strength more effectively than Bruce Banner and is even capable of utilizing weaponry.
Red Hulk’s other signature detail is his heat powers. While Brave New Worlds pays these lip service with some embers surrounding the villain, it’s a far cry from how he weaponizes his flames in the comics, even able to cause explosions when he becomes angry enough. Instead, the MCU turned him into a palette-swapped Hulk, missing what makes the character worthwhile in his own right.
2
Winter Soldier – As Seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Bucky Barnes Never Got to Wield the Shield
Bucky Barnes’ return as the Winter Soldier shocked fans, and Marvel Comics smartly built on the hype by having him become Captain America after Steve Rogers was assassinated, wielding the shield for almost four years. Bucky was a fascinating Cap, having a totally different relationship to the American Dream than Steve Rogers. His chemistry with the Avengers was a high point of this era, and he had one of the best Captain America costumes in history.
In contrast, the MCU has turned Bucky into a (relatively ineffective) senator and mentor to the Thunderbolts. It’s a good place for Bucky to end up – and Sam Wilson as the permanent Cap makes sense – but Bucky’s time with the shield was a vital era the movies shouldn’t have skipped.
1
Human Torch – As Seen in Captain America: The First Avenger
The First Superhero Was Reduced to an Easter Egg
A member of the World War II team the Invaders and a modern-day Avenger, Jim Hammond was the world’s first synthetic being. One of Captain America’s closest allies, Jim’s tech was used to create the Vision, his name inspired the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch, and he ended WWII by personally killing Hitler.
The Human Torch is one of Marvel’s most tragic characters, living among humanity without ever truly feeling part of them. His creation canonically began the ‘Age of Heroes’ which led to the Avengers, and he’s considered Marvel’s first ever superhero. In the MCU, he was turned into a background Easter Egg.
Captain America: The First Avenger includes a cameo for Jim Hammond at the Stark Expo, but the MCU never capitalized any further on the inclusion. The original Human Torch undoubtedly suffered the most at the hands of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, going from the father of the superhero era to a mannequin in a red suit.
Those are the 10 Avengers characters who were robbed of greatness by their MCU interpretations – let us know below who else belongs on this list, and which of our entries you disagree with.
