The Marvel Cinematic Universe has successfully nailed the concept of a multi-year buildup for its characters. Little-known in comic books earlier, these MCU characters suddenly appeared in Marvel’s feature-length projects and became household names.
But amid the company’s multi-billion-dollar successes, it unfairly relegated some characters to the fringes of scripts. Despite their great potential, these characters could never take center stage. In the end, their arcs never fully materialized because of structural changes or early exits. Here are the six most disrespected Marvel characters that we think deserved better.
6. Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)
Appearing alongside his twin sister Wanda in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ Pietro Maximoff was blessed with a fantastic power set and potential for great storylines.
Yet, his cinematic career ended as a narrative tool to help evoke powerful emotions in his sister. And then comes his death, which still doesn’t make sense. He died in a barrage of ordinary Quinjet bullets, something that a speedster of his caliber would likely have dodged.
So, it felt like an unfortunate ending for such an exciting character. It looked as if the creators at Marvel failed to fully enjoy the hero’s growth during the MCU era.
They left audiences with only a vague hint of what might’ve been an incredible ride for them to watch. The character remains a frustratingly brief footnote in the Infinity Saga.
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5. The Hulk (Bruce Banner)
There is perhaps no greater misrepresentation of any hero in the MCU than that of Bruce Banner’s alter ego, the Hulk. Marvel systematically toned down the monster, which once battled Thor, across multiple crossovers to serve as a convenient plot element.
In ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ the mighty giant lost against Thanos. Then, he spent the entire ‘Avengers: Endgame’ behind the glass lenses of a pair of “smart” glasses.
In exchange for humorous, yet pointless gags, the creators deprived audiences of a chance to see a truly fierce battle between Banner and his nemesis.
Not only did the franchise refuse to give the Hulk his much-anticipated rematch, but it also deprived him of a chance to become a full-fledged solo-movie hero because of complicated distribution laws.
Eventually, Marvel redefined the character in favor of a tech-support uncle archetype.
4. Maria Hill
A ruthless, cold-hearted, and ultra-efficient executive, Maria Hill was S.H.I.E.L.D.’s backbone. She kept the agency together amidst alien invasions, internal conflicts, and shadow wars.
Cobie Smulders’ portrayal of this remarkable woman was so impressive that audiences respected her every time she appeared on screen. However, the franchise kept denying her a chance to get her own movie storyline.
It limited the character’s scope to a mere assistant to Fury’s orders. This disrespectful treatment culminated in the opening episode of ‘Secret Invasion.’
The Skrull infiltrator abruptly murdered the character for no good reason other than to establish some sort of stake in a project widely criticized by critics.
Despite surviving the fall of the agency and the apocalyptic erasure of half of the universe, the franchise couldn’t afford to pay tribute to its mortal anchor.
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3. Gorr the God Butcher
The selection of such an accomplished and talented actor as Christian Bale in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ proved to be quite a mistake. The creators stripped Gorr of his terrifying essence, which makes him a standout in comic books.
In the source material, he’s a merciless, deicide warrior capable of pushing even the strongest hero to his mental and physical limits. But in live-action, Marvel neutered him with inconsistent tone and a shortened runtime.
It seemed like the movie hyped him up by mentioning his merciless, horrifying crusade across the cosmos without showing it properly on screen.
Bale gave a stunningly powerful performance that clearly didn’t fit in this film because of poor creative choices and context. Being cut off from the action and neutered by the script, Gorr remained an insignificant, one-time antagonist rather than becoming a formidable foe for several generations to come.
2. Bucky Barnes (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Bucky Barnes is undoubtedly one of the most emotional and intriguing characters to come out of the MCU era. The brainwashed assassin, who struggled with decades-long state-sponsored murders, has never seen much development since his debut.
After being the emotional anchor of the critically acclaimed ‘Captain America‘ trilogy, his arc died a complete death as Marvel limited him to supporting roles in other movies.
Once a feared and notorious asset, Bucky’s legendary vibranium arm became a subject of comedy. In fact, the creators casually took them away from him in an animated Christmas special.
Even after moving to television, the character continued to be written in ways that deprived him of any proactive actions. Audiences expected to see the legendary assassin receive a long-deserved redemption, but the franchise refused to satisfy their desires.
1. The Warriors Three
In comics, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg were considered the most famous and distinguished warriors in Asgard. However, in the ‘Thor‘ movies, they served only as elements that gave the kingdom a sense of life.
Finally, their betrayal at the hands of the franchise’s structural shifts took place at the beginning of ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ with frightening efficiency. Director Taika Waititi got rid of them, killing Fandral and Volstagg almost immediately after Hela’s arrival.
Meanwhile, Hogun was executed shortly afterward with absolutely no mourning from his friend and king. The franchise performed this mass execution not as a solemn sacrifice to honor the legends, but as a quick way to get rid of unnecessary characters.
The Warriors Three deserved better than this humiliating death. Overall, these six figures stand as stark reminders that some of the most compelling stories are lost to the cutting room floor.
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