Marvel movies are widely loved thanks to their many inspirational and popular characters, but not all the franchise’s players have gotten the love they deserve. It’s no secret that superhero movies thrive off of recognition and popularity, though the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are known to champion more obscure comic picks and turn them into household names. For a variety of reasons, some incredible characters introduced under the red banner over the years have sadly fallen by the wayside in terms of appreciation.
Underrated Marvel characters often come in the form of supporting cast members who are played and written brilliantly, but rarely get a true chance to shine. In more rare cases, an actual costumed hero can be just as overlooked, constantly swept over in favor of the more championed ticket-sellers. From the MCU to the Fox X-Men movie universe, plenty of great Marvel characters have unfairly fallen by the wayside.
10
Maria Hill
Essentially an honorary Avenger
Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill is one of those faces in the background who doesn’t get enough outward appreciation. A dedicated Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury’s right-hand-woman, Maria Hill is a valiant second-in-command for the heroic organization. It says a lot that when the Avengers hang out after the party in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it’s Maria Hill alone who joins them, making her more or less an honorary member of the superhero strike force herself.
Maria Hill doesn’t get enough credit simply because she never got a solo story or even sub-plot dedicated to her in any of the films, though her steadfast presence was always a welcome one. Sadly, her death is utterly mishandled in her appearance in Secret Invasion, leaving her unceremoniously sH๏τ to death believing her close comrade Nick Fury was the one to pull the trigger. Many fans might not even realize Maria Hill is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, making her easily one of the MCU’s most undersung heroes.
9
M’Baku
A perfect comic relief character
Occasionally, the MCU’s changes to the comics are for the better, and few characters represent this fact better than M’Baku. In the comics, M’Baku is a simple villain known as Man-Ape, but Black Panther introduced him as more of a friendly rival to T’Challa whose faction within Wakanda may be different, but still ultimately has the nation’s best interests at heart. Winston Duke’s steadfast comedic delivery as M’Baku is perfect, stealing every scene he’s in with his heavy Nigerian accent.
That’s not to say that M’Baku is only valuable as a comic relief character. Him and his Ape Tribe army fared incredibly well against Thanos and his Outriders during the Battle for Earth, and his emotional scene with Shuri during Queen Ramonda’s funeral in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the best beats of a very sentimental story. It’s no wonder the recent reveal of Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast was sure to include Winston Duke’s return to the franchise.
8
Nebula
Nobody’s favorite Guardian of the Galaxy
Marvel Cinematic Universe characters are rarely more undersung than Nebula, Thanos’ second-fiddle daughter and eventual Guardians of the Galaxy member. Nebula has one of the best redemption arcs in the entire franchise, going from a hatred-fueled ᴀssᴀssin desperate to strike back at her sister to a steadfast ally willing to help undo the damage of the Snap. Her cybernetic powers are awesome to see in action, and it’s amazing how much feeling actress Karen Gillan is able to squeeze through Nebula’s layers of makeup and pitch-black eyes.
Sadly, Nebula is far different from the rest of the Guardians in terms of personality, not one to imbibe in the loud and quippy antics of the rest of the team. Because she’s more reserved and grumpy than the rest of the heroes and only gets to be a fully-fledged Guardian for a single film before retiring, it’s rare for Nebula to be anyone’s favorite of the spacefaring superhero crew. This is a true shame, considering her story is one of the best-written of the whole trilogy.
7
Wong
A steadfast throughline in the MCU
One MCU character who has slowly amᴀssed a shocking number of appearances is Benedict Wong’s Wong. Once again, the movies actually do wonders for Wong’s character, turning him from a simple manservant to a decorated hero and powerful sorcerer in his own right. In fact, Wong is one of the strongest magic users in the MCU, even gaining the privilege of taking over as Sorcerer Supreme after Doctor Strange is snapped away by Thanos.
Wong has gradually made his way through all sorts of different Marvel projects as a supporting character, including Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. His persnickety personality and effortless magical ability are always a treat to see pop up, even if Wong is outshone by Doctor Strange so often. So much more than a mere sidekick, Wong deserves more recognition as a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
6
Okoye
One of the premiere female MCU heroes
M’Baku isn’t the only Wakandan leader who deserves more credit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The leader of the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s elite all-female royal guard, Okoye is one of the most accomplished combatants and vocal advocates to the throne in the entire nation. Her sharp tongue and fiery atтιтude is matched only by the sharpness of her Vibranium spear, capable of holding out against even Talokan’s amphibious strike force.
Because of the mistakes she arguably makes in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Okoye can get unfairly written off. But with Queen Ramonda gone, she’s arguably the most loyal person to the throne left in Wakanda, serving as an unshakable bastion of the nation’s pride and superiority. Danai Gurira’s heartfelt performances are criminally underrated in and of themselves, and Okoye deserves more credit as one of the leading femal heroes of the entire series.
5
Hawkeye
The favorite punching bag of MCU fans
It’s simply impossible for Hawkeye not to be underrated considering how often he ends up being the ʙuтт of jokes both within and outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A clear outlier in terms of the power levels of the original Avengers, Hawkeye is notably the only character in the starting squad to have never gotten his own solo film, with only a Disney+ series to his name that he isn’t even the sole protagonist of. The purple archer might seem unimpressive at first glance, making him all but the laughing stock of the Avengers.
This is a true disservice to Hawkeye’s actual record of usefulness to the team. He was the only hero not to be caught off-guard by Scarlet Witch’s mental manipulation in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and his distraction of Iron Man in the Captain America: Civil War airport fight was crucial to allowing Steve and Bucky to escape. It’s hard to argue that any hero in the MCU is as consistently maligned or underrated as Hawkeye is.
4
Ho Yinsen
Responsible for Iron Man’s creation
Sometimes, a Marvel movie character remains underrated solely because they get so little screentime. The Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man, which told the story of how Tony Stark created the first Iron Man suit after being kidnapped by terrorists with the help of one Ho Yinsen. A brilliant surgeon, Yinsen is the one responsible for helping Tony survive the shrapnel embedded in his heart, making him a truly instrumental figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Considering Ho Yinsen didn’t even have that much screen time in the one film he appeared in over a decade ago, it’s hard to even remember he existed today. But Yinsen was so crucial in developing Tony Stark’s reformed sense of morality that he deserves more credit for his contributions for the franchise, even if they end in tragedy. It’s a shame Ho Yinsen didn’t appear one last time to Tony following his sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame to approve of his use of his life.
3
Dr. Abraham Erskine
Responsible for Captain America’s creation
Abraham Erskine is the Ho Yinsen to Captain America’s Iron Man. The brilliant scientist behind Steve Rogers’ transformation, no other variation of the super-soldier serum in the MCU has been able to live up to the original process first created by Dr. Erskine. Specifically, Dr. Erskine noted that his formula only physically enhanced what personality traits were already present in his subjects, making him look past Rogers’ physical scrawniness and into his soul.
By doing so, Dr. Erskine creates the first superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and easily one of the most impactful. It’s shocking that Erskine isn’t name-dropped more often in the later phases of the series as other scientists scramble to re-create his work even decades later. Like Ho Yinsen, Dr. Erskine also doesn’t survive his sole film appearance, and even if he did, he would surely have died of old age before the modern story began, but he still holds a shocking lack of recognition in the franchise.
2
Happy Hogan
Carries on Tony’s legacy
In the first Iron Man, Jon Favreau’s self-inserted character of Happy Hogan was done out of necessity more than anything else. Tony Stark’s lovable bodyguard and chauffeur, Happy Hogan eventually rises in the ranks of the company, becoming the face of Stark Industries after Tony’s pᴀssing. Favreau’s comedy chops are always good for a chuckle in his film appearances, but Happy never gets as much credit as he deserves.
Even if he is rough around the edges, Happy is responsible for so much in the universe, helping to develop Peter Parker’s career as Spider-Man and even interviewing new candidates for the Avengers, as seen in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. Despite being a goofy supporting character, Happy has endured a lot of hardship as the series has continued, losing both his best friend and a potential love interest with Aunt May. Happy is more of an icon to the MCU than most fans realize.
1
Cyclops
Was done dirty in his series
The announcement that James Marsden’s Cyclops will be returning to theaters with Avengers: Doomsday was one of the most shocking reveals of the MCU’s recent casting announcement. In the comics, Cyclops is arguably the most important member of the X-Men, the team’s field leader and ideological bastion, not to mention a powerful mutant with his optic blasts. The Fox X-Men films admittedly did Cyclops dirty, overshadowing him with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.
As such, James Marsden’s Cyclops remains an incredibly underrated element of the first three X-Men films, the character’s faults being no fault of the actor playing him. Marsden’s stoic performance as a steadfast leader sowed the perfect seeds for something greater that was sadly never given more room to grow. Hopefully, his next upcoming appearance can finally give Cyclops the popularity he deserves within the fanbase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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MCU Spider-Man 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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