I’m sad to see that one of the MCU‘s most interesting superheroes may never demonstrate his powers despite it being 7 years since his introduction. After all, it is pretty rare to introduce a character of relatively high caliber in Marvel Comics to live-action only to sidestep what are arguably their most distinctive features.

While it is relatively normal for the MCU to take creative liberties with the specifics of a character’s powers, such as Kamala Khan’s in Ms. Marvel and beyond, which switches out the ability to enlarge her limbs with the power to generate hardened light structures, it’s rarer to debut characters who never show their powers at all.

This appears to be to ensure that other characters, the main ones, receive the lion’s share of the spotlight. Nevertheless, in the case of one supporting MCU character in particular, I’m miffed by the fact that audiences weren’t even afforded a glimpse of what he was once capable of, and I doubt there will be another chance in a future MCU installment.

The MCU’s Goliath Story Has Avoided Showing His Powers

His Appearance In Ant-Man And The Wasp Doesn’t See Him Grow

Goliath is a Marvel Comics superhero ᴀssociated with Hank Pym’s Ant-Man and the Pym Particles used to either shrink or grow to giant sizes. Several characters, including Pym himself, have held the mantle of Goliath when using the Pym Particles to enlarge, but one of the most prominent is Bill Foster.

Bill Foster debuted in the MCU in Ant-Man and the Wasp as an erstwhile partner of Hank Pym, although their relationship sours after a heated disagreement while working on “Project G.O.L.I.A.T.H.” Foster goes on to help the movie’s sympathetic main villain, Ava Starr, AKA Ghost, using his genius to hunt for a cure to her quantum phasing condition.

Bill reveals that he was able to grow to a record of 21 feet while working on Project G.O.L.I.A.T.H., which means he did, at one point, replicate the abilities of his comic book counterpart. However, this super-powered foray is never depicted on screen in Ant-Man and the Wasp, only mentioned.

This makes some sense, given that the rift between Foster and Pym precluded the latter from accessing the Pym Particles that would have made his growth possible. Nevertheless, despite featuring a flashback that details Ava Starr’s origins, the same narrative tool isn’t afforded to Foster, with the movie instead leaving his transformation up to our imagination.

The Chances Of Bill Foster Returning To The Franchise Aren’t Looking Great

He Probably Won’t Appear In Avengers: Doomsday

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was Bill Foster’s first and last appearance in the main MCU. This is even though his protégé, Ava Starr, played a starring role in one of the MCU’s most recent movies, Thunderbolts*. Given Ant-Man and the Wasp established that the two went on the run together, this is somewhat surprising.

In fact, Bill Foster isn’t so much as mentioned by Ava Starr in Thunderbolts*. Instead, we are all left to wonder where he wound up, while Ava Starr apparently began working for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as a gun for hire. Furthermore, his absence in Thunderbolts* suggests that he won’t make another appearance in a future MCU installment.

It is hard to see where Bill Foster could even slot in. Now that Ghost is a full-fledged member of the New Avengers, her newfound status negates the need for his help. While it is obviously possible that the two remain friends, Bill Foster’s brilliant mind and affinity for Starr can now be easily sidelined by another character.

Furthermore, Bill Foster’s main MO outside his intelligence is a power already covered by one of the MCU’s main stars, Scott Lang. Giant-Man has made several appearances throughout the MCU, with his most recent in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, being in tandem with his daughter, Cᴀssie, who could be looking to take the reins down the line.

Unfortunately, Bill Foster may have fallen into complete obscurity in the MCU, given Thunderbolts* didn’t revisit his arc. Instead, the best we might have seen of Bill Foster has already occurred in a spinoff rather than within the mainline, live-action MCU.

Marvel’s MCU Spinoffs May Be The Closest Thing We’ll Get To Seeing Goliath’s Powers In The Main Universe

Goliath Appears In What If…? Seasons 2 And 3

Bill Foster has technically appeared elsewhere in the MCU, although it was in the animated spinoff show, What If…?. Foster appears as Goliath in two episodes based around the time that he was still operating as a superhero, namely in What If…? season 2, episode 2, and season 3, episode 3.

Bill Foster is seen using his powers in both appearances. In What If…Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? he is seen attempting to subdue a young Peter Quill empowered by his Celestial genetics, alongside the likes of T’Chaka’s Black Panther and Mar-Vell, as the more well-known team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes hasn’t formed yet.

In What If…the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?, Bill Foster is deployed by SHIELD to try and capture the тιтular renegade antiheroes after Red Guardian successfully prevents the Winter Soldier from ᴀssᴀssinating Tony Stark’s parents. As Goliath, Foster nearly succeeds after chasing them down as they speed away in a car.

Sadly, it seems as though these two occasions will be the only times that Bill Foster’s Goliath is depicted whatsoever. That is, unless the MCU‘s now-confirmed reboot after Avengers: Secret Wars brings him back into the fold, though any such development remains to be seen.