The Marvel Cinematic Universe often utilizes certain characters that many wouldn’t have expected to be so important in the story as primary fixtures, surprising both returning comic fans and series faithfuls. It’s important to remember that the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t start with Marvel Comics’ most popular characters, having to make do with heroes like the Avengers who weren’t nearly as well-known as they are today. This has meant that the series has gotten very good at giving big roles to characters that wouldn’t be expected to have them at first glance.
Going into 2008’s Iron Man, public knowledge of most major MCU characters had them as C-listers at best, only growing in popularity along with the movies. Over the course of the MCU timeline, this has meant that the series has been more than willing to take advantage of lesser known characters and turn them into household names. One of the franchise’s biggest strengths has historically been its willingness to place the spotlight in surprising places and let audience reaction determine which characters get more solo projects or appearances.
10
Loki
From trickster god to benevolent timeline ruler
Few characters have evolved in the MCU past their comic idenтιтy like Loki has. Originally showing up as the sneering villain of Thor and The Avengers, Loki’s MCU journey could not have been predicted from the very start. The God of Mischief was so popular thanks to Tom Hiddleston’s performance that the Marvel Cinematic Universe had no choice but to include more opportunities for him to appear. It’s no wonder he came back from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ twice over the course of the Thor franchise.
Loki’s popularity culminated in his own solo series, one of the only Disney+ MCU streaming shows to get two seasons. This series isn’t only one of the franchise’s most well-received, but it’s also a fitting conclusion to the growth of Loki’s character over his arduous timeline throughout the MCU. Few could have expected something like Loki to be such a hit going into the movie universe for the first time, and its success shows just how far Loki has come from his role as a typical hand-wringing mastermind villain.
9
Agatha Harkness
A viral sensation the MCU capitalized on
Even more of a minor character in both the Marvel Comics and the MCU to start is none other than the ancient witch Agatha Harkness. Always a D-lister in popularity at best, Agatha Harkness is first introduced in WandaVision, where it’s revealed that she’s not only been immune to Wanda’s spell the entire time, but a background player manipulating events in order to steal the chaos magic for herself. The musical jingle revealing it was Agatha sitting in the show’s director’s chair all along was a huge viral moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Capitalizing on this unexpected rush of popularity, the series soon moved on an Agatha-focused solo project, which released just last year under the тιтle Agatha All Along. A worthy reprise of WandaVision that introduced some important new elements to the MCU canon, Agatha All Along is just the kind of pleasant surprise the MCU thrives on. Agatha’s episode of What If…? was another great use of her niche popularity, proving the franchise’s ability to roll with the fickle fixations of its fans.
8
Janet Van Dyne
Slowly grew to match her comic level of importance
Janet Van Dyne is an interesting case for importance in the MCU. As the original Wasp, in the comics, Janet is a key founding member of the Avengers despite being sorely absent from the roster when the team first ᴀssembles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Initially, Janet is only ever vaguely mentioned and shown briefly in a flashback in Ant-Man, suggesting that she won’t be terribly important to the overarching plot.
However, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania finally began to incorporate Janet Van Dyne in a manner befitting of her importance to the original Avengers stories. Here, it’s shown that her rescue from the Quantum Realm is the inciting event that grants Kang a potential avenue into the main timeline of the MCU, with Janet having a close personal relationship to the time-traveling tyrant. Even if Kang was dropped as the next major overarching villain, Janet’s importance will hopefully continue to grow.
7
Shuri
Got to become the next Black Panther
Between her movie appearances, Shuri of Wakanda managed to go from supporting cast to one of the MCU’s most important heroes. Initially, Shuri is the Q to T’Challa’s James Bond, using her engineering genius to equip the Black Panther with impressive gadgets like the kinetic energy-storing vibranium suit. That being said, Shuri was never afraid to join the fray herself, even participating in the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame with her panther gauntlet blasters.
However, Shuri had to grow up fast after the back-to-back losses of her brother and mother, tragically becoming the next ruler of Wakanda and Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She quickly proved her mettle, enduring a grueling fight against one of the stronger Earthbound MCU villains in recent memory, the aquatic mutant ruler of Talokan, Namor. Shuri has truly risen to the challenge of becoming more important than anyone could have expected going into the original Black Panther.
6
Bucky Barnes
Has been one of the MCU’s oldest throughlines
Being a period piece that ends with Steve Rogers waking up in the modern day, few could have expected anyone other than the main character to make it into the future after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. Least of all Rogers’ plucky childhood best friend and fellow brother-in-arms, Special Forces sniper James “Bucky” Barnes. However, comic readers were delighted to learn that the next movie would adapt the famous Winter Soldier storyline from the comics, which sees Bucky return as a brainwashed villain.
Somehow, Bucky has only increased his notoriety and importance to the MCU with each subsequent appearance. His innocence was the emotional crux of Captain America: Civil War, which set the stage for the Avengers’ break up, and he was able to help the new Captain America in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Now revealed to be a member of the U.S. Congress in Captain America: Brave New World, Bucky is the only character confirmed to appear twice in the MCU’s 2025 movie slate, a long way from his time as a World War II sidekick.
5
Wong
The MCU’s most reliable cameo
Another character better known in the comics as a sidekick to a more famous hero, Wong has been able to truly make a name for himself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, Wong is simply Dr. Strange’s butler and faithful manservant, not usually given much chance to develop on his own. The MCU made the prescient choice to make Wong much more of his own man, getting incredible mileage out of Benedict Wong’s amazing performance as his eponymous character.
Wong managed to replace Dr. Stephen Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme, proving his long-standing skill as a magic user outmatched only by literal prodigies. Wong has been a favorite staple appearance in other heroes’ solo projects, making his way through Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Wong is a great thesis statement of the MCU’s approach of giving more obscure characters greater chances to shine.
4
MJ
Not the MJ Spider-Man fans initially expected
Few characters have come as far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Zendaya’s Michelle Jones, known colloquially as MJ. At first, MJ seems to be just a quirky background character meant to fill out the high school class of Peter Parker and Ned Leeds, poking fun at their nerdy tendencies in her monotone voice. While the main love interest of Spider-Man: Homecoming is Laura Harrier’s Liz Toomes, the film ends with the bombshell that Michelle also goes by MJ, setting up the future of Spider-Man’s (and Tom Holland’s) love life.
Amazingly, MJ was able to evolve into a brilliant romantic partner for Peter Parker, even if she is distinct from the MJ of the comics in more ways than one. It speaks volumes to both Zendaya’s performance and the believable relationship between the two the MCU was able to craft that there hasn’t been any outrage from comic diehards about the MCU’s take on the character. It remains to be seen whether her role will come back now that Sadie Sink has been cast in Spider-Man 4, possibly as the “real” Mary Jane.
3
Happy Hogan
From gratuitous cameo to beloved series fixture
It’s quite common for directors to insert themselves as cameo actors in their own films, and Jon Favreau has certainly done so before, playing a family doctor in his Christmas movie Elf. But Favreau couldn’t resist giving himself a slightly bigger presence in the original Iron Man, playing the delightfully exasperated bodyguard and chauffeur Happy Hogan. Favreau went on to reprise this character in future Iron Man films, and has since become a dedicated fixture of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Happy has gone from Tony Stark’s employee to his right-hand man and trusted confidant, making him the face of Stark Industries after the tragic pᴀssing of his friend. This has given him a prominent role in films ranging from Spider-Man: No Way Home to ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, even getting to decide who does and doesn’t join the new iteration of the Avengers. What started as a simple, indulgent cameo quickly became one of the franchise’s warmest and most frequently-recurring familiar faces.
2
Nebula
A critical character in the MCU’s biggest story
Nebula might have been easy to dismiss at first as a simple background character and minor secondary antagonist for the Guardians of the Galaxy to square off against in the first of the spacefaring superhero team’s movies. Gamora’s adoptive sister and fellow agent of Thanos, Nebula was punished for her failures by her father with the cruel installation of cybernetics, turning her into a heartless ᴀssᴀssin. In the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, she isn’t given much depth, but the sequel expanded on her hidden desire for sorority with Gamora.
Nebula eventually got to become a fully-fledged member of the Guardian of the Galaxy, overcoming her past programming just like her sister. However, she was shockingly pivotal to the plot of Avengers: Endgame, as the past and present variants of herself clashed in their loyalty to Thanos, resulting in one final battle against an older version of the Mad тιтan. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 further exemplifies just how phenomenal actress Karen Gillan is in the role, penetrating the blue makeup and pitch-black eyes with poignant dramatic skill.
1
Rocket Raccoon
No one could’ve expected his story to hit so hard
The presence of Rocket Raccoon truly marked a turning point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the franchise had started off relatively grounded with 2008’s Iron Man, the introduction of talking Raccoon as the next superhero truly opened the floodgates for the series to be more comfortable with its comic book origins and revel in the ridiculous. Few could have expected that Rocket wasn’t just a novelty, but one of the most beautifully-realized characters the series would have to offer.
Rocket’s character growth across the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is something to behold, going from a crᴀss jerk to a soft-spoken leader. The backstory provided to him in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 proved just how incredible even the journey of a fully CGI character could be in a comic book universe, not letting suspension of disbelief get in the way of good storytelling. It’s safe to say that Rocket wasn’t expected to ever be the main character of a story, but he steals the show in every scene in the MCU including him.
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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