Not every hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been lucky enough to make a good first impression with their debut. Over the last 17 years, Marvel Studios has adapted dozens of Marvel Comics’ most complex, interesting and powerful characters into live-action, but introducing so many characters to the MCU means not all of them have been given the attention they deserve. Some have unfortunately been misrepresented in even their first appearance in the MCU, so some of the franchise’s most iconic heroes have had pretty poor debuts.

Many of the franchise’s best heroes have had some of the most memorable and powerful debuts in the MCU, including the likes of Tony Stark’s Iron Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch and Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. Others, however, haven’t been so lucky, and this includes several of the franchise’s central heroes, such as Hawkeye and Black Widow. Many smaller-scale heroes have also been done dirty, including formidable recent additions such as G’iah and Starfox, but Marvel Studios could still make these heroes mean more than their disappointing debuts suggest.

10

G’iah

Emilia Clarke Debuted As G’iah In Secret Invasion (2023)

Despite being Samuel L. Jackson’s first solo series as the former Director of SHIELD, Nick Fury, 2023’s Secret Invasion became one of the MCU’s lowest-rated projects due to its slow pace, too-grounded narrative and lack of faithfulness to Marvel Comics’ iconic Secret Invasion event. One of the most exciting aspects of Secret Invasion was the introduction of Emilia Clarke as Talos’ Skrull daughter, G’iah, but her debut didn’t have the impact many hoped it would. This became even weirder after G’iah obtained her own superpowers in Secret Invasion’s finale, becoming the MCU’s Super Skrull.

G’iah was enhanced with the powers of some of the MCU’s strongest heroes and villains who spilled blood during Avengers: Endgame’s Battle of Earth, as she was exposed to the DNA in the Harvest. This makes G’iah one of the most stupidly-overpowered characters in the MCU, but the poor visual effects and lackluster CGI battle between her and Gravik in Secret Invasion’s finale meant her gaining these powers was unoriginal and forgettable. It would be great to see G’iah return to give her disappointing debut more weight, but Emilia Clarke’s MCU future hasn’t been confirmed.

9

Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic

John Krasinski Debuted As Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)

Pedro Pascal is set to make his MCU debut as the franchise’s official version of Reed Richards in 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but he won’t be the first Mister Fantastic seen in the MCU. The Office and A Quiet Place star John Krasinski appeared as Earth-838’s Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where he was introduced as the leader of the Fantastic Four and a member of the Illuminati. Krasinski had been a popular fan-cast for the iconic role, but Multiverse of Madness proved that this casting perhaps wouldn’t actually work in the MCU.

John Krasinksi’s version of Mister Fantastic was a bit dull, even though he delivered some of the most intriguing and informative lines in the entire Multiverse Saga. Soon after his debut, he was also unceremoniously murdered by Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch. The fact that he underestimated the Scarlet Witch, directly caused Black Bolt’s death and was in turn spaghettified by the magic-wielding villain means Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic had a pretty awful MCU debut. Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards will surely have a brighter future in the franchise.

8

Skaar

Wil Deusner Debuted As Skaar In She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)

It was great to see Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner return alongside his cousin, Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters, in 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, even if he only made a brief appearance in the Phase 4 series. Banner’s Smart Hulk had a key role in training Walters’ She-Hulk in the series premiere, but then traveled into space to return to Sakaar. He came back to Earth in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s finale, which gave him the opportunity to introduce his mysterious son, Skaar, to the MCU, played with no speaking lines by Stargirl actor Wil Deusner.

Marvel Comics’ Skaar is the son of the Hulk and Caiera, the latter’s death spurring the former to return to Earth and embark on the iconic World War Hulk storyline. Skaar’s debut could have kick-started a possible MCU adaptation of World War Hulk, but Bruce Banner returned in the series finale still in high spirits, and nothing has been heard from either Banner or Skaar in the three years since. It’s a shame that nothing has come of Skaar’s insignificant MCU debut, and there are hopes it’ll be resolved in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars.​​​​​​​

7

Adam Warlock

Will Poulter Debuted As Adam Warlock In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

It was a controversial decision for Marvel Studios and James Gunn to cast Will Poulter as Adam Warlock ahead of his debut in 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the jury’s still out on whether this unorthodox casting choice actually paid off. Adam Warlock is viewed as one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful heroes, having been central in Marvel’s cosmic storylines since his creation in 1967. He is god-like, immortal and tapped into all cosmic energies, and while this level of power was teased in the MCU’s Phase 5, it wasn’t quite put on display fully.

Now, this might not be an issue, as James Gunn confirmed that Adam Warlock was supposed to be baby-like in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It would be fantastic to see him grow and develop in the MCU’s future, but Will Poulter hasn’t yet been confirmed to be reprising the role, and it’s unclear exactly when he could. Adam Warlock joined the Guardians of the Galaxy team at the end of Vol. 3, but the future of this new line-up isn’t certain, which means Adam Warlock might always be a comedic, baby-like villain-turned-hero, which is pretty disappointing.

6

Clint Barton’s Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner Debuted As Clint Barton’s Hawkeye In Thor (2011)

Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton has gone on to become one of the MCU’s most crucial heroes as expert marksman Hawkeye, even mentoring the next generation of superheroes in his first solo series in Phase 4. However, his start in the franchise left a lot to be desired. Renner first appeared as Hawkeye in 2011’s Thor, where he debuted as a SHIELD soldier tasked with keeping a watchful eye over Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder during his attempt to reclaim Mjolnir from its New Mexico crater. Barton’s role in Thor set up his return, but even this fell flat.

After having very little to do in Thor, Jeremy Renner returned in 2012’s The Avengers, but was again wasted as he was immediately put under Loki’s control. This neglect was so obvious that even Jeremy Renner asked for Clint Barton to be killed off during The Avengers, though we are now grateful that this didn’t come to pᴀss. Hawkeye’s MCU career after Thor and The Avengers has been incredible to watch, and his next steps as Kate Bishop’s mentor and perhaps a returning Avenger are very exciting, albeit yet to be confirmed.

5

Ruth Bat-Seraph

Shira Haas Debuted As Ruth Bat-Seraph In Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Shira Haas made her MCU debut in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World as former Black Widow ᴀssᴀssin and United States government Head of Security Ruth Bat-Seraph. Unfortunately, while her first appearance should have been full of power, action and intensity, she was rendered lifeless and dull by the changes that Marvel Studios made to the comic character. In Marvel Comics, Ruth Bat-Seraph is otherwise known as the mutant superhero Sabra, but the character’s mutant idenтιтy and subsequent superpowers were completely removed in Brave New World​​​​​​​.

Reshoots and production changes for Anthony Mackie’s theatrical debut as Captain America also limited Shira Haas’ role in Brave New World, which meant that Ruth Bat-Seraph had very little to do in the movie. The character was stripped of anything that made her interesting, and Brave New World could have easily told its story without her involvement, which is never a good sign. It’s a shame that Ruth Bat-Seraph wasn’t handled with more care in the MCU, as she could have been a key member of the franchise’s upcoming mutant stories, but this now seems unlikely.

4

Danny Rand’s Iron Fist

Finn Jones Debuted As Danny Rand’s Iron Fist In Iron Fist (2017)

Finn Jones’ Danny Rand has been considered the weakest link in Marvel’s Defenders Saga ever since he first appeared in 2017’s Iron Fist season 1. The legend of the Iron Fist was crucial to the story of the Hand and the narrative of the 2017 crossover miniseries, The Defenders, so it was essential that Danny Rand see some development beforehand. Unfortunately, Jones’ lack of proper fight training, a slow-burning narrative and not much Iron Fist action made Danny Rand’s debut in the Defenders Saga lackluster.

While Finn Jones might have been a great casting choice for the role of Danny Rand in live-action, it was the production, narrative issues, pacing and script of the Iron Fist series that meant his debut wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. Jones has recently revealed he’d be up for returning to the role in the MCU’s future, which creates the opportunity for the Defenders Saga mistakes to be fixed. While his initial debut might have been disappointing, there are hopes that his reintroduction could finally do the Iron Fist justice in the MCU.

3

Pietro Maximoff’s Quicksilver

Aaron Taylor-Johnson Debuted As Pietro Maximoff’s Quicksilver In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Quicksilver is one of the most iconic and notable characters ever to be introduced to Marvel Comics, so Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s debut as the speeding hero in Avengers: Age of Ultron was incredibly exciting. Taylor-Johnson made his first cameo appearance alongside Elizabeth Olsen, who played Quicksilver’s sister, Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch, in the mid-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which teased a huge future for them both as the MCU’s first “Miracles.” Unfortunately, the future had different ideas for Pietro Maximoff, as he was shockingly killed off in Age of Ultron.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson made his debut as Quicksilver shortly after Evan Peters portrayed a mutant version of the same character in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, which drew unfortunate comparisons between the pair. Peters has been praised as the most successful Quicksilver, perhaps due to his longevity, while many want to see Taylor-Johnson’s version return. His sudden and inexplicable death at the hands of Ultron a decade ago removed one of the MCU’s most exciting characters before he ever really had a chance to do anything, which is a huge shame.

2

Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson Debuted As Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow In Iron Man 2 (2010)

Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow was featured as one of the most important MCU heroes in all of her appearances between her debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2 and her posthumous solo debut in 2021’s Black Widow. Despite her prominence, Romanoff was often neglected, ignored, sidelined and wasted by Marvel Studios, and this is perhaps most evident in her first appearance back in Phase 1. Iron Man 2 introduced Romanoff as a SHIELD spy infiltrating Stark Industries to keep an eye on Tony Stark, but the Iron Man sequel did not treat Black Widow with the respect she deserved.

Iron Man 2 Sєxualized Natasha Romanoff and made her the subject of characters’ misogyny, whether that be by having Happy Hogan belittle her in the boxing ring, having Tony Stark search for lewd images of her online, or having Happy struggle to keep his eyes on the road when she changed her outfit in the car. This was an embarrᴀssment, and it would have been better for Black Widow to debut without this noise. Natasha Romanoff did a good job at breaking free of this quickly, but it’s still not a wonderful way for her MCU career to begin.

1

Eros’ Starfox

Harry Styles Debuted As Eros’ Starfox In Eternals (2021)

2021’s Eternals became one of the MCU’s most divisive projects after its release in Phase 4, with many criticizing the movie’s attempt to introduce so many new heroes, as this meant that none of the ten main characters really got the development they deserved. This was made even worse in Eternals’ mid-credits scene, which introduced yet another Eternal in the form of Harry Styles’ Eros, a.k.a. Starfox. The former One Direction star made his MCU debut promising to help Thena, Makkari and Druig track down their missing friends, but this tease has led to absolutely nothing.

Eternals’ poor performance in Phase 4 has meant that Marvel Studios has seemingly shelved or canceled any plans for the тιтular team to return. This is despite the fact that Eternals has recently been receiving more retrospective admiration. The movie’s mid-and-post-credits scenes set up some exciting stories for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but neither have been resolved, which makes Harry Styles’ debut as Eros seem meaningless and insignificant, when it could have actually been game-changing for the franchise and the mythology of the Eternals and Thanos, too.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Created by

Kevin Feige

First Film

Iron Man

Upcoming Films

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Blade (2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars

First TV Show

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Upcoming TV Shows

Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Ironheart, Daredevil: Born Again, Wakanda, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors

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