The Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen its ups and downs since the incredible success that was Avengers: Endgame. For every hit they put out on the big and small screen, there seems to be an equal flop. However, regardless of how you feel about the franchise’s recent history and the impending arrival of Avengers: Doomsday, one thing that’s certain is that the MCU has missed the mark with its handling of several important characters. Some have been due to inconsistencies, some have been due to fan backlash, and some have been severely underutilized after their initial debut in a film or TV show.
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With Avengers: Doomsday coming up, the struggles with these characters are only becoming more glaring. They were introduced, seemed like they were setting up to be around for a while, and then they suddenly stopped appearing. In one case, the character is meant to be a major part of the franchise and one of the leaders of the Avengers, yet the MCU has given them remarkably little to do. In another case, one character is a perfect fit for the Multiverse Saga, yet they have been relegated to one appearance, which is disappointing. Thankfully, if they show up unexpectedly in Avengers: Doomsday, it could fix the problem.
5) She-Hulk
When She-Hulk: Attorney at Law dropped in 2022, it was met with review bombing and negative reception from a lot of males online. They were upset about every little thing from the CGI (understandable) to She-Hulk twerking, and it seems like that reaction caused the MCU to shy away from using her. That’s disappointing because she is a perfect character for a fun show set in the franchise’s universe.
She-Hulk doesn’t need to be some huge part of major events like Avengers: Doomsday, though it would be totally okay if she was. However, the character has merit in being the focal point of a goofy legal comedy TV show. You could easily get six seasons out of a show where she takes on cases for various comic book characters. The underrated She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was true to the comic book character and Tatiana Maslany is one of the best actors in the entire MCU, so not utilizing her is a huge missed opportunity.
4) Shang-Chi
One of the most exciting films released in the 2020s by the MCU was Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It presented us with a new superhero who felt different from everyone we had in the franchise before. The hand-to-hand combat, the friendship with Katy, an impressive villain, and more all made the film great. It ended with a post-credits scene where Shang-Chi and Katy interact with Captain Marvel, Bruce Banner, and Wong, setting up an intriguing future.
Unfortunately, the MCU never followed up on this. Shang-Chi still has yet to receive a sequel and he hasn’t even shown up in a TV show or even a one-off special since. The character is returning for Avengers: Doomsday, though he feels like an afterthought compared to most other heroes. There was a ton of potential for Shang-Chi to be a major player in the MCU and it just hasn’t happened.
3) Sam Wilson
Steve Rogers handing his signature shield over to Sam Wilson at the end of Avengers: Endgame should’ve set Sam up as one of the pillars of the MCU’s future. It looked that way at first as the co-lead of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw him get a great story about coming to grips with what it means to be a Black Cap in this country. After that series wrapped, there really hasn’t been a lot going on for Sam Wilson.
It took four years for him to get a solo movie and when he finally did, Captain America: Brave New World felt more like a sequel to The Incredible Hulk than anything else. The end result was a poor box office and lackluster critical response. Now with Avengers: Doomsday coming up, Captain America feels unimportant and Sam is already being overshadowed by the returning Steve Rogers. That’s not how it should be.
2) Captain Marvel
When Captain Marvel was first brought into the MCU, she was established as one of the strongest characters. She took down everyone rather easily in her solo film before going toe-to-toe with Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. She returned a few years later in The Marvels alongside Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan, forming a formidable team that was a blast to watch. However, since the film unjustly flopped, Carol hasn’t been brought up again.
It feels like the MCU pivoted away from her due to the segment of fans who did things like review bomb her projects. Carol should be one of the focal points of the franchise at this point. She would be an ideal character to lead one of the Avengers teams in the upcoming film, yet she isn’t even reportedly in the film. A character with this much potential, played by an actor of Brie Larson’s capabilities, deserves to be a staple of the MCU and not someone who barely gets anything to work with.
1) America Chavez
The one character who has been totally wasted by the MCU but could be fixed by an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday is America Chavez. She was introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as someone who has the power to travel the multiverse. She played a key part in that movie and was training at Kamar-Taj at the end of it. Given her ability, the MCU needed to find something for her to do during the Multiverse Saga.
America traveling through the multiverse could have been a great way to introduce different locations and to bring characters together who otherwise never would’ve met. Relegating her to one appearance makes no sense. If she were to surprise us with an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, it could help rectify that problem. She could surprise everyone by playing a big part in the multiverse element of the story. It would even be nice to see her using her powers to bring in other heroes to help or as a tease for Avengers: Secret Wars. She should also be one of the Young Avengers, so her disappearance is a head-scratcher.
Are there other characters you think the MCU has failed? Do you disagree about these characters? Let us know in the comments.
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