MCU Characters Who Deserved Better
There are hundreds of characters in the MCU and some of them are naturally overshadowed by others. Some movies didn’t do certain characters justice and even killed some too quickly. Let’s explore 10 of these characters who met an unhappy end.
1. Black Widow’s death was not mourned
Natasha Romanoff went from a Russian spy to one of the original Avengers. However, it took him a decade to get a solo movie. After her death in endgame, all she got was a 2-minute mourning period and some Hawkeye references. Her sacrifice for the Soul Stone felt trivialized and she didn’t have a funeral either.
2. Lady Sif has had very few appearances in the MCU
An Asgardian warrior, Lady Sif was a fierce fighter who didn’t get enough recognition or screen time in the MCU. This, however, was due to Jaimie Alexander’s busy schedule. Still, we would have liked to see her more as she left a lasting impression even with her limited appearances.
3. Drax lost his edge
Also known as Drax The Destroyer, it was unfortunate to see this strong and powerful man who wanted to avenge his family reduced to comic relief. He was one of the most feared prisoners in the Kyln and could take on Gamora, the deadliest woman in the Galaxy. However, in later MCU films, he became the butt of many jokes and his power was vastly underestimated.
4. Quicksilver Appears In Only 1 MCU Movie
Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver is a very important character in comics and has many storylines revolving around him. In the MCU, his character only appears in Age of Ultron and there are hardly any personalities or characters there. Although he died sacrificing himself to save a child, the end seemed too quick (pun intended).
5. Frigga’s powers have been diminished
Another one Asgardian, the queen herself, was killed too soon to serve as emotional motivation for her sons. Having been raised by witches, she learned asgardian magic and soon passed it to Loki. She helped him become the god of mischief and she was a powerful and intelligent woman. His character and abilities could have been explored in much better ways.
6. Phil Coulson in The MCU’s The Avengers
Agent Phil Coulson is one of the high-ranking members of SHIELD. He was someone who was invested in the Avengers initiative and genuinely believed in these superheroes. However, in the film, he is quickly killed only to advance the plot and serve as emotional motivation for the heroes. Despite the character’s return during Agents of SHIELD, this movie didn’t do him justice.
7. Jarvis deserved better
It’s a death that is barely acknowledged by fans. During Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ultron claimed his first victim in JARVIS the AI developed by Tony Star. Although much of him was carried by Vision, they are still not the same. If no one else, Tony Stark had to mourn JARVIS – one of his greatest creations, a program that could learn and have his vision.
8. Xu Wenwu’s death was a Marvel misstep
Wenwu had a long and full off-screen life as he wielded the mystical Ten Rings and quickly became one of the most powerful men on the planet. However, on screen, his story was short-lived and there was virtually no exploration of this wonderfully complex character. They could have covered a lot more of his adventures instead of killing him to establish Shang Chi.
9. Malekith is one of the worst villains in the MCU
The villain from thor 2, Malekith the Accursed was warped into a much dumber version of himself. In the comics, he is a powerful and dangerous force. In the film, his character doesn’t feel threatening at all. Everything from his looks to his uninspiring powers made him the MCU’s worst villain. He would have been defeated and killed by Frigga herself had it not been for Kurse’s intervention.
10. Killmonger, a complex character, killed too quickly
Erik Killmonger deserved better both as a child and as an adult. His father was taken from him too quickly, he was abandoned by his own family and eventually, hatred consumed him. Its end although beautiful and hard-hitting was too fast. Above all, there were several possibilities to explore this complex character and understand how childhood trauma affects lives.
We also have some special mentions. Ebony Maw and the rest of the Black Order lacked most of their powers and were defeated far too easily. Ronan the Accuser, a man strong enough to use an Infinity Stone, was rendered very dumb when he lost due to a “dance battle”. Maria Hill is another SHIELD agent who never got much attention during the movies.
