Marvel has spent the last 15-plus years importing beloved characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and while some of these characters have taken on stories of their own, just as many have become neglected. For every character whose story has taken off within the MCU, there are five more who have been lurking in the shadows, teased but ultimately left underutilized. We’re still hoping that many of these characters will get their time to shine, even if it is against all odds. Some of these characters made only brief appearances, while others were essential to a story, only to get left in the dust once the threat was wrapped up. No matter how much screen time they got, they deserved more. Or rather, the fans desperately want to see them return to Marvel.
Captain America: Brave New World gave fans a reason to hope for the return of some of their favorites. This newer Marvel film brought back Betty Brant (Liv Tyler) and Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) after years of being left off the table. So if it can happen for them, it can happen for any of these characters. Cross your fingers and keep on hoping!
Last Seen: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Aaron Davis is one of the few characters introduced in Spider-Man: Homecoming who hasn’t made a return. Aaron Davis immediately had fans theory-crafting and with good reason. In the movie, Aaron’s appearance is relatively minor, as she gets trapped by one of Spider-Man’s webs, leaving him stuck to a car. What followed was a brief, though admittedly humorous conversation.
So, why did this small scene send fans spiraling? In the comics, Aaron Davis’ alter ego is known as Prowler. He’s a vigilante and a complicated past and one very important family relation: Miles Morales. By putting Aaron on the screen, Spider-Man: Homecoming teased an entirely new take on Spider-Man. It’s a shame they’ve left us hanging on this front, but given Donald Glover’s popularity, it probably shouldn’t be all that shocking. Maybe we’ll see another mention in future Spider-Man projects.
Last Seen: The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Leonard Samson has a long legacy in Marvel Comics, but the MCU has barely scratched the surface. Leonard Samson has only appeared in one movie, The Incredible Hulk, as a psychiatrist and partner to Betty Ross. He was indirectly responsible for kicking off the big confrontation between the Hulk and Thaddeus’ forces, and viewers have always wondered how that turned out with Betty.
In the comics, Leonard Samson has a few aliases, including Doc Samson and Doc Sasquatch. That’s right, he’s got his own alter-ego, as Doc Samson is one of several gamma-powered beings running around the Marvel Universe. His story gets pretty complicated at times, but fans would love to see him make another run at things in the MCU. With Thaddeus’ story out in the open, now seems like the perfect time to introduce more gamma monsters.
Last Seen: Thor (2011)
Laufey is a massive character, both in scale and in reach. He’s the sort of character who gets mentioned more than he’s shown. That explains why he’s appeared a few times, but his name keeps coming up in the MCU. Laufey, King of the Frost Giants, is also Loki’s father, so it’s unlikely to hope that this character will make another appearance. There’s a natural bit of curiosity about how the Frost Giants survived the Snap, not to mention the whole Loki thing.
With Loki (of the prime universe) dead and Odin likewise gone, any problem Laufey caused would directly become Thor’s problem. Or perhaps it would become Valkyrie’s problem? Either way, viewers have a few lingering questions here. Laufey of the comics is currently dead, having fallen during the War of the Realms. It’s only a matter of time before he’s back from the dead, adding to his story once again.
Last Seen: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Dr. Erik Selvig is a brilliant mind in both Marvel Comics and the MCU. In the MCU, he first made his appearance in Thor, earning himself a larger role in The Avengers. Out of everybody on this list, he’s probably had the most MCU appearances, as he was also in Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Thor: Love and Thunder. While the latter appearances were smaller, they still happened. He was even mentioned in Avengers: Endgame (confirming he was snapped).
While Dr. Selvig was lucky enough to appear in so many films, his potential still feels untapped. Especially as he was little more than a setpiece during Thor: Love and Thunder. His comic version is likewise pretty complicated, having worked with both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. It would be interesting to see what role he’d play in future projects, should we ever see him again.
Last Seen: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
America Chavez is a younger hero introduced to the MCU in 2022. She appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, trying to get help from the monsters chasing her across all known universes. The film puts her through her paces, forcing her to gain confidence and put her powers to the test. While that was only three years ago, it is a bit surprising we haven’t seen her since. And no, we’re not counting the photo appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
In the comics, America Chavez goes by Ms. America, and she is a tough hero. She can punch portals into creation and knock out enemies, making it look easy in the process. Given what is on the horizon for the Avengers (Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars), it would make sense for America Chavez to be present. They’ll want her portal abilities if not her mystical mastery. Here’s hoping we get to see a round two from this hero.
Last Seen: All Hail the King (2014) Marvel One-Shot
Justin Hammer is the CEO behind Hammer Industries (though that is past tense now). In other words, he’s one of many innovators seen in Marvel, yet he’s always a few steps behind Tony Stark. Probably because he’s always too busy trying to copy what Tony has already achieved, as opposed to finding his own path forward. He’s a sleazy CEO, and as such, it’s hard to like him. All of this means Sam Rockwell nailed the role.
Unfortunately, Justin Hammer hasn’t really been seen in the MCU lately. His last appearance was in a one-shot from 2014, though he has been mentioned a few times since then. A variant version of him also made an appearance in the What If…? series, though people will argue this doesn’t count. It may feel harder to justify Hammond’s presence without Tony around, but he may make for a solid counter to those rising up to take Tony’s place in the MCU.
Last Seen: Moon Knight (2022)
Layla El-Faouly first appeared in Moon Night, as we do mean that. She was an original character for the MCU, but she has since made her way into the comics. Usually, it’s the other way around. In the show, Layla El-Faouly was right by Moon Knight’s side, and as such, she fell into her own mantle, The Scarlet Scarab. Her potential has only been teased. While the comics have worked to explore this more since her introduction, it’s safe to say that fans want to see more.
The Scarlet Scarab has already made a bit of a name for herself in Marvel Comics, though much like her MCU counterpart, there’s still limitless potential for her character. Fans can only hope that she’ll be called in during some of the major upcoming confrontations because we all know what kind of backup she can offer.
Last Seen: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) … sort of.
In the MCU, Karl Mordo was seen as a contemporary of Doctor Strange. Sure, he may have been training longer than our favorite sorcerer, but it’s clear who stepped in to fill the role when the time came. At the end of the first Doctor Strange film, the after-credits scene teased that Karl Mordo was descending to his expected villain status: Baron Mordo. Sadly, viewers have yet to get to see that in the MCU.
Karl Mordo did technically make an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but he’s a variant. This version of Mordo hails from another universe and thus doesn’t have the same mindset or grudge against Strange/his magic stance. On the bright side, this cameo did acknowledge the problems Strange and Mordo have been having, so there’s still a chance we’ll be seeing it on the big screen. In Marvel Comics, Karl Mordo is a Servant of Dormammu. He may be a gifted magical user, but he rejects all that the Ancient One taught, in his own way. Thus, he becomes a natural antagonist for Doctor Strange.
Last Seen: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Marvel has this tendency to establish potentially amazing villains in the MCU and then leave them be. And we’re not just talking about teasing them in after-credit scenes. Mac Gargan is a criminal who appears on the scene during Spider-Man: Homecoming. He posed a bit of a threat to the new hero, but ultimately found himself injured and put in prison. While another villain who debuted in the same film has made another appearance (Adrian Toomes in Morbius), Mac Gargan hasn’t been seen since 2017.
In Marvel Comics, Mac Gargan is more commonly known as the Scorpion. He’s a dangerous antagonist who always seems to have a grudge against Spider-Man. An after-credit scene even teased that part, Mac Gargan talked about wanting to get revenge on Spider-Man. However, nothing has yet come of this. Maybe we’ll be seeing him in the next Spider-Man film, but if so, they’ve done a fantastic job of keeping it quiet.
Last Seen: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
It’s safe to say that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 took a lot of risks, from the changes made to the antagonist to what secondary characters filled the screen. That brings us to a couple of scenes portraying other Ravager Clans and their leaders. Enter Aleta Ogord (Michelle Yeoh), Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum), Charlie-27 (Ving Rhames), Stkar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone), Krugarr (Jared Leland Gore), and Mainframe (Miled Cyrus). Honestly, the whole set of cameos was pretty memorable, and we’d love to see them all come back to Marvel.
Aleta Ogord may not have an A-list status in Marvel Comics, but she has a surprisingly long history. Also known as Starhawk, Aleta Ogord has worked with the Guardians of the Galaxy and even earned herself honorary status among the Defenders and Avengers. Despite this potential, Aleta Ogord hasn’t been mentioned once since her cameo in the second Guardians film. Ironically, Michelle Yeoh made a return before the character she portrayed, as she lent her voice to the What If…? series (Ying Nan Variant).
Marvel has spent the last 15-plus years importing beloved characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and while some of these characters have taken on stories of their own, just as many have become neglected. For every character whose story has taken off within the MCU, there are five more who have been lurking in Read More