10 Street-Level Heroes That Deserve to Be In the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has managed to feature numerous characters from the Marvel comics existing in the same universe. While there were several Marvel superhero movies before the MCU, fans responded positively to the MCU’s commitment to embrace the comics, from suit designs to the adaptations of certain storylines. While the MCU tends to focus on larger-than-life story arcs, there are several smaller, street-level heroes in the Marvel universe.

While many street-level heroes appear in Marvel properties, such as the series from Netflix and ABC, the MCU mainline films have been rather low on street-level superheroes. With the multiverse saga, the MCU has begun to incorporate aspects of these other films/series into the mainline series, such as with the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again. Fans would love to see more street-level heroes brought into the MCU proper.

Luke Cage Is a Street-Level Icon

For many, Luke Cage comes to mind when thinking of street-level Marvel heroes. Introduced as a Hero for Hire, Luke Cage is often seen in the comics as a member of the Defenders and the Marvel Knights. While Luke Cage has yet to appear in any live-action films, he has made several appearances in animated and live-action series in the last two decades.

Luke Cage was introduced into the mainstream with Netflix’s Jessica Jones before getting his own self-titled series. While the Netflix Marvel series of the 2010s were always meant to be considered canon to the MCU, they were mostly kept separate from the other MCU franchises, not appearing in any live-action media outside their own Netflix series. With Daredevil getting his own revival series set in the MCU proper, fans would love to see the character of Luke Cage be properly brought into the MCU, maybe even appearing in Avengers movies.

Paladin Is a Fun But Unexpected Anti-Hero

Paladin is a lesser-known character in the Marvel universe, characterized as a mercenary introduced in 1978. While the character is more of an anti-hero, his career often pits him against superheroes. He has been known to fight Daredevil and the Punisher and is often associated with groups like the Serpent Society, the Thunderbolts, and the Wild Pack.

With Daredevil being brought into the MCU proper with She-Hulk and Daredevil: Born Again, it would be great to see Paladin introduced into the franchise. With the upcoming Thunderbolts* movie, the precedence has certainly been set for more anti-heroes to appear in the MCU. In the comics, Paladin was hired to track down Doctor Doom, which would make him a great addition to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

The White Tiger is a mantle taken up by several characters in the Marvel comics. The first of which was Hector Ayala, and he was the first Puerto Rican hero to appear in the universe. At this year’s D23 convention, new footage was revealed of the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series, featuring the character of White Tiger in his first live-action appearance.

The footage made it clear that the White Tiger mantle would be taken by Hector Ayala in the series. Many fans would love to see his younger sister, Ava Ayala, make her MCU debut one day. The character was popularized by her appearance in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, where she was part of the team of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s New Warriors. However, given that Hector is just about to make his MCU debut, it is unlikely Ava will make her live-action debut any time soon.

The Prowler Needs a Prominent Presence

In the Marvel comics, the Prowler was an alias used by several characters, including Hobie Brown and Aaron Davis. The Aaron Davis Prowler has already been introduced in the MCU with his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming, played by Donald Glover. The Prowler also appeared as a major figure in the Spider-Verse films, with Glover even appearing as a variant in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

While Aaron appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, he did not appear in his costume and mostly stayed out of the fight. Many fans hope to see Glover return to the MCU in the role, properly taking up the mantle of the Prowler. Introducing the Prowler into the MCU would also be a great way to bring in Miles Morales, with Glover making a reference to his nephew in Homecoming.

Black Cat Is Primed For a Debut

Felicia Hardy, also known as Black Cat, was a very popular figure in the Marvel comics. She was initially introduced as a villain to Spider-Man, but the two eventually formed a romantic dynamic, becoming an ally of the web-slinger. Despite her popularity, the character has never been seen in her costume in any live-action Marvel films.

While Felicia was featured in early script drafts for Spider-Man 2, the character was left out of the final version. Director Sam Raimi planned for the character to appear in a fourth Spider-Man film, but the film was canceled. Felicia made her live-action debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, played by Felicity Jones. However, the character had not yet taken up the mantle of Black Cat. Fans would love to see the character in the MCU, possibly in future Tom Holland Spider-Man films.

Spider-Woman Is Close Friends With Jessica Jones

While there are many characters in the Marvel comics who took up the alias of Spider-Woman, the most popular would arguably be Jessica Drew. This street-level hero was initially introduced as a brainwashed spy for HYDRA, eventually becoming a member of the New Avengers. Despite her popularity, the character has never appeared in the MCU.

While the character of Jessica Drew appeared in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, she has yet to be seen in live-action. The closest thing to a live-action debut Spider-Woman has received was with Madame Web, though these were the Julia Carpenter, Anya Corazón, and Mattie Franklin versions, respectively. Fans would love to see Jessica Drew’s version of the character brought into the MCU, possibly in a Tom Holland-led film, with many hoping the future Spider-Man films will focus more on street-level action than previously seen for the character in the MCU.

Cloak and Dagger are unique characters in the Marvel comics, with twin powers of light and darkforce. The characters were prominent members of the Marvel Knights, which would make them great additions to the MCU, perhaps working with Daredevil. Their powers are incredibly interesting, and would make for some great action scenes.

Cloak and Dagger made their live-action debut with their own self-titled series from Freeform. While the series was marketed as being canon to the MCU, the characters were never incorporated into the mainline MCU properties, only appearing in The Runaways TV series from Hulu. While the Cloak and Dagger series only lasted two seasons, fans would love to see the characters brought into the MCU proper, perhaps even with the same actors; Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt.

Elektra Deserves a Proper Return

Elektra was a rather popular street-level character in the early 2000s, though her popularity started to decline with the MCU highlighting other characters. Elektra was often tied with Daredevil, usually as a love interest and ally. She made her first live-action appearance in Daredevil (2003), played by Jennifer Garner.

While Garner’s version of the character got her own solo movie, the character wasn’t seen again for many years. The character appeared in Netflix’s Daredevil and The Defenders, played by Elodie Yung. However, like many aspects of the Netflix Marvel series, she was kept out of the mainline MCU properties. With Garner reprising her role in Deadpool & Wolverine, fans would love to see Elektra return to the MCU, most likely with Elodie Yung, as she already has an established dynamic with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil.

Ghost Rider Blends Magic and Street Justice

Despite his supernatural origins, the Ghost Rider character is often depicted as a street-level superhero. The character made his live-action debut with Ghost Rider, (2007) played by Nicolas Cage, who returned for the sequel. Once the MCU had been established, Ghost Rider was featured in ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Despite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. being canon to the MCU, the character of Ghost Rider has yet to make an appearance in the mainline MCU films/TV series.Unlike other Marvel-associated series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was much better incorporated into the MCU, with the main character of Agent Coulson featuring in several films. There were rumors of Nicolas Cage appearing as Ghost Rider in Deadpool & Wolverine, but the character has yet to be seen in an MCU film.

Blade is Coming, But Not Soon Enough

Despite hunting vampires, Blade is characterized as a street-level figure in the Marvel comics. Blade is no stranger to live-action appearances, with three Blade films starring Wesley Snipes. The character was seen again in a TV series, being played by Kirk Jones.

Wesley Snipes reprised his role in Deadpool & Wolverine, much to the excitement of fans. However, the character’s place in the MCU has not yet been cemented. A Blade MCU film starring Mahershala Ali was announced in 2019,but the film has spent years in development, with no updates at the 2024 D23 Marvel presentation. Fans cannot wait to see the character brought into the franchise.