10 Worst MCU Characters Introduced Since Avengers: Endgame

Since the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, not all newly introduced characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been warmly accepted. With the departure of iconic figures like Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Natasha Romanoff from the franchise, Marvel has sought to fill the gaps left behind with new characters. While some of these fresh faces have quickly become audience favorites, others haven’t quite hit the mark in terms of entertainment value.

In the period following “Avengers: Endgame,” Marvel has faced criticism for prioritizing quantity over quality in its productions. However, they seem to be returning to their exceptional standard. Unfortunately, this shift led to the introduction of several underwhelming, poorly crafted, and seemingly superfluous characters. These ranged from heroes, villains, to even divine beings who held great promise when they entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but ultimately failed to live up to their potential due to inadequate development and underutilization. Here’s hoping Marvel will find a way to give these characters a second chance.

10) NATALIE

Wakanda Forever. The show also introduced Riri’s late friend Natalie (portrayed by Lyric Ross), who was transformed into an artificial intelligence when Riri scanned her own brainwaves. However, NATALIE’s presence made the otherwise grounded story feel too light-hearted, and there wasn’t a clear reason for her central role in the series. While NATALIE was enjoyable, some viewers felt she didn’t quite fit with the overall tone of Ironheart, suggesting that Marvel could have made a more impactful decision.

9) Darren Cross’ MODOK

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the story of MODOK underwent a significant transformation for his live-action debut, shifting away from George Tarleton, who first appeared in 1967’s Tales of Suspense #94. Instead, he was reimagined as Darren Cross, portrayed by Corey Stoll. This change aligns well with Cross’s character development, as he became the Yellowjacket in Ant-Man (2015) and later got entangled with the Quantum Realm, resulting in a physical alteration after a fight with Scott Lang’s Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). However, the portrayal of MODOK in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania veered towards comic relief, which made him appear more amusing than impactful.

As a devoted Marvel fan, I’ve often pondered about MODOK’s potential role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Given his deep roots with Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) in the comics, it seemed plausible that he might have been connected to this organization in the MCU as well. This could have given AIM a stronger presence, considering it debuted back in 2013’s “Iron Man 3.” However, any traces of his comic book past were conspicuously absent in “Quantumania,” which I found somewhat disappointing.

The unique design of MODOK in the comics made him a challenging character to bring to life in the live-action MCU. Regrettably, the uncanny valley effect was quite pronounced and uncomfortable in the Phase 5 movie, leading me to wonder if he would have been better off staying within the realm of animation.

8) Zeus

2022’s “Thor: Love and Thunder” saw Russell Crowe debuting in the MCU as Zeus, but his portrayal of the powerful character stirred up a lot of debate. Crowe’s exaggerated Greek-inspired depiction made Zeus appear more like a caricature than an imposing figure, which diminished his authority and strength. In Marvel Comics, Zeus is incredibly powerful, but in this film, he was easily defeated by Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his allies, even his own Thunderbolt weapon couldn’t save him. However, there’s room for the MCU to strengthen Zeus if he reappears along with his son, Hercules (Brett Goldstein).

7) Kro

2021’s film “Eternals” sparked significant debate within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following its release, with the portrayal of Deviants being a particularly contentious topic. To address this feedback, Marvel has revised the backstories of both the Eternals and Deviants in the MCU. Although they were originally created by the Celestials, their connections to each other, humans, and mutants have been severed. Interestingly, Bill Skarsgård, known for his roles in “IT” and “Nosferatu,” made his MCU debut as Kro, the Deviants’ leader. Unfortunately, Kro’s performance was lackluster, failing to captivate audiences and leaving us yearning for a more dynamic portrayal of this power-absorbing antagonist.

6) Clandestines

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) introduction of Ms. Marvel, we met Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani), a promising new superhero. However, the Disney+ series struggled to find an impactful antagonist for her. Instead, we were presented with the Clandestines, beings from the Noor Dimension who are similar to Djinn. These beings provide Kamala with her power source. Led by Najma (Nimra Bucha), the Clandestines had unclear abilities and a vague objective, leading to weak storytelling and limited character growth. Unfortunately, the Clandestines were written out just as abruptly and insignificantly as they were introduced, leaving viewers feeling let down.

5) Ruth Bat-Seraph’s Sabra

The debate and criticism surrounding the introduction of Israeli superhero Ruth Bat-Seraph, who was linked to the Mossad, and Shira Haas’ casting in 2025’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” might have been resolved if Bat-Seraph had proven beneficial. Regrettably, she turned out to be a superfluous character within the film’s cast. Marvel Studios particularly puzzled fans by altering her mutant background from the comics and making her a former Black Widow assassin without providing any compelling action scenes for her.

In the film “Captain America: Brave New World,” Ruth Bat-Seraph’s character could have been effectively portrayed by Xosha Roquemore’s Leila Taylor, who was a Secret Service agent under President Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford). However, with Sabra’s introduction, the spotlight shifted away from Taylor, resulting in both characters receiving less development than they deserved. It was unfortunate that Sabra’s mutant background wasn’t explored within the MCU, considering Marvel Studios’ plans to introduce numerous new mutant characters. Given the circumstances, it wouldn’t be unexpected if Sabra doesn’t reappear in the MCU. To be honest, this isn’t a significant issue.

4) Todd Phelps’ HulkKing

In 2022, Marvel Studios took a significant risk with the series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” considering the challenge of bringing an almost entirely CGI character to life when VFX teams were already strained. The character Jennifer Walters, portrayed by Tatiana Maslany, wasn’t the only Hulk figure in Phase 4; Todd Phelps (Jon Bass) transformed into HulkKing after coming into contact with Walters’ gamma-irradiated blood. Unfortunately, the HulkKing character and his narrative were underdeveloped, leading to an overdone, dull storyline with unclear motivations. Fortunately, Walters revised this storyline, but it’s challenging not to remember this underwhelming debut.

3) President James Ritson

As a passionate film enthusiast, I found myself captivated when President Ritson made his sole appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) during the 2023 release of “Secret Invasion.” In this gripping tale, Ritson was portrayed as the U.S. President amidst the Skrull’s stealthy invasion of Earth. Actor Dermot Mulroney had limited screen time as Ritson, but his character quickly became one of the most debated in the MCU following a dramatic declaration of war against all extraterrestrial life forms at the end of “Secret Invasion.”

Sadly, this controversial decision and the general disfavor towards “Secret Invasion” have left an indelible stain on Ritson’s tenure as President. As a result, Thaddeus Ross took over the presidency in “Captain America: Brave New World,” effectively ending Ritson’s time in office.

2) Antonia Dreykov’s Taskmaster

In 2021’s “Black Widow,” the character Taskmaster was introduced, who stood out significantly from their original Marvel Comics version. In the comic books, Taskmaster was Tony Masters, a man endowed with the unique ability to flawlessly replicate the actions of anyone he observes, even extending to Marvel’s superheroes. However, for the live-action MCU, the character underwent contentious changes, as Taskmaster transformed into Antonia Dreykov (portrayed by Olga Kurylenko), a skilled Black Widow assassin and the long-believed deceased daughter of General Dreykov (Ray Winstone), the ominous leader of the Red Room.

Although the debatable alterations in the storyline, Natasha Romanoff’s act of liberating Antonia Dreykov from her father’s control in Black Widow could have led to a promising future for her within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Regrettably, this didn’t materialize. Originally slated as a key character in the Thunderbolts, Antonia Dreykov was fatally shot by Ava Starr’s Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) at the outset of the 2025 crossover movie. Consequently, Taskmaster missed the opportunity to join the New Avengers and will be remembered as one of the most underutilized characters in the MCU’s history.

1) Kang

Following the victory of the Avengers over Thanos in “Avengers: Endgame”, Marvel Studios sought a new formidable adversary to serve as the chief antagonist for the Multiverse Saga. Initially, Kang the Conqueror and his malevolent counterparts seemed ideal for the role, but regrettably, Marvel and actor Jonathan Majors made some significant blunders in their handling of the character and off-screen events that tarnished Kang’s reputation within the MCU. Notably, Majors’ 2023 arrest, trial, and conviction on two counts of misdemeanor harassment and assault led to his dismissal by Marvel, effectively preventing Kang from causing any substantial harm to the MCU before his departure.

Besides the disputes surrounding Major’s character, Kang and his versions faced issues during their screen appearances. Despite being portrayed as formidable villains, they were often surprisingly defeated by seemingly ordinary characters. For instance, He Who Remains was swiftly dispatched by Sylvie in Loki season 1, and Kang the Conqueror was overthrown by Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This suggests that Kang may not have posed a genuine threat. Given this, it might be beneficial that Marvel Studios has now opted to replace him with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom ahead of Phase 6’s Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

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2025-07-09 16:12