Every Major MCU Superhero Marvel Are Doing Nothing With

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A major Marvel Cinematic Universe project planned for 2026 will feature heroes like Thor, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, both Captain Americas, the New Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. But many characters introduced in the last five years haven’t had much development since their initial appearances, and we’re taking a look at those here.

We didn’t include Wanda Maximoff on the list because, to our knowledge, she died at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While it would be unexpected, she might actually stay that way. However, the other heroes we’ve left out have no indication of returning – and some haven’t been seen in years.

Honorable Mentions

While not officially confirmed, Doctor Strange is strongly expected to be in Avengers: Secret Wars. Deadpool and Wolverine are also rumored to appear, and Ryan Reynolds has hinted that Deadpool 4 is in development. Jeremy Renner, who plays Hawkeye, isn’t currently listed in any upcoming cast lists, though there’s speculation he’ll return despite his character’s retirement. Finally, Mahershala Ali’s Blade hasn’t had a proper introduction yet, only a brief voice cameo in Eternals, so he’s not considered a major player at this point.

9) Kate Bishop

Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which took place in 2021 and 2022, brought in many new characters. Several of these, including Yelena Belova, Shang-Chi, Love, and John Walker, are expected to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Others, like America Chavez (played by Xochitl Gomez), Clea (Charlize Theron), and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), are also part of the MCU’s expanding roster.

Considering how well the Hawkeye series concluded Clint Barton’s story and brilliantly introduced Kate Bishop, it feels like the show really established her as the new Hawkeye. Hailee Steinfeld is captivating in the role, just as compelling as Jeremy Renner. However, she’s only appeared as Kate Bishop in Hawkeye (2021) and a brief cameo in The Marvels (not counting her voice work in What If…? and Marvel Zombies).

With Black Widow gone and Yelena Belova already appearing in two Marvel projects, including Hawkeye and the upcoming Doomsday, it’s crucial to focus on Hailee Steinfeld, who played Kate Bishop. Her career is taking off, and Marvel should capitalize on her momentum. A Young Avengers series or film would be perfect, bringing back Bishop, America Chavez, and another potential member we’ll discuss shortly.

8) All of The Eternals

The Eternals, introduced in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, didn’t quite resonate with audiences. If the film had been more successful, we’d likely be anticipating a sequel by now. At the very least, the characters would probably be appearing in future Avengers movies, similar to how Shang-Chi was integrated.

The movie concluded with Gemma Chan’s Sersi, Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos, and Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo being taken from Earth by Arishem, who tasked them with proving humanity’s worth to save the planet. However, that storyline hasn’t gone anywhere and probably won’t. A mid-credits scene introduced Harry Styles as Eros, but it’s unlikely we’ll see his character again. The same goes for Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, also known as Black Knight – although there’s a possibility he could reappear. While the Blade movie seems cancelled, a Midnight Sons movie is still a potential project.

Overall, Eternals wasn’t a very thrilling movie. It tried to introduce too many characters all at once, and would have worked better as a limited series, potentially leading into a future film. It’s often considered one of the MCU’s weaker entries, but the casting was strong in a few places, making it hard to completely let go of these characters. Don Lee and Richard Madden stood out, though their characters are now gone. Whether we’ll see Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo, Lia McHugh’s Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos, or Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari again remains to be seen.

7) Star-Lord

It was previously announced that Star-Lord would reappear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and many fans thought Chris Pratt’s character might be connected to the upcoming Doomsday project. Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has concluded and he’s back on Earth, the lack of a connection to Doomsday leaves his future role unclear and provides no current story direction for the character.

6) She-Hulk

Some viewers found She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to be overly self-aware and focused on humor. In 2024, Tatiana Maslany hinted that a second season likely won’t happen. Now, fans are wondering if her character will appear in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, but as of now, it’s uncertain.

Currently, Tatiana Maslany is working on several film and television projects that have nothing to do with Marvel. She remains consistently busy, appearing in two Osgood Perkins films and an episode of Digman! in 2025 alone. The question is whether her public statements criticizing Disney following Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension led to them choosing not to work with her again. While it’s happened before, that would be a real loss, as Maslany is an exceptionally talented actress.

5) Echo

I honestly think people are underestimating Echo. Some say she doesn’t quite fit as a ‘major’ hero or even a ‘superhero,’ but I disagree completely. Alaqua Cox is fantastic in the role, and I really hope we see her back in something like Daredevil: Born Again soon. It’s a shame that after her own show, she seems to have been sidelined – the MCU really needs more strong female heroes, and Echo definitely fits the bill!

4) The New Guardians of the Galaxy

The original Guardians of the Galaxy team has largely disbanded, with most members receiving satisfying conclusions to their stories. While a return isn’t impossible, it would be surprising. Rocket and Groot are the main exceptions – they’ve formed a new, strong Guardians team and were still actively working as heroes at the end of Vol. 3. Given how popular the first three movies were, we expect to see more of them, but it’s strange we haven’t heard anything about what’s next.

3) Moon Knight

Following the disappointing reception of X-Men: Apocalypse, Oscar Isaac truly shined as a superhero in Moon Knight. However, it’s been almost four years since that Disney+ series aired, and fans are still waiting to see what happens next with the character Marc Spector.

I’m really hoping we see Moon Knight again, and I’ve been digging around online! It looks like the stunt performers who worked on Doomsday – Attila Kosztor, Daren Nop, and Jamel Blissat – were also in Moon Knight. Nop even did stunts on Black Widow! Because of that connection, a lot of fans, including me, think there’s a good chance Moon Knight could show up in a future project. Still, as much as I want more Moon Knight, there haven’t been any official announcements about continuing his story yet.

2) Ms. Marvel

Iman Vellani quickly became a fan favorite as Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, thanks to her energetic personality and obvious passion for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like Robert Downey Jr. with Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth with Thor, Vellani truly embodies the role of Ms. Marvel. Her dedication to the character is so strong that she’s even co-written two comic book series about her.

Iman Vellani is a fantastic team player, frequently promoting Marvel’s latest projects online, like Wonder Man. Despite her success with the highly praised Ms. Marvel series, she’s only appeared in The Marvels since then (with some voice work on Marvel Zombies as well). Hopefully, Marvel won’t blame the financial performance of The Marvels on her, as she has the potential to become the next Nick Fury, bridging the gap before the Avengers assemble.

The Marvels clearly positioned Kamala Khan for a bigger role, as she connected with Nick Fury and tried to recruit Kate Bishop at the end of the film. Now is the time for a Young Avengers team to form, bringing together characters like Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, America Chavez, Cassie Lang, the Maximoff twins, Riri Williams, and potentially others like Skaar, Kid Loki, and Eli Bradley. All these heroes have been introduced, and it would feel like a missed opportunity not to let them take center stage. Plus, with a cast of young actors, they won’t stay young forever, so it’s important to move forward with this project soon.

1) Captain Marvel

Similar to Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel might suffer from the poor performance of The Marvels. Despite being a well-established and frequent performer – almost a core cast member – Larson isn’t currently planned to appear in the upcoming Doomsday film, which will also feature veteran Marvel actors like Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Mackie.

Despite all that, there’s still a sense that Doomsday has more to offer, and her appearance might be a key to unlocking it. It would be welcome, considering that in seven years, she’s only had one solo movie, a brief role in Avengers: Endgame, a quick cameo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and the recent team-up film, which didn’t quite feel like a proper Captain Marvel sequel.

Who would you want to see join the Avengers in Doomsday? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-10 00:45