6 MCU Characters We Desperately Need to See Again!

Currently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) boasts a vast array of characters, both leading and supporting, totaling in hundreds. The anticipation for the return of familiar faces to this universe is always high, as we ponder when and why they might reappear. However, some characters have been absent for such a long time that it seems almost impossible they’ll return… until they do unexpectedly. For instance, the cast of Captain America: Brave New World features Tim Blake Nelson and Liv Tyler, who reprise their roles as Samuel Sterns/The Leader and Betty Brant respectively, 17 years after their last appearance in the MCU, in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Given these returns, we’ve compiled a list of six characters that we believe the MCU should consider bringing back.

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Reminder: This list focuses solely on characters from Phases 1-3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Although there are many intriguing characters introduced in Phases 4 and 5 (like Hercules, Clea, Starfox, etc.) whose roles might expand, this compilation centers around the earlier days. It’s essential to note that while the animated series What if…? has brought back some of these characters, it doesn’t qualify for inclusion in this list as it falls outside the core MCU timeline. Let’s discuss the mainstays of the Sacred Timeline!

Leonard Samson / Doc Samson

Last Seen: The Incredible Hulk, 2008

It seems unfortunate for Leonard as he’s been left out so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Initially, it appeared that all characters from Edward Norton’s standalone Hulk film could be sidelined once Mark Ruffalo took over as Bruce Banner. However, characters like Thunderbolt Ross, Emil Blonsky/Abomination, and even the Leader and Betty have made comebacks in films such as Captain America: Civil War and She-Hulk. Unfortunately for Leonard, he’s still yet to reappear. In the comics, Leonard transforms into Doc Samson, a superhero with gamma powers and enhanced strength, indicated by his green hair rather than skin.

For individuals familiar with his comic book background, Ty Burrell seemed an unconventional pick to portray Leonard in The Incredible Hulk. However, consider this: if they could transform Indiana Jones into a colossal red creature, then the MCU might just as well convert Phil Dunphy into a muscular man with long green locks.

Justin Hammer

Last Seen: All Hail the King (2014)

In a somewhat disorganized manner, “Iron Man 2” is the movie in question. Despite its overall chaos, there were certain positive aspects that emerged from it. One particularly enjoyable element was Sam Rockwell’s portrayal of Justin Hammer. His casting choice proved to be quite insightful as Rockwell effectively infused his unique quirkiness into the character of a man who aspired to be like Tony Stark, albeit without the same genius or originality. Instead, he was willing to pay in order to mimic Stark’s success.

In the movie Iron Man 2, Hammer’s schemes were foiled. However, he made a surprising appearance in the 2014 short All Hail to the King. This brief film revealed how Hammer’s prison mate at Seagate Penitentiary, Trevor Slattery, would eventually be kidnapped by the Ten Rings (and later reappear in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).

Absolutely, we did encounter a different version of Justin Hammer on “What If…?” However, it’s starting to feel like it’s high time for the original character to make a return. Since Tony Stark is deceased in the MCU, a figure like Hammer appears to be trying to fill that gap by taking advantage of the situation.

The Collector

Last seen: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

In the storyline, an actor portrayed a character that wasn’t exactly as the original character was supposed to be. It turns out that this version of the character, who was met by Star-Lord and Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War, was actually a deceitful manifestation. The truth is, The Collector hasn’t appeared on screen since his role in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. This false representation of the character was crafted by Thanos after he seized one of the Infinity Stones from The Collector.

Since the appearance of The Collector in “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” it’s been clear he survived his encounter with Thanos. After all, Benicio Del Toro and Jeff Goldblum are both part of Marvel’s Elders of the Universe. And wouldn’t it be a miss if we didn’t see these two unique characters interact on screen? We’re eager to witness their unusual collaboration!

The Howling Commandos

Last seen: Agent Carter, “The Iron Ceiling” (2015)

Initially, when “Captain America: The First Avenger” premiered, there were discussions about potentially creating additional tales centered around Captain America’s World War II battles. These stories would have been distinct from his contemporary adventures with the Avengers. However, that didn’t materialize as planned. Nevertheless, there’s still potential for delving deeper into this era, both during and following the war, through the Howling Commandos.

In the movie “The First Avenger”, this unique international team made their debut, working together not only with Captain America and Bucky but also independently on various missions. Following that film, we’ve noticed different configurations of the Commandos appearing in flashback scenes in both “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Agent Carter”, though Neal McDonough’s character, Dum Dum Dugan, had the most frequent appearances.

The Howling Commandos offer a unique opportunity to explore a particular era and style of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) storytelling, introducing a diverse ensemble of characters ripe for development. Notably, one member of this team, James Montgomery Falsworth, transforms into the hero Union Jack in the comics. Whether joining established characters like Peggy Carter, Bucky Barnes, or Captain America, or standing on their own merits, it seems there’s vast potential for further adventures with these intriguing figures.

Mac Gargan / Scorpion

Last seen: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)

One of the noticeable “This character seems destined to become a major villain” introductions yet to be fully explored, the film Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced Mac Gargan (portrayed by Michael Mando). This persistent criminal with a scorpion tattoo on his neck was put behind bars, thanks to Spiderman’s intervention. In a post-credits scene, we saw him scheming for revenge in prison, evidently setting up more storylines for his future appearance as the Scorpion in comic book adaptations.

Instead of saying “Except we’ve never seen Gargan again,” you could write “We haven’t seen Gargan since then, which is quite surprising given his fellow prisoner, Adrian Toomes (also known as Vulture), briefly reappeared in Morbius due to some strange multiverse-related shenanigans.”

The animated series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, does feature Gargan transforming into Scorpion, so Marvel Studios is not forgetting about him. Fingers crossed that we’ll eventually get to witness him wielding his deadly tail in live-action.

Karl Mordo

Last seen: Doctor Strange (2016)

If you find yourself questioning, “But hold on, we didn’t just meet up with Mordo again in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, did we?”, it’s actually a bit more complicated than that. While Chiwetel Ejiofor was indeed part of the cast, he portrayed a variant of Mordo who Stephen Strange encountered within the same universe where Scarlet Witch destroyed the Illuminati group, which included several familiar faces.

It’s somewhat unexpected (pardon the pun), given that the initial ‘Doctor Strange’ film invested a good amount of time developing the character Mordo. In this movie, we saw his disenchantment with his fellow sorcerers and their alleged misuse of powers. The film even provided a post-credit scene showing his new mission to take magic away from those he believed were unworthy.

In the “Multiverse of Madness,” Doctor Strange recognizes Mordo and they’ve had conflicts since then, but we don’t get to witness these confrontations directly. This suggests that Doctor Strange has been engaged in a hidden battle with one of his major adversaries for quite some time now. It’s high time to rectify this situation and reintroduce this Marvel Cinematic Universe character into the storyline!

2025-02-05 23:33