5 Times Where An Entire MCU Show Was Carried By One Single Character
Compared to the DCEU counterpart which is full of up and down titles, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is rated much higher by neutral fans thanks to its overall consistent lore and storyline, and more solid movie franchises. However, even Marvel Studios have their own hiccups at times, especially after the end of the Infinity Saga, as Phase 4 and 5 didn’t really live up to the audience’s expectations. And even in their golden era, titles such as Iron Man 2, Thor: The Dark World, or Avengers: Age of Ultron are considered weaker than the rest of their trilogies.
However, while not all MCU Movies are great, there are times when one of the characters’ performance is so good, they single-handedly carry the whole film, or even franchise, forward by keeping the audience entertained enough in the theater. Let’s look at these 5 MCU titles where one character alone makes it up for the embarrassing plotline of the story.
#1. Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Ms. Marvel)
Source: Marvel
The Ms. Marvel TV series can be summed up in one single word: average. The show has its moments here and there, but in overall it’s quite forgettable. The storyline is bland, the main villain is meh, and Kamala Khan is easily the only saving grace of the series. Her actress, Iman Vellani, is literally born to play the role, as she manages to portray Kamala’s dorkiness and aloof personality perfectly.
In real life, Vellani is also a huge Marvel fan, so it’s no wonder why she can play the role of Ms. Marvel so well in the live-action series. She will star alongside Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris in the upcoming The Marvels movie later this year, so we’ll only have to wait a bit longer to see our favorite teenage heroine make her theater debut.
#2. Kang the Conqueror (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)
Source: Marvel
Compared to the first two titles, the Ant-Man threequel is widely considered a disappointment. The rushed storyline, the vast yet bland world of Quantum Realm, and M.O.D.O.K, all combined into a recipe for disaster. The fact that Marvel developers literally used the movie to set up the MCU's new big bad villain Kang doesn’t help, either.
However, at least the third part has done something right: it (almost) perfectly portrayed an intimidating yet charismatic version of Kang the Conqueror. Jonathan Majors, despite his private life controversy, still delivered a stellar performance as the antagonist, and at times in the movie, we truly felt that Kang has that ultimate villain vibe that the MCU has been missing since Thanos. With the Council of Kang returning in Phase 6, we can expect to see more of the bad guy in the future.
#3. Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
Source: Marvel
While the Doctor Strange sequel isn’t a bad movie by any means, it just feels lacking in the Multiverse department compared to titles such as Into the Spider-Verse or Across the Spider-Verse. However, the sequel has shown us one of the best versions of the Scarlet Witch, who turns into a formidable enemy for Strange to crack.
The villainess single-handedly destroys the Earth-838 Illuminati, brings down the whole Kamar-Taj on her own, and chases Strange and America Chavez through dimensions with a single goal in mind: to make her children from another universe her own. While she doesn’t defeat Strange in the end, Wanda has ousted the protagonist by a mile to be the best character in the entire movie.
#4. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Iron Man 2)
Source: Marvel
Unlike the rest of the trilogy, Iron Man 2 didn’t receive the same love from the audience, however, Robert Downey Jr.’s brilliant performance as the philanthropist saved the movie from the bad review bomb. The Iron Man sequel just lacks the charm that makes the first one so amazing, and the main villain, Whiplash, is nowhere near Obadiah Stane in terms of charisma. However, Robert’s delivery as Stark was just as impressive, and seeing more of his interaction with Don Cheadle’s Rhodey in the sequel was entertaining enough for fans to keep flooding to the theaters.
#5. Loki (Thor & Thor: The Dark World)
Source: Marvel
Thor might be a crucial member and the strongest Avenger on the team, but his influence in his own titles is greatly overshadowed by his own brother, Loki. The first two Thor movies are forgettable at best, and Loki’s wit and charisma are what hold the movies together. Though he causes so much trouble for the God of Thunder and the others with his mischief, none of us can hate Loki, as his character is too interesting and complicated, and he frequently drops some hilarious remarks on his brother out of nowhere.
Thanks to Loki, the audience was brought from one surprise to another, especially when he’s seemingly killed in the middle of Thor: The Dark World, only to miraculously return in the end to replace Odin as the ruler of Asgard, leaving us with so many questions unanswered. That’s why fans were on their feet to hear that the God of Mischief got his own TV series in 2021, and a sequel is bound to follow this October 6.
Do you agree that these MCU movies were carried alone by one character? Share your thoughts in the comment.