10+ One-Off Characters Who Left A Unforgettable Impact In The MCU
Major heroes like Captain America and Iron Man are well-loved, but many renowned MCU characters only appear in one film. One-off characters offer each MCU production a unique flavor and make each picture seem a little different. With many films and television series being added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe every year, having some distinct characters that don't appear regularly is crucial.
Whether it's Skurge's collection of Earth oddities and eventual turn against Hela in Thor: Ragnarok or Abraham Erskine's confidence in Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, the following one-off MCU characters have made a lasting impression on the series throughout the years. Some may even make a cameo in the MCU at some point in the future!
Instead, this Asgardian shone brightly in Thor: Ragnarok, the film that resurrected both the God of Thunder and his cinematic franchise.
Karl Urban also had a chance to shine as Skurge. How many Movies let you brag about having Shake Weights, offer you true character development, and let you die in a blaze of glory while battling zombies with assault rifles? Oh, and his assault guns were dubbed "Des" and "Troy" because, well, why not?
While much of this is down to Chris Evans' portrayal of Steve Rogers and the CGI magic used to create a genuinely small version of him, Stanley Tucci's Abraham Erskine also contributes significantly. If Rogers is Captain America: The First Avenger's heart, Erskine is the film's soul. After all, without the German expatriate, Captain America would not exist. Erskine not only created the Super Soldier Serum that gave Rogers his immaculate physiology, but he also ensured Rogers' acceptance into the Army.
The moment in which Rogers and Erskine have a quiet talk the night before Rogers' serum surgery is one of the greatest in the whole first phase of the MCU.
Second, about the same time, Pietro had his lone MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, another version of the same comic book hero became a fan favorite in Fox's X-Men film franchise. Pietro perished in the MCU's Age of Ultron conclusion while saving Hawkeye and a young Sokovian kid, and there don't appear to be any preparations in place to bring him back via the Multiverse, as Gamora did in Avengers: Endgame.
Although, for fans of both shows, putting Evan Peters, who played a role in Fox's adaptation, into the MCU for WandaVision was a pleasant "wink wink, nudge nudge."
Ava went off into the sunset with Bill Foster at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Will Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania see the couple again? Will Ava lend a hand to Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne in their struggle against Kang the Conqueror? Will she have anything to do with whatever Bill Murray is up to in the film? Who can say!?
Ayesha's most enduring gift to the MCU will be Adam Warlock, whom she created. Will Poulter reprised his role as Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a superbeing knew for his symbiotic bond with the Soul Stone. Ayesha's effect on the MCU will undoubtedly expand as Warlock's presence in the franchise grows.
The character of Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell, would be missed. Not because he's a terrific villain, but because Rockwell is so wonderful in the part, this sadsack corporate monster has become a fan favorite through the years.
Marvel needs to bring this character back at some time. Simply to be able to dance once more. Also, his presence in the Marvel one-shot All Hail the King doesn't really count...
She wants nothing more than to speak with you. Granted, her narrative in Avengers: Age of Ultron about her son's death during the Battle of Sokovia disturbs Stark to his core. Sharpe isn't trying to assassinate Stark or anything... she's simply a mother suffering from the death of a kid. She holds the Avengers responsible
. The truth of the situation enrages Tony, and we've got a movie on our hands!
In the first Guardians film, the iconic performer was given nothing to do besides show up, be given a haircut that made her think she was playing Cruella de Vil again, and be an awesome badass in a few sequences.
While it's conceivable she's still alive in the MCU; you have to assume she didn't survive Thanos' raid on Xandar in quest of the Power Stone, which took place offscreen. While that attack occurred before Avengers: Infinity War and was never made into a movie, it's apparent that Thanos and the Black Order slaughtered the Nova Corps to obtain the Power Stone from Xandar.
To be honest, a Marvel one-shot in which the Black Order steals the Power Stone from the Nova Corps would be a fantastic effort. It would cement the destiny of several Guardians of the Galaxy characters and demonstrate that the Black Order is more than just cannon fodder for the franchise.
Ross, played by Liv Tyler, appears to be suffering from two setbacks: Edward Norton's departure from the MCU and Universal Studios' apparent ownership of the film rights to any solo Hulk film.
Betty Ross hasn't been seen onscreen alongside Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner in the MCU since 2012, even though The Incredible Hulk is a widely forgotten film. Betty hasn't featured in any other MCU projects since 2008, unlike her father, Thunderbolt Ross, and Abomination from The Incredible Hulk. Will she make an appearance in She-Hulk?
Was anyone astonished when Killian shot Hansen at point-blank range in Iron Man 3 and killed her without hesitation? Marvel Studios was fortunate to land Rebecca Hall as Hansen in the first place, and murdering her off so abruptly has proven to be a waste of time.
Even though Eternals was a disappointment (at least in terms of Marvel Studios' overall popularity), Sersi is expected to have a role in the MCU's future.
Minn-Erva was the Yon-Rogg sidekick with the greatest flair and personality, which is a pity. Carol Danvers' enmity with her may have been used in future MCU ventures. Minn-Erva will be remembered as the blue alien who believed she was superior to Captain Marvel even though she wasn't.
After her father was jailed, Liz and her mother moved to Oregon, and Liz dropped the name "Toomes" in favor of her mother's maiden name, "Allan." Of course, Liz was unaware that Peter was Spider-Man until the conclusion of Spider-Man: Far From Home since his identity was kept a secret until the film's end.
On the other hand, Liz was seen on the cover of a People magazine in Spider-Man: No Way Home, labeling Parker a "fraud." Liz was the first MCU example of Peter's personal life constantly taking second place to his heroic one.
Whether it's Skurge's collection of Earth oddities and eventual turn against Hela in Thor: Ragnarok or Abraham Erskine's confidence in Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, the following one-off MCU characters have made a lasting impression on the series throughout the years. Some may even make a cameo in the MCU at some point in the future!
1. Skurge
Source: Marvel Studio
Instead, this Asgardian shone brightly in Thor: Ragnarok, the film that resurrected both the God of Thunder and his cinematic franchise.
Karl Urban also had a chance to shine as Skurge. How many Movies let you brag about having Shake Weights, offer you true character development, and let you die in a blaze of glory while battling zombies with assault rifles? Oh, and his assault guns were dubbed "Des" and "Troy" because, well, why not?
2. Abraham Erskine
Source: Marvel Studio
While much of this is down to Chris Evans' portrayal of Steve Rogers and the CGI magic used to create a genuinely small version of him, Stanley Tucci's Abraham Erskine also contributes significantly. If Rogers is Captain America: The First Avenger's heart, Erskine is the film's soul. After all, without the German expatriate, Captain America would not exist. Erskine not only created the Super Soldier Serum that gave Rogers his immaculate physiology, but he also ensured Rogers' acceptance into the Army.
The moment in which Rogers and Erskine have a quiet talk the night before Rogers' serum surgery is one of the greatest in the whole first phase of the MCU.
3. Pietro Maximoff
Source: Marvel Studio
Second, about the same time, Pietro had his lone MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, another version of the same comic book hero became a fan favorite in Fox's X-Men film franchise. Pietro perished in the MCU's Age of Ultron conclusion while saving Hawkeye and a young Sokovian kid, and there don't appear to be any preparations in place to bring him back via the Multiverse, as Gamora did in Avengers: Endgame.
Although, for fans of both shows, putting Evan Peters, who played a role in Fox's adaptation, into the MCU for WandaVision was a pleasant "wink wink, nudge nudge."
4. Ava Starr
Source: Marvel Studio
Ava went off into the sunset with Bill Foster at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Will Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania see the couple again? Will Ava lend a hand to Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne in their struggle against Kang the Conqueror? Will she have anything to do with whatever Bill Murray is up to in the film? Who can say!?
5. Ayesha
Source: Marvel Studio
Ayesha's most enduring gift to the MCU will be Adam Warlock, whom she created. Will Poulter reprised his role as Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a superbeing knew for his symbiotic bond with the Soul Stone. Ayesha's effect on the MCU will undoubtedly expand as Warlock's presence in the franchise grows.
6. Justin Hammer
Source: Marvel Studio
The character of Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell, would be missed. Not because he's a terrific villain, but because Rockwell is so wonderful in the part, this sadsack corporate monster has become a fan favorite through the years.
Marvel needs to bring this character back at some time. Simply to be able to dance once more. Also, his presence in the Marvel one-shot All Hail the King doesn't really count...
7. Miriam Sharpe
Source: Marvel Studio
She wants nothing more than to speak with you. Granted, her narrative in Avengers: Age of Ultron about her son's death during the Battle of Sokovia disturbs Stark to his core. Sharpe isn't trying to assassinate Stark or anything... she's simply a mother suffering from the death of a kid. She holds the Avengers responsible
. The truth of the situation enrages Tony, and we've got a movie on our hands!
8. Irani Rael
Source: Marvel Studio
In the first Guardians film, the iconic performer was given nothing to do besides show up, be given a haircut that made her think she was playing Cruella de Vil again, and be an awesome badass in a few sequences.
While it's conceivable she's still alive in the MCU; you have to assume she didn't survive Thanos' raid on Xandar in quest of the Power Stone, which took place offscreen. While that attack occurred before Avengers: Infinity War and was never made into a movie, it's apparent that Thanos and the Black Order slaughtered the Nova Corps to obtain the Power Stone from Xandar.
To be honest, a Marvel one-shot in which the Black Order steals the Power Stone from the Nova Corps would be a fantastic effort. It would cement the destiny of several Guardians of the Galaxy characters and demonstrate that the Black Order is more than just cannon fodder for the franchise.
9. Betty Ross
Source: Marvel Studio
Ross, played by Liv Tyler, appears to be suffering from two setbacks: Edward Norton's departure from the MCU and Universal Studios' apparent ownership of the film rights to any solo Hulk film.
Betty Ross hasn't been seen onscreen alongside Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner in the MCU since 2012, even though The Incredible Hulk is a widely forgotten film. Betty hasn't featured in any other MCU projects since 2008, unlike her father, Thunderbolt Ross, and Abomination from The Incredible Hulk. Will she make an appearance in She-Hulk?
10. Maya Hansen
Source: Marvel Studio
Was anyone astonished when Killian shot Hansen at point-blank range in Iron Man 3 and killed her without hesitation? Marvel Studios was fortunate to land Rebecca Hall as Hansen in the first place, and murdering her off so abruptly has proven to be a waste of time.
11. Minn-Erva
Source: Marvel Studio
Even though Eternals was a disappointment (at least in terms of Marvel Studios' overall popularity), Sersi is expected to have a role in the MCU's future.
Minn-Erva was the Yon-Rogg sidekick with the greatest flair and personality, which is a pity. Carol Danvers' enmity with her may have been used in future MCU ventures. Minn-Erva will be remembered as the blue alien who believed she was superior to Captain Marvel even though she wasn't.
12. Liz Toomes
Source: Marvel Studio
After her father was jailed, Liz and her mother moved to Oregon, and Liz dropped the name "Toomes" in favor of her mother's maiden name, "Allan." Of course, Liz was unaware that Peter was Spider-Man until the conclusion of Spider-Man: Far From Home since his identity was kept a secret until the film's end.
On the other hand, Liz was seen on the cover of a People magazine in Spider-Man: No Way Home, labeling Parker a "fraud." Liz was the first MCU example of Peter's personal life constantly taking second place to his heroic one.
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