SPOILER WARNING!
One of the greatest cinematic spectacles ever was released approximately one year ago. Avengers: Endgame, the all-time leader at the box office, bringing in right around 2.8 billion dollars, is the culmination of eleven years and twenty-one other films. Major players came together in order to create the spectacle that is the Avengers. Some of these beloved characters are Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Panther/T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). Characters like this are greatly appreciated by viewers around the world, and their comedy, physical attributes and on screen sacrifices create admiration for said characters. With so many wonderfully developed characters, there are sure to be some who are neglected by fans and believed to be less admirable than their colossal counterparts. The following is a list of five characters who, for a number of reasons, have fallen to the wayside and are often underappreciated by fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
5. Mantis (Pom Klementieff):
At this point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Pom Klementieff has managed to make her way into three films (Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) as the cosmic, and somewhat mysterious, Mantis. Her abilities compared to the likes of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor are certainly lacking. She possesses few talents in terms of her ability to support the Guardians and the Avengers in their battles against evil. Her hand-to-hand combat is adequate, but enough to get her by, but her ability to force beings to sleep (and wake up) hold more weight than viewers often give her credit for. Mantis’ odd ability is pivotal in the Guardians of the Galaxy defeat of Ego (Kurt Russell) and their near success against Thanos (Josh Brolin) in the 2018 blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War. While she is quite obviously a supporting character in each film, her ability to support big personalities like Starlord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) is essential to both the plots and the action sequences. She is a wonderful balance of innocence and humor that compliments the leads that surround her. Her innocence leads to beautifully scripted scenes that have audiences laughing out loud. It is clear that her role in these films are not meant to be dominant or to constantly create major shifts in the plots, but the fact that she so beautifully plays her role of support through her sometimes useful physical abilities and her innocent humor lands her a spot on the list of Most Underrated Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
4. M’Baku (Winston Duke):
Winston Duke portrays a character that has such little screen time in the most recent Avengers films that it is completely understandable that he is overlooked by audiences and that his presence is often underappreciated. In 2018, Black Panther became one of the most popular MCU films for a number of reasons. One particularly prominent reason is the fact that the ensemble of characters, including the previously mentioned Black Panther/T’Challa, Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye (Danai Gurira), possess a certain poise and je ne sais quoi that lights up the big screen and engages audiences around the world. Part of that ensemble, but with much less screen time, is the aggressive, yet humorous, M’Baku. M’Baku is the leader of the Jabari Tribe, a tribe who challenges the rule of T’Challa, but typically keeps their distance from the majority of the Wakandan population. His role in the film varies from opposer to ally, but, from his first moments on screen, audiences are made aware of the character’s conviction and are made to believe he is to play a significant role in the story of Black Panther. It appears that M’Baku is underrated not only by viewers, but by writers and directors as well. His short amount of screen time makes viewers believe that, while he plays a significant role in certain parts of films, writers and directors do not see him as a pivotal player in the MCU. His underutilization lands him at number four on my list of Most Underrated Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Somewhere, in the untold portions of the MCU, M’Baku rose to power as the leader of the Jabari. This fact alone proves that the character possesses a strength (both physical and mental) that mirrors some of the more physically gifted characters of the MCU. Furthermore, there are glimpses of M’Baku fighting alongside the most well-known superheroes in the universe and holding his own. He possesses strength that is comparable to Black Panther and his physical abilities are, in many ways equivalent to Captain America and the professionally trained fighters such as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye/Ronin/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). With these many appealing attributes--not to mention his ability to produce humor as well as anyone in the MCU--makes him deserving of the type of love that the other major players earn. He deserves more attention, and, due to this fact, he sits here at number four.
3. Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie):
First introduced back in 2014 in the Russo Brothers' first MCU film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie has reprised his role five times since then and has become increasingly more important since. He proves himself, time and time again, to be a worthy sidekick to Captain America, and has shown flashes of genius in helping to defeat some of the MCU’s most compelling villains (including Crossbones/Brock Rumlow--Frank Grillow--and Thanos). Someone with as much screen time, and as big a following as Mackie has makes it weird to see him present on the list of Most Underrated Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What seats him at number three on this particular list is not the fact that his past endeavors are underrated, but the fact that his importance in the future of the MCU is. As the world was made to understand early last year, Falcon would soon take a backseat and Sam Wilson would take up the reins as the new Captain America. The fact that he will, in many ways, be the lead through the next phase of the MCU makes him incredibly important, yet, with the new mini-series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, still in production, audiences have not been able to see the new Captain America in action. Without the extreme and action-packed visuals that Disney and Marvel are sure to present audiences with, it is difficult to imagine someone other than Chris Evans playing this particular role. Not being able to visualize Sam Wilson as the new “Cap” causes audiences to underappreciate what he is about to do in the coming years. Furthermore, audiences around the world are torn between Sam Wilson and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) in terms of who should be the new Captain America. Many viewers are under the impression that it should in fact be the Winter Soldier who picks up the shield and becomes the head of the Avengers and that Sam Wilson should stay in his current role. While it is uncertain exactly what he will do in the future, it seems apparent that the head of the MCU, Kevin Feige, has big plans for the superhero, and that the character will continue to develop in major ways. It is never smart to set your expectations for a film or a television show too high, but with Feige at the helm and Mackie firmly in the driver's seat, big things are sure to happen. Appreciate the future of the MCU and the impeccable job that Mackie is sure to do as Sam Wilson in future installments of the MCU. As Falcon, Sam Wilson was badass and a truly compelling character; as Captain America, he is sure to have a bit more freedom in the world of the MCU.
2. Ultron (James Spader):
Ultron (James Spader) is the only villain on our list of the Most Underrated Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One thing that Marvel does incredibly well is develop likeable, relatable and appealing villains that range in screen time from just a few minutes, to five or more films. Villains like Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thanos have been a part of the MCU for years and have become fan favorites not only in the realm of villains, but in general. They possess characteristics that are relatable and that resonate with audiences on levels that make the films in which they are present better. James Spader’s Ultron is often overlooked in this regard. He is rarely considered in conversations about shaping the MCU. The previously mentioned villains, and villains like Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and Hela (Cate Blanchett), are clear choices among villains who have shaped major characters or helped to develop major arcs in the MCU. Again, Ultron seems to take a back seat in these conversations. What people often forget is that he is essential in the development of what might be considered the protagonist of the MCU, Iron Man, and in the creation of Vision (Paul Bettany). These characters play significant roles in the development of the MCU and the overall Thanos storyline. Without Ultron, the major events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame would not have been possible. The Ultron character is passionate and tenacious; he has his mind set on the theoretical prize (world peace) and is determined to see that play out, regardless of what might stand in his way. With the help of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Ultron is able to create himself, and an army that is capable of carrying out destruction on a global scale. The villains that tend to work the best and best appeal to the masses are those that believe that what they are doing is actually beneficial to the general populace and not just themselves. This fact makes it difficult to understand the dislike for Ultron (or even the ability to think that he is lesser than some of the biggest names in the MCU). He is credited (or at least should be) with the creation of a major character (Vision), one of the first major deaths in the MCU and the events of Captain America: Civil War. His role in the MCU is significantly larger than viewers often give him credit for. The previously mentioned accolades are just some on Ultron’s long resume and are often overlooked. For these reasons, Ultron is present on the list of the Most Underrated Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
1. War Machine/James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle):
Here, at number one on our list of the Most Underrated Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is Don Cheadle’s War Machine/James “Rhodey” Rhodes. In the early going this character was awarded Terrence Howard, and, while Howard is a talented actor, his portrayal of the character was quite bland. Thanks to some financial disputes, the world was given Cheadle as the War Machine replacement. With the politics out of the way, Cheadle is free to explore the character in ways that are new and exciting. War Machine tends to take a backseat to heavy hitters in the MCU community like Iron Man, Thor and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). He has minimal screen time in the Iron Man and Avengers series and is often overlooked in terms of what he brings to the table. It seems that audiences often forget that, in that short amount of time, the role he plays in those films is significant. In Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 his role is often to protect high-level government officials, including the president. He is tasked with some of the most difficult things in the series (not to say that protecting the world from madmen is not difficult for Tony Stark), and he succeeds time and time again. Fast forward to Captain America: Civil War, Rhodey steps into the limelight and fights alongside his best friend, Tony Stark, as they attempt to save the world’s superheroes from being pawns of the government. Rhodey’s injury, at the hands of Sam Wilson, leads to a further separation of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Throughout his tenure in the MCU, Rhodey plays complimentary roles in many of the major events that take place in this universe. The separation of the Avengers, the decimation of Stark’s Iron Man suits and the battle against Thanos. While he regularly takes a backseat in these events, he is a pivotal cog in the machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and, for this, he sits at number one on this list. Without War Machine, the landscape of the MCU and the journey to the present would be significantly different. In the most recent crossover epic, War Machine travels back in time with his Avengers cohorts in order to undo what havoc Thanos wreaked on the universe. As the team goes their separate ways in order to find the infinity stones and change the past, there is significant coverage of the rest of the team, but War Machine and Nebula’s (Karen Gillan) endeavors go basically unnoticed. He, once again, falls to the wayside and fans are unable to appreciate his sacrifice due to his lack of screen time. Again, his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is significant, but does not get the coverage he deserves leaving audiences to forget how important he is to the franchise. Audiences should not sleep on what he might bring to future installments of the MCU. However, keeping with tradition, those audiences will most likely overlook the character’s sacrifice and his significance in each film, again, landing him at number one on the list of the Most Underrated Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
All of the Marvel properties mentioned are currently available on Disney+. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (starring Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily Van Camp, Daniel Brühl and more) is set to be Marvel’s first live-action series released on the streaming service and is expected to be released late this summer. Black Widow (starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour and more) is expected in early November. Keep your eyes peeled for future Marvel-related announcements, as Kevin Feige, and the wonderful minds behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe continue to expand on a beautifully delivered galaxy of superheroes.
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