Marvel's 5 Most Underused Characters From Movies

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with dozens of heroes and even more supporting characters [...]

By Brandon Davis

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with dozens of heroes and even more supporting characters who come with each of the main names. In bringing together all of these major and supporting players, some characters get more time in the spotlight than others. This is only natural in a cinematic franchise but it does not mean that there are some characters getting the short end of the stick when they should be given more of an opportunity to shine. Over time, some characters emerge after earning the love of fans in the moments they are given by filmmakers but others remain waiting for a moment which might never come.

To put some respect on the names of characters who deserve more time to shine, we have compiled a list of the most underused characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Honorable mentions include Scarlet Witch, a character who broke out a bit more in the third act of Avengers: Endgame and will soon be the star of her own show on Disney+ (finally getting proper spotlight!), and War Machine, the character who rarely has a chance to a emerge as being more than Iron Man's sidekick despite being intelligent, capable, and witty. To think... he was almost the Vice President in Avengers: Infinity War.

Black Widow would also make this list, considering she did not get the respect of having a funeral after sacrificing herself to save the world and putting up with Tony Stark for so many years, but she is getting a whole movie in November so we're finally seeing some respect put on her name.

Below are the five most underused characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ulysses Klaue

Andy-Serkis-as-Ulysses-Klaue-in-Avengers-Age-of-Ultron

Perhaps the most underutilized character by ratio of use compared to potential is Ulysses Klaue. The character is a major factor in many Marvel Comics stories and animated titles but after a brief appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the character portrayed by Andy Serkis played an energized part in Black Panther before quickly being killed off.

Klaue seemed to be threatening and intelligent enough to pose a major threat to Wakanda and Black Panther or other Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes. On top of that, Serkis is one of the most talented and genius actors and filmmakers of a generation. Now, there will likely be no more stories with the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Killmonger killed him -- though some have hopes that the character was not actually killed off as the bullet from Killmonger was technically off screen and some fans hope to see Klaue return... but they probably won't.

Quicksilver

Avengers Quicksilver
(Photo: Marvel Studios)

Quicksilver gets no respect in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or from its fans. Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrayed the character in Avengers: Age of Ultron and he was killed off in the same movie. The fastest man in the MCU was killed by bullets. It's a strange and ironic play. The character we met in the movie did little to attach us or make us want more, especially after Evan Peters portrayed a superior version in X-Men: Days of Future Past one year earlier.

However, Pietro Maximoff and his relationship with Wanda Maximoff is under served in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The mutant twins are integral players in X-Men stories as the children of Magneto. The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Quicksilver does not have the same impact which means the character was drastically underused. Perhaps, though, Quicksilver is going to get another shot at the MCU with Peters' version in WandaVision?

Justin Hammer

Justin Hammer Return MCU after Avengers Infinity War

Justin Hammer and his Advanced Idea Mechanics group could have been a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Played by Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2, the character burst into the scene and helped Whiplash face off against Tony Stark. However, the character was taken into custody at the end of the film and never heard from or mentioned again.

In Marvel Comics, AIM and Justin Hammer are major players in plenty of stories. He has collaborated with the Hand, HYDRA, and other enemy factions. Typically, his main enemy is Tony Stark and Iron Man as he regularly tries to compete with Stark Industries. Given Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame, Justin Hammer's return seems unlikely but if Red Skull returned anything is possible.

Maria Hill

avengers maria hill
(Photo: Marvel Studios)

Maria Hill has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2012's The Avengers. She has been a great go-to agent for Nick Fury. We even saw her die in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War. Despite being a capable and knowledgeable agent, the character has not been given th opportunity to play a major role in an MCU story.

Her time might be coming, though. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, it looked like Maria Hill had her epic moment in the sun when she used a rocket launcher to take a drone out of the sky at just the right time for Nick Fury. However, it was later revealed this was Soren, a Skrull disguised as Maria Hill. It appears Maria Hill is likely out in space with Nick Fury, possibly building up SWORD.

Ultron

Ultron-mcu
(Photo: Marvel Studios)

Ultron, especially with the voice of James Spader, had potential to be one of the most compelling villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead, the character felt more like a stepping stone much like his self-titled Avengers movie on the way to Captain America: Civil War. Looking back at Avengers: Age of Ultron, the movie is better than it got credit for at the time as most of us were eager to see Iron Man and Captain America duke it out and watch Ultron through analytical lenses to see how that fight would begin.

Ultron is a major villain, though. He is capable of wiping out some of the toughest foes. Perhaps he will somehow return, should the Marvel Cinematic Universe go with an eventual Secret Wars movie, though his aligning with other villains is tough to imagine... considering it seems clear he was killed off by Vision.

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