7 Underrated Marvel Vigilantes That Still Need an MCU Appearance

Marvel Studios is making a deliberate and aggressive expansion into the street-level corner of its universe, building a gritty world centered on the streets of New York City. The critical and audience success of the first season of Daredevil: Born Again has served as the catalyst for this strategic shift, proving a strong appetite for more grounded stories featuring Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox). Marvel’s confidence is clear, with a second season of Born Again set for a March 2026 release and plans already being mapped out for a third. This expansion is also bringing back fan-favorite characters, as Krysten Ritter is officially confirmed to reprise her role as the hard-hitting private investigator Jessica Jones in the show’s second season, with Mike Coulter teasing he will become Luke Cage once again.

This street-level revival is not confined to a single series. A Marvel Studios Special Presentation focused on The Punisher is scheduled for a 2026 release, giving Jon Bernthal’s iconic anti-hero a solo spotlight. Furthermore, the next Spider-Man film, officially titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, will abandon cosmic stakes for a street-level adventure that sees Peter Parker (Tom Holland) teaming up with The Punisher. Finally, the successful Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of Hector Ayala’s White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes) in the first season of Born Again demonstrated that audiences are ready to embrace lesser-known vigilantes. This opens the door for a host of other underrated heroes who have been waiting for their chance to step out of the shadows.

7) Steel Spider

Ollie Osnick was a brilliant but troubled teenager who initially idolized Doctor Octopus. Using his impressive engineering skills, he constructed his own set of mechanical tentacles and briefly attempted a life of crime. An encounter with Spider-Man inspired him to reform, and he redesigned his technology to become the armored hero Steel Spider. His powered suit is equipped with four strong, cybernetically-controlled mechanical spider-arms, along with a variety of other gadgets, including wrist-mounted projectile launchers and grappling hooks. 

As Steel Spider, Ollie has been a registered hero under the Superhuman Registration Act and served as a member of the New Warriors. His direct inspiration from one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes and his focus on engineering make him a unique figure among New York’s street-level heroes.

6) Ricochet

Johnny Gallo is a mutant who first came to prominence as Ricochet, one of four young heroes who adopted one of Spider-Man’s former heroic identities. His powers include superhuman agility, incredible reflexes, and a precognitive danger sense that warns him of incoming threats. His signature weapons are a pair of custom-made throwing discs, which he uses with exceptional accuracy. He is also a gifted hand-to-hand combatant, relying on a highly acrobatic fighting style to evade and overwhelm his opponents in a fight.

Ricochet was a founding member of the teenage super-team, the Slingers, and was later associated with the Loners, a support group for former young superheroes. His narrative is often focused on the struggles of being a young hero attempting to establish his own identity in a world filled with more powerful figures. His skill set and fighting style are perfectly suited for the fast-paced environment of New York’s city streets, making him a classic underdog hero.

5) The Shroud

Maximilian Coleridge operates as The Shroud, a vigilante who uses mystery and intimidation as his primary tools. After witnessing the murder of his parents, he dedicated his life to fighting crime and joined the Cult of Kali. During a ritual, he was branded with a mystical symbol that blinded him but granted him extrasensory perception and the ability to tap into the Darkforce Dimension. This power allows him to conjure and control a tangible form of absolute darkness, enveloping his surroundings and disorienting his foes while he navigates the blackness with ease.

The Shroud’s grim methodology places him in the same operational sphere as characters like Daredevil and Moon Knight. While he fights on the side of justice, his fearsome reputation and uncompromising tactics have made him a menacing figure to the criminal underworld. He has no significant team affiliations and prefers to work alone, cementing his status as one of Marvel’s most solitary and enigmatic operatives.

4) Tigra

Greer Grant Nelson’s transformation into the hero Tigra is one of Marvel’s more unusual origin stories. She began her career as a non-powered crimefighter named The Cat, but after being mortally wounded, she was saved by a mystical ritual performed by the Cat People, a race of magically evolved felines. The ceremony bonded her soul with that of one of their greatest champions, turning her into the half-human, half-tiger hybrid known as Tigra. This change gave her superhuman strength, speed, and agility, along with sharp claws, fangs, and heightened senses.

Tigra is a veteran hero who has served as a longtime member of the Avengers, participating in battles against cosmic-level threats. However, her core abilities and predatory combat style are incredibly effective in urban settings. Her character frequently explores the conflict between her human intellect and her feral, feline instincts, adding a compelling layer of internal struggle to her heroic endeavors.

3) Night Thrasher

Dwayne Taylor is the driven founder and leader of the New Warriors, a super-team of young heroes determined to fight crime on their own terms. After the murder of his wealthy parents, he dedicated his life to achieving peak human physical condition and mastering multiple forms of martial arts. As a non-powered hero, Night Thrasher uses his considerable fortune to fund his operations, wearing a sophisticated suit of body armor for protection and utilizing an arsenal of gadgets, including a pair of Escrima sticks and a custom armored skateboard for high-speed travel.

Night Thrasher is the tactical and emotional center of the New Warriors. He is a brilliant strategist, but his leadership is fueled by a deep-seated rage over the injustice that took his family. As a result, he is a quintessential vigilante, a hero who forged himself through intense training, wealth, and an unwavering will to fight for others. Also, his focus has always been on street-level crime, making him one of the most dedicated heroes in that arena.

2) Prowler

Hobie Brown, the first Prowler, is a brilliant young engineer who, out of frustration with his career prospects, initially designed his suit to make a name for himself as a costumed criminal. His invention is a technological marvel, featuring gauntlets that fire concussive gas pellets and steel darts, claws for climbing and combat, and a pneumatic cape that allows him to glide. However, after an early confrontation with Spider-Man, Hobie was persuaded to abandon his criminal ambitions and use his considerable talents for good.

As the Prowler, Hobie became a trusted and reliable ally to Spider-Man, a street-smart hero with an intimate understanding of New York City. He stands as a powerful example of a character choosing redemption and turning his life around to become a respected vigilante. Sadly, chances of him ever showing up are slim, given how the Spider-Verse franchise skipped straight to the second Prowler and turned Hobie Brown into the Spider-Punk.

1) Black Cat

Felicia Hardy is widely known as one of the most skilled and elusive cat burglars in the Marvel universe. While she began her career as a non-powered thief with world-class acrobatic and martial arts skills, she later underwent an experiment that gave her the psionic ability to manipulate probability fields. This power allows her to subconsciously generate waves of “bad luck” for her enemies, causing their equipment to malfunction and their attacks to miss in highly improbable ways, making her an incredibly formidable opponent.

Black Cat’s most defining characteristic is her complicated and long-running romantic relationship with Spider-Man. This dynamic has seen her evolve from a dedicated antagonist to a trusted, if unpredictable, ally. She operates within a moral gray area, often pursuing heroic goals through criminal means, not unlike DC’s Catwoman. Her deep connections to Spider-Man’s world and her unique blend of skill and power make her an indispensable part of New York’s vigilante landscape.

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