7 MCU movie characters who deserved better plotlines

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) boasts a diverse roster of characters, including classic superheroes and notable villains. While many villains like Ronan the Accuser and Ego the Living Planet receive consequences for actions done or intended, not all character fates are treated fairly. Several characters within the MCU receive untimely or unjust fates despite exhibiting honorable behavior or positive actions.

These characters could be killed or wounded, or overlooked despite positive actions or good intentions. Such fates suggest that the MCU narrative does not always reward characters with good intentions or virtue.

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Taskmaster, Sif, and 5 other MCU characters that deserved better storylines

7) The Hulk

Still from She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (Image via Marvel)

In Avengers: Endgame, Bruce Banner reappears as Professor Hulk after a time jump, having merged his scientific intellect with the Hulk’s physical strength during the five years following Thanos’s defeat. Banner spent months in a gamma lab to form this merged identity, resulting in a version that combines both personalities into one being.

While the Hulk’s original persona had developed separately from Banner over prior films, the transition to Professor Hulk takes place offscreen, bypassing much of the character’s development and history on Sakaar. Banner’s story in Endgame then focuses on his contributions to the Avengers and his role in reversing the Snap.

Subsequently, the character has taken a significant backseat in terms of narrative significance, especially after She-Hulk, where Bruce Banner was outdone at every turn by his cousin despite being the OG. Fans were also not too happy that a tease for the popular Planet Hulk storyline from the comics was teased as a joke at the end of the series, with no major payoff in sight.

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6) Taskmaster

Still from Black Widow (Image via Marvel)

Comic Taskmaster is Tony Masters, who is known to mimic Marvel superheroes' combat style. MCU Taskmaster is Antonia Dreykov, who made her debut in Black Widow as a creation of General Dreykov's daughter. Antonia has been programmed and remotely controlled from a chip and is a Red Room enforcer who demonstrates photographic reflexes similar to her comic character.

With the achievement of free will at the end of Black Widow, Taskmaster reappears again in Thunderbolts* but is immediately killed during a fight. This iteration of the character follows a different path than that in the comics and has little development and focus on her history or agency beyond her powers and origin.

Considering the fact that she was killed in Thunderbolts, fans felt robbed of what could've been an interesting character to see fight heroes like Spiderman, Captain America, Deadpool, and more.

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5) Quicksilver

Still from Avengers: Age of Ultron (Image via Marvel)

In MCU's Avengers: Age of Ultron, Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) appears as a power-driven speedster. Although his comic book background reveals him to be a key team player in a number of superhero groups, Quicksilver dies due to a hail of bullets while facing artillery shots to protect Hawkeye and a teenager. He has a brief character development and little growth before his death.

Quicksilver's character in the MCU diverges from others. A version of the character played by Evan Peters has expanded screen time and allowed distinct stories in the X-Men movies. Peters appears later in the Disney+ series, WandaVision, but is found to be Ralph Bohner, a resident who was manipulated by others and not the original speedster.

These narrative choices create divergent legacies for Quicksilver in the Marvel universe and have soured some people, who were fans of the speedster.

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4) Gorr the God Butcher

Still from Thor: Love and Thunder (Image via Marvel)

Gorr the God Butcher is a core Marvel comic book antagonist who has a war against gods driven by personal tragedy and bereavement. In the comic book version, Gorr was brought up on a barren world where he lost his family and became disillusioned with gods, which inspires him to seek out the All-Black necrosword and go to war against gods across time and space.

Across centuries, he gathers an army of dark berserkers and battles countless variations on Thor while attempting to wipe out gods completely. MCU's Thor: Love and Thunder changes Gorr's background. He still experiences his family tragedy, but remains loyal longer and betrays his god, Rapu, after an incident where Rapu shows cruelty.

His purpose in the film is to search for Thor's Stormbreaker to summon Eternity. Even though Christian Bale depicts Gorr, his narrative is entwined with those of Thor and Jane in a way that he has a less pivotal role within the film than he does in comics.

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3) Black Panther (T'Challa)

Still from Black Panther (Image via Marvel)

Black Panther or T'Challa serves a central role in the MCU, where he is positioned as Wakanda's ruler and savior of its people. After his father passes away, T'Challa takes on his role as a Black Panther, facing internal and external danger while governing his people.

With Chadwick Boseman's untimely passing in real life, the MCU did not recast T'Challa but instead chose to kill him off-screen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That film primarily focused on Wakanda's process of grief and how Shuri would become a new Black Panther.

With this came an end to T'Challa's storyline within the MCU that was considered by some a wasted opportunity to further explore the character's many iconic stories from the comics.

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2) Lady Sif

Still from Thor: The Dark World (Image via Marvel)

Sif is Thor's love interest in comics and his Norse mythos wife. She is also a powerful Asgardian warrior. Appearances by Sif have been minimal, and she's not shown to be Thor's primary love interest. Instead, she fills a role equal to Thor's other friends and makes appearances mostly in some special TV shows.

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1) Abomination

Still from She Hulk: Attorney At Law (Image via Marvel)

Several characters within The Incredible Hulk (2008) have appeared in minor or alternative roles within the MCU due to rights issues. Emil Blonsky, or the Abomination, has been regarded as one of Hulk's most powerful villains. He is monomaniacal within comics and within the 2008 film about gaining gamma-powered strength.

Once he is transformed into the Abomination, he possesses superhuman strength. Blonsky appears again within the MCU television program She-Hulk, but this time as a redeemed character who operates a therapy retreat group, having done time in prison.

This new character angle goes against his initial appearance as a violent villain and focuses his character on his work toward becoming a better person instead of evil.

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All MCU projects are available to stream on Disney+.