10 Most underrated characters in the MCU

The MCU, short for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dazzles the world with a multitude of stories and characters. It has gifted its fans with thousands of heroes and villains ranging from the famous Avengers to those who are cosmically influenced like the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Although Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor are household names and the characters are iconic, there are still countless others who have contributed greatly and who boast exciting backstories but might find themselves overlooked.

This article here will focus on 10 such characters from the MCU who are considered underrated.

Please note this entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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1) Kraglin Obfonteri

Guardians of the Galaxy has many underrated characters. One of them is Kraglin, played by Sean Gunn. Kraglin was part of Yondu’s Ravagers and was deeply affected by Yondu’s death. He started using Yondu’s Yaka arrow, honoring his legacy. He also helped Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill in saving his members.

From a background character to being able to help Peter and his friends, Kraglin has done a lot and deserves more love.

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2) Talos

Ben Mendelsohn plays Talos who was initially thought to be an apparent villain in one of the MCU's most underrated films, Captain Marvel. Later on, it is revealed that he was just trying to save his family and find a new home for the Skrulls after they were attacked by the Kree.

His character becomes a useful ally for Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel and Nick Fury in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Despite much work and a cool storyline giving depth to the character, Talos remains somewhat underappreciated.

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3) Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter, appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after being teased for so many years in multiple MCU films. Poulter’s Warlock is a powerful character and is known for his super strength and cosmic awareness. He is a complex character who struggles with his inner conflicts but eventually learns to handle his dark side.

Adam Warlock’s character has a significant role in the comics but is underutilized in the movies. As a character connected to the cosmic side of Marvel, his underutilization leaves a gap in the MCU's cosmic narrative.

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4) Okoye

Danai Gurira's Okoye might be one of the most formidable fighters of Wakanda but still, she is regarded as one of the most underrated MCU characters. She is the general of the Dora Milaje, the female fighters of Wakanda, and has fought against Thanos with the Avengers. She and her warriors have also provided safety to some of the characters. She is loyal to her country and the throne.

Though contributing significantly and being a fierce presence in the fight for Wakanda, Okoye is seldom credited alongside other main characters.

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5) Happy Hogan

Happy Hogan, portrayed by Jon Favreau, is often considered an underrated character in the MCU. Happy’s loyalty to Tony Stark through so many challenges makes him an important character. He becomes Peter Parker’s mentor after Tony’s death and even helps him as seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

His awkward humor and wit provide light-hearted moments in the otherwise tense scenes of the films.

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6) Jimmy Woo

Agent Jimmy Woo portrayed by Randall Park is an FBI Agent, who debuted in Marvel Cinematic Universe in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Although he is an FBI Agent, his funny character makes Jimmy Woo's scenes a canvas for chuckles. Other than this, the compassionate side of his character is revealed by the empathy he shows to other characters such as Scott and later Wanda in WandVision.

However, even with these contributions, he is often not given the credit he deserves.

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7) M’Baku

Winston Duke's M'Baku looked like a fierce challenger when he was first introduced in the Black Panther movie. However, his transformation from challenging Chadwick's T'Challa to becoming a friend who helped in fighting against Thanos makes him an impressive character. He brings a certain quality of confidence alongside witty humor to make him a standout character.

However, he still doesn’t get the love and appreciation that he so deserves.

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8) Xu Xialing

Meng'er Zhang’s character Xu Xialing was introduced in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. She is the younger sister of Shang-Chi and was not allowed to learn martial arts like her brother. She learned only by watching her brother train and still her combat skills are impressive and exceptional.

Zhang’s Xialing is driven by her will to prove herself and protect her loved ones. Initially, started as the shadow of her brother and father, she quickly becomes one of the important and strong characters, becoming the leader of the ten rings.

However, she is still regarded as one of the underrated characters of the MCU.

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9) Dr. Erik Selvig

Stellan Skarsgard’s character, Dr. Selvig has been part of the MCU since Phase One. He has helped Thor and the Avengers in many of their missions, from stabilizing the tesseract to helping prevent the Chitauri invasion.

With being a part of the MCU and facing and also helping them with formidable villains, Dr. Selvig became a crucial but still underrated character.

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10) Wong

Although Benedict Wong's character is a close friend of Dr. Stange and also a sorcerer himself, he remains underappreciated. He played a major role in assembling the Avengers, Asguardians, and other forces in the fight against Thanos by creating portals along with other sorcerers.

Now a sorcerer supreme, his role has become more crucial and has allowed showing his leadership qualities.

However, he remains one of the most underrated characters of the MCU.