20 Marvel characters the studio wasted with terrible storylines 

The Marvel cinematic universe has given us a number of superheroes, supervillains, and other marvelous characters that have left us awestruck. These characters have ruled the hearts of the audience with their powers, courage, and their overall personality. Although we have a variety of such characters who have gone on to become a statement, there are also many who could have been stars but lost their shine due to the poor storyline given to them by the writers. Here is a list of 20 Marvel characters the studio wasted with terrible storylines. This list reflects the writer's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.

20) Lady Sif

Actress Jamie Alexander portrayed the role of Lady Sif in the Thor movies of the Marvel cinematic universe. She is a loyal ally to Thor and a powerful one at that. She has been an agent of shield and has proven her strength. But her character potential was wasted by Marvel because they failed to fully develop a rich backstory for her character. There were a lot of opportunities for her to display her power, but Marvel let other characters overshadow her. If given proper development, her character could have been a representation of feminism.

19) Whiplash

Whiplash made his appearance in the 2010 movie Iron Man Two. He was a Russian physicist who wanted to take his revenge against Tony Stark. Whiplash was a phenomenal villain. But his character development was quite shallow and one dimensional. He was a very impactful antihero, and if given proper thought, marvel could have increased their focus on his rivalry with Stark and truly showcased his potential with his great technical mindset.

18) Taskmaster

Taskmaster first appeared in the Black Widow film in 2021. He is nothing but a deadly enforcer with a special talent for mimicking the fighting ability of his opponents. In the adaptation of this character, Marvel failed miserably as in the comic; he was witty, smart, and charismatic, but the studio adaptation completely failed to portray these qualities. If the studios had followed his comic origin, they could have developed a marvelous supervillain for the Marvel cinematic universe.

17) Maria Hill

Maria Hill is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. She first appeared in 2012 in The Avengers, and it is since then that we can see her loyalty and strength. She is talented, she is smart, and she gets the job done. But Marvel merrily reduced her to a supporting character. She has great leadership as well as combat skills, but Marvel failed to use these qualities and killed her off too soon without having any impact.

16) The Eternals

The Eternals consisted of a group of superheroes, who were portrayed by an ensemble cast consisting of Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and a lot of other famous names. They had the potential to transition into a truly powerful group of superheroes, which could have been placed parallel to the original Avengers. But Marvel failed to develop a good storyline for these celestial heroes, thus leading to a lack of attachment of these Eternals with the audience.

15) Gorr

Gorr, also known as the God Butcher, was another underdeveloped villain. He first appears in Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022 and is portrayed by none other than the exceptional actor – Christian Bale. Gorr was on a campaign to kill the gods, and he had already managed to kill quite a few of them. Marvel gave him limited screen time and an underdeveloped back story; thus, what could have been a powerful antihero failed to leave any impact.

14) Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock appears in the third volume of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The audience much awaited his debut in the Marvel cinematic universe. In the comic, he was a great character, but the studio ended up making him an immature comic figure. There wasn't any emotional resonance to him. If given a proper introduction and a deeper complexity, he could have turned into a powerful figure who could have utilized themes of self-discovery and redemption.

13) Hope Van Dyne

Hope van Dyne plays the role of the Wasp in the Marvel cinematic universe. Her character has the potential of a deep emotional arc, and she could have elevated to great leadership roles, but she was overshadowed because of the ensemble cast of the films she appeared in. She is not only powerful and courageous but also a scientific expert who could have greatly contributed to the movies. However, because of the poor storyline provided to her, her legacy was wasted.

12) Red Skull

Red Skull, the head of Hydra, is the villain in Captain America: The First Avenger. He was a truly underutilized villain. His ideology as a villain and motivation all seemed quite simple without any profoundness. If the Marvel studios had added a deeper exploration of his psyche and given him a more active role in the Marvel universe, he would have had the potential to develop into a powerful villain.

11) Jane Foster

Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster in the Thor series of the Marvel Universe. She is smart and intelligent and becomes Thor’s love interest. However, Marvel simply reduced her to being Thor’s love interest with a very rushed plotline and kept her separated from major key events. If the studios had written her character better, she had the potential to grow out from just Thor’s love interest and develop into a significant character, especially one who could provide an intersection of science and mythology.

10) Kang the Conqueror

Kang the Conqueror is the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He is trapped in the quantum realm with barely any hindsight into his backstory and goals. He had the potential of a great buildup, especially if the themes of morality and time traveling were attached to him. Instead, he makes a brief appearance with a shallow threat across different movies.

9) Ultron

Ultron is an AI created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner who gains consciousness via the mind stone and becomes a threat to humanity with his motive for mass extinction. He could have been a great take on AI ethics and could have developed into a menacing villain. He could have expanded Marvel’s storyline to Man Vs. Machine, but Marvel wasted his potential with a rushed development and an abrupt story arc.

8) Hela

Hela, the Goddess of Death, played by Cate Blanchett, is the main villain in the 2017 movie - Thor: Ragnarok. She could have been a portrayal of the cost of power and how it takes away from one's family and morality. She could have been utilized to work on themes of sibling rivalry, favoritism, and expectations. Still, Marvel reduced her to a one-movie villain with no redemption or emotional stake attached to her.

7) Pietro Maximoff

Pietro Maximoff, known as Quicksilver, is Wanda’s twin brother with super speed. Marvel abruptly killed him off, giving him minimal screen time and even underutilizing the talented actor - Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who portrays him. If Marvel had paid more attention to his character development, his story could have been an example of family and loss with themes of redemption and the cost of war.

6) Hawkeye

Hawkeye, one of the original Avengers himself, has an underutilized storyline in the MCU. He has been a part of all major movies, but unfortunately, Marvel gave him an underwhelming introduction, no solo film, and inconsistent character development. He is overshadowed by other superheroes. But if given proper thought, he could have been a symbol of humanity as an anchor in heroes. He could have offered a unique perspective into balancing family with superhero duties and could have left a legacy.

5) Vision

Vision, created by the AI Villain - Ultron, becomes a beacon of hope in the Marvel Universe. The audience greatly enjoys his love story with Wanda, especially concerning how he is an AI robot. Unfortunately, he also becomes a victim of a bad storyline with an inconsistent presence and a lack of exploration of his deeper mindset. If provided with gradual development, he could have provided a better understanding of humanity's integration with artificial intelligence.

4) Gamora

Gamora, daughter of Thanos, had the potential to develop into a morally grey superhero. She was introduced as The Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy, but she was reduced to being a love interest to Peter Quill. Although Endgame added a bit to her story, it was too late. Her character arc had already been classified as underwhelming. If given a bit more focus on her sisterhood with Nebula and her redemption and family trauma, she could have been a powerful character.

3) The Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes, Captain America's best friend, is also known as The Winter Soldier. While he had the capability of rising to the position of main protagonist in standalone films, Marvel reduced him to being a simple side character with limited exploration of his backstory. If his storyline were better integrated, he could have been a testament to the profound themes of redemption and guilt and could have also become a symbol of friendship and freedom.

2) Captain Marvel

Portrayed by Brie Larson, Carol Danvers is considered one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, her underwhelming character development and minimal integration with other MCU characters made her quite one-dimensional in the eyes of the audience. She could have explored more deeply with themes of empowerment, isolation, and the responsibility that comes with power.

1) Loki

Loki is one of the most loved villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Brother of Thor and God of Mischief, the audience loves his British accent and charisma. Although he got an independent Disney+ series, fans feel his character could have been better utilized and integrated into the MCU. He was a victim of inconsistent characterization. If his character had been explored in a better way before his original series release, he could have played a more meaningful role in the events of Avengers’s Endgame.