Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces Riri Williams AKA Ironheart, the next young hero in the MCU . Played by Dominique Thorne, Riri Williams is one of the smartest characters in the comics, rivaling Tony Stark, Mr. Fantastic, and Shuri. She creates her own suit to become the new Iron Man hero, even joining the Avengers alongside Kamala Khan and Miles Morales.
The turnaround is going to be quick for her as she’s already getting her own Disney+ series, Ironheart in 2023. With this show, Armor Wars – which was just bumped up to a theatrical release – and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, there are plenty of opportunities to introduce more tech-based and/or armored characters. Whether heroes or villains, these characters in particular are among the best still missing from the MCU for their particular set of skills and intricate storylines.
Crimson Dynamo (Dmitri Bukharin)
One of the most prolific Iron Man contemporaries in the comics, Crimson Dynamo, has gone through a remarkable number of variations. So far there have been thirteen people who have taken up the moniker. Some of them have been outright villains opposing Iron Man, while others have been more heroic, working as part of the Winter Guard, Russians answer to the Avengers.
From the many candidates, should Crimson Dynamo come to the MCU, they’d most likely go with Dimitri Bukharin, who spent the most time in the armor – although Yuri Petrovitch and Alexander Nevsky are also likely prospects. Overall, given their prominence throughout the comics and the expansion of the MCU outside of America, Crimson Dynamo seems like a likely new character in Armor Wars.
Iron Lad (Nathaniel Richards)
If the MCU does officially establish a Young Avengers team as many are anticipating, Ironheart will likely join – even though she doesn’t in the comics – and fill the Iron Man role. However, that needn’t limit the introduction of Iron Lad, who is another teen hero with firmly established connections to the MCU. Importantly, Iron Lad is actually a younger version of Kang the Conqueror who traveled back in time to avert his fall to villainy.
After being introduced in Loki as He Who Remains, Jonathan Majors is making his long-awaited debut as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In anticipation of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, some fans theorize that soon more variations of Kang will pop up, and Iron Lad should certainly be among them. Including him would allow for a deeper examination of Kang’s intricate personality and motivations, while also allowing for more young talent to shine.
Doctor Doom (Victor Von Doom)
Besides the impending arrival of Kang the Conqueror, there is one other major villain fans are expecting to see soon – Doctor Doom. He is by far one of the most prolific and powerful villains in the Marvel Comics Universe and with Fantastic Four coming in Phase Six, he will be an instrumental character in the future of the MCU.
In addition to his many weapons, Doombots, special armor, and technopathy abilities, Doctor Doom is such a dangerous villain as he is also a sorcerer. His magical abilities can rival even Doctor Strange. The mixing and collaboration of magic and technology will certainly make Doctor Doom one of the MCU’s best antagonists, especially if he comes into play for Avengers: Secret Wars as many are expecting.
Viv
Recently, there’s news that a new Vision-centric Disney+ show is in the early stages of development – presumably titled Vision Quest. If this does come to fruition it could see Vision return to his classic portrayal following his resurrection as White Vision at the end of WandaVision. Like Wanda in Westview, it could also see Vision create his own family, including his daughter Viv.
She would end up following in her father’s footsteps, joining Ironheart, Ms. Marvel, and Miles Morales’ Spider-Man, among others, on the Champions. In addition to that, she and Riri Williams become romantically involved, so Viv would be a great new LGBTQ+ character in the MCU for audiences around the world to see themselves more represented. Hopefully, the reports are correct, and Vision Quest brings Viv into the fray.
Rom The Space Knight
Marvel Comics has no shortage of underrated or obscure characters that many would love to see in the MCU. Unfortunately, some are restricted by cinematic rights as in the case of Rom the Space Knight. The giant cyborg was initially a toy that was licensed out to Marvel Comics, though now IDW Publishing holds the publishing rights for the Hasbro character. This issue is also shared with characters like the Micronauts and Guardians of the Galaxy member, Bug.
Perhaps Marvel could strike a deal with Hasbro as they did for Spider-Man with Sony, but, most likely, Rom will never feature in the MCU. Nevertheless, there is no one really like him – with his powerful armor, neutralizer, and rockets that allow him to travel through space – so Rom and his related characters should still get their own independent film or TV show.
Beetle (Abner Jenkins)
The roster for Thunderbolts is looking quite different from what it is in the comics, being comprised of various established anti-heroes including Winter Soldier, Ghost, and Taskmaster, instead of the dastardly Masters of Evil. While that might be the team of protagonists, there might still be a chance to introduce the classic members of the Thunderbolts, such as Abner Jenkins AKA Beetle. Like Riri Williams, he created his own armor but instead turned to a life of crime.
As Beetle, he became a recurring pest for Spider-Man, but when he joined the Thunderbolts he took up the moniker MACH-I. He would be an interesting contemporary to Tony Stark for he also created many other suits, being up to MACH-X currently. He also goes from being a villain to gradually evolving into more of an anti-hero and develops a romance with fellow Thunderbolt, Songbird.
Machine Man (Aaron Stack)
There is no better example of a robotic hero than Machine Man, the living robot. He was first created in 1977 by Jack Kirby for an adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but he would then become a prolific member of the Marvel Comics Universe, even going on to join the Avengers. Though a robot, he does go by the human name, Aaron Stack, in public.
Overall, Machine Man would be a very interesting character to add to the MCU, especially if he has to interact with Vision or other robotic characters to see how they would all act differently and how varied their abilities are. Machine Man can act like a superpowered Inspector Gadget, so he could be used in all sorts of ways in the MCU.
Detroit Steel (Doug Johnson II)
While Armor Wars is largely going to adapt the comic arc of the same name, just incorporating Rhodey as the main protagonist instead of Tony Stark, it could also introduce a character like Detroit Steel from the “Stark Resilient” storyline. Doug Johnson III is the first person to wear the incredibly weaponized armor decked out like Iron Patriot in Iron Man 2. He and the other members of the Steelcorps were recruited by Hammer Industries to exact revenge on Tony Stark.
This seems like a perfect fit for Armor Wars as Rhodey is set to scour the Earth for stolen Stark tech and Justin Hammer is one character many fans are desperate to see in the MCU again. The armor is massive, like Iron Monger from Iron Man, and outfitted with a rocket cannon and a giant chainsaw, which could make it perfect for a final climactic battle in Armor Wars.
Super-Adaptoid
Armor Wars could go down a different path and reincorporate AIM from Iron Man 3 – an appropriate decision since MODOK is debuting in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. That could mean they get a more comics accurate depiction with the introduction of the Scientist Supreme and the Super-Adaptoid. The latter stands a good chance and is perfectly suited for a team-up film given its ability to mimic any power.
Super-Adaptoid is a storied adversary to the Avengers, and there is no shortage of cool ways it could be utilized in the MCU. It could be introduced to oppose the Young Avengers or the Thunderbolts, giving both a great opportunity to essentially fight each other in building a stronger team. Alternatively, Kang the Conqueror could create his own army of Adaptoids who can mimic powers for when he goes to war in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Stingray (Walter Newell)
Along with Ironheart, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is finally introducing one of Marvel Comics' most important and complex characters, Namor. Though there’s no official word, it feels practically guaranteed that Namor will be getting his own set of films in the MCU – something he rightfully deserves – which could introduce an important ally of his and Avenger, Walter Newell aka Stingray.
Newell was an oceanographer turned superhero with his special battle suit which allows him to swim fast, glide in the air, and shoot out electric projectiles. Given their decades of comradery in the comics – along with the time Namor nearly murdered him in 2018 – Stingray would be a likely candidate for a new hero in Namor, but he could also be introduced in Armor Wars first since he was part of that storyline too. Whatever the case, unaware fans will likely soon get to know about this seafaring hero.