The Battle of Earth is the very culmination of the entire Infinity Saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Uniting the Avengers with their newly resurrected comrades, the battle serves as the finale of Avengers: Endgame, as an army faces off against Thanos one final time to determine the fate of the universe.
This fight consisted of nearly every known hero in the MCU--but not all of them. As monumental as the epic battle was, there were certain characters, confirmed to be alive and active during the events of Endgame, that were inexplicably missing from the Battle of Earth.
Nick Fury
At the time of Endgame's final battle, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury was last seen disappearing in the post-credit scene of Avengers: Infinity War. However, he returned to life five years later, along with everyone else that had been killed in the Decimation just in time for the Battle of Earth. However, Fury fails to appear during the battle against Thanos and his armies.
As the man who brought the Avengers together in the first place, Fury certainly belonged in their greatest battle yet. The fight against Thanos was the precise event that he had brought the group together for, yet was not there to see their finest hour. Perhaps fans will get a better idea of what exactly Fury was up to during this battle when he returns in Secret Invasion.
The Punisher
Jon Bernthal's Punisher has been a fan-favorite iteration of the iconic character since he made his first appearance in the second season of Netflix's Daredevil. However, after receiving his own two-season spinoff series, Frank Castle has been missing for years. Nevertheless, many fans are of the opinion that Bernthal may be returning to the MCU very soon.
Bernthal's Punisher would have been a valuable asset to the Avengers during the Battle of Earth. While the character didn't have any direct ties to any of the Avengers, it wouldn't have been out of the question for the Sorcerers to be aware of the crime-fighting vigilante and to bring him to the frontlines when assembling their army.
Yelena Belova
Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova is one of the best characters introduced in the MCU's fourth phase, who is now confirmed to be a future member of the MCU's Thunderbolts. Though not introduced until the next cinematic release, Black Widow, Yelena is confirmed to be alive and active during the events of Endgame.
Many fans have wondered why Yelena was absent from the Battle of Earth, especially given her close connection to Natasha Romanoff, which would undoubtedly put her on the Avengers' radar even after Natasha's death. Had she been present during this battle, she may have avoided years of hatred toward Clint Barton regarding her sister's death.
The Eternals
The Eternals may have been introduced to the MCU over two years after the premiere of Endgame, the characters are confirmed to have been present on Earth for thousands of years. Despite the fact that these ten powerful beings were on Earth at the time of Thanos's attack, they were nowhere to be found among the Avengers' army.
While Eternals explained that the eponymous characters had avoided meddling in human affairs unless Deviants were involved, this still doesn't explain their latency during Thanos's attack. The Mad Titan is the result of a Deviant gene in the comics, making him exactly the type of threat that the Eternals should have interfered with.
Luke Cage
Mike Colter's Luke Cage is an important part of the Netflix Defenders Saga, receiving his own self-titled series on the streaming service, which was canceled along with its sister series. With Luke Cage coming to an end in 2018, it was all the more noticeable when Cage and the other Defenders were absent from the major battle of the following year.
Many fans were disappointed when Luke and his fellow Defenders didn't walk through a portal along with the other Avengers during the Battle of Earth. While this letdown has persisted for years, Luke may still get his big return, especially now that Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin have made their returns in recent years.
Maria Hill
Cobie Smulders has been present in the MCU since the first Avengers movie as Maria Hill, a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury's most trusted associate. Though she does appear only a few scenes after the Battle of Earth during Tony Stark's funeral, Hill is completely absent from the rest of the film, including the major action sequence.
As one of the Avengers' closest allies and an important piece of the fabric of the MCU, Hill certainly should have appeared alongside Fury in the Battle of Earth. While she doesn't possess superpowers, she has already proven herself more than capable of defending herself in a fight and would have stood her ground valiantly during the battle.
Jessica Jones
Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones was a standout character in the Defenders Saga, receiving a three-season self-titled series, which came to an end only weeks after Endgame premiered in theaters. Despite Jessica Jones's absence since the end of her series, many fans are still speculating as to when she may return to the MCU.
As one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Television, Jessica Jones would have been a valuable ally during the Battle of Earth. With the third season of her series premiering so close to the release of Endgame, a tie-in of any kind would have been appreciated, but fans were nonetheless let down in that regard.
Daisy Johnson
Chloe Bennett starred as agent Daisy Johnson, a.k.a. Quake, on the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the entirety of its seven-season run. Despite the show's noticeable lack of tie-ins to the events of Infinity War or Endgame, Daisy remains one Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character who must return to the MCU.
Daisy's Inhuman powers would have made her a fearsome foe to Thanos's army during the Battle of Earth and would have gone a long way in confirming the events of Marvel's television series as canon to the MCU. Fans are still waiting for any word on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s canonicity, which seems less and less likely as time goes on.
Iron Fist
Finn Jones's Iron Fist may have been unpopular among just about anyone who watched his two-season Netflix series, but the fact remains that he was undoubtedly the most powerful member of the Defenders. Despite his sheer strength, the Avengers did not call on the immortal Iron Fist during their toughest battle, consequently leaving him out of their greatest victory as well.
It seems unlikely that Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers of Kamar-Taj would be unaware of the warriors of K'un-Lun, much less the Iron Fist himself. Such a formidable fighting force would have been especially helpful during their struggle against Thanos, marking a grievous oversight on the parts of Wong and Doctor Strange.
Daredevil
Charlie Cox is back once more as the crime-fighting vigilante Daredevil, appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. As exciting as it is to finally see the Netflix character return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his newly confirmed canonicity raises the question of why he was absent from the events of Endgame.
Daredevil was certainly active during the events of Endgame, having recently returned to his vigilanteism shortly before the events of Infinity War. Even if he was among the dusted, it makes little sense that Matt Murdock was not summoned to aid the Avengers after Thanos's victims returned. However, with future appearances from Murdock in Echo and Daredevil: Born Again, fans may still get the answers they've been seeking regarding his extended disappearance.