While the sense of finality in Phase Three’s Avengers: Endgame and fears of “superhero fatigue” cast doubt on the series’ post-Infinity Saga longevity, Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has shown that Kevin Feige is just getting started. The record-breaking box office success of Spider-Man: No Way Home – arguably an even more ambitious franchise crossover than Endgame itself – proves that Marvel Studios is still more than capable of turning out huge, game-changing blockbusters.
The movies and streaming series of the MCU have introduced such exciting heroes as Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop into the Avenger fold. But those top-billed stars have often been backed up by scene-stealing supporting players.
Baron Zemo
In Captain America: Civil War, Baron Zemo was the mastermind who tore the Avengers apart. He made for one of the MCU’s most fascinating villains, because he wasn’t an omnipotent alien invader; he was just a regular guy who used his cunning to destroy Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after one of their big battles claimed his family’s lives.
Daniel Brühl reprised the role in the MCU’s “buddy cop” series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as a third party alongside Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s bickering crimefighters. Sam and Bucky had too much in common to be an effective mismatched pair, but Zemo came along as the Leo Getz of the dynamic, finally bringing some much-needed conflict to each banter scene.
Ned Leeds
There are plenty of hilarious performances in Spider-Man: No Way Home, from Jamie Foxx as Electro to Alfred Molina as Doc Ock, but the supporting player who gets the biggest laughs in the movie is Jacob Batalon as Peter’s best friend and “guy in the chair,” Ned Leeds.
Every time Ned is on-screen, he gives the scene a pitch-perfect punchline, like “I would like to have my words stricken from the record,” or “Cure that ass.” When Tobey Maguire steps through the portal in civilian clothes and the audience goes wild, Ned gives the long-awaited moment a hysterically anticlimactic edge: “Oh, great, it’s just some random guy.”
Karun
Overall, Eternals was one of the most polarizing MCU movies. It received some of the franchise’s worst reviews from critics and didn’t inspire much enthusiasm among fans. But one thing in Eternals that undeniably works really well is Kingo’s hilarious back-and-forth with his human valet, Karun.
Kumail Nanjiani and Harish Patel share spectacular chemistry as a satirical version of Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth’s dynamic. Kingo is like a vain, self-obsessed version of Batman who actually has superpowers and used them to become a movie star. He forces his “Alfred,” Karun, to film everything he does so he can sell his world-saving heroics as a reality series.
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau was introduced as a kid in Captain Marvel, looking up to Carol Danvers and her mother Maria in the 1990s, but Teyonah Parris made the role a fan-favorite as the adult version of the character in WandaVision.
In addition to exploring Wanda’s grief, WandaVision acted as a superhero origin story for Monica, who draws superpowers from Wanda’s warped reality under the guise of “Geraldine.” After a tease in WandaVision’s finale, Monica is set for a larger role alongside Carol in The Marvels.
Trevor Slattery
Ben Kingsley first played Trevor Slattery in Iron Man 3. After the trailers teased him as a faithful adaptation of Tony Stark’s terrorist leader arch-nemesis from the comics, a lot of fans were disappointed by the twist that revealed him to be a soccer hooligan actor who was hired to be the face of the Ten Rings.
Kingsley’s performance in Iron Man 3 was a lot of fun, but it was hurt by the twist. The character was redeemed as a hilarious comedic sidekick in Shang-Chi. When he’s revealed to be a court jester of the real Mandarin, the humor of Kingsley’s performance can shine without being marred by a disappointing twist reveal.
Mobius M. Mobius
When Marvel announced that Loki was getting his own series, not a lot of fans expected the trickster god’s spin-off to be a hard-boiled sci-fi show about the cops in charge of the “Sacred Timeline.” In the pilot episode, Loki is arrested for his time-crimes and paired up with Mobius M. Mobius, one of the most straitlaced TVA agents.
As much fun as Tom Hiddleston’s turn as Loki is, Owen Wilson managed to steal every scene opposite Hiddleston with his deadpan reactions to the Shakespearean grandiosity.
Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker
Following months of leaks and rumors and speculation circulating around the internet, Spider-Man: No Way Home ended up featuring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men after all. While Maguire is as great in the movie as everybody expected, Garfield has earned widespread praise with one of the best performances in No Way Home.
Since Garfield’s Spidey arc was cut short by corporate mergers and box office disappointment, a couple of scenes in No Way Home act as a sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – particularly the powerful moment in which he saves MJ and finally relieves himself of the guilt over Gwen Stacy’s death.
Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness is a truly unique MCU villain. She becomes a traditional baddie in the finale, engaging the hero in a superpowered standoff in the sky, but in the first few episodes of WandaVision, Agatha cycles through various kooky sitcom archetypes.
Kathryn Hahn has a lot of fun with these sitcom roles before Agatha reveals herself as an ancient witch and the big bad of the series with a catchy theme song. Agatha proved to be so popular that she’s getting her own spin-off.
Katy Chen
While Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Ben Kingsley, and Michelle Yeoh all give fantastic performances in Shang-Chi, Awkwafina stole the show as the title hero’s best friend, Katy Chen. It was refreshing for a male-led MCU movie’s female lead to be a platonic friend as opposed to a love interest.
Awkwafina shares tangible chemistry with Liu as lifelong best friends, and her dry line deliveries were perfect for the traditional Marvel role of the wisecracking buddy who points out the absurdity of each situation.
Yelena Belova
While it’s mostly dedicated to giving Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff a bittersweet swansong, Black Widow also introduced Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, who will likely take on Nat’s title in the MCU’s Avengers. Throughout Phase Four, Yelena has stolen all her scenes in both Black Widow and Hawkeye (and she probably won’t stop there).
In Black Widow, Yelena is contrasted with her more morally upright sister. In Hawkeye, she shares a hilarious back-and-forth with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop: “Stop making me like you!”