Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has followed up on the character arcs of a few familiar faces, like Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff and Sam Wilson. But the first phase of “The Multiverse Saga” has also introduced some new superheroes to the ensemble, like Shang-Chi and Moon Knight and Yelena Belova.
Some of these new heroes, like Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and America Chavez, are more likable than others, like selfish Sylvie from the Loki series and the morally ambiguous Druig and Sprite from the Eternals movie.
Druig
By the time the Eternals movie catches up with him, Druig has decided that humans aren’t worth saving and has given up his mission to keep Earth safe from the evils of the Deviants. He leads a cult of unwilling followers in a village in the middle of the woods.
Like Wanda Maximoff, Druig takes an entire town hostage with mind control, but unlike Wanda, he doesn’t face any criticisms or consequences for it.
Sprite
Sprite’s spite is understandable, since the other Eternals spend their eternal lives in adult bodies and she’s stuck looking like a child. But that’s not enough to forgive her villainous turn.
In the final battle, Sprite turns on the other Eternals just because she thinks Ikaris is cute. She gives up the fight against evil and joins the bad guys at the drop of a dime in the name of unrequited love.
Sylvie
Loki’s female counterpart in his self-titled Disney+ series, Sylvie, is on the run from the TVA for messing with the space-time continuum. Throughout the whole first season, she has selfish motivations with universal ramifications.
Sylvie creates the MCU’s multiverse by killing “He Who Remains.” She seems to express remorse after the killing, but it would’ve been nice if she realized she was going to make a grave mistake before she actually made it.
Thena
With her ability to shape cosmic energy into whatever weapon she wants, Thena is the Green Lantern of the Eternals. She’s one of the many Eternals characters who aren’t rounded enough for fans to get to know them.
Thena suffers from a psychological condition that causes her to lose control and attack her teammates. But it’s tough to blame her for that, because her friendly fire is a result of her mental illness.
Yelena Belova
The long-awaited Black Widow movie was both a bittersweet swansong for the late, great Natasha Romanoff and an origin story for her successor, Yelena Belova, who was raised as her sister in a Soviet plant family living in the United States during the Cold War. But Yelena is nowhere near as noble or heroic as Nat.
Yelena is more of an antihero. She’s a cold-hearted killer with no qualms about taking human lives. Still, she’s impossible not to love, because she takes great joy in her espionage work and she’s full of dry one-liners.
Kingo
Of all the new heroes introduced in Eternals, Kingo is the most traditional Marvel quipster in the ensemble. Kingo’s sense of humor made him one of the most lovable characters in the film, but he’s more brash and arrogant than his teammates.
Kingo is too obsessed with himself to bear going into hiding like the other Eternals. Instead, he spends his time on Earth as several generations of a Bollywood movie star dynasty.
Moon Knight
It’s tough to quantify the likability of Marc Spector, because he has three distinctive personalities, thanks to his bad case of dissociative identity disorder. Marc is a cold-blooded mercenary with a skewed moral compass, Steven is a mild-mannered Hugh Grant type who wouldn’t hurt a fly, and Jake is the psychotic killer who handles the dirty work that even Marc couldn’t handle.
Somewhere in there is a semi-likable individual. In one heartfelt moment, Marc tells Steven that he was the only real superpower he ever had.
Makkari
With her ability to run at superhuman speeds, Makkari is the Flash of the Eternals. As with many of the other characters in its overstuffed ensemble, the movie didn’t give her enough of a personality to stand out and become a fan-favorite.
But she still has a warmth that makes her likable. This character was great for representation. She was the first deaf superhero in the MCU.
Gilgamesh
As the strongest Eternal, it was only appropriate for Gilgamesh to act as a sort of father figure to his teammates. He looks out for all the other Eternals, but he has a particular affection for Thena.
When Thena’s mental illness caused her to attack her fellow Eternals, Gilgamesh didn’t turn his back on her; he offered to become her guardian.
Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi made a delightful addition to the MCU’s ensemble in his Phase Four debut. He’s a good friend to Katy and he doesn’t hesitate to spring into action when innocent people are in danger.
Around the turn of the third act, Shang-Chi confessed to carrying out a hit on his father’s behalf when he was younger. This would make him unlikable, but he’s been racked with guilt ever since. He ran away from home to avoid ever having to kill again.
Phastos
Like Druig, Phastos deemed humanity to be unworthy of saving. In 1945, he broke down sobbing in the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and said, “Druig was right. These people aren’t worth saving.” But he’s much more likable than Druig.
Phastos is a family man whose love for his husband and son makes him endearing. He resumes his superhero career to keep them safe.
Kate Bishop
Kate Bishop might be a rich kid who grew up in a luxurious Manhattan penthouse, but she’s still sympathetic and relatable. She lost her dad in the Battle of New York and her mom turned out to be in cahoots with the Kingpin. Kate finds a new father figure in her favorite Avenger, Clint Barton.
Clint is reluctant to let Kate follow in his footsteps, because being a superhero isn’t as glamorous as it looks. But Kate ends up proving that she has the true grit it takes to join the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Sersi
Technically, Eternals is an ensemble movie, but if it does have a lead protagonist, it’s definitely Sersi. Working as a museum curator as a cover, Sersi is the kindest and most empathetic of all the Eternals.
When the Deviant threat returns to Earth, Sersi is the one who rallies the troops and gets the band back together to save the world.
She-Hulk
Unlike most other superheroes, Jen Walters is reluctant to spring into action. But, also unlike most other superheroes, Jen was helping innocent people long before she acquired her superpowers.
Before her blood was contaminated with that of her gamma-radiated cousin Bruce, Jen was already a hero. She didn’t fight crime on the streets, but she did defend her clients in court.
America Chavez
When Doctor Strange first takes America Chavez under his wing, she blames herself for her parents’ disappearance. Strange ensures America that it’s not her fault and inspires her to take charge of her abilities.
In the final battle, she defeats the Scarlet Witch with compassion, not anger. She uses her interdimensional superpower to show Wanda the monster that she has become, reflected in the eyes of her terrified sons.
Mighty Thor
Odinson makes a comeback in Thor: Love and Thunder, but he’s not the only Thor in the movie. Imbued with the power of Mjolnir, his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster takes on the mantle of “Mighty Thor.”
Even after learning that Mjolnir is draining her lifeforce and making her cancer more aggressive, Jane doesn’t hesitate to do the right thing. She makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the Asgardian children kidnapped by Gorr the God Butcher.
Ms. Marvel
As a vulnerable teenager who struggles to fit in at school, Kamala Khan is one of the most universally relatable characters in the MCU. Like the franchise’s audience, she’s a huge fan of the Avengers.
When she gains superpowers of her own, Kamala can’t wait to start helping people. She’s unwaveringly optimistic and infectiously enthusiastic.