The MCU is full of a huge cast of characters. Because of this, it’s easy for many of the supporting characters to get pushed aside or forgotten in the story as well as in fan circles. There are many main characters in the MCU, too. With so many characters in general, it’s difficult to focus on everyone and give them all their due. Many of the MCU supporting characters have interesting backstories and were brought to life in exciting ways. But, many fans wish they could see more of some of these underrated characters.
We’ve put together a list of the 10 most underrated supporting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
MARIA HILL
Maria Hill was definitely one of the most underrated characters in the MCU for a long time. Luckily, there has been some effort to integrate her more into the story once again. This is definitely a good thing as she’s one of the first female characters in the MCU, and she deserves to be more than just a side character. Hill is definitely a capable agent and instrumental in helping Nick Fury and others.
SHARON CARTER
Sharon Carter is a character who has unfortunately been sidelined due to being made mostly just a love interest. While Agent 13 has a lot to offer the world of the MCU, her backstory and skills haven’t really been explored. She was mostly just included as a love interest for Steve Rogers. However, given that Steve went back in time to be with Peggy Carter, Sharon’s great aunt, this storyline has ended. Hopefully, this will open her story up for bigger and better things when she appears in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
M’BAKU
M’Baku is a side character that many fans have loved and been drawn to. While he started off in Black Panther as a rival character to T’Challa, he grew to be supportive and like a brother to him. When we see him in Avengers: Infinity War, it’s definitely heartwarming to see him working with T’Challa and the rest of Wakanda. Of course, there are already plans in place to create Black Panther 2, so this means the MCU will hopefully give us more of this character going forward.
KORG
Korg is another minor character that fans have attached themselves to, and it's easy to see why. The character, played by Thor: Ragnarok director Taiki Waititi, is really hilarious. His obvious humor and matter of fact attitude, plus his friendship with Thor, makes him a fan favorite. Since he did get a cameo in Avengers: Endgame, there is some hope that he might appear in future movies alongside Thor. If not, he does have many funny moments in Ragnarok fans can rewatch.
HEIMDALL
Heimdall is another character from the Thor trilogy who never really get his due. Heimdall was often a key character in Thor’s journey and helping him. This is especially true in Ragnarok when he keeps the people of Asgard safe while Hela is taking over. When he died at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, it was definitely rough to watch. Thor was obviously devastated by the loss of his best friend. There is some chance he could appear in the Loki series for Disney+ which would definitely be deserved.
LUIS
Some of the best supporting characters in the MCU are the humorous ones, and this is the case with Luis. Fans love him in a similar way to how they love Korg. As Ant-Man’s best friend, he always had his back. While they might have met each other as cellmates, this doesn’t mean they aren’t the best of friends. Luis was also instrumental in creating X-Con Security Consultations. If there is a third Ant-Man movie, there definitely needs to be more of Luis.
NED LEEDS
Ned Leeds is one of the best parts of the Spider-Man movies in the MCU. Ned is definitely one of the best friends that anyone can have. When he learned that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, he takes it upon himself to keep the secret and guard it fiercely. His appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home was even better than his first. He continued to support his best friend while also being a hilarious and caring high schooler doing his best in his first relationship. Ned definitely provides a lot of humor as well as heart.
OKOYE
One of the best things about Black Panther is how all of the characters were extremely fleshed out and interesting. Even the supporting characters were given distinct personalities that made them likable. Many fans loved the character of Okoye. While she did have brief appearances in both Infinity War and Endgame, many were disappointed that her role in those movies wasn’t larger. However, given her popularity and role in Black Panther, she will likely appear in the sequels.
WONG
Wong is another side character who deserves more love than he gets. The character of Wong is definitely essential as without him Doctor Strange wouldn’t be the hero he is. Wong was essential in helping to train Doctor Strange and to teach him the ancient books. Unfortunately, his character is included in Infinity War and then basically dropped without much explanation. He definitely deserves more than this.
PEGGY CARTER
Peggy Carter is another character in the MCU who had a lot of potential but wasn’t completely given her due. While she was more than just a love interest in earlier films, and in her own series Agent Carter, Endgame reduced her to a non-speaking character. She was made to seem more like a romantic prize for Steve Rogers than anything else. Peggy Carter is definitely an extremely capable and interesting woman, and it’s a shame that she and so many other women in the MCU don’t get featured more. It's a good thing that has been changing with new main characters such as Captain Marvel.