Spanning two dozen movies and numerous Disney+ shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has an enormous amount of talented actors and actresses bringing classic comic characters to life. Unfortunately, so many people sharing the screen means that some fantastic characters often get neglected.
The MCU's Phase 4 has been rectifying that mistake for many characters such as the Scarlet Witch, Falcon (now Captain America), and Black Widow by giving them their own shows and movies, but others have still been left behind. It would be great to see more of the following characters on the big and small screen in the future of the MCU.
Honorable Mention: Daredevil/Matthew Murdock
Before Disney+ had widespread success developing heroes for the small screen, Netflix tried their hand at a Marvel TV universe featuring various heroes based in New York's Hell's Kitchen, with Daredevil being the standout production. After headlining his woefully underrated show for three seasons, fans are hopeful that Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock will make an appearance in the MCU as a supporting character for Spider-Man or She-Hulk.
As Reddit user @Baktab stated, "Charlie Cox is amazing as Matt and the writing for him is impeccable." If Cox does make an appearance in upcoming Phase 4 productions, it could also give credit to the rumor that Marvel is developing a fourth season of Daredevil for Disney+.
Odin
Odin was the nearly all-powerful king of Asgard and protector of the Nine Realms, but he never displayed much power onscreen. In Thor: Ragnarok, Odin's daughter Hela described how they conquered worlds together before he decided to rule in peace and benevolence. At one point, Odin was strong enough to defeat and banish Hela, whom neither Thor or Loki. as her brothers, were able to defeat, but viewers never see the extent of Odin's strength.
@LittleYellowFish1 said on Reddit, "He's immensely powerful... in the comics, but with the exception of one action scene... [he] is basically reduced to being an old mentor who doesn't really do anything in the movies." Odin could have been a much more formidable character had the MCU made better use of him.
Maria Hill
Maria Hill is one of the highest ranking agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but most of her scenes revolve around being Nick Fury's sidekick. @Lasver67 on Reddit wanted her character to be developed further, saying, "Her sort of arrogance and stubbornness gives her more [layers]... granted she is [Fury's] next in command and trustworthy person, but because of that she doesn’t have much time to be her own bad*** self."
Maria Hill's comic counterpart is bold, abrasive, and often clashes with the Avengers she is supposed to supervise. If Samuel L. Jackson ever decides to stop playing Director Fury, it could be interesting to see Maria Hill leading S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers.
War Machine/James Rhodes
James Rhodes is so much more than Tony Stark's buddy. As the immense enthusiasm for Don Cheadle's brief appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed, it is a good thing the War Machine will finally be getting his own show on Disney+. He has been in Iron Man's shadow too long. @ARTIFICAL_SAPIENCE commented on Reddit that the way the MCU portrays him, "He's basically Tony's sidekick."
The upcoming Armor Wars, likely based on the comic series of the same name, will see James Rhodes as the lead character for the first time. Tony Stark's death and legacy will have a big impact on the show and Don Cheadle's character, of course, but fans will also get to see War Machine don his armor and spring into action like never before.
Heimdall
Though Idris Elba's Asgardian character died at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, it is still possible that he could make future appearances in the MCU via time travel or flashbacks. Heimdall was the guardian of the Bifrost, the main entrance to Asgard, and had the capability to see anything within the Nine Realms.
As seen in Thor: Ragnarok, he could also briefly show his visions to others. @ShirtTwo said on Reddit, "[Heimdall was] in 3 or more films, but only had less than 10 minutes of screen time throughout those films." His character had a lot of potential, and it's a shame he might not return after Thanos killed him.
Hawkeye/Clint Barton
Clint Barton is another example of a character who got overlooked in the Avengers movies in favor of the bigger names. He unfortunately ended up being a bit of a sidekick to the team at first even though he was an original Avenger.
@marveloustrashpanda stated on Reddit, "He’s an OG Avenger and has been utterly shafted when it comes to the movies," and @Bolt_995 agreed that Hawkeye is, "One of the bigger Marvel superheroes, and you couldn’t even give him a movie. He got the short end of the stick in the first Avengers film..." Clint Barton is finally getting recognition and what fans have been hoping for for years, though, as his own show is debuting on Disney+ in November.
Luis
Michael Peña's lovable, fast-talking character, Luis, quickly won MCU fans' favor in the first Ant-Man. Luis is Scott Lang's best friend and his funny quotes perfectly complement Scott's humor. He picked Scott up when he got out of prison, he gave Scott a place to stay, and he got him a job (sort of). Luis was also the one who originally encouraged Scott to rob Hank Pym's house, which led to the discovery of the Ant-Man suit.
The first movie arguably wouldn't have happened without him. Luis made another appearance in the MCU in Ant-Man and the Wasp, but it is so far unconfirmed as to whether or not Michael Peña will be in the movies' third installment. One Reddit user noted about Peña's performance in Ant-Man, "I think Paul Rudd did a great job, but Michael Peña stole the movie." Fans would love to see his character return in Phase 4.
Sif And The Warriors Three
Lady Sif and the Warriors Three appeared alongside the princes of Asgard in the first Thor. They played a small but important role in the franchise's first two films, but the Warriors Three were killed quickly and rather unceremoniously in Thor: Ragnarok when Hela conquered and enslaved Asgard. Lady Sif did not appear in the movie, but she recently made a surprise cameo in Loki, hinting that she may be returning to the MCU in the near future, possibly in Thor: Love and Thunder.
The Warriors Three have starred often with Thor in the comics, but have also occasionally had their own solo adventures. @ezreading on Reddit commented that Lady Sif and the Warriors "could have at least one movie of their own," if the latter group hadn't died.
Wasp/Hope van Dyne
Hope van Dyne started as a supporting character to Paul Rudd's Scott Lang in Ant-Man before being upgraded to a titular character in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Hope trained Scott to be Ant-Man before her father gave her a suit of her own. One Reddit user remarked that Hope is "really the main female Avenger... She’s easily the most distinct female character in the Avengers personality wise..." but they often still treat her like a supporting character.
Episode 3 of Marvel's What if... showed just how pivotal Hope van Dyne could be. In an alternate timeline, her death as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. led her father to kill the intended members of Nick Fury's Avengers Initiative before the team could be formed. It would be interesting to see that level of influence from her character in the main MCU.
Pepper Potts
Where would Tony Stark be without Pepper Potts? She was his assistant, his company's CEO, and eventually his wife. Gwyneth Paltrow appeared as Pepper Potts in more Marvel movies than any other non-powered or non-hero character. However, despite her many appearances, fans still felt that more could have been done with the character and would like to see her return.
A user on Reddit stated, "I don't know if they're going to make an Iron Man 4, but if they do, I hope they do something interesting with Pepper." Marvel currently has not announced intentions for a fourth Iron Man movie, but it is in the process of producing an Ironheart show for Disney+. Though she has taken a step back from acting, Paltrow said she may be open to reprising her MCU role for small cameos in the future, giving fans hope that she could appear in Ironheart.