MCU: 15 Marvel characters who deserve more screen time

12. Sam Wilson/Falcon

Steve Rogers’ present-day right-hand man came in the form of Sam Wilson – a veteran U.S. Air Force Pararescueman. Originally befriending each other through running, the pair instantly hit it off, but their friendship reached new heights when Sam agreed to help Steve take on the corruption of Hydra’s resurgence and, in doing so, ended up bringing down S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.

With his jet-powered wingpack, Sam takes to the skies with his submachine guns as the superhero known as Falcon. One of The Avengers’ later recruits, he played a supporting role in Captain America: Civil War, assisting Cap save his other best friend, Bucky Barnes, from death in an event that caused a huge divide among Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. He would then offer his services once more to the newly reunited, larger version of The Avengers as they battled Thanos.

Like many of the characters on this list, Falcon has appeared quite regularly throughout the MCU’s run, popping up in six movies so far, but, outside of his debut in Captain America: The Winter Solider, he hasn’t had any really significant character stories.

Anthony Mackie may be incredibly reliable in the supporting role, but he’s proven on one more than one occasion that he’s capable of leading as well. That said, with the events of Avengers: Endgame now teasing a very, ahem, Star-Spangled future for Sam, as well as the fact that he (and Cap’s other buddy Bucky) will headline Disney + series Falcon & Winter Soldier, it looks like he’s finally going to get the attention that he deserves in Phase Four of the MCU.