23 of the most wasted Marvel movie characters as picked from each movie
By Mark Lynch
These Marvel Cinematic Universe characters were underused in their respective movies.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe revolutionized movies.
After other movie studios saw how an entire universe can become a money maker they tried to replicate what was done. It’s even happening in shows. Amazon’s The Boys adding a spinoff is a prime example. If this is successful, we’ll likely see other shows added to The Boys’ universe.
It takes a special kind of franchise to do what Marvel Studios has accomplished. The best part is that they’re not close to being finished, but no matter how good something is, there’s still going to be missteps along the way.
Misstep may be a strong word, but it’s applicable in each of the Marvel films. There have been characters that didn’t get the respect they deserve.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to this. Sometimes it’s the length of time in a movie and other times the ball was just dropped. These heroes and villains are often given an opportunity in other projects. However, sometimes they die before we can get a chance to see their greatness. This article is going to highlight these characters. Then, this writer will break down why and how they were underused. The article will go in order of the way the MCU movies should be watched.
Captain America: The First Avenger: Doctor Arnim Zola
As much as everyone loves Iron Man, Captain America has the superior trilogy. All of his movies are well-received years after they were released. This writer would go as far as to say the first two were perfect.
Because of this, it was difficult finding a character that wasn’t properly used. Each of them had a moment where they shined. For example, Peggy Carter was so beloved that she was given her own series.
If there was one person who was given a raw deal in this project it’s Doctor Arnim Zola.
He was a joke in Captain America: The First Avenger. A weak-willed scientist who gave up at the slightest sign of aggression. Eventually, we find out he was still working for Hydra on the inside well after he was captured. We could have gotten the same result if he wasn’t scared of everything and everyone.
Thankfully, Zola didn’t have to have the robot body he has in the comics. It would have seemed out of place considering the technology wasn’t that advanced yet. The nod to his comic book form was good enough. We do see something like it in Captain America: Winter Soldier, though, and there was a change in personality as well. He was confident and very boastful.
At that point, all we could do is wish that he could have had that kind of confidence in his first appearance. Having two intelligent and confident villains would have made Cap’s victory sweeter.