Characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on superhero films and other series starring various titular superheroes independently produced by Marvel Studios and based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The shared universe, much like the original Marvel Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.

Central characters
The film series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe features many central characters across its phases. The first three phases are known as "The Infinity Saga". , 23 films have been released.

Phase One is centered on six individuals who became the Avengers (Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton) along with Nick Fury, leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., who is responsible for the idea to set up the team. Another central character is Loki, a villain who was originally responsible for the Avengers to form to thwart his plans of world domination.

Phase Two centers on the original Avengers and Fury once again, along with new additions of the team (James Rhodes [as seen in Phase One], Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, and Vision). This Phase also introduces the Guardians of the Galaxy (Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax), and Scott Lang.

Phase Three brings back every central character of both Phase One and Phase Two. It starts off focusing on the division of the original Avengers (as shown before on the early Phases) with newly added superheroes like Bucky Barnes (first shown in Phase One and Phase Two), Scott Lang, T'Challa and Peter Parker being involved. Nick Fury's origin is revealed and Loki has more of a neutral role around Phase Three. Thanos (who was briefly shown in Phase One and Phase Two) fills the role as the main antagonist of the third Phase. Hope van Dyne (as shown in Phase Two) joins with Scott Lang as duo superhero partners. Stephen Strange and Wong are also introduced as members of the new formation of the Masters of the Mystical Arts which sides with the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy to defeat Thanos. The Guardians of the Galaxy gets new members with Mantis and Nebula (who was originally a villain in Phase Two but later redeems herself). Female characters are also brought more on-screen throughout the Phase especially with the final Avengers: Endgame ending which adds Tony's love interest (from both Phases before), Pepper Potts, ladies from Wakanda such as Okoye and Shuri and the female from Asgard, Valkyrie, along with the newest headlined character of Phase Three, Carol Danvers, to name a few.

Clint Barton / Hawkeye
Clinton Barton (portrayed by Jeremy Renner ), also known by his alter ego Hawkeye, is a formative member of the Avengers and an expert marksman and hand-to-hand combatant, with his preferred weapon being a compound bow.

Jeremy Renner portrays Barton in the films, beginning with an uncredited cameo appearance in the 2011 live-action film Thor.

A limited series focusing on Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton passing the mantle of Hawkeye to the character Kate Bishop will be released in late 2021.

, Clint Barton has appeared in 5 films: Thor (cameo), The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame.

Bruce Banner / Hulk
Dr. Bruce Banner (initially portrayed by Edward Norton and subsequently by Mark Ruffalo) is a formative member of the Avengers and a genius physicist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a green monster—known as the Hulk—when enraged or agitated.

Introduced in The Incredible Hulk, Banner subjected himself to a gamma radiation experiment designed to replicate the World War II-era "super-soldier" program performed on Steve Rogers; the experiment failed and the Hulk persona emerges whenever his heart rate goes above 200 bpm or if he senses mortal danger. The Hulk demonstrates almost superhuman strength and throughout most of the films, he acts largely on the instinct of self-preservation, attacking anything that he perceives as a threat. Over time, Banner demonstrated an increasing ability to control the transformation, calling the Hulk at will, but was generally not able to recall events during the time he was in that form. The Hulk, conversely, became increasingly aware of Banner and able to stall the transformation back – one time staying in Hulk form for two years, becoming able to speak with others and control his destructive rage. However, Banner has experienced numerous incidents wherein he is either unable to turn back into a normal human, or cannot undergo a Hulk transformation even when the situation requires it. Eventually, Banner was able to merge with the Hulk, combining Banner's mind and personality with the Hulk's body and strength.

, Bruce Banner has appeared in 8 films: The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, Iron Man 3 (post-credits cameo), Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel (mid-credits cameo), and Avengers: Endgame.

Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier / White Wolf
James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes (portrayed by Sebastian Stan), also known by his alter egos, Winter Soldier and White Wolf, is Steve Rogers' childhood best friend and confidant. During World War II, Barnes served as a sergeant in the United States Army and as a member of Rogers' squad of commandos, where he was supposedly being killed in action. Taken by and experimented on by Hydra scientists, Barnes reemerged in the modern world as an enhanced brainwashed assassin, known as the Winter Soldier.

, Bucky Barnes appeared in 7 films: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Ant-Man (post-credit cameo), Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther (post-credit cameo), Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The character will star in Disney+ 2020 upcoming web series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers (portrayed by Brie Larson), also known as Captain Marvel, is a former Air Force test pilot who acquired cosmic energy force powers from the Tesseract after an explosion that wiped out her memory. The Kree decided to keep her as their own as a weapon against the Skrulls. She eventually traced her origins when in Earth during the 1990s when crashing in a Blockbuster store and meeting Nick Fury. After a hiatus away from Earth she comes back to rescue Tony Stark and Nebula drifting from space in a spaceship. She also joined in the final battle against Thanos.

, the character appears in 2 films: Captain Marvel and Avengers Endgame.

Drax
Drax (portrayed by Dave Bautista), also known as Drax the Destroyer, is a warrior and member of the Guardians of the Galaxy who seeks vengeance for the loss of his family.

Originally he sought to avenge his family with Ronan but then after Ronan's defeat with the Guardians of the Galaxy. He changed his mission to defeat Thanos. Despite his rough exterior and rough backstory he commonly serves a comedy relief to the superhero team which his lines within the franchise have commonly been used as internet memes across the internet.

, the character has appeared in four films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Nick Fury
Nick Fury (portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson) is introduced as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., responsible for the formation of the Avengers. Fury first appeared in the MCU in the film Iron Man in a post-credits scene cameo.

Jackson has signed a nine-film contract with Marvel to portray Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jackson has also confirmed that 2019's Captain Marvel marked the end of his nine-film contract with Marvel. However, he continued to portray the character in Avengers: Endgame and in Spider-Man: Far From Home he played a Fury impersonated by Talos and as Fury again in the post-credit scene.

, Nick Fury has appeared in 11 films: Iron Man (post-credit cameo), Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger (cameo), The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War (cameo), Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame (cameo) and Spider-Man: Far From Home; and 2 episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: "0-8-4" and "Beginning of the End".

Hope van Dyne / Wasp
Hope van Dyne (portrayed by Evangeline Lilly) is the daughter of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, and the second incarnation of the Wasp, who wears a flying suit that allows her to shrink in scale while also increasing in strength. Hope is also the love interest of Scott Lang. She first appears in Ant-Man and becomes the Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

, the character appears in 3 films: Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers Endgame.

Gamora
Gamora (portrayed by Zoe Saldana) is an assassin and member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, who was found as an orphan on her alien homeworld by Thanos after he eliminated half of her planet's race, and subsequently raised by him as his daughter.

The character first appears in Guardians of the Galaxy. Raised to be an assassin and common rival to Nebula for winning affection of Thanos from which Gamora was favored on. She appears as a member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy finding love with Peter Quill as seen in her first appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy and also in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2. She was sacrificed by Thanos in order to retrieve the soul stone in Avengers: Infinity War. A past version of her was shown in Avengers: Endgame helping the present Avengers defeat Thanos.

, the character has appeared in four films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Groot
Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) is a tree-like humanoid and member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Depicted as Rocket's partner, the character first appears in Guardians of the Galaxy. His limited vocabulary and popular recurring catchphrase is limited to saying "I am Groot!" After attempting to sacrifice his life for the Guardians of the Galaxy with the words saying, "We are Groot!" He is then transformed and regrew to Baby Groot and then later adolescent Groot.

, the character has appearances in four films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Scott Lang / Ant-Man
Scott Lang (portrayed by Paul Rudd), also known as Ant-Man, is an Avenger and former petty criminal who acquired a suit from Hank Pym that allows him to shrink or grow in scale while also increasing in strength, as well as the ability to communicate with different species of ants. He is the second incarnation of Ant-Man in the MCU after Pym.

First appearing in Ant-Man. He is portrayed as the titular character and the romantic interest of Hope van Dyne. After serving his time from prison from swindling money. He tries to turn his life around with a new job for his daughter, Cassie. After unsuccessfully keeping a job at Baskin-Robbins. He commits to crime again only to manipulated by Hank Pym. Pym reveals he was the original Ant-Man and how he wants Scott to break in and steal a suit from his original technological company that is taken over by corrupt businessman, Darren Cross. He and his daughter, Hope van Dyne, train Scott to be the new Ant-Man for the role. After a successful raid and the defeat of Cross. He reappears in Captain America's side in the Civil War of the Avengers eventually transforming to Giant-Man. He returns in Ant-Man and the Wasp being in house arrest due to being in Captain America's side and returns to his heroics by helping Hank and Hope (now as the Wasp) release their mom/wife (Janet van Dyne) from the quantum realm. After rescuing her. Hank, Janet, and Hope try a test with Scott going through the quantum realm only to have Scott stuck through the realm after the snap of Thanos erased the existence of Hank, Hope, and Janet. After a rat activated the machine that sent him to the realm sent him back to Earth. He convinced the remaining Avengers to use time travel to help bring back the existence of the ones who were snapped away by Thanos.

, the character appears in 4 films, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Endgame.

Loki
Loki Laufeyson (portrayed by Tom Hiddleston) is an Asgardian prince and warrior, known as the "God of Mischief", inspired by the Norse mythological deity of the same name.

Loki's character has borrowed a number of characteristics and story lines from across the more than fifty-year history of the character in Marvel Comics. As in the comics, Loki has generally been a villain in the MCU, variously attempting to conquer Asgard or Earth, and having allied himself with more powerful villains to achieve his aims. He has particular antagonism for his adoptive brother Thor, and is known to variously ally with and then betray Thor and others, and to regularly return from apparent death. Later on in his development in the films, he becomes less of a supervillain and more of an anti-hero.

The character of Loki "has been a fan favorite ever since his central role in 2012's The Avengers", becoming "one of the MCU's most beloved characters". Hiddleston has received a number of nominations and awards for his performance of the character.

, the character has appeared in 6 films:Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. The character will star in Disney+ 2021 upcoming web series, Loki.

Mantis
Mantis (portrayed by Pom Klementieff) is a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy with empathic powers. The character is introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 as an alien ward of Ego with the power to control the emotions of people by touch. She is commonly depicted as having a naive yet innocent personality.

, the character appears in 3 films: Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff (portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen) is a member of the Avengers with hypnosis and telekinesis abilities obtained from the Mind Stone. based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Maximoff was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in the post-credits scene in the 2014 film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She is the twin sister of Pietro Maximoff and has a romantic relationship with Vision. When causing an accident in Lagos, a Civil War of Avengers is formed due to division of opinion of an Accord to get superheroes in check by the United Nations.

, Wanda Maximoff has appeared in 5 films: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (mid-credit cameo), Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Olsen will reprise the role in the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision (2021).

Nebula
Nebula (portrayed by Karen Gillan) is an Avenger, member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and former lieutenant of Thanos, who raised her as his daughter along with Gamora. Nebula was created by Roger Stern and John Buscema and first appears in the Guardians of the Galaxy film as a secondary antagonist within the film but in later appearances she is portrayed as more sympathetic. She then appears Guardians of the Galaxy : Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. She is alien orphan outside of Earth raised by Thanos and is an orphan sister of Gamora. Being less favored by Thanos, she and Gamora are originally rivals of each other in combat but they later come to terms of their rivalry. Nebula later teams up with the Guardians of the Galaxy and then later the Avengers to defeat her foster father. Though the current version of her joins the Avengers, a past version allies with Thanos to stop the Avengers due to fear causing the present Nebula to have to kill her past counterpart.

, the character has appeared in four films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Peter Parker (portrayed by Tom Holland), also known by his alter ego Spider-Man, is an Avenger and high school teenager who received spider-like abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider. He first appeared in Captain America: Civil War (2016) although his introduction was later retconned as a child who wore an Iron Man helmet mask in Iron Man 2. He is later depicted as a protégé of Tony Stark.

, the character appears in 6 films: Iron Man 2 (cameo), Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Spider-Man will return in his third standalone film Spider-Man 3 in 2021.

Peter Quill / Star-Lord
Peter Quill (portrayed by Chris Pratt) is the half-human, half-alien leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy who was abducted from Missouri as a child in 1988 and raised by a group of alien mercenaries called the Ravagers, where he adopted the self-proclaimed outlaw identity known as Star-Lord.

Introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy, as a young boy in Missouri, Quill witnessed the death of his mother from terminal cancer and resultantly left the hospital grief-stricken, where he was immediately abducted aboard an extraterrestrial star-ship. Twenty-six years later, he is a member of the Ravagers, the mercenary gang led by Yondu who abducted him as a child. Due to the period of time when Quill was abducted in, he is depicted with a reverence to 1980s pop culture, particularly from a cassette mix tape his mother left him that he periodically listens to on his Walkman.

The film sets up his relationship with the rest of the protagonists who later team up to save the universe as the Guardians of the Galaxy. He returns in the 2017 sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 where he is depicted as discovering his long lost father, Ego, whom he and the rest of the Guardians must defeat after learning his plan to eliminate all life. He and the rest of the Guardians join with the Avengers to battle Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

He is scheduled to return in both Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

, the character has appeared in four films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

James Rhodes / War Machine / Iron Patriot
James "Rhodey" Rhodes (initially portrayed by Terrence Howard and subsequently by Don Cheadle) is an Avenger and lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force where he operates the War Machine armor and acts as the military's chief liaison to Stark Industries' weapons division. Rhodes is a close confidant of Tony Stark's and from that relationship, he eventually becomes a major member of the Avengers.

, James Rhodes has appeared in 8 films: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel (mid-credit cameo) and Avengers: Endgame.

Rocket
Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is an Avenger and member of the Guardians of the Galaxy who is ahot-tempered mercenary and master of weapons. Rocket was based on movement from Sean Gunn and also real life behavior of an actual raccoon called Oreo.

, the character has appeared in four films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Steve Rogers / Captain America
Steven Rogers (portrayed by Chris Evans) is an Avenger and World War II-era U.S. Army soldier who was enhanced to the peak of human physiology by an experimental "super soldier" serum and became known as Captain America. During his service in the European Theatre of the war against Hydra, Rogers was frozen in suspended animation and woke up in the modern world, 70 years later, becoming a formative member and leader of the Avengers.

, Steve Rogers has appeared in 11 films: Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World (cameo), Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man (post-credit cameo), Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming (cameo), Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel (mid-credit cameo), and Avengers: Endgame.

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Natasha Romanoff (portrayed by Scarlett Johansson), also known by her alter ego, Black Widow, is an Avenger and spy highly trained in hand-to-hand combat. She trained in the Red Room in Russia from childhood, until she joined the counter-terrorism agency S.H.I.E.L.D. as a spy. Romanoff was recruited by Nick Fury to become one of the formative members of the Avengers.

, Natasha Romanoff has appeared in 9 films: Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok (archival footage), Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel (mid-credit cameo), and Avengers: Endgame. In 2021, the character will headline her own film, Black Widow.

Tony Stark / Iron Man
Anthony Edward Stark (portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.) is an Avenger and self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with electromechanical suits of armor of his own invention, where he is commonly known by his alter ego, Iron Man. Stark is introduced as an egotistical industrialist, CEO of Stark Industries, and chief weapons manufacturer for the U.S. military, until he has a change of heart and redirects his technical knowledge into the creation of mechanized suits of armor which he uses to defend against those that would threaten peace around the world. Stark then becomes an major formative member and benefactor of the Avengers.

, Tony Stark has appeared in 11 films: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk (cameo), Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home (archival footage).

Stephen Strange
Dr. Stephen Strange (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch), known also by his academic title as Doctor Strange, is a powerful sorcerer and former neurosurgeon who, after a car accident that led to a journey of healing, discovered the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions and became a Master of the Mystic Arts and the guardian of the Sanctum Sanctorum.

, the character appears in 4 films: Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok (cameo), Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers Endgame. Doctor Strange will appear in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and the untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel.

T'Challa / Black Panther
T'Challa (portrayed by Chadwick Boseman) is the protector of Wakanda, known as the Black Panther, a highly skilled warrior who gains enhanced strength and agility by ingesting the vibranium-enriched heart-shaped herb. Following the death of his father, T'Challa ascends the throne and becomes the king of Wakanda. His suit is also made of vibranium.

, the character appears in 4 films: Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Thanos
Thanos (portrayed initially by Damion Poitier and subsequently by Josh Brolin) is an intergalactic warlord from Titan with a personal quest of seeking all six Infinity Stones to destroy half of all life for the sake of balancing the universe's finite resources.

Thanos first appears during the post-credits of The Avengers as Loki's mysterious benefactor being credited as Man #1. For his subsequent appearances, he's portrayed by Josh Brolin via motion capture. Being portrayed as the main antagonist of the third and fourth Avengers film with the protagonists trying to stop him collect all six Infinity Stones together to wipe half of the universe to bring balance to the universe. After Thanos succeeds by snapping away half the universe in his goal the remaining Avengers try to reverse the snap through time travel through the quantum realm.

, Thanos appears in five films: The Avengers (post-credit cameo), Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron (mid-credit cameo), Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Thor
Thor Odinson (portrayed by Chris Hemsworth) is an Avenger and one of the most powerful of the Asgardians known as the "God of Thunder", inspired by the mythological god of Norse mythology.

Thor's character has borrowed a number of characteristics and story lines from across the more than fifty-year history of the character in Marvel Comics. Unlike his comic book version, however, MCU Thor has no superhero "alter ego". The Asgardians have advanced science that seems like magic to the people of Earth, as shown by Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, which can channel Thor's ability to wield lightning. After Mjölnir is destroyed in the events of Thor: Ragnarok, however, Thor himself helps forge Stormbreaker, an axe channeling the Bifrost, allowing him to effectively travel across the universe at will. This is another point of difference between the films and the comic books, where Stormbreaker was forged under the command of Thor's father, Odin.

, the character appears in 8 films: Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange (mid-credit cameo), Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Vision
Vision (portrayed by Paul Bettany) is an Avenger and AI android created by Ultron, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Vision was originally intended to be Ultron's final upgraded physical form; powered by the Mind Stone and created from a successful blend of vibranium and synthetic tissue developed by Helen Cho. After his prototype body was taken by the Avengers, Stark and Banner uploaded J.A.R.V.I.S. into the body to become the basis for his operational matrix. Ultimately, Vision's mind functions a complex construct of overlays based on input by Stark, Banner, J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron, and the Mind Stone.

After his creation, he allies himself with the Avengers to defeat Ultron. He then becomes a member of the Avengers and develops a relationship with Wanda Maximoff. He is later killed by Thanos after attempting to get the mind Stone.

, the character has appearances in 3 films: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War. Bettany will reprise the role in the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision (2021).

Sam Wilson / Falcon
Sam Wilson (portrayed by Anthony Mackie)  is an Avenger and former U.S. Air Force pararescueman trained in aerial combat using a specially designed jet pack with articulated wings under the pseudonym name '''Falcon. '''

, the character appears in 6 films: Captain America: Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The character will star in Disney+ 2020 upcoming web series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Peggy Carter
Margaret Carter (portrayed by Hayley Atwell) is a high-ranking officer and agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve and one of the co-founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. This version is depicted as a brunette British agent rather than a blonde American. She is depicted as Steve Roger's romantic interest and she stars in her own short film and TV series.
 * The character first appears in the 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger. Christy Lemire of the Associated Press said, "Atwell's gorgeous looks make her a great fit for the part, but her character is better developed than you might imagine; she's no damsel in distress, waiting for Captain America to save her, but rather a trained fighter who is very much his equal." Roger Ebert felt that she resembled "a classic military pin-up of the period" with her depicted "full red lips" of the film.
 * Carter made appearances through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She appears in the second-season premiere episode "Shadows" where she and the SSR raid a Hydra facility and arrest Daniel Whitehall and Hydra Agents. Carter later appeared in the episode "The Things We Bury" where a flashback shows her interrogating Whitehall. In the season three episode "Emancipation", which occurs during the events of Captain America: Civil War, a newspaper headline is shown that says Agent Carter has died at the age of 95.
 * She then appears in the Marvel One-Shot short film Agent Carter, which was packaged with the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray disc. The film takes place one year after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, and features Carter as a member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, searching for the mysterious Zodiac,
 * She appears in the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Set in the present day, CGI was used to make the character appear in her 90s. Steve Rogers visits her in the retirement home where she is living.
 * Atwell starred as Peggy Carter in the series Agent Carter. Set in the immediate post-war years following the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, the series depicts Carter's advancement from routine office work to a position as a celebrated and well-respected agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. In addition, she works with Howard Stark's butler Edwin Jarvis to uncover his framing at the hands of Leviathan. The series aired from January 6, 2015, until March 1, 2016.
 * She appears in the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron in Steve Rogers's 1940s hallucination caused by the Scarlet Witch's powers.
 * She makes a cameo appearance in the 2015 film Ant-Man. She is featured in a 1989 opening teaser, aged in her late 60s, when Hank Pym resigns from S.H.I.E.L.D. after discovering that Mitchell Carson was trying to replicate Pym's shrinking formula without consent.
 * In the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War, she dies in her sleep off-screen. Rogers serves as one of the pallbearers at her funeral, where he learns that Sharon Carter happens to be her great-niece.
 * She appears in multiple time periods in Avengers: Endgame. Using Pym Particles, Steve Rogers first time travels to 1970, where he sees her working in her office. At the end of the film, he travels back to sometime in the 1940s to be with her, and they reunite, marry, and subsequently grow old together.
 * Peggy Carter will appear in the first episode of the Disney+ animated series, What If...?. In this perspective, she receives the Super-Soldier Serum and becomes a superhero named Captain Britain, with Steve Rogers becoming an early version of Iron Man.

Phil Coulson
Phillip J. Coulson (portrayed by Clark Gregg) is an original character created for the MCU. Coulson was created by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway and first appeared in the MCU in film Iron Man. Coulson was the first S.H.I.E.L.D. agent introduced in the MCU. Throughout the films, Coulson is generally depicted as a supporting character of the protagonists and used to represent S.H.I.E.L.D.'s presence. He would played prominent roles in some of the shorts entitled Marvel One Shots. The character would then be the headline character in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

, Phil Coulson has appeared in 5 films: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers and Captain Marvel; 2 Marvel One Shots: The Consultant and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer; a TV series: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; and a web series: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot.

Jane Foster


Jane Foster (portrayed by Natalie Portman and Elsa Pataky [as stand-in] ) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name who was first created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby - She first appeared in Thor. She is depicted as an astrophysicist who (along with Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig) first discover Thor in his banishment from Asgard to Earth. She is depicted most commonly as the romantic interest of Thor in both Thor and Thor: The Dark World but in Thor: Ragnarok it is mentioned that they broke up. She will reprise her role as The Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder.

, the character appears in 4 films: Thor, Thor: The Dark World, The Avengers (image), and Avengers: Endgame.

Heimdall
Heimdall (portrayed by Idris Elba) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby which based him on the mythical Heimdallr in Norse Mythology. Heimdall is depicted as the sole protector of the Bifröst in Asgard and ally to Thor. He reprises his role in Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok. His latest appearance was in Avengers: Infinity War where he transported Banner to Earth to warn of Earth about Thanos which lead to Heimdall's demise by Thanos soon after.

Maria Hill
Maria Hill (portrayed by Cobie Smulders) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch. She is a recurring S.H.I.E.L.D. member and Nick Fury ally within the MCU.

As of 2020, the character appears in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War (post-credit cameo), Avengers: Endgame and in Spider-Man: Far From Home where the Skrull, Soren, is masquerading as her as revealed in a plot twist in the post-credits scene of the film.

Happy Hogan
Harold "Happy" Hogan (portrayed by Jon Favreau) is Tony Stark's bodyguard and close friend, and head of security fort Stark Industries. He also serves as mentor to Peter Parker after Tony's death and gets romantically attached to Peter's aunt, May Parker. He appears in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home in supporting roles of both Tony Stark and Peter Parker.

J.A.R.V.I.S.
J.A.R.V.I.S. (voiced by Paul Bettany) is an artificial intelligence matrix that runs Tony Stark's technology and Stark Mansion. He was an original character by Mike Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway that is based on the fictional butler, Edwin Jarvis, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character was first introduced in the film, Iron Man. According to the novelization of the film, his acronym name stood for "Just A Really Very Intelligent System". He reprises his role in The Avengers and Iron Man 3 as the voice within the suit to Tony. Agent Carter depicts the man that inspires the AI is Edwin Jarvis himself, butler to Howard Stark and assistant to Peggy Carter. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, he is destroyed by Ultron. But his software lived on through the superhero Vision.

Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver
Pietro Maximoff (portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is an Avenger based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, first introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pietro Maximoff and his sister Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) are volunteers of Hydra, both acquiring superhuman powers after volunteering to be experimented upon. Harboring a lifelong hatred for American arms manufacturer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), whose bombs killed their parents, they side with Ultron (James Spader) against the Avengers, before later switching sides. In the final conflict with Ultron, Quicksilver dies a hero's death saving the lives of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and a small child. Despite Taylor-Johnson signing a multi-picture deal, producer Kevin Feige has stated that there are no plans for Quicksilver to appear in future Marvel Studios films.

The character's reception have been lukewarm with complaints that the character or the character's power was not developed enough potentially compared to the comic book version or the X-Men film series version. According to Carrie Wittmer of Business Insider, the character wasn't "a fully fleshed-out character" and X-Men: Days of Future Past's incarnation of the character was used more cleverly.

Pietro Maximoff has appeared in 2 films: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (mid-credit cameo) and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Odin
Odin (portrayed by Anthony Hopkins) is the ruler of Asgard, biological father of Thor and Hela, adoptive father of Loki, and husband of Frigga. Based on Odin in Norse Mythology, he first appears in Thor and reprises his role in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Okoye
Okoye (portrayed by Danai Gurira) is a Wakandan warrior and the general of the Dora Milaje. She fights on T'Challa's side when Erik Killmonger plot to usurp the throne and fought alongside the Avengers to combat Thanos and his Black Order.

, the character appears in 3 films: Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Pepper Potts
Pepper Potts (portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow) is the assistant, later romantic interest, and eventually wife, of Tony Stark. She is first introduced in Iron Man (2008). Potts was created by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein and Don Heck and first appeared in the MCU in the film Iron Man.

, Pepper Potts has appeared in 7 films: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming (cameo), Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Hank Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym (portrayed by Michael Douglas) is an entomologist and quantum physicist who created the Pym particle, a subatomic particle that changes the distance between atoms, allowing one to shrink and grow in relative size, while increasing strength. Hank Pym is the MCU's original Ant-Man; a role begun in 1963, during his tenure as a high-ranking scientist and operative at S.H.I.E.L.D.

As Ant-Man, Hank Pym operated as a classified agent performing field missions on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., using a self-designed shrinking suit powered by Pym particles that also gave him the ability to communicate with different species of ants. During one of these missions, his wife Janet van Dyne, was lost within the quantum realm and presumed dead. Following the incident, Pym resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D. in 1989, after he suspected Howard Stark of attempting to replicate the Pym particle formula. After his resignation from S.H.I.E.L.D., Pym retired the Ant-Man suit and founded his own technology company in San Francisco. In Ant-Man, after Darren Cross' takeover of the company, Pym subsequently recruited Scott Lang to take on the mantle of Ant-Man, with the assistance of his estranged daughter Hope van Dyne. Together, they prevented Cross from selling the Yellowjacket technology to Hydra.

Following Lang's alliance with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, Pym inadvertently violates the Sokovia Accords and becomes a fugitive from the FBI along with Hope in Ant-Man and the Wasp. He successfully rescues Janet from the quantum realm. Pym becomes one of the trillions of casualties disintegrated as a result of Thanos' actions at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. In Avengers: Endgame, Pym's work on the quantum realm proves to be foundational to the Avengers' plan to successfully navigate through time; during which, Steve Rogers steals a necessary amount of Pym particles from a younger Pym in 1970. Later in the film, the older Pym is among those resurrected by Bruce Banner, and subsequently attends Tony Stark's funeral.

As of 2020, Hank Pym has appeared in three films: Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Avengers: Endgame.

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross
Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (portrayed by William Hurt) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, first introduced in The Incredible Hulk (2008). He first appears as a United States General who was responsible for reviving the super-soldier project so he can create a weapon which resulted in the creation of the Hulk. Ross tries to track Banner down believing he is the property of the United States government. He later tries the super-soldier project on Emil Blonksy which later transformed him into a monster. He reprises his role in Captain America Civil War as a Secretary of State of the United States. He proposes the Sokovia Accords that the Avengers will be supervised by the United Nations which divides the superheroes in political opinion. He is a semi-recurring character usually being portrayed by antagonistic roles. Though those roles he believes are for the better good or patriotic.

, Ross has appeared in 5 films: The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow, as well as in The Consultant.

Erik Selvig
Erik Selvig (portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård) is an original character first introduced in Thor (2011). In Thor, astrophysicist Erik Selvig works with Jane Foster, the daughter of a former colleague of his, on her wormhole research. They become involved in an encounter between Thor and S.H.I.E.L.D., leading to his employment by the latter to study the Tesseract—he accepts the job due to influence by Loki. In The Avengers, Loki uses the Tesseract to travel to Earth, and places Selvig under the control of the Mind Stone. Selvig is eventually freed of this control and able to help stop Loki's invasion of Earth, but is left traumatized by his experience. Selvig is able to help Thor again in Thor: The Dark World, and by Avengers: Age of Ultron appears to have recovered, working at Royal Holloway. After the defeat of Ultron, Selvig begins working for the Avengers. Selvig is one of the trillions of casualties that were a result of Thanos' actions at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. He is later resurrected by Banner in Avengers: Endgame. In Spider-Man Far From Home, Selvig is shown to be starring in the documentary NOVA: Einstein Rosen Bridges with Dr. Erik Selvig.

, Selvig has appeared in 4 films: Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Howard Stark
Howard Stark (portrayed by John Slattery and Dominic Cooper) is the creator of Stark Industries, one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the father of Tony Stark. Howard Stark is a close friend of Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers. Stark was involved with Rogers' transformation into Captain America, as well as the creation of Rogers' trademark vibranium shield. He dies at the hands of a brainwashed Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) by orders of Hydra.

As of 2020, the character appears in: Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers Endgame. He also appears in Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter and the TV series Agent Carter.

Valkyrie
Valkyrie (portrayed by Tessa Thompson) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. She first appeared in Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

The character is the last surviving of a group of Asgardian female warriors called the Valkyries. She allies herself with Thor and Bruce Banner in Thor: Ragnarok to fight Hela and also appears to battle Thanos at the final climax of Avengers: Endgame.

, the character appears in 2 films: Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers Endgame.

Janet van Dyne
Janet van Dyne (portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer) is a scientist, the wife of Hank Pym, mother of Hope van Dyne, and the MCU's original Wasp. As the Wasp, van Dyne operated at S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside Pym on field missions where she wore a shrinking suit with similar powers as the Ant-Man one, with the added capability of wings for flight. During a mission in 1987, van Dyne turned off her suit regulator and became sub-atomic, disappearing into the quantum realm. Presumed dead, she was actually trapped within the quantum realm for nearly 30 years, until Pym rescued her in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Janet becomes one of the trillions of casualties disintegrated as a result of Thanos' actions at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. In Avengers: Endgame, she is among those resurrected by Bruce Banner, and subsequently attends Tony Stark's funeral with Pym, Hope, and Scott Lang.

As of 2020, Janet van Dyne has appeared in three films: Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Avengers: Endgame.

Wong
Wong (portrayed by Benedict Wong) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Doctor Strange (2016).

The character is portrayed as an Asian sorcerer commonly affiliated with Doctor Strange as starting out as a teacher for him and also is a librarian within the Sanctum Sanctorum.

, the character appears in 3 films: Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers Endgame.

Helmut Zemo / Baron Zemo
Helmut Zemo (portrayed by Daniel Brühl). is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, first introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Zemo is a colonel from an elite Sokovian commando unit seeking to avenge his family's deaths during the Avengers' battle with Ultron. He uses the United Nations' Sokovia Accords to his advantage. Despite Steve Rogers learning about his plans, Zemo pits Iron Man and Captain America against each other by framing the Winter Soldier for a bombing in Vienna (which killed T'Chaka) and revealing that the Winter Soldier had killed Tony Stark's parents while under Hydra's control, effectively fracturing the Avengers. With his goal complete, Zemo attempts to commit suicide but is stopped by T'Challa and taken into custody by the authorities. Everett Ross supervises his incarceration where he mocks Zemo for failing in his efforts, but Zemo indicates otherwise. Zemo will reprise his role in the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In the series, Zemo wears his traditional purple mask from the comics, which he was not depicted with in Civil War.

Laufey
Laufey (portrayed by Colm Feore) is based on Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby which based him on Laufey in Norse Mythology. Depicted as the king of the Frost Giants and original antagonist to Odin and Thor in Thor. Revealed as the biological father to Loki by Loki himself. Laufey has a strong hatred for Odin for his defeat in battle when trying to conquer Earth. Loki convinced Laufey to take over Asgard himself but instead betrays and destroys Laufey for his own benefit to prove himself worthy of Odin.

Frigga
Frigga (portrayed by Rene Russo) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein and Joe Sinnott which based her on Frigg of Norse Mythology. Frigga is Thor's biological mother and Loki's adopted mother first appearing in Thor. She reprises her role in Thor: The Dark World where she is killed by a dark elf named Algrim. She returned in Avengers: Endgame where she comforted Thor's depression during his time traveling mission to get the Infinity Stones.

Fandral
Fandral (portrayed originally by Joshua Dallas and later by Zachary Levi) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Fandral is a member of the Warriors Three. Depicted as a dashing warrior from Asgard. He reprises his role in Thor: The Dark World and is killed off by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok.

Hogun
Hogun (portrayed by Tadanobu Asano) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Hogun is a member of the Warriors Three. Depicted as a grim warrior from Asgard. He reprises his role in Thor: The Dark World and is killed off by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok.

Volstagg
Volstagg (portrayed by Ray Stevenson) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Volstagg is a member of the Warriors Three. Depicted as a warrior of Asgard who loves to eat. He reprises his role in Thor: The Dark World and is killed off by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok.

Destroyer
The Destroyer is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Destroyer is a fictional indestructible automation used by Odin to stop threats like the Frost Giants as depicted in Thor. Loki then uses it to take on Thor by Earth but it is seemingly destroyed by Thor. Although parts of was reassembled by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as a prototype gun as originally shown in The Avengers.

Johann Schmidt / Red Skull
Johann Schmidt / Red Skull (portrayed initially by Hugo Weaving and subsequently by Ross Marquand) is the head of Hydra, the Nazi science division, during World War II, who first appears in Captain America: The First Avenger. Schmidt planned global dominance under his rule by finding the Tesseract and using it as a weapon against the world, including to overthrow Adolf Hitler. He was revealed to have subjected himself to an early version of Erskine's super-soldier formula. After being foiled by Rogers, Schmidt is transported to the planet Vormir by the Tesseract, where he is cursed in a purgatory state to serve as a guide to those seeking the Soul Stone.

, Red Skull has appeared in three films: Captain America: The First Avenger, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Jacques Dernier
Jacques Dernier (portrayed by Bruno Ricci) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name debuting in the series, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos by Stan Lee. He appeared as one of the Howling Commandos in Captain America: The First Avenger being portrayed as French.

Dum Dum Dugan
Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan (portrayed by Neal McDonough) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. A recurring member of the Howling Commandos within the MCU. He first appears in Captain America: The First Avenger. He also appears in the short, Agent Carter and the TV series, Agent Carter.

James Montgomery Falsworth
James Montgomery Falsworth (portrayed by JJ Feild) is based on the Marvel Comics character which became the first Union Jack created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins. He first appears in Captain America: The First Avenger as a British member of the Howling Commandos.

Gabe Jones
Gabe Jone (portrayed by Derek Luke) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Gabe Jones is an African-American member of the Howling Commandos.

Jim Morita
Jim Morita (portrayed by Kenneth Choi) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name debuting in the comic series, Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He is an Asian-American member of the Howling Commandos within the MCU.

Ulysses Klaue
Ulysses Klaue (portrayed by Andy Serkis) is inspired by the Marvel Comics character of the same name, who first appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Klaue is a South-African black-market arms dealer, smuggler and gangster who specializes in the sales of stolen vibranium from Wakanda.

, Klaue has appeared in two films: Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther.

Ultron
Ultron (portrayed by James Spader) is an artificial intelligence conceived and designed by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner as the head of a peacekeeping program, who subsequently takes the form of a sentient android overwhelmed with a god complex, determined to pacify the Earth by eradicating humanity.

Stark and Banner's research on the Mind Stone was the groundwork for Ultron's genesis, along with Stark's belief that Ultron would be the Avengers' permanent solution to maintain "peace in our time". Once born, Ultron, however, quickly surmises that humanity's continued survival throughout human history is a result of overcoming ongoing successions of crises, and thus, he determines to inflict an extinction-level event in Sokovia to ensure the people of Earth have the will to evolve. Ultron, however, views the Avengers as a hindrance to humanity's evolution and vows to fulfil the Avengers' extinction. Ultron continuously updates his physical form with the acquisition of vibranium from Ulysses Klaue and possesses the ability to manifest himself within Stark's Iron Legion droids. He is ultimately destroyed by Vision after the Sokovia plot is thwarted.

, the character has appeared only in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Ned Leeds
Ned Leeds (portrayed by Jacob Batalon) is Peter Parker's best friend and first appears in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Ned is the first person other than Tony Stark to discover Peter's identity as Spider-Man.

, he has appeared in four films: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

MJ
Michelle, nicknamed MJ, is the main love interest to Peter Parker/Spider-Man. They fall in love in between Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. MJ first appears in "Spider-Man: Homecoming".

J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson (portrayed by J. K. Simmons) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same. Jameson appears in Spider-Man: Far From Home as the host of TheDailyBugle.net, a sensationalist fake news-style website. In the film, Jameson ultimately reveals Peter Parker's Spider-Man identity to the world and accuses him of murdering Quentin Beck.

Talos
Talos (portrayed by Ben Mendelsohn) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same.

As of 2020, Talos has appeared in Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Taneleer Tivan / The Collector
Taneleer Tivan (portrayed by Benicio del Toro), also known as the Collector, is the renowned keeper of the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics and species in the galaxy, operating from the Knowhere port installation. Through his dealings with Asgardians and the Guardians of the Galaxy, he was in possession of one of the Infinity Stones and was nearly able to obtain the Power Stone in Guardians of the Galaxy. He is the brother of the Grandmaster. Thanos obtained the Reality Stone from Tivan.

, Taneleer Tivan has appeared in three films: Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers: Infinity War. He also appears in Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: Breakout.

Alexander Pierce
Alexander Pierce (portrayed by Robert Redford) is the secretary head of the World Security Council, and the secret director of Hydra operating within S.H.I.E.L.D.

, Alexander Pierce has appeared in two films: Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame.

Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter (portrayed by Emily VanCamp) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

She first appears in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. initially tasked with protecting Steve Rogers by going undercover as a nurse who lives next door, with the alias of "Kate". While she is working undercover, there is an attraction between Steve and Sharon. After the dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D., she enlists in the C.I.A. as a secret agent.

VanCamp reprises the role in Captain America: Civil War aiding Rogers throughout the film by providing C.I.A. intelligence. She also reveals to Steve that Peggy Carter was her great-aunt, much to Steve's surprise. After she aids Steve's faction of Avengers by giving them the Winter Soldier's location, she shares a kiss with Steve and goes into hiding.

Carter was featured in an early draft of Avengers: Infinity War that would have continued the romantic relationship between Steve and Sharon. While Sharon does not appear in Avengers: Endgame, it is revealed in the beginning of the film that she was among those killed by Thanos.

VanCamp will play Carter in the upcoming Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Cull Obsidian
Cull Obsidian (voiced and portrayed [via motion-capture] by Terry Notary) is loosely based on Black Dwarf created by Jonathan Hickman. In this incarnation, he equips a chain hammer and an arm blade. The character in this incarnation also has a cybernetic arm after his arm was cut after the sling ring closes. He was killed by Bruce Banner when he uses Hulkbuster's left arm, where it has a built-in thruster to fly Obsidian away and burns him; and by Scott Lang, when grown into his gigantic form, crushes him, and Obsidian was disintegrated along with Thanos and his army (where Nebula transported them from 2014 to 2023) by Tony Stark at the cost of his life.

, Cull Obsidian appeared in two films: Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Emil Blonsky
Emil Blonsky (portrayed by Tim Roth) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name by Stan Lee and Gil Kane. He was depicted as part of the Royal Marines and was on loan of Thunderbolt Ross to capture the Hulk. After learning about the Super-Soldier program he offered to be a part of it. After taking it, he started craving it and used the scientist Samuel Sterns to get more which resulted him being a bloodthirsty monster. He appears in The Incredible Hulk and The Consultant.

Matthew Ellis
Matthew Ellis (portrayed by William Sadler) is the President of the United States. His surname is a reference to comic author Warren Ellis. The President is first seen in Iron Man 3 where he wanted the Iron Patriot armor as an "American hero" symbol which is later hijacked and used by Eric Savin to kidnap Ellis from Air Force One and to be propped up in the Iron Patriot suit next to Roxxon's abandoned oil tanker for Aldrich Killian's broadcast execution (with secret assistance from Vice President Rodriguez (portrayed by Miguel Ferrer ), however, the President is eventually rescued by Tony Stark and James Rhodes. Ellis is also alluded in Captain America: The Winter Soldier on an exhibit involving Bucky Barnes and later as one of the targets marked by Alexander Pierce's Helicarriers but is saved by Steve Rogers. Ellis appears in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and is again seen in the viral marketing videos WHIH Newsfront for an interview, and was originally slated to appear in Ant-Man.

Abraham Erskine
Abraham Erskine (portrayed by Stanley Tucci) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The character is first depicted in Captain America: The First Avenger where he is responsible for the origin of Steve Rogers as Captain America and Johann Schmidt as the Red Skull. Before being assassinated in the hands of Heinz Kruger, Erskine motivated Rogers to always remain as a good man in his heart.

Christine Everhart
Christine Everhart (portrayed by Leslie Bibb) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Everhart was created by John Jackson Miller and Jorge Lucas who depicted her as working in the Daily Bugle within the comic book. She plays more a prominent role in the MCU as a news reporter for Vanity Fair first appearing in Iron Man. She then reprises her role in Iron Man 2 . She plays a central role in the viral marketing videos WHIH Newsfront where she portrays a news broadcaster.

Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer (portrayed by Sam Rockwell) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Hammer is a business rival of Stark of manufacturing weapons. After noticing Vanko's use of weapons. He jailbreaks Vanko and uses Vanko for making weapons. But Ivan is revealed to have betrayed him. He is sent to jail where he is depicted to have a homosexual relationship with an inmate in All Hail the King.

Darcy Lewis
Darcy Lewis (portrayed by Kat Dennings) is an original character in the MCU origination from Thor written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne. She serves as comic relief in the films featuring Thor. Her role in Thor and Thor: The Dark World as depicted is she is a political science major at Culver University and volunteered to be a research assistant to astrophysicist Jane Foster for college credit.

She is set to reappear in the Disney+ show WandaVision.

Dr. List
Dr. List (portrayed by Henry Goodman) is a Hydra scientist who conducts experimentation on Loki's scepter and the Maximoff twins, who first appears in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). List has appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (mid-credits cameo), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Gideon Malick
Gideon Malick (portrayed by Powers Boothe) is an original character playing a small role as one of the members of the World Security Council in The Avengers. He later reprises his role in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a more recurring cast member and revealed as a secret member of Hydra within the series.

Kraglin Obfonteri
Kraglin Obfonteri (portrayed by Sean Gunn) is based on a Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Don Heck. He is the first mate of Yondu Udonta's faction of the Ravagers until Taserface leads a mutiny against Yondu, ultimately resulting in all of their deaths. After Yondu's death, Kraglin acquires his cybernetic fin. He would later join other Ravagers to help the Avengers combat Thanos and his army.

, Kraglin has appeared in three films: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Avengers: Endgame.

The Other
The Other (portrayed by Alexis Denisof) is an original character from the MCU and is the grim leader of an alien race called the Chitauri. He is a servant of Thanos and uses telepathic powers in The Avengers. He was killed by Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Christine Palmer
Dr. Christine Palmer (portrayed by Rachel McAdams) is an professional associate and close friend of Stephen Strange.

Chester Phillips
Chester Phillips (portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones) is a United States Colonel during World War II who is involved with the Strategic Scientific Reserve in the making a super soldier program. He is depicted as being skeptical of the choice of Steve Rogers as the super-soldier but later has a change of heart and becomes more accepting of Steve. Phillips is referenced as being one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. founders, along with Peggy Carter and Howard Stark.

As of 2020, Philips has appeared in one film: Captain America: The First Avenger.

Heinz Kruger
Heinz Kruger (portrayed by Richard Armitage) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The character is Red Skull's top assassin who is responsible for the death of Abraham Erskine.

Raza
Raza (portrayed by Faran Tahir) is the first revealed major antagonist in the film, Iron Man created by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. He was an original character for the film outside of his character referencing the organization that alludes to the Mandarin. A terrorist and self described leader of the Ten Rings portrayed by Faran Tahir who used Stark Industries as their weapons for personal gain. He was responsible for the origin of Tony as Iron Man as he is the one who abducted him for his self-proclaimed personal gain of taking over the world citing Genghis Khan as influence. He was revealed to be working for Obadiah Stane who later subdues him.

Betty Ross
Elizabeth Ross (portrayed by Liv Tyler) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. She was the first romantic interest of Bruce Banner as portrayed in The Incredible Hulk while also being the daughter of General Ross.

Shuri
Shuri (portrayed by Letitia Wright) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr.. She first appeared in Black Panther (2018).

She is portrayed as T'Challa's courageous and brilliantly tech-savvy younger sister of Wakanda. She is responsible for the weapons and other tech that T'Challa uses to battle his opponents.

, the character appears in 3 films: Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers Endgame.

Sif
Sif (portrayed by Jaimie Alexander) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby which based her on Sif of Norse Mythology. She is the leading female warrior of Asgard and Thor's childhood friend and trusted ally. She appears originally in Thor and reprises her role in Thor: The Dark World. She also guest stars in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes, "Yes Men" and "Who You Really Are".

Jasper Sitwell
Jasper Sitwell (portrayed by Maximiliano Hernández) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Jasper first appeared as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent under Phil Coulson in Thor. He also then appeared in the Marvel One-Shots, The Consultant, talking alongside Coulson. He reprise his role in The Avengers, in Item 47 and in many episode appearances of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. respectively. He is revealed to be a Hydra sleeper agent in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and is killed by a brainwashed Bucky Barnes by command of Hydra. A 2012 alternate timeline version of him appears in Avengers: Endgame.

Obadiah Stane
Obadiah Stane (portrayed by Jeff Bridges) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name by Dennis O'Neil and Luke McDonnell, Obadiah was the final villain in Iron Man. He was Tony's mentor after the passing away of Tony's dad, Howard. The character secretly sought control of Stark Industries. It was later revealed that he hired terrorists to assassinate Tony and after the failure to do so sought control of the arc reactor to create his own super powered exoskeleton suit which he succeeded after stealing Tony's tech. The character was killed in confrontation by Tony in the final climax of the film.

Stern
Stern (portrayed by Garry Shandling) is an original character in the MCU inspired by Howard Stern according to the director, Jon Favreau. First seen in Iron Man 2, he is depicted as a United States Senator who wanted Tony's armor to be handed to the US government. He harbored a strong dislike for Tony even after handing Tony and Rhodes the Medal of Honor. He was revealed to be affiliated with Hydra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Samuel Sterns
Dr. Samuel Sterns (portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Depicted in The Incredible Hulk as a gifted biologist who tried to cure Bruce Banner under the alias Mr. Blue. After replicating Banner's blood, he then is forced to use it on Emil Blonksy. After Blonksy is transformed as a monster. Stern's lab is destroyed and part of the Hulk's blood drops on Stern's head and his Skull mutates as he grins maniacally. Outside of the film series he is referenced in a prequel comic of The Avengers, revealed to be insane and imprisoned by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (portrayed by Thomas Kretschmann) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, who first appears in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). Strucker is high-ranking Hydra leader that specializes in human experimentation. Strucker supervised the successful experimentation on the Maximoff twins, where they acquired powers from the Mind Stone within Loki's scepter. Captured by the Avengers in Sokovia and taken under the custody of NATO, Strucker is later killed by Ultron in his cell to serve as a message to the Avengers.

Strucker appears in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (mid-credits cameo) and ''Avengers: Age of Ultron. ''

Ho Yinsen
Ho Yinsen (portrayed by Shaun Toub) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name first created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Don Heck - The character is central to the origin of Tony as the superhero Iron Man. He is an engineer who helped saved Tony's life by creating an electromagnet heart and then helped Tony build Iron Man's armor to escape from being hostage from the terrorists. He then sacrificed his life for Tony to escape. His last words being to Tony was the advice to not waste his life away. He then appeared in Iron Man 3 in a cameo appearance.

Anton Vanko
Anton Vanko (portrayed by Yevgeni Lazarev and Costa Ronin) is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Vanko was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck and first appearing in Iron Man 2. He is depicted as a Soviet scientist and partner of Howard Stark who both help create the first arc reactor. He betrays Howard by selling their designs on the black market. When Stark found out, Vanko was deported and became a drunk who leaves behind a legacy of his son exacting revenge on the Stark family after his death. Outside of being in Iron Man 2, he guest stars in Agent Carter.

Ivan Vanko
Ivan Vanko (portrayed by Mickey Rourke) is based on the Marvel Comics characters Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo for Iron Man 2. The son of Anton Vanko. He avenges his father by learning what he knew of his father of the original model of the arc reactor. He uses it to create electric whips to kill Tony. After his failure to do so. He attracts business rival, Justin Hammer, for the creation of a new suit for Hammer. Although Vanko later betrays him using drones to kill Tony and then attempts to kill him with a new exoskeleton suit. He is defeated and died in battle with the combined forced of Iron Man and War Machine.

The Avengers
The Avengers are the central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Saga" within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Created by Nick Fury and led primarily by Steve Rogers, the team is a United States-based organization comprised mainly of enhanced individuals committed to the world's protection from threats. The Avengers operate in New York State; beginning at Avengers Tower in Midtown Manhattan, and subsequently, from a compound north of New York City.

Being foreshadowed as early as in the 2008 film, Iron Man, where the "Avengers Initiative" was referenced by Nick Fury in a post-credit scene. The team first appeared in The Avengers; consisting of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton. The lineup that was depicted by Joss Whedon is primarily based on the Ultimates of Ultimate Marvel, with the exception of two classic founders, Giant-Man and the Wasp. According to Whedon the theme behind the lineup is : "There's a thunder god, there's a green 'id' giant rage monster, there's Captain America from the 40s, there's Tony Stark who definitely doesn't get along with anybody. Ultimately these people don't belong together and the whole movie is about finding yourself from community. And finding that you not only belong together but you need each other, very much. According to film critic Peter Travers, "Whedon is exploring richer ground" with the theme. "He sees the Avengers as the ultimate dysfunctional family. Their powers have estranged them from the normal world. As a result, they're lonely, cranky, emotional fuck-ups, which the actors have a ball playing."

The lineup of the first film was reprised in Avengers: Age of Ultron, along with new additions and allies including James Rhodes, Vision, Wanda Maximoff, and Pietro Maximoff. At the end of Age of Ultron, a new roster of Avengers is established, consisting of Rogers, Romanoff, Rhodes, Wanda Maximoff, Vision, and Sam Wilson, with Stark remaining as the group's benefactor.

The new Avengers roster appears in Captain America: Civil War, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and released on May 6, 2016. In Civil War, the team is fractured into two opposing factions: one led by Rogers and the other by Stark. Rogers' group consists of himself, Barton, Wilson, Maximoff, Scott Lang, and James Barnes, and Stark's group consists of himself, Rhodes, Romanoff, Peter Parker, T'Challa, and Vision. The Avengers, broken up in the fallout of the events of Civil War, appear again in Avengers: Infinity War. In this film, the Avengers join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Stephen Strange, Wong, and the army of Wakanda to stop Thanos as he attempts to acquire the Infinity Stones. Thor and Banner are also reunited with the Avengers. Their campaign fails as Thanos destroys Vision and acquires all six Stones, ultimately killing half the universe, including several of the Avengers, Guardians, and their allies, leaving only Stark, Rogers, Thor, Banner, Romanoff, Barton, Rhodes, Nebula, and Rocket. In Avengers: Endgame, following the five-year jump since the events of Infinity War, Carol Danvers, Nebula, and Rocket join the Avengers after they discover that Thanos has destroyed the Infinity Stones to prevent anyone undoing his victory. After five years, Lang is revealed to have survived Thanos' culling while being trapped in the quantum realm at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp, and joins the team with a proposition that they retrieve the Infinity Stones from the past in order to restore the damage made by Thanos, using Lang's experience with the quantum realm to devise a means of travelling in time. The restored Avengers, Guardians, and allies appear in the final battle against Thanos, including Strange, Wong, Parker, Maximoff, Wilson, Barnes, Hope van Dyne, Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Mantis, T'Challa, Shuri, M'Baku, Pepper Potts, Okoye, Valkyrie, Korg, Miek, and Kraglin. Stark and Romanoff are killed during the events of Endgame, while Thor joins the Guardians, and an elderly Rogers passes his shield and mantle to Wilson, making him his successor after he decides to return to the 1940s to live the rest of his life with Peggy Carter.

Hydra
Hydra is the former science research division of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party and covert terrorist organization responsible for infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. during the modern day. Hydra was created by Hitler to pursue methods of creating advanced weaponry to win World War II. Initially led by Johann Schmidt, Hydra acquired the Tesseract and conducted research on it to harness the energy it released to power weapons. Hydra's allegiance to its Nazi superiors grew to be only superficial; as Schmidt intended to harness the potential of the Tesseract to overthrow Hitler and eventually the world. After Schmidt's disappearance and Steve Rogers' successful efforts to botch Schmidt's plans to attack cities around the world, Hydra was defeated and fell. Following World War II, S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded by former members of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and employed Operation Paperclip, which recruited former Hydra scientists with strategic value. As part of the process, Arnim Zola was recruited and then subsequently began to reform Hydra secretly from within S.H.I.E.L.D.. Operating discreetly within S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra staged political coups, wars, and assassinations (including those of Howard and Maria Stark) in an effort to destabilize world governments up until the modern day. Hydra's operations were later exposed by Rogers once S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, and their remnants were pursued and defeated by the Avengers.

S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) is a major recurring government organization within the MCU. Founded after World War II by Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, and Chester Phillips, as a successor to the Strategic Science Reserve, S.H.I.E.L.D. is first referenced in Iron Man by Agent Phil Coulson. It is depicted in all the films in Phase One and would appear recurrently in Phase Two and Phase Three as well. The organization is lead by Nick Fury who led an initiative, an idea to band incredible heroes all together when needed, which lead to the formation of the Avengers. They would be featured in television by ABC with the TV series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter. The organization appears in all but one of the Marvel One-Shots and appear in Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-in comics recurrently as well.

Ten Rings
The Ten Rings is an original team from the MCU that is depicted as a major terrorist organization that plans to destroy world peace. The team was originally an Easter Egg reference to Iron Man's archenemy Mandarin that was first revealed in name by Raza in Iron Man. The team was referenced once again in the Marvel One-Shot All Hail the King where Jackson Norriss reveals to Trevor Slattery that he is a member of the group and the organization is controlled by the Mandarin himself. A member of the organization appeared in Ant-Man. The Ten Rings will be a main focus in the upcoming film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.