After nearly 17 years, the MCU has grown considerably large, with a massive cast of characters that span dozens of movies and television series. The universe’s humble beginnings almost feel surreal when looking back on how it all kicked off with Iron Man. Now, the MCU timeline almost feels unwieldy, spanning decades and multiple alternate universes. At the center of it all, though, are the well-liked characters that fans have grown to love.
Despite already being massive, the upcoming MCU release schedule promises to introduce even more heroes. One of the greatest aspects of the MCU is seeing all these different heroes interact with each other, mostly starting out in their own movies before becoming part of something much bigger. Unfortunately, because of the remarkable number of characters, not all of them will have a chance to interact with each other, due to various circumstances.
10
Gamora & Ironheart
Gamora and Ironheart will most likely never meet in the MCU. As the daughter of Thanos, Gamora has been a pivotal part of the MCU since Guardians of the Galaxy. She ultimately died and another timeline version of her went on to lead the Ravagers. At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it seems like her MCU journey might be over, as she opted out of becoming a Guardian of the Galaxy again.
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Meanwhile, Ironheart (Riri Williams) is not a galaxy-traveling hero, so far confined to Earth where she has built her own Iron Man suit, becoming the hero Ironheart. Because of the nature of both characters, along with the possibility of Gamora not coming back, it feels like the two characters will never get the chance to interact. It’s a shame since their two different personalities could have been fun to explore.
9
Daredevil & Elsa Bloodstone
Now that Daredevil is officially in the MCU and set to star in Daredevil: Born Again, the opportunity for Matt Murdock to interact with other characters is there. He has already met up with several characters, including Spider-Man, She-Hulk, and Echo. Still, there are some that he will likely never have the chance to interact with, and one of those is a particular monster hunter.
After Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, it feels like the MCU no longer wants to make more Special Presentations.
Elsa Bloodstone was introduced in Werewolf by Night as a monster hunter who partakes in a murderous competition to find a powerful relic. Elsa Bloodstone was great in it, but no characters from Werewolf by Night have been featured in the MCU since it premiered. It’s unclear if Elsa, or any of the other characters, will actually appear in the MCU again. Even if she does, it’s unlikely that Elsa and Daredevil will ever cross paths.
8
Red Guardian & Groot
Since he appeared in Black Widow, Red Guardian seems to be taking on a bigger role in the MCU going forward. He will be featured in Thunderbolts* as a member of the team, and will most likely be included in Avengers: Doomsday, as the Thunderbolts are supposed to play a major role in that. Red Guardian was Russia’s answer to Captain America. Despite most likely being in an Avengers film, there are some characters he might not ever get to interact with.
Groot has been a staple of the MCU since he first appeared, going through various evolutions, and remaining a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy following the conclusion of that trilogy. The Guardians of the Galaxy have already played a big role in a few Avengers movies, so they could always come in again, but a lot of the original members have parted ways, and with no humans part of the team anymore, they most likely won’t make their way back to Earth anytime soon.
7
Mantis & Wiccan
Like many members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Mantis leaves on her own at the conclusion of the trilogy to figure out her own place in the universe. There is a lot for Mantis to explore in the galaxy, which means that she might not ever appear again in the MCU. It feels like her journey is done. Still, as Peter Quill’s half-sister, she does have a reason to go to Earth at some point. Even if she does, there are some MCU characters she most likely will never interact with.
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Now that Billy Maximoff is back in the MCU as Wiccan, it feels like his journey is just beginning. At the end of Agatha All Along, Wiccan leaves to search for his brother Tommy after helping his soul find another body to inhabit. Wiccan has a lot going on, which means he will most likely be occupied for a while. Besides Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange, the magic users in the MCU mostly do their own thing.
6
Vision & Drax
Vision has been an integral part of the MCU since he first appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Originally intended to be the final form of Ultron, Vision became his own person, falling in love with Wanda Maximoff before getting killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity. After being “resurrected” by Wanda and eventually becoming the white Vision, he goes out on his own to figure out who he is and his place in life. Because of this, he might not interact with many MCU heroes for a while.
It feels like Drax might be done in the MCU.
Drax had an admirable ending in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, embracing the idea of him being a dad again and moving on from the Guardians of the Galaxy to have the opportunity. Because of this, and Dave Bautista looking to do more meaty roles,it feels like Drax might be done in the MCU. It’s a shame, though, as his hilarious nature allows for truly amazing interactions with various characters.
5
Echo & Adam Warlock
Echo is one of the newer additions to the MCU, having her own miniseries at the beginning of 2024. Echo is a street-level hero, meaning that she will most likely be confined to the smaller-scale stories being told on Disney +, like the upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again and whatever other series Marvel Studios want about the Defenders. Sticking to these street-level stories for Echo could be the right move for the character, but that means there are a number of characters she might never interact with.
Adam Warlock made his first appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after being alluded to in the post-credits scene in Vol. 2. He spent the majority of his first appearance as an antagonist of the Guardians, but by the end of the film, he officially became a member of the team. It’s unlikely they will come to Earth anytime soon, meaning him having a chance to meet some street-level characters feels virtually impossible.
4
Mr. Fantastic & Man-Thing
Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic is set to make his first appearance in the MCU with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This will be the second Mr. Fantastic appearance as he was in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but not played by Pascal, being a one-and-done type character. With the first full iteration of The Fantastic Four coming to the MCU, Pedro Pascal will most likely be playing the character for a while. Even when he does become a staple of the universe, there are some characters that will most likely never cross paths with him.
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Like the other characters in Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing hasn't appeared in any other MCU projects since, despite being a cool character that had some of the most memorable moments in the Marvel special. He is a very powerful character that could play a bigger role in the MCU, but it seems like Marvel is content to let the characters from Werewolf by Night exist in their own little pockets, never really interacting with the wider world around them, and maybe never will.
3
Shang-Chi & Makkari
Shang-Chi became one of the most exciting new additions to the MCU, after the wonderful Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which featured some of the best fight scenes the MCU has ever done. He looks to play a bigger role in the upcoming Avengers films after being recruited by Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner at the end of his film. Despite most likely becoming an important Avenger, there are a number of characters he might never interact with, including another Marvel team that has disappeared.
Eternals was propped up by Kevin Feige as one of the best MCU movies of all time, but was met with rather tepid reviews upon release. Despite having an ending that said they would return, it isn't a guarantee, which would be a shame considering there are some fun characters that could be explored further. One in particular is the speedster, Makkari. Her fight scenes were the highlight of the film, but it doesn't seem like the MCU has plans for her or any of the other members of the team, despite retroactively fitting them into the universe post-Avengers: Endgame.
2
She-Hulk & Werewolf by Night
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was a fun and breezy addition to the MCU, but was met with some of the worst online discourse revolving around the Marvel universe. The character of She-Hulk was adapted perfectly from her comic counterpart, displaying all the meta-humor the character is known for. Despite the great performance, it is unclear when she will make an appearance again, as a second season of She-Hulk is not in the works. Even if she does, there are many characters she would likely never interact with.
Werewolf by Night revolved around Jack Russell, who joins a monster hunt searching for an important relic. The caveat is that Jack Russell is a werewolf and must navigate that deadly game with that looming in the background. He was an interesting character in a really fun special, but it seems like Marvel doesn't have any intentions of including him in the wider world of the MCU.
1
Spider-Man & Captain Carter
Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War and has since become one of the most important characters in the MCU, with an incredibly successful trilogy and more to come. His fourth film will be released between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which means he will most likely play a big part in both of those films as well. He has already interacted with so many characters throughout his time in the MCU, but there are still some he might never get the chance to talk to.
Captain Carter is an alternate universe version of Captain America, where Peggy Carter took the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers. She originally began as a character in What If...?, but eventually appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as part of the multiverse. She was quickly killed off in the film, which means she might not make her way into other live-action projects in the MCU, putting the possibility of her interacting with Holland's Spider-Man in jeopardy.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
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