10 Superhero Movie Sidekicks Who Stole The Show

There are even cases where the superhero sidekicks become so popular that they end up as the leads in the movies over the years. Characters like Shuri and Wong went from being side characters to major MCU heroes to becoming their replacements in the movies in the following years since their introduction. From heroes like Mister Terrific and Wong to friends like Luis and Ned Leeds, the best supporting characters always leave their mark.

Luis (Ant-Man)

The Ant-Man movies were always meant to be action-comedies, and Michael Pena delivered the humor in his performance as Luis. Luis's insistence on telling stories in the most long-winded and detailed manner became one of Marvel's defining moments, and his fast-talking flashback scenes ended up so popular that the MCU copied it in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Luis was such an important scene-stealing character in the MCU that critics called his absence in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania one of that film's biggest mistakes. Luis ended up as such a breakout star that Marvel created some "Luis Recaps the MCU" videos that ended up as viral sensations.

Katy (Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings remains one of the most underappreciated MCU movies, sitting at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 98% audience score, yet never getting a follow-up after five years. The movie stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi as he battles his father, the Mandarin, and his criminal organization, the Ten Rings. However, stealing the show was Shang-Chi's best friend, Katy, played by Awkwafina.

Reviews from the movie compared Shang-Chi and Katy's relationship to that of Ant-Man and Luis, with Katy offering a sarcastic and humorous disposition that helped balance the gravity of Shang-Chi's family issues. Not only did Katy's humor steal almost every scene she was in, but she became an ally on the battlefield by the time the movie ended, proving she was more than up to the spotlight.

Alfred Pennyworth (Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy)

The Bat Family has several members, and the Batman movies introduced several of them, from the Tim Burton classics and the Joel Schumacher big-budget excursions to the Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, and Matt Reeves movies. Every generation of Batman movie heroes has its own version of Alfred. However, the best of these came in Nolan's Dark Knight movies with Michael Caine.

Caine's Alfred was more actively involved in the action than any previous version, and even more so than the later versions as well. He delivered some great lines, such as when he said, "Some men just want to watch the world burn." He was also the one Alfred who tried to keep Bruce Wayne grounded when the stakes got too large to control. His dream of seeing Batman with a wife was a perfect bookend to the movie trilogy.

Yondu (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)

In the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Yondu and his Ravagers were antagonists who ended up helping Star-Lord and his new allies when the need arose. However, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Yondu became so much more important. He isn't a member of the Guardians, but his character's story arc was more important than almost anyone in that sequel other than Star-Lord. He even stole the show from Star-Lord by the end.

Yondu's dreams of regaining the respect of the Ravagers are as important as Star-Lord learning about his father and the reason for his mother's death. Yondu had the best lines, including "I'm Mary Poppins, y'all," which itself became an internet meme. When he told Star-Lord that Ego was his father, but "he wasn't your daddy," it was one of the most heartbreaking moments in any of the MCU movies.

Happy Hogan (Iron Man)

Jon Favreau directed the first two Iron Man movies, so it should come as no surprise that he also played a major character in the films. Favreau played Happy Hogan, Tony Stark's head of security and bodyguard. He not only appeared in the three Iron Man movies, but he also made appearances in a total of eight MCU movies, with his most recent coming in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Happy Hogan was such a scene stealer that it made sense that he would get bigger roles away from Iron Man, including his fantastic appearances in the Spider-Man movies as the man expected to keep Peter Parker safe and under control. Happy struggling in a fight against one man while Black Widow destroyed everyone else was a perfect example, and his attempts to protect Ned Leeds and MJ in Spider-Man: Far From Home show why his character remains a fan favorite.

Korg (Thor: Ragnarok)

Much like how Jon Favreau directed the first two Iron Man movies and made himself into a beloved character, Taika Waititi did the same thing when he directed Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love & Thunder. Unlike Favreau, who was recognizable as Happy Hogan, Waititi voiced the alien character of Korg in the MCU. Korg was supposed to be a minor character, but Chris Hemsworth asked for him to be in more scenes because of the humor Korg brought.

Waititi was nominated for an MTV Movie & TV Award for Scene Stealer and a Teen Choice Award for Best Scene Stealer for the role. Korg ended up so popular that he also returned for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, where he appeared in the Fortnite scene with Thor, another meme-worthy scene.

Shuri (Black Panther)

When Shuri (Letitia Wright) made her debut in the first Black Panther movie, she was meant to be a sidekick and the person responsible for equipping her brother, T'Challa, with the equipment he used to fight as a superhero. However, what happened was that Shuri ended up stealing every scene she was in, and she often upstaged the great Chadwick Boseman when they appeared on-screen together.

Black Panther ended up as one of the MCU's top critically acclaimed movies, sitting at 96% from critics, who called Shuri the next Marvel breakout character. The fact that Shuri stole every scene she was in worked out well because she was able to slide into the lead role after Boseman's tragic passing.

Wong (Doctor Strange)

The MCU made some considerable changes to Wong when adapting the Marvel Comics character to the big screen. What resulted was something much more important, as Wong in the comics was little more than a butler and assistant to Doctor Strange. In the movies, he was just as powerful a magic-user as Strange, and Wong even became the new Sorcerer Supreme because Strange was snapped, a role he kept when Strange returned.

Benedict Wong's portrayal of Wong was even bigger in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where he was the real hero of the movie. Even when he appeared in the Disney+ series She-Hulk, Wong still stole every scene he was in, especially when he appeared alongside another breakout character, Madisynn King (Patty Guggenheim), where their scenes made some want an MCU show with them in the lead.

Ned Leeds (Spider-Man Franchise)

Ned Leeds has the same role in the Spider-Man movies that Luis does in the Ant-Man movies, but on a much higher level. In both movies, the supporting characters are best friends with the main heroes and know their secret identities. However, while Luis was often helping Ant-Man with his missions, Ned took the self-professed role as Spider-Man's "guy in the chair." He wanted to help lead Spider-Man in the right direction.

The scene where Ned learned Peter was Spider-Man and dropped his prized LEGO Death Star, breaking it apart, was a masterwork scene. In the reviews for Spider-Man: Homecoming, critics called Jacob Batalon the "scene stealer" from the film, and his role only increased in the next two Spider-Man movies. Ned ended up as the best sidekick character in any MCU movie, something that will be missed in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Mister Terrific (Superman)

In James Gunn's Superman reboot for the DCU, he introduced a group of misfit heroes called the Justice Gang. While the biggest draw for this movie was Superman and Lex Luthor, it was one of the three Justice Gang members who stole every scene they were in. While Nathan Fillion received praise for his arrogance as Guy Gardner, it was Edi Gathegi's Mister Terrific that stole the entire movie away from even Superman himself.

The Mister Terrific one-shot beach takedown of Luthor's goons with only his T-Spheres showed how powerful he was. Critics who praised the film universally praised Gathegi's performance, calling him a scene stealer, and even leading James Gunn to consider a Mister Terrific spin-off series. Whatever happens, Mister Terrific stole the show in Superman and will surely be back for more.