MCU Characters Who Need Solo Films

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with fascinating characters, both human and alien. Ever since the franchise found success right out of the gate with 2008's "Iron Man," MCU showrunner Kevin Feige has been steadily expanding the reach of the series across different timelines, cultures, and genres. 

As a result, while competing franchises struggle to come up with more than one interesting lead character, the MCU has an overabundance of them. From the Asgardian deities who Thor grew up with, to the masters of the mystic arts who taught Doctor Strange everything he knows, to the ordinary men and women of Earth who struggle daily to deal with the existence of gods and aliens, there is no shortage of fascinating characters for the MCU to focus on.

With the recent spate of Disney+ MCU shows, many notable supporting characters from previous movies are finally getting their deserved spot in the limelight. But there are still many fascinating characters remaining that fans would love to learn out more about. Here are 14 such characters, those who next deserve to get their own MCU solo movie.     

If you only think of Odin as Thor's nagging dad, you need to re-read your Norse mythology. The MCU's Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is a comic book version of the Nordic deity, even though the comics and movies take plenty of liberties with the source material. The Odin that we see in Marvel was actually the head of a powerful alien species who came to Earth many centuries in the past and inspired the mythology of the time with his might.

In the very first "Thor" movie, Odin reminds him who the boss is when he takes Thor's mighty hammer, strips his son of his power, and tosses him through a dimensional barrier onto Earth. This was but a tiny glimpse of the true power Odin wields. Later movies shed further light on the character's history, revealing that he had been a galactic conqueror without equal before he renounced violence and decided to walk a more peaceful path. 

It is this violent backstory, and Odin's eventual turning away from that path, that would make for a very compelling solo movie. We would also get to see more of the delightfully evil Hela (Cate Blanchett), Odin's firstborn who is called the Goddess of Death. Odin and Hela conquered the universe together, until Odin betrayed Hela and buried all evidence of her existence. Now that is some juicy family drama to explore in a film.  

Paul Rudd's Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man) is generally considered to be the MCU's resident teddy bear. Everyone likes Scott. With his affable nature and cool shrinking and growing powers, Ant-Man is a useful guy to have on any superhero team's roster. But behind all that laughter and bonhomie lies the secret of another, darker Ant-Man who predates the Avengers themselves. 

As we saw in the first "Ant-Man" film, Scott was given the shrinking technology by its creator, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). It was later explained that Hank used the tech when he was in his prime to act an undercover agent for the government alongside his wife Janet (Michelle Pfeffer).   

From the brief glimpses into the past that have been shown, Hank's career as Ant-Man appears to have been a fascinating one. It was also tinged with tragedy, as Hank was unable to save his wife when a mission went awry. As a result, Hank grew increasingly distant from his daughter Hope, becoming a bitter recluse. It would be interesting to see a complete movie about the original Ant-Man and his allies, as well as the toll that Janet's disappearance took on the Pym family, and the broader field of super heroics when the existence of metahumans was still considered a closely-guarded secret.  

The MCU is often criticized for its lack of compelling villains. But such a charge cannot be levelled against "Black Panther." The movie gave us two very compelling new villains. Rival tribe leader Lord M'Baku (Winston Duke), who later turned into an ally, and Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan).

Aside from a charismatic performance by Jordan, what makes Killmonger so interesting is that a lot of his motivations are quite sympathetic. So much so that despite his death, Killmonger actually ended up changing King T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) mind. That happened because T'Challa knew that Killmonger's past trauma was to a large extent the result of his father's actions, and the consequences of those actions.   

A solo Killmonger film would be like a grittier version of "Black Panther," where the titular character is forced to witness violence at a young age, spending his childhood training to become the ultimate assassin while plotting to take over Wakanda. It could be something akin to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" but even more brutal. It would also allow Jordan – one of the finest actors of his generation — to return to the MCU in a role that has become one of its most memorable.     

In a franchise filled with godlike beings and ridiculously overpowered humans, Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) remains a delightful oddity. Introduced briefly in "Iron Man 3," Trevor is a perfectly ordinary person who had the misfortune of getting an acting job pretending to be the supervillain Mandarin. 

Now that the real Mandarin is set to make his debut in the MCU in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," Trevor can be brought back into the franchise in a different capacity. Despite his limited screen time, Kingsley's masterful acting was able to turn Trevor into a character that audiences wanted to see more of, and it would be interesting to see how he has been dealing with the planet being overrun by all manners of scary beings. 

If filmmaker Taika Waititi of "Thor: Ragnarok" fame were to use his quirky sensibilities to make a solo MCU movie starring Trevor, it could be the funniest thing the comic book movie genre has ever seen. Also, Kingsley is an Oscar-winning actor who doesn't get to do comedy nearly enough. Considering how much fun he had with playing Trevor the first time around, Kingsley headlining his own solo Marvel film could offer a new path for the MCU to focus on more relatable, ordinary characters.  

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" was about Sam Wilson struggling to reconcile his identity as an African-American man with the legacy of Captain America that Steve Rogers had bestowed upon him at the end of "Avengers: Endgame." Sam's journey was further complicated once he was introduced to Isaiah Bradley, the first Black Captain America whose legacy had been erased.

Bradley was a Korean war veteran who had been injected with the same super soldier serum given to Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Despite a string of successful missions against HYDRA forces, including one where he managed to severely injure the Winter Soldier, Bradley's contributions were kept hidden from the public due to his racial identity. In the end, Bradley had to fake his own death and go into hiding to stop the government experimenting on him so he could live in peace. 

While "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" showed Bradley finally getting recognition for his services, it would be interesting to see a solo movie about his youth as the first Black Captain America. The identity of Cap has always been inextricably connected with the identity of America itself, and it could be a fascinating, albeit sobering exploration of  perceptions of that identity if an African-American man had been wielding the iconic shield back in the '70s and '80s.   

For the longest time, the mere mention of the name "Thanos" was enough to instill fear in the hearts of characters in the MCU. When the character entered the spotlight in "Avengers: Infinity War," he proved to be every bit as menacing as he had been hyped up to be. But despite the spotlight he received in "Infinity War" and "Endgame," audiences still know only a fraction of his story. 

Born on the planet Titan, Thanos in his youth was known for his intelligence. That notoriety soon turned to infamy as Thanos began suggesting the need to kill off half the population of Titan to save the rest from depleting its resources. Dubbed the "Mad Titan," Thanos was exiled from his planet. But his predictions came to pass when Titan did indeed fall and its species went extinct.

Convinced that the same fate awaited every other planet unless half their populations were culled, Thanos embarked on a cosmic mission of eradicating half of all life. By the time of "Infinity War," the Mad Titan was no longer bloodlusted like he had once been. He had seen too much death and pain to be angry anymore, and had instead become weary and resigned to his fate as the being that everyone insisted on seeing as a villain. A solo movie showcasing Thanos' journey from scientist to the Mad Titan, to warlord, to eventually a world-weary philosopher would be fascinating to watch.   

Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) aka the original Wasp has possibly the most interesting personal journey out of the entire roster of MCU superheroes. Suffice it to say that becoming a superhero was one of the less interesting parts of that journey. And Janet's journey is far from over if the quantum realm is destined to play as important a part in the MCU as is being predicted.

Before the Avengers were a thing, Janet and her husband worked as secret superheroes in service of the government. During an ill-fated mission, Janet was lost in a microscopic world known as the quantum realm. Janet stayed in that realm for a long, long time, depending on her skills to survive. Over time, her physiology changed to adapt to her environment. By the time Hank and his allies finally rescued Janet from the quantum realm, she had developed superpowers.

This method of developing superpowers through adaptation rather than accident or technology/magic closely resembles the evolution of mutants in Marvel Comics. So is Janet being set up as the first official mutant in the MCU, who can pass on those abilities to others and influence the creation of the X-Men? Only time will tell if such a thing comes to pass, but for now, we want to see a solo movie about Janet surviving in the quantum realm on her own and learning to handle her new powers.       

Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) was an ordinary blue collar worker until the day his company was ousted from the workforce by Tony Stark's company. Angry at this new world where superheroes ruled the roost and ordinary people were left to clean up their messes, Toomes vowed to level the playing field by becoming the Vulture. 

What makes Toomes such a fascinating character is that he is not a full-fledged villain. He has a conscience, and he wants to provide for his family. But he is also perfectly willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. The MCU needs more of such morally grey instead of black-or-white characters. 

Judging by his appearance in the trailer for "Morbius," Toomes still has a role to play, possibly as a member of the Sinister Six. Since we are already aware of his backstory, it would be interesting to see where Toomes is now, and how he is dealing with a world where superhuman beings have only grown in prominence.

It can be hard to stand out in the MCU if you are not ridiculously buff, oozing. flashy superpowers and an interesting backstory. It is a testament to how well Randall Park plays secret agent Jimmy Woo in the MCU that he has become one of the most popular characters in the franchise despite having little backstory, always being modestly dressed, and with no special powers beyond a pretty nifty card trick. 

What makes Woo such an endearing character is that he seems like a genuinely nice guy, one who can look at a world of sorcerers and aliens and focus on the need to save lives rather than sit in judgement of what is going on around him. It also doesn't hurt that Park has crackling chemistry with all his co-stars, and manages to elevate every scene he is in with modest, self-effacing charm.

After Woo's popularity touched new heights with "WandaVision," fans are clamoring for a spinoff series featuring Woo and Darcy researching supernatural cases together. But a movie with the same premise would perhaps be a better fit, something along the lines of "Men in Black," but for superheroes.

Despite being one of the newest entries in the MCU, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has quickly established himself as one of the most important players in the franchise. So imagine how important and powerful the person who taught Strange everything he knows would be.

That person is The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who teaches a select group of warriors the ways of the mystic arts. The first "Doctor Strange" movie showed The Ancient One as a complex person, who has lied to her followers in the past to suit her needs. "Avengers: Endgame" showed her as having vast knowledge of the infinity stones and the nature of the universe itself. That is more than enough material already for a compelling solo movie about The Ancient One exploring her origins and responsibilities as the keeper of the Time Stone. 

More importantly, a solo movie would allow Marvel to address some of the backlash they received for casting Swinton in a role that many say should have gone to an Asian actor. Perhaps the solo film could show that Swinton's character was instructed by Asian teachers as a way to honor the legacy of The Ancient One from the comics as a prominent Asian Marvel Comics character. 

Ravager chief and Peter Quill's foster father Yondu Udonta is one of the most no-nonsense characters in the MCU. As a space pirate, Yondu has travelled extensively across the universe making plenty of friends and enemies along the way, which would make for a pretty compelling solo film. 

A solo movie would also allow us a close look at the world of the Ravagers, and the intricate code of honor that seems to exist between them. Imagine "Pirates of the Caribbean," but the whole thing is set in space. We could also get a backstory for one of the coolest and most unique weapons in fiction, the whistle-controlled arrow that Yondu uses to take out waves of enemies single-handedly. 

Much like Marvel Comics, the MCU would be a more interesting place if it had a few anti-heroes in the mix, characters that are willing to do the wrong thing for the right reasons sometimes, like the Punisher or Wolverine. Yondu could fill that role quite well in a solo outing, and fans could also finally stop clamoring for James Gunn to bring the character back from the dead.  

While most other main MCU characters became superheroes by accident or design, T'Challa aka Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) was born into the role. Raised as the prince of Wakanda, T'Challa always knew he would someday becomes his kingdom's protector. But before T'Challa took over the mantle, his father T'Chaka (John Kani) was the Black Panther. 

Unfortunately, T'Chaka's reign as the superhero was not always a clean one. Upon learning that his brother N'Jobu had been supplying Wakandan secrets to the outside world, T'Chaka felt honor-bound to arrest his brother for treason. Following a scuffle, T'Chaka took his own brother's life. What was worse, he abandoned N'Jobu's son, who grew up to become Erik Killmonger.

This sordid past was in sharp contrast to the shining exterior that T'Chaka was forced to display in front of his public. A solo movie exploring T'Chaka's life as Black Panther and his guilt over taking his own brother's life would be a welcome addition to the "Black Panther" series, while casting a new light on the politics and values of the nation of Wakanda. 

"Thor: Raganarok" is still the most pleasantly off-the-wall entry in the MCU. Filmmaker Taika Waititi threw all the fat out of Thor's mythology and turned his adventures into a "Flash Gordon/Star Wars" pastiche that was as funny as it was heartwarming. One of the best things about the film was The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), and a solo movie for the character feels like a no-brainer.

In the comics, The Grandmaster is one of the oldest beings in the universe, along with being one of the most staggeringly powerful ones. The MCU version of the character is a bit toned down, but is still an important galactic player. No other MCU actor seems to have as much fun playing a character as Goldblum does with his, and it would be a shame to waste that energy. 

A solo Grandmaster movie could tap into the truly cosmic side of the MCU. Just like in the comics, we could see the Grandmaster making deals with the most powerful brings in the universe like The Living Tribunal, and playing games of chances with epic stakes and galactic consequences, all the while displaying that unique "Goldblum" energy that makes the character endlessly watchable.   

The recent spate of MCU Disney+ shows have put a well-deserved spotlight on supporting characters of the franchise with fascinating personal journeys. The shows have also introduced a host of interesting new characters, and easily the most popular of the lot is Agnes aka Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) from "WandaVision."

We already know quite a bit about Agatha. She was alive during the Salem Witch Trials. She is a witch who hunts down magical beings to absorb their energy. And she can sing a song that everyone loves, even when she is singing about killing a puppy. Hahn's inherent likability as Agatha makes it hard to see her as a full-on villain, but with the right solo movie, the MCU could turn her into a compelling anti-hero that audiences cheer for despite her questionable methods. 

We want to see Agatha's long, long journey as a magical being hunted by other magical beings, who hunts them in return. It would also be interesting to see where Agnes was during past major MCU events, and whether she had a bigger role in the history of the franchise than audiences are currently aware of. Most importantly, we could get a follow-up single to "Agatha All Along," maybe this time with Agatha singing about kicking a kitten off a roof or something.