As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, it's inevitable that some characters will fall by the wayside. Marvel Studios does occasionally surprise us with a shock return, of course, and The Leader's role in Captain America: Brave New World is a good example.
The execution there was deeply flawed, but the point is that it's never too late for any forgotten heroes, villains, or supporting players.
In this feature, we're taking a look at 10 forgotten and underutilised characters, ranging from fan-favourites introduced during the Infinity Saga to a few more recent examples. We also explore how and when they might make their respective MCU comebacks.
You can see who we've singled out by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
10. Moon Knight
Moon Knight was a little chaotic (fitting given its lead), but there was a lot to love about the Disney+ series. Oscar Isaac was clear from the start that he'd only signed up for those six episodes, and we're still no closer to knowing when and if he'll return as the multi-faceted vigilante.
Marvel Studios could have linked Moon Knight's story to Kang Variant Rama-Tut. However, it might be for the best that the series didn't, seeing as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is no longer happening.
With any luck, the Fist of Khonshu will be a major player in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Unfortunately, neither of them feels like the best possible place to pick up with that big Jake Lockley cliffhanger.
9. Nova Prime
Convincing Glenn Close to join the MCU proved to be a big win for filmmaker James Gunn when he cast Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel Studios.
Her role as Nova Prime was minor, but still crucial to how the story played out. Richard Rider was M.I.A., but the existence of the Nova Corps proved to be more than enough to leave fans chomping at the bit for their MCU future.
Unfortunately, Thanos decimated them off-camera in Avengers: Infinity War, so we can only assume Nova Prime was among the fallen. Marvel Studios has never bothered to address what became of the interplanetary police force, and the Nova TV series has been put on pause.
8. Aaron Davis
Atlanta star Donald Glover is one of the biggest talents working today, and even those who quickly forgot about Solo: A Star Wars Story agreed that his take on Lando Calrissian was a highlight.
Bringing the actor into the MCU was a huge deal, but as Aaron Davis (Miles Morales' uncle and the vigilante known as Prowler), he brought surprisingly little to the table in Spider-Man: Homecoming. A funny exchange with the inexperienced wall-crawler followed, as did a throwaway mention of Aaron's nephew.
What felt like a perfect way to introduce Prowler and/or Miles in the sequel was completely overlooked, which was no great surprise when Peter Parker went from protecting Queen to Europe and then the Multiverse. Perhaps Spider-Man: Brand new Day will make this right?
7. Justin Hammer
Sam Rockwell was terrific as the villainous Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2. After creating War Machine, Tony Stark's hapless business rival got what was coming to him and ended up in the same prison as Trevor Slattery. As far as we know, that's where he remains.
Had Armor Wars happened, we have to believe Hammer would have been front and centre. We're a little shocked that he won't be in Ironheart, but with Riri Williams having no real connections to Tony Stark, perhaps it's not that shocking.
Rockwell has also shown his willingness to play Hammer as he's reprised the role for What If...? on more than one occasion now. Alas, this character remains on the shelf and doesn't look to be a priority for Marvel Studios as we write this.
6. Dr. Selvig
In the early days of the MCU, Dr. Erik Selvig was a major part of how the stories in this shared world unfolded. He was in Thor, then The Avengers. The scientist was crucial to Thor: The Dark World,'s plot too, and even showed up in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Avengers: Endgame confirmed he was among those Thanos snapped out of existence, but that means he eventually came back with everyone else. In fact, Erik made a brief appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder, so at least we know he's still alive!
That wasn't overly satisfying, though, and we'd like to see Selvig once again helping out Earth's Mightiest Heroes. With the Multiverse now in play, that may well happen as soon as the next time they assemble. Here's hoping, anyway (and let's get some of that Andor energy while we're at it).
5. Mitchell Carson
Once a major player in S.H.I.E.L.D., it was later revealed that Mitchell Carson was yet another undercover HYDRA operative. That was why we saw him in Ant-Man attempting to acquire the Yellowjacket armour.
That plan failed, but he made it out of Darren Cross' building alive to fight another day. He didn't leave completely empty-handed, however, as his briefcase was full of Pym Particles. There's a lot that could be done with those vials, but there's been no sign of him since.
Seeing as Ant-Man and The Wasp's mysterious Benefactor was also never identified, there's a chance this dangling plot thread will be tied into another story somewhere down the line. We're not banking on it after Quantumania underwhelmed, though.
4. Dr. Cho
With the Chinese box office becoming increasingly important, many film studios in the mid-2010s realised that embracing the Middle Kingdom might increase their chance of success in the country.
Iron Man 3 included scenes specifically shot for China, though many filmgoers there took umbrage with the way they were presented. Despite that, Avengers: Age of Ultron still prominently featured South Korean starlet Claudia Kim, an actress who is a big star in Asia.
As Dr. Helen Cho, she played a crucial role in how the sequel panned out. Despite being attacked by Ultron, Cho later joined the staff of the New Avengers Facility...and hasn't been seen since. Perhaps Vision would be a good fit for her?
3. Rhomann Dey
It's all too easy to forget just how impressive Guardians of the Galaxy's cast was, with John C. Reilly another big name we never expected to see in the MCU. As Rhomann Dey, he made a lasting impact and added even more heart to a film packed full of it.
Like Nova Prime, he's been missing in action since 2014; having him cross paths with the team again in Vol. 2 would have been easy enough. Unfortunately, we're again left to assume that both he and his family were victims of Thanos when the Mad Titan attacked Xandar.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 came and went without a mention of Dey or the Nova Corps, but when the team next assembles, we'd love to see him return. Nova would have been a logical place to bring him back, but as noted, that isn't looking likely right now.
2. Dr. Leonard Samson
Ty Burrell became a huge star after starring in The Incredible Hulk thanks to Modern Family, but Marvel Studios still failed to bring the actor back to the MCU as Dr. Leonard Samson.
That's a weird decision, and this psychiatrist could have fit into any number of films. For starters, we'd have liked to see him return as the shrink Tony Stark was speaking to at the end of Iron Man 3, albeit transformed into his heroic alter ego as Doc Samson in place of Bruce Banner.
It seems Marvel never had any serious plans for Samson, with his inclusion being little more than an Easter Egg for fans. It's no wonder, then, that he ended up being forgotten, and it was a missed trick not to give him another shot in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
1. Mac Gargan
The Spider-Man franchise has become known for having largely pointless post-credits scenes, with J. Jonah Jameson outing the web-slinger's secret identity to the world arguably the only exception (those Venom team-ups never came to fruition).
At the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Vulture is sent to prison and crosses paths with Mac Gargan. The gangster appears to be planning something and is eager to learn Spidey's secret identity. Despite that, he's yet to suit up as The Scorpion.
This plot thread feels largely pointless now that the world no longer remembers Peter Parker, unless Adrian Toomes' visit to Morbius' world made him immune to Doctor Strange's spell? Honestly, we'd bet on Marvel Studios just ignoring all of that.