This took ages

All 154 characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranked

Ali Gray

25th April 2018



Aaron Davis

As played by: Donald Glover
First seen in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)


Never underestimate the power of having someone demonstrably cool wander onto the set of your movie and then waltz right off again. Donald Glover is an Actual Proper Star so his role as low-level crook Aaron Davis would be a bit of a mystery were it not for the inescapable truth that Glover is charisma personified - and a full-blown Spider-Fan. His scene with Spidey in Intimidation Mode is the funniest in the movie (“I’m not a girl, I’m a boy!”) and it’s all because Glover refuses to be ruffled, perhaps because he’s aware the ice cream in his trunk is melting.


Kraglin

As played by: Sean Gunn
First seen in: Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)


Sean Gunn is the Clint Howard of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because he’s the good luck charm of his director brother James. Of his two jobs, only Kraglin allows him to show his face (the other is the on-set stand-in for Rocket Raccoon) and although it’s a minor role, not particularly functional outside of exposition, it has at least shown growth over the two volumes of Guardians movies. He’s no Yondu and he can’t even whistle, but even Clint Howard has his moments.


Suit Lady aka Karen

As played by: Jennifer Connelly
First seen in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)


It figures that Spidey’s suit would have its own Siri, as per the entire Iron Man wardrobe, and I was surprised to find that Jennifer Connolly provided the voice for Karen aka “Suit Lady” - a nice bit of symmetry as her husband, Paul Bettany, voiced Stark’s Jarvis. One well-timed line sells Karen as a worthwhile AI, when Spidey finds himself in a familiar pose, upside down in front of his crush: “This is your chance, Peter. Kiss her.” Shades of Cyrano.


Christine Everheart

As played by: Leslie Bibb
First seen in: Iron Man (2008)


Poor old Christine: she flew too close to Tony Stark's penis and she got burned. Dragged endlessly by Stark ("I'm doing a piece for Vanity Fair") and Pepper Potts ("I do anything Mr Stark requires, including taking out the trash") for trying to do her job and just maybe fall in love, it's a wonder Everheart doesn't slit her fucking wrists the amount she gets dunked on. Build a cinematic universe on that, Tony, you misogynist piece of shit.


Carina

As played by: Ophelia Lovibond
First seen in: Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)


Props to a character who sees what she wants and makes a move to get shit done. Carina, it says here, is the pliant servant of The Collector, until she isn't: someone gets Infinity Stone envy and makes a grab for the Power gem, incinerating herself in the process. You know what, Rebel Girl? You made a move. You took the stage. You died, but your scorch marks will take ages to wash out of the Collector's carpet. If only Thanos had as much drive and ambition as you.


Baron Karl Mordo

As played by: Chiwetel Ejiofor
First seen in: Doctor Strange (2016)


A bad guy who isn't even really a bad guy until the movie is basically already over. In terms of character names, I get a kick out of the disparity between 'Karl', a Christian name only plumbers have, and 'Mordo', definitely a carnival psychic with ties to the mob - throw in a 'Baron' and you've got a character who's unfortunately not half as interesting as he sounds.


Herman Schulz aka The Shocker #2

As played by: Bokeem Woodbine
First seen in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)


I’m giving this guy props but really only because the actor’s real name is ‘Bokeem Woodbine’ which is easily a way better supervillain name than ‘The Shocker’, and without the whole "finger up the ass" association. I quite enjoyed the subtle yellow and black patches of his costume, hinting towards his comic-book character counterpart, but mostly it was the punching of the things.


Zuri/James

As played by: Denzel Whitaker, Forest Whitaker
First seen in: Black Panther (2018)


Maybe the defining voice in Black Panther, but only literally; if you didn't leave the cinema talking about "da powers of da Bleck Penther" then you were watching the wrong movie. The key to any character death is feeling like a connection to that person has been severed, and even though Zuri is a supporting role in Black Panther, Ryan Coogler gave him enough screen time and Forest Whitaker gave him enough presence so it felt like his murder actually meant something - thanks to those early flashbacks, and the James/Zuri twist, it felt like we'd known him for years. (Confusingly, Denzel and Forest Whitaker are not related).


Taserface

As played by: Chris Sullivan
First seen in: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)


Taserface breaks the top 100, not because he's a particularly fun or memorable character, but because he is an example of the MCU having at least a small amount of self-awareness. How many other characters, without stupid names like 'Taserface' ("IT'S METAPHORICAL!"), do we give a free pass, despite the fact they have all sorts of sub-Klingon plasticene shit stuck on their forehead? Besides, is 'Taserface' really that much worse of a name than 'Star-Lord'? I mean, yes, obviously it is, but I'm just making conversation here.


Maya Hansen

As played by: Rebecca Hall
First seen in: Iron Man 3 (2013)


There are few lists of mine that wouldn't feature Rebecca Hall in some capacity, IF YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING, but she earns her spot here by virtue of an interesting character - a kind of alternate universe Pepper Potts, with not so much of the goody two-shoes attitude and eye-rolling. Unfortunately we don't really get a proper chance to say goodbye to Maya Hansen, because the movie snuffs her out with little fanfare. We don't really get to find out what makes her tick, but she makes an adequate impression all the same - not many people leave Tony Stark speechless.


Ego the Living Planet

As played by: Kurt Russell
First seen in: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)


There's something wonderful when you discover that actors who usually play cool, arrogant types can also play sleazy very well, because there's a fine line between the two - and so it is with Kurt Russell, and his planet-sized ego. Not only does Russell represent some on-point casting - an 80s icon as the dad of a kid obsessed with the 80s - but he gives some real dickish swagger to Peter Quill's dad and does that brilliant Kurt Russell thing where he tries to convince you of his ways by smiling smarm at you. Less of the giant floating CG head stuff would have been nice, though.


Wong

As played by: Benedict Wong
First seen in: Doctor Strange (2016)


I will never, ever get over how much I want to chub the cheeks on Benedict Wong's perfectly round head. Publicists: it'll make great viral content! Wong is not just the guardian of the Kamar-Taj library in Doctor Strange, he's also an able supporting character and he shows curiosity and an appetite for learning about pop stars of the new millennium. At one point, he's seen listening to Beyonce. I wonder which Marvel characters listen to Taylor Swift? All the villains, I bet.


Miek

As played by: N/A
First seen in: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)


An entirely weird creation seemingly made of jellyfish and knives, Miek is the kind of character that Guillermo del Toro probbaly doodles while on the phone. He's the dark horse of Thor: Ragnarok - if he could talk, I bet he could tell some stories. Really though, he's another highly silly character in an already ridiculous movie, whose entire being - thousands and thousands of man-hours spent rendering his roundhouse kicks - basically amounts to a punchline. But it's the last gag of the movie! What an amazing accolade.


Ho Yinsen

As played by: Shaun Toub
First seen in: Iron Man (2008)


A Very Nice Man who does a Very Nice Thing by giving up his life so that Tony Stark may live. So really, it was Yinsen who defeated the Chitauri, Ultron and Thanos. He is the Marvel equivalent of the gunners on the Star Destroyer that fail to destroy C3PO and R2-D2 in the escape pod. It's all Yinsen. He scores extra pity points for his callback in Iron Man 3 when his death is used as a gag. Heyo!


Harley Kenner

As played by: Ty Simpkins
First seen in: Iron Man 3 (2013)


Breaking the unspoken rule that says any small child in a movie who engages in witty back-and-forths with adult characters must be horrendously annoying, little Harley Kenner is a sweet spot at the centre of Iron Man 3. In truth Harley's scenes are fun mostly because of Tony's flat-out refusal to provide sympathy ("Dads leave, no need to be a pussy about it") but Ty Simpkins underplays all his dialogue and the - hold your nose, I'm going to say it - banter between them is very funny indeed. It's almost like... they're connected.


Alexander Pierce

As played by: Robert Redford
First seen in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)


You could tell The Winter Soldier was going for a serious 70s political thriller vibe when it cast Robert Redford as the shady antagonist-in-waiting, and they didn't even give him a name like Jonathan Warmonger. Landing Redford was a major coup for the Russos because his presence more than any other element of the movie lent it that stern and serious tone they were aiming for. Honestly, I was waiting for Alexander Pierce to tear off his skin to reveal himself as the Red Skull, but on balance, it's probably best that didn't happen.


Mr. Harrington

As played by: Martin Starr
First seen in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)


Martin Starr is one of the only people to ever play two different roles in the Marvel universe. He first popped up as some unnamed computer whiz in The Incredible Hulk, but a) no one cares about The Incredible Hulk, and b) he redeems himself here with one line. As teacher Mr Harrington, he quietly contemplates losing a child on a school trip: "Not again."


King T'Chaka

As played by: John Kani
First seen in: Black Panther (2018)


For the character of T'Challa to work, he has to have a palpable connection to his father and his lineage, and those foundations are set in Civil War, with John Kani playing the outgoing King of Wakanda. There's some real quiet dignity to the scenes the pair share, both there and in Black Panther, because Kani doesn't really feel much like a movie star playing a role - I guess that's a quality some actors spend a lifetime trying to achieve. Can he kick it? T'Chaka can.


Agent Maria Hill

As played by: Cobie Smulders
First seen in: Avengers Assemble (2012)


Let’s talk about Agent Maria Hill. She’s deemed important enough to get a first name, and the first action scene of Avengers Assemble, and presumably her own action figure and female fan club. Why, then, is she lumbered with such stank-covered lines as "We have multiple bogies converging on our starboard flank," and "Sir! The Hulk will tear this place apart!" Hill remains a character of potential, but so far she's mostly been used as an exposition vehicle. Save Maria Hill. Give her a spin-off.


Everett Ross

As played by: Martin Freeman
First seen in: Black Panther (2018)


Martin Freeman's ongoing involvement in the MCU signals that it's time to move past the incongruous appearance of actors known for better things and just accept that one day the Marvel machine will consume all, even Tim from The Office. Despite his extended role in Black Panther, I'm still not sure exactly what Everett Ross is for, apart from exposition and being proved wrong at every available turn by whichever Avenger is closest, but Freeman has a natural charm that's slowly finding its way to the surface. The next few movies will have to convince me he's not just Agent Coulson with a replaceable head.


Taneleer Tivan aka The Collector

As played by: Benecio del Toro
First seen in: Thor: The Dark World (2013)


I am very much down with the idea of giving Benecio Del Toro lots of money and carte blanche to come up with a right old fucking weirdo you can parachute into the middle of your space movie. Embracing a white bouff and black lipstick and stopping just short of a comedy limp and lisp, The Collector is a character all right; a little bolt of lightning in a bottle that sparks the first Guardians back to life again. Fun fact: The Collector is the brother of Thor's nemesis The Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum. I'd write the damn crossover movie myself if I hadn't already committed to the rest of this infernal bloody feature,


Kaecilius

As played by: Mads Mikkelsen
First seen in: Doctor Strange (2016)


Doctor Strange's cast is full of actors slumming it in second gear, but at least Mads Mikkelsen’s mystical bad guy looks the part. Though his villainous aims are too diffuse - something about opening a portal to an ancient evil yada yada stop me if you’ve foiled this plan before - Kaecilius looks like an absolute fucking wreck of a man, wearing the kind of sub-Winkleman eye makeup usually seen on a burned-out Glastonbury crustie who’s just crawled out of a four-day-wide K-hole to find that he missed the Orbital set while passed out face-down in the Healing Fields.


Surtur

As played by: Clancy Brown
First seen in: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)


Surtur is a good example of how Marvel can have their cake and eat it. He's introduced in the first scene of Thor: Ragnarok as a throwaway comedy villain (petulant line reading of choice: "It's a crown") but come the close of the movie he fulfills all that early monologuey bluster and starts fucking up shit on a planetary level with a big fiery sword. Get you a villain that can do both: cheap laughs in the throne room, end of days on the battlefield.


Nakia

As played by: Lupita Nyong'o
First seen in: Black Panther (2018)


Embodying the highly meaningless 'strong female character' archetype, Nakia is positioned as an equal to King T'Challa: an unconventional partner, but a Queen in waiting. However, I think Black Panther is too geared around the exploits of its King to give proper service to its Queen - apart from that impressive opening raid, and the cool closing fight sequences where she tools up and fights the Killmonger clan, I'm drawing a blank as to what Nakia does in between. Really, when you under-use Lupita, you're doing everyone a disservice.


Security Guard

As played by: Harry Dean Stanton
First seen in: Avengers Assemble (2012)


I miss Harry Dean Stanton. I miss knowing he'll never turn up in random movies, smoking, instantly making them 1000% cooler. I still cringe when I think back to when he died in 2017 and everyone reported the news as 'Avengers star Harry Dean Stanton dies', like the movie with the biggest box-office return was the one that defined him. Maybe I'm being elitist, because he's brilliant in his micro-role as a security guard who stumbles upon the site of a recent Hulkpocalypse and offers an accurate: "Son, you've got a condition". It's not Paris, Texas but it got a laugh, and sometimes that's enough.


Laura Barton

As played by: Linda Cardellini
First seen in: Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)


No other Avenger has been humanised quite so much as Hawkeye was in Age of Ultron, when we meet his wife and his kids and spend time in his quaint country cabin which he can afford somehow. Laura Barton is a functional character in that she exists only to change our perception of our tight-lipped Avenger friend, but Linda Cardellini takes a small role and gives it purpose; the scenes in the Hawkeye homestead are some of the best in the movie. If nothing else, Mrs B gives us a first: a spouse's viewpoint on the action. "Now, you know I totally support your Avenging..." is vintage Joss Whedon.


Ramonda

As played by: Angela Bassett
First seen in: Black Panther (2018)


The matriarch of Black Panther is a statuesque presence throughout the movie: Ramonda is dignified in the face of danger and visibly wounded by the sass of her nephew ("Hey Auntie!") but never anything less than as calm and collected as any Queen should be. Bonus points are scored when the fancy headwear comes off and it's revealed she's rocking a head of white hair - cut to: an alternate X-Men universe where Angela Bassett played Storm in 2000 and killed it, even the one-liners that Halle Berry couldn't stomach.


Aunt May

As played by: Marisa Tomei
First seen in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)


Hey Auntie indeed! Incapable of ageing at a rate recognisable to mortal men, Marisa Tomei is the youngest Aunt May to date by far, but she's also the best - probably because it doesn't feel like she's several generations removed from her nephew. Also in her favour: being of the appropriate age to flirt with Robert Downey Jr, making this an unofficial Only You reunion, and being the first person to drop an F-bomb (or near enough) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


Topaz

As played by: Rachel House
First seen in: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)


One of the greatest gifts Taika Waititi gave to the MCU was that he wasn't afraid to put funny actors in completely inappropriate roles and allow that to be the joke. Rachel House is a 46-year-old Kiwi actress - hardly the first person you'd cast as a staff-wielding space warrior clad in golden armour, but then House always did do a good line in delusion (See Paula Wall: "I'm relentless, I'm like the Terminator"). It's just a blast to have her plonked next to Jeff Goldblum wearing pyjamas, spouting random sass and bloodlust. It doesn't have to make sense.


Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver

As played by: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
First seen in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)


Once you realise Quicksilver looks like Keith Lemon you really can't separate the pair mentally - the hair, the stubble, the hand-bandage, it's too much. Even looking past the innate ITV-ness of Quicksilver, he's hard to warm to - something about the Borat-esque Reeyussian accent and the character's standoffishness make him an Avenger to enjoy at arm's length. Of course, he's one of the few heroes in the MCU to die and stay dead (at the time of writing), but given that it was a toss-up between him and Hawkeye, it feels like the right decision was made. Bang Tidy. I had to Google 'Keith Lemon catchphrases' for this.


General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross

As played by: William Hurt
First seen in: The Incredible Hurt (2008)


Destined to languish in the lower half of the table until a tactical sub in Civil War gave him new relevance, Hulk's General Ross is otherwise your cookie-cutter shouty angry Army guy, who bellows most of his dialogue into a walkie talkie. There's no faulting the actor's commitment - what's the saying? 'Sing until your throat is hurt, dance until your feet hurt, act until you're William Hurt' - but there's little evidence in the MCU that suggests 'Thad' has earned the nickname 'Thunderbolt'. The tache does the heavy lifting.


Reluctant AIM Guard

As played by: Eric Oram
First seen in: Iron Man 3 (2013)


A perfect little comedic vignette, dropped right in the middle of a high-tension action sequence: Shane Black, I love you. Iron Man 3's biggest laugh comes as Stark points his repulsor beam at the last henchman standing, but instead of sticking to his evil guns, he immediately folds in a moment of unparalleled honesty: "Honestly, I hate working here. They are SO weird." That truth bomb lets him keep his life. There's a message to be learned here, henchmen. Practice your one-liners, they could save your soul.


Lady Sif

As played by: Jaime Alexander
First seen in: Thor (2011)


A Lady Viking that made a good case for being Phase 1’s most capable female character (not that there was much competition) until she presumably fell off the side of Asgard’s Rainbow Road and went massive fucking walkabout for the remainder of the MCU, not even getting the courtesy of a death scene in Ragnarok like her male counterparts. She might still be banging around the bowels of the MCU somewhere, but where are you now we need you, Lady Sif?


Eric Savin

As played by: James Badge Dale
First seen in: Iron Man 3 (2013)


James Badge Dale gives great douchebag as an Iron Man heavy who's practically mute: his douchiness does the talking. I'll take him giving Tony shit aboard Air Force One, I'll take him punching holes in walls, but mostly I'll take him louchely and reluctantly holding up his security pass as Happy Hogan correctly eyes him as a suspicious character. I wish all throwaway bodyguards and henchmen were capable of doing so much with so little: therein lies the wonder of Iron Man 3, where there are no small characters.


Mantis

As played by: Pom Klementieff
First seen in: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)


There's something very appealing about the childlike innocence that Pom Klemetieff - say it out loud, it's fun: Pom! - brings to the role of Mantis, especially in a movie where every second dude is trying to position themselves as an alpha. Maybe it's the anime eyes or the cute little antenna, or the way she pronounces the word "doorways" but she lights up every scene she's in and her character gives Volume 2 some emotional depth it probably doesn't deserve.


W'Kabi

As played by: Daniel Kaluuya
First seen in: Black Panther (2018)


Testament to his placing is the fact that W'kabi is neither good guy or bad guy, but a shades of grey guy who is ruled by emotion and led astray - he only loses points because he comes to that realisation after his girlfriend starts giving him shit for it. I like that we have a movie in the MCU that's mature enough to not have characters instantly turn heel if they so much as think against the status quo. W'kabi is a man who is the sum of the choices he makes, and what he lacks in personality he makes up for in stature; Daniel Kaluuya's burning Get Out stare is once again put to good use here.


Michelle aka MJ

As played by: Zendaya
First seen in: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)


The Kirsten Dunst-esque "Go get 'em tiger" variety Mary-Jane was never going to work in this Marvel universe, so enter the new and millennial-approved version, namely Michelle, or MJ to her friends (friends only recently acquired). Zendaya is a girl who is going places and she has impeccable comic timing that's put to good use here, none more so than when she starts messing with Parker ("What are you hiding, Peter... I'm just kidding, I don't care"). Every scene with her is a joy, but then, every scene of Spider-Man: Homecoming is a joy.


Skurge

As played by: Karl Urban
First seen in: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)


Funny from the first Statham-esque syllable, Skurge is the secret weapon of Thor: Ragnarok - a gruff and humourless bruiser who has no idea he's the butt of every joke. It's the straight face and Shakeweight combo that sold it: for a man who's made a living playing miserable bastards, Karl Urban turned out to be exceptional at deadpan comedy. He even gets a redemption come the movie's end. Maybe one day, we'll hear your life story, Skurge.


Obadiah Stane

As played by: Jeff Bridges
First seen in: Iron Man (2008)


Stane is one of the more forgettable villains in the MCU, basically because his supervillain power was "having a really good job" and his entire character arc was "I want to keep my job". Still, you can't overlook the brilliant casting logic of taking The Dude, shaving his head and putting him inside an angry tank. Walter would be proud.


Dr Abraham Erskine

As played by: Stanley Tucci
First seen in: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)


Aka The Good German. It's easy to forget Stanley Tucci was part of the MCU once upon a time, because his contributions are fleeting, but he's a big part of what makes Cap Cap. For starters, he gets that great speech that summaries Cap's whole deal ("A weak man knows the value of strength"), and he's also a secret alcoholic to boot. There's a touch of the Heinz Wolff about him too, which only makes us love him more.


Jane Foster

As played by: Natalie Portman
First seen in: Thor (2011)


A fun and flirty foil for the God of Thunder - I am absolutely in love with how she first pronounces the name "Thor" - Jane Foster was a combo of brains and beauty that was too good to be true. One minute she’s the love of Thor’s life, the next she’s bailed on the franchise, necessitating some (admittedly good) gags about her absence. If Natalie Portman had the stomach for sticking around, we’d absolutely be talking about a possible Jane/Pepper spin-off.


Justin Hammer

As played by: Sam Rockwell
First seen in: Iron Man 2 (2010)


Little dancing tech deviant who occupies that vague space marked 'villain in an Iron Man movie’ despite the fact he’s about five feet tall and not even half as evil as Elon Musk. Last seen in the Marvel ‘One Shot’ kicking it in prison, where he’s probably planning his big comeback tech project which isn’t even half as evil as Twitter.


That Man That Is Playing Galaga

As played by: Warren Kole
First seen in: Avengers Assemble (2012)


What would you do in the face of an impending alien invasion? Be a hero? Or, much more likely, retreat to the relative comfort of Doritos and videogames? The Galaga Guy is is me and you are him and we are all together. He's living his best life in the midst of an extinction level event to sneak in a quick blast of '80s arcade action during another one of Tony Stark's endless look-at-me diatribes. Yes mate. Nailing that work/life balance.


N'Jobu

As played by: Sterling K Brown
First seen in: Black Panther (2018)


We don't see much of Sterling K Brown in Black Panther, but what we get is enough: N'Jobu is a man of action, not of words. Other movies would have written him off as a good guy turned bad, but Black Panther paints in shades of grey: the entire movie hinges on his treatment and Brown sells his few short scenes. And how about that sequence with Killmonger in the afterlife: where did that come from? The broken bonds between father and son in that scene alone rivalled the entire emotional relationship between T'Chaka and T'Challa.


Odin

As played by: Anthony Hopkins
First seen in: Thor (2011)


You never really know what you're going to get when you hire Anthony Hopkins, but you know whatever it is you’re going to get it LOUD and UNEXPECTEDLY. We all stifled a snigger when we first saw Tony dressed in gold armour with long white hair and an eye-patch, but the role of Odin turned out to be integral to all three Thor movies and Hopkins gave the role the gravitas it deserved - that, and occasional spittle-flecked EXCLAMATIONS that were almost certainly not found on the page.


J.A.R.V.I.S.

As played by: Paul Bettany
First seen in: Iron Man (2008)


J.A.R.V.I.S. - which stands for 'Just a Rather Very Intelligent System', which is terrible acroynms go - is a sassy robot butler, like Siri if she actually worked, or a 21st century Ask Jeeves (he said, to an audience of baffled millennials). J.A.R.V.I.S. even has the snooty English accent down pat, not to mention mathematically formulated humour levels precisely engineered to maximise banter. Bit annoying when you're trying to save the world though, wind it in pal.


Brock Rumlow aka Crossbones

As played by: Frank Grillo
First seen in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)


You gotta respect a guy with a name like ‘Brock Rumlow’ - he sounds like the manliest cocktail ever concocted. Sometimes you don’t need special powers or megalomania or an absurd desire for an ancient amulet to be a good bad guy, you just need a grudge. Crossbones, played by the eternally underrated Frank Grillo, lives only to wipe the sanctimonious smirk off the face of Captain America. I think we’ve all felt a little like that at some point.


Gamora

As played by: Zoe Saldana
First seen in: Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)


I was sceptical at first - Zoe Saldana but covered head to toe in a garish neon colour? Genius! - but have come to accept Gamora as one of the most important members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Her key scene is not any in which she’s forced to fend off (or submit to) Star-Lord’s pelvic sorcery, but in the Kyln prison breakout, where says to herself - but basically to camera - “I’m going to die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy”. A nice big meaty role in Infinity War is the least her character deserves.


Hank Pym

As played by: Michael Douglas
First seen in: Ant-Man (2015)


Michael Douglas is now at that twilight stage of his career where nothing he does really matters or makes much of an impact, so it’s nice to see him having fun as irreverent senior Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man. There’s a lot of character found in the contours of his face: Pym can be both playful and serious, but he’s a big part of Ant-Man as evidenced by the fact all the major characters in the franchise revolve around him in some way. If Marvel wanted to do a full period Original Ant-Man action series with the digitally de-aged Douglas, we’d be fine with that.


The Ancient One

As played by: Tilda Swinton
First seen in: Doctor Strange (2016)


It's a shame that the (accurate) accusations of whitewashing overshadowed Tilda Swinton's performance in Doctor Strange, because she still represented brave casting (the role is historically male in the comic-books) and, well, she did the Tilda Swinton thing of making everyone else in a three-mile radius look like an amateur. I loved her sardonic sense of humour ("Have you see that before in a gift shop?") and her unflappability even in the face of high hokum (terrible dialogue is delivered with the straightest of faces) but most of all I loved that she gave Doctor Strange perhaps its only unpredictable and original character.

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