Annlyel explores the new characters first introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 4. But which characters left their mark?
It’s happening, folks. This week Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania enters theaters around the world. And that means we’ll be diving headfirst into the beginning of the fifth Phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Phase 4, which took place over two years and had fifteen installments, was a whirlwind of content to explore. We saw a witch and a robot navigate suburban life in a fake utopia. We watched a man imbued with the powers of an Egyptian god discover the meaning of life after facing death. And we witnessed a powerful tribute to a real-life hero set within a powerful sequel brimming with critical acclaim. And to top it all off, we learned that Mr. Fantastic could be turned into a puddle of blue string.
Throughout all of this, we met so many new, fascinating characters. And with Kang the Conqueror on the horizon, I thought it would be fun to look back at the ten best new characters introduced in Phase 4.
10. Namora
The Talokanil in Wakanda Forever are astoundingly remarkable. Their outfits, technology, and sheer awesomeness practically make me squeal a little bit every time they’re onscreen. And Namora is a significant factor in my admiration.
It’s always nice to see mighty female warriors. And she proved, with every scene she graced, that she will be a character I root for every time she shows up moving forward.
9. Agatha Harkness
Even though Wanda is called the Scarlet Witch she doesn’t come across as a typical depiction of the name. Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha, however, is a witch through and through, wicked cackling and all, and I love that! She’s funny, delightfully evil at times, and yes, she’s got a great singing voice too. I can’t wait to see her again in her upcoming series.
8. Makkari
Phase 4 was the most inclusive phase in the MCU and Makkari is one of those incredible characters that was brought to life. Lauren Ridloff, a deaf African-American actress, not only got a role in a Marvel movie but she has now become my favorite speedster in any superhero film.
7. She-Hulk
I always knew I was going to like She-Hulk and sure enough, my excitement was warranted. Tatiana Maslany plays the powerful Hulk-enhanced lawyer with charm and brilliance, bringing to life a character who very well could’ve been annoying to no end. Thankfully, that’s not the case. Plus, it’s nice seeing a female character in the MCU take an interest in dating, specifically other superheroes. There is a realism to that that I appreciate.
6. Yelena Belova
Yelena Belova was a character I always hoped to see in the MCU. When it was revealed she was going to be in Black Widow I was super excited. But even so, I didn’t realize just how well Florence Pugh would play her. She gave her a unique identity that instantly provided far more depth than Natasha Romanoff’s debut in Iron Man 2. Especially in Hawkeye where she is given the chance to fully embrace being a hilarious, charming, and fashionable bad***. I love her so much and I can’t wait to see her again in Thunderbolts.
5. Werewolf By Night
I didn’t think I was going to like the titular character of this first Marvel Studios Special Presentation so much. But here we are. Gael Garcia Bernal brought such a likability to Jack Russell that when the story concluded I was bummed. I wanted at least five more hours to follow his story as he traverses the globe with Man-Thing. But this is the MCU so I have faith we’ll see him again. At least…I hope so…
4. Sylvie
If you had told me several years ago that we’d eventually get to meet a female Loki I would’ve been flabbergasted. Well, here we are, her name is Sylvie, and yes, she is as cool as it sounds. I loved Sophie di Martino’s fierce portrayal of Sylvie. I love that she feels like Loki in his revenge-stricken 2011-Thor stage, and I just love her overall look. She’s such a rebel and I can’t wait to see how her story continues considering that she’s now killed the very person that ruined her life. She’s lost her purpose. What now awaits her?
3. Moon Knight
Oscar Isaac’s past excursion into the superhero world wasn’t great. He played Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse and it was a laughably poor adaptation of the character as well as the story. He, however, redeemed himself with his dual role as Steven Grant/Marc Spector in Moon Knight. His performance was so brilliant, in fact, that I felt he deserved an Emmy nomination.
After the series, Moon Knight is undoubtedly one of my favorite superheroes ever to be brought to live-action and when he next shows up, I’m going to be positively thrilled.
2. Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi isn’t just a cool superhero, he’s a great superhero. I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about a hero’s origin film in the MCU as I was about Shang-Chi’s origin story. The ten rings are phenomenal, his suit always makes me smile, and I just love Simu Liu’s portrayal of the character. When Shang-Chi appears again I will squeal, I already know it.
1. Namor
If you’ve been following my excitement for Wakanda Forever you will know that my love for Namor is through the roof. I was honestly excited for the character ever since I learned he would be played by Tenoch Huerta. But it wasn’t until after the film that my excitement for this character fully cemented. There’s just so much to love; the outfits, the way he flies, his strength, and his unwavering loyalty to his people. But most importantly, I loved how Ryan Coogler perfectly illustrated him as an anti-hero. He’s not a full-blown villain but he does tend to do questionable things.
He’s such a fascinating character and considering his role in the comics, we’ll be seeing a lot more of him. I didn’t think there would be a Marvel Cinematic Universe character that would rival my love for Doctor Strange. But at this rate, Namor may very soon become my favorite Marvel superhero.
So there are my ten favorite new characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I can’t wait to see the new characters that will be introduced in the upcoming installments of Phase 5. And I hope that Kang does, in fact, live up to the hype.
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Author
Hello everyone. My name is Annlyel James. I’m a young woman who loves movies of all genres (specifically ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel movies.) I am also a Senior Correspondent for The Future of the Force.
