The Marvel Cinematic Universe may bring characters from Marvel Comics to life in live-action, but not all of the franchise’s characters resemble their original comic book appearances. Since the beginning of the franchise, the MCU movies have adapted the characters of Marvel Comics to the big screen. In many ways, the vast majority can be considered largely faithful to the source material, bringing a specific iteration of a well-known Marvel figure to life in live-action.
However, throughout the MCU’s movie timeline, there have been examples where this has not been the case. Often, characters are introduced that are radically redesigned for the MCU, from physical appearance to costume design and even, on occasion, a complete overhaul. While this hardly hurt the MCU’s massive success, it’s undeniable that the franchise is often guilty of introducing characters that look nothing like their original Marvel Comics counterparts.
10
The Grandmaster of the MCU is not blue
First Appearance: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The MCU introduced his version of Marvel’s Grandmaster as the secondary antagonist of Thor: Ragnarok After the character made a brief cameo in an MCU mid-credits scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Played by Jeff Goldblum, the Grandmaster of the MCU is the ruler of the planet Sakaar, where he hosts various games of skill and chance and keeps a wealth of captured beings as his subjects. The Grandmaster of the MCU was generally well received, but looked different than in the comics.
In the comics, the Grandmaster is most notably depicted with blue skin. The MCU decided not to do that, instead bringing his appearance more in line with that of his brother, the Collector. The reason for this was reportedly due to director Taika Waititi wanting not to enhance Jeff Goldblum’s performance or charisma with blue make-up or CGI, which is probably the correct decision for his MCU image.
9
Hank Pym is much older than his comic book counterpart
First appearance: Ant-Man (2015)
When it came to introducing the hero Ant-Man, the MCU took an alternative approach. Rather than directly adapting the character’s comic book origins, the franchise skipped over Hank Pym’s creation of Pym particles and the Ant-Man suit, and instead had Scott Lang serve as the MCU’s Ant-Man. As a result, Hank Pym acts more as a mentor and supporting character, and is only shown with his suit through flashbacks.
In the comics, Hank Pym is typically much younger As he is in the MCU. Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym also has dark hair in flashbacks, which contrasts the character’s typical blonde appearance in the comics. Finally, the MCU also made some changes to Ant-Man’s suit, toning down the insectoid inspirations in favor of a sleeker, more sci-fi look. As a result, Hank Pym is incredibly different in the MCU than in the comics.
8
Wong’s entire character was reworked for Benedict Wong
First Appearance: Doctor Strange (2016)
Wong was introduced into the MCU in 2016 Doctor StrangePlayed by Benedict Wong. Depicted as one of Doctor Strange’s mentors and later his closest friend, the MCU’s Wong quickly became a fan-favorite character, thanks in part to his role as the provider of some of the franchise’s best deadpan comic relief. Benedict Wong reprized the role several times in both movies and TV shows in the MCU.
In the comics, Wong is a relatively small, bald monk who acts as Doctor Strange’s servant and occasional sidekick. For the MCU, his entire character was reworked to better facilitate the casting of Benedict Wong, with his live-action appearance being a slightly larger figure who acted as Kamar-Taj’s librarian. Considering what the actor was able to do with the role, it was a particularly healthy decision to give him a visual overhaul to include him in the MCU.
7
Bill Foster looks nothing like he did in the comics
First appearance: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Although Bill Foster is far from one of the more well-known Marvel heroes, he has actually proven to be a long-standing supporting character in the comics. His introduction in the MCU in 2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp Saw Laurence Fishburne cast as Foster. In the movie, Bill Foster appears in a supporting role, acting as the adoptive father of the villain of the film as a former colleague of Hank Pym.
Bill Foster’s original appearance in the comics was significantly different from his MCU counterpart. A much younger character, Marvel Comics’ Bill Foster was best known as the hero Goliath, using the same technology as Hank Pym in order to drastically increase his size. Being Young, muscular, and wearing a heroic costume are all key visual elements of the original characterAnd Laurence Fishburne’s MCU iteration certainly looked remarkably different.
6
Yondu’s Ravager appearance completely reimagined his original design
First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Before he was given one of the MCU’s saddest parent deaths in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2Yondu Udonta is introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy Movie. A Ravager captain, Yondu’s role as a spacefaring rogue saw him dressed as some sort of sci-fi pirate. Michael Rooker’s performance as Yondu has him being particularly rough around the edges, with the Ravager spending much of his MCU debut attempting to hunt down Star-Lord, who he believes has been stolen from him.
However, Yondu in the comics was originally very different from in the MCU. When he was first introduced, The character of Yondu has prominent Native American inspirations, with a bow and arrow and wear animal skins. The MCU’s major redesign of Yondu made him a much better fit in the franchise, as his role as a Ravager captain called for something a little more rugged.
5
Hawkeye’s costume has been massively toned down for the MCU
First appearance: Thor (2011)
Despite being first introduced in the comics as a villain, Hawkeye became a key part of the iconic team The Avengers. As a result, it’s no surprise that he was introduced early in the MCU, with a brief appearance in 2011 Thor Before he became a First Avenger in 2012 The Avengers. Jeremy Renner’s MCU Hawkeye is an agent of SHIELD and is typically clad in a dark leather outfit with his bow and a quiver of arrows on his back.
Hawkeye’s original comic book appearance did not carry over into the MCU. Originally, Hawkeye wore an eye-catching purple and blue costumeWith a large mask attached with a large letter on his head. Not surprisingly, the somewhat dated design didn’t survive its live-action debut, and the MCU has yet to embrace the more notable elements of Hawkeye’s original comic appearance.
4
Marisa Tomei looks nothing like Marvel’s original Aunt May
First appearance: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
In one of the MCU’s most obvious instances of artistic license, the franchise decided to cast Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. Because the character has long been a key part of Spider-Man’s own hero story, her inclusion in the MCU was vital. Tomei’s May Parker is Peter Parker’s young and attractive guardian, with whom other characters are almost constantly flirting as one of the franchise’s running jokes.
Given the conventional depictions of the character, Marisa Tomei would not have been the obvious choice to play Aunt May. In the comics, Aunt May is typically an elderly and vulnerable womanAnd is generally depicted looking more like a traditional grandmother. The MCU took the character in a completely different direction, managing to not only cast an A-list actor to play May, but also turn her alternate appearance into something of a running gag.
3
Ulysses Klaue has little in common with the comics
First appearance: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
From both a design and narrative perspective, the MCU Ulysses Klaue only vaguely resembles the comic book source material. The MCU version of this character is a South African arms dealer whose stolen cash or vibranium sees him at odds with the people of Wakanda and the heroes of the franchise. In the course of his MCU story, he loses an arm, only to have it replaced with a high-tech prosthetic that allows him to fire sonic blasts.
In the comics, Klaue is better known as Claw, and was originally a human physicist transformed into a being of living health. The character’s most common form sees him dressed from head to toe in a skin-tight red and purple outfit. Andy Serkis’ MCU version of the character wears no such clothes, and is instead written to be a much rougher, more human type of villain.
2
I’m more Kurt Russell than Living Planet
First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).
In terms of strict characterization, the MCU’s take on Ego the Living Planet contained a fair amount of comic accuracy. However, in the franchise’s presentation of the villain, there was a disconnect between the movies and the comics. in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2Kurt Russell plays the incredibly powerful being, who is also written to be Star-Lord’s father. However, the casting decision is ultimately what leads to far less comedic accuracy.
in the comics, I was almost always depicted as a living planet: a colossal being with a large face on a celestial body. However, in casting an actor of Kurt Russell’s stature, and his MCU story revolving around cheating star-lord, it only follows that Ego would spend the majority of the movie in apparently human form. Even so, it makes the MCU version of Ego look completely different than the one from the comics.
1
The redesign of the old action was very controversial
First appearance: Doctor Strange (2016)
According to the original appearance of the comic book, the Ancient One is considered by some to be problematic. However, 2016s Doctor Strange Try to subvert expectations by casting Tilda Swinton in the role. In the comics, the character has always traditionally been an older Asian male, and so changing the core aspects proved incredibly controversial. Although it worked on several levels, the changes lacked any semblance of comic precision.
Swinton’s performance was commendable, but there’s no escaping the fact that the actor looks nothing like the old man from the comics. Ultimately, the change has no real bearing on the overall story of each Doctor Strange Or the wider MCU, but it stands out as one of the most blatant changes to the design of a Marvel character. In this, Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One is one of the most notable characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe To look nothing like their original Marvel Comics appearance.