The Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought us legendary heroes, heart-pounding battles, and unforgettable moments—but come on, not all heroes land the landing. Some characters become lifelong fan favorites, while others inspire perpetual eye-rolling, furious Reddit rants, and outcries of “Why is he still alive?
Sometimes it’s a casting flop. Other times, it’s subpar writing or a character just overstaying their usefulness. Whatever the case, these are the MCU heroes who’ve fallen out of favor with the fandom. Mildly annoying through universally hated, here are the top 10 most despised Marvel heroes—counting down from slightly annoying to absolutely detested.
10. John Walker (Wyatt Russell) – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Taking over Captain America’s role? A hard sell. Doing it with ego and dubious ethics? That’ll get you booed out of the theater. Wyatt Russell’s John Walker was designed to be divisive, and audiences reacted in kind—particularly in the wake of that shield scene. He may take a redemption arc in Thunderbolts, but presently, he’s more meme than meaningful.
9. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) – Avengers: Infinity War
Peter Quill’s snarky charm cut it in Guardians, but it went off the rails in Infinity War. When he let emotions get the better of the Avengers’ attempt at thwarting Thanos, fans turned on him quickly. That moment—cursed and legendary—made him out to be the guy who botched the galaxy. Redemption storylines or not, people still haven’t forgotten.
8. Danny Rand (Finn Jones) – Iron Fist
Of all the characters from Marvel’s Netflix era, Danny Rand is perhaps the weakest. His kung fu was less than powerful, his attitude wore thin, and his dialogue was too often a parody of the genre. Fans and critics alike savaged his solo series, Iron Fist, and for all the strong supporting cast, particularly Colleen Wing, Danny never quite got his groove.
7. Sersi (Gemma Chan) – Eternals
Eternals shot for the stars but fell short too often, and Sersi was the victim of that shortcoming. As the putative lead, her shallow emotional range and stilted acting made her come across as more of a placeholder than a powerhouse. Even with a good actor playing the part, the script did not provide her with much to work from—and fans were aware.
6. Ralph Bohner (Evan Peters) – WandaVision
For a moment, fans believed the multiverse was blowing wide open. Evan Peters’ arrival set huge whispers. Only to fizzle on a dud punchline. The Ralph Bohner reveal didn’t simply disappoint—it was a mockery of invested fans. What had the potential to be a massive twist was instead Marvel’s version of a “just kidding.”
5. Korg (Taika Waititi) – Thor: Love and Thunder
Korg was comedic gold during Ragnarok, but thinned out in Love and Thunder. Underdeveloped and overused, Korg’s repeated jokes felt like filler rather than fun. With more robust characters sitting the new movie out, fans wondered why a walking stack of rocks was taking up so much on-screen time.
4. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) – Quantumania
First used as a central player in the Ant-Man narrative, Hank Pym’s relevance dwindled with every sequel. By Quantumania, even Michael Douglas was finished with the part—reportedly hoping his character might be written out entirely. With less to do and no influence, Hank was reduced to a footnote rather than a feature.
3. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) – The Incredible Hulk
Before Mark Ruffalo infused warmth and humor into Bruce Banner, Edward Norton’s take was dark, brooding, and—let’s be honest—tough to identify with. His off-screen conflicts with Marvel didn’t serve his cause much either. The recasting was an unusual, unanimous victory for the franchise, and not many fans nostalgically remember Norton’s brief stint.
2. Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen) – Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ghost was supposed to be a strong, morally ambiguous character. Instead, she felt muddy and ephemeral. Her motivations were half-baked, and while she had a visually neat power set, she never resonated with people. She’ll be back in Thunderbolts, but it’ll take a wholesale overhaul to create any buzz.
1. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) – Thor: The Dark World
Natalie Portman’s version of Jane Foster had promise, but somehow, along the way, it went up in smoke. In The Dark World, she was more of a plot tool than a human being, and her return in Love and Thunder—though visually stunning—blasted through the emotional depth of her character. In contrast to the energy of Ragnarok, Jane’s appearances were jarring with the rest of the MCU.
Not all heroes can be a Tony Stark or T’Challa. Some simply do not click with audiences, regardless of how well they are cast or how large their role is. Through missed potential or plain old flops, these are the MCU characters fans love to hate—or at least would not mind seeing a bit less of. But come on, it’s Marvel. Even the most reviled characters can be saved. Except Ralph Bohner, that is.