Seriously, if Marvel is tightly in your grip, you have probably faced that situation once when you were viewing the MCU and thought, “Wait, are they the same in the comics?” So far, these movies and series have presented us with fresh takes on old characters, but they have also combined (and sometimes reduced) heroes and villains in such a way that the ones who haven’t stopped reading the comics have been surprised and puzzled. Those changes might be in line with the story or might be confusing, but they’re always intriguing. The following is a countdown of the 10 Marvel characters the MCU altered most from their comic book counterparts.
10. Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)
Natascha was not only the best spy in the world in the comics, but she also had her biological processes reversed, quick recovery of injuries, and super agility, all due to her bio-tech. Biographically, her primary relationships (Daredevil, Winter Soldier, Hawkeye) and the period of history are the Cold War. The MCU version took all that away, giving us a master of death but keeping her as a “normal human” despite being impossibly skilled. Scarlett Johansson did the job very well, but if you aren’t watching the movies, you can’t be familiar with Natasha’s comic book side.
9. Hawkeye (Clint Barton)
In the movie, Clint is untidily humorous and a bit of an endearing loser. Besides, he was deaf for most of his career and was the leader of various teams from the West Coast Avengers to the Thunderbolts. The film version is more reality-based: he is a family man who is calm and collected during moments of crisis and a lot less of the hot-tempered wild-card you see in the comics. Though his hearing loss was unveiled in the Disney+ series at the last minute, the film version of Clint is generally a much softer and well-balanced comic-book archer interpretation of the character.
8. Wong
From reading only the comics, you could remember Wong as Doctor Strange’s helper—the warrior he was, still, it was quite clear that he was a sidekick. The MCU has redone him so that he is not only the peer but eventually the Sorcerer Supreme, the one with the same style of witty humor and the far greater contribution to the magical side of the universe. He has gone from the minor antagonist to one of the biggest fan-favorite characters, and quite honestly, it is one of Marvel’s smartest moves ever.
7. Mantis
Mantis in the comics is perhaps the most powerful and strangest character in Marvel legend: martial arts master, telepath, precog, and so-called Celestial Madonna who will bear a cosmic messiah. Her MCU incarnation, however, is barely recognizable—a bumbling, sweet alien empath with little to do with comic book prophecy or world-changing significance. Pom Klementieff brings a delight to the role, but when placed against her comic book counterpart, MCU Mantis is an entirely different character.
6. Drax the Destroyer
In the comics, Drax starts as Arthur Douglas, a man whose soul is reincarnated in a superpowered alien body designed for a single purpose: to slay Thanos. He’s completely bonkers in terms of strength, capable of holding his own against the Mad Titan. The MCU Drax, played by Dave Bautista, is also still funny and still all about revenge, but primarily, he exists to provide laughs and is hardly half as strong as his classic iteration. It fits for the Guardians movies, but long-time fans know exactly how much brawn was left on the table.
5. Hope Van Dyne (The Wasp)
Here’s a crazy one: Hope is not even a hero in the comics. She’s actually Hope Pym, aka villain Red Queen. In the MCU, however, she is the heroic Wasp, taking up the mantle from her mother, Janet Van Dyne. Evangeline Lilly’s Hope is also quick-witted, assertive, and central to the Ant-Man movies, but is nearly a complete reboot—or rather, an entirely new MCU character loosely based on a comic book villain.
4. Star-Lord (Peter Quill)
Comic-book Star-Lord is J’son, the emperor of the Spartoi, and his early life is a combination of training at NASA, interplanetary politics, and solo flights. The MCU entirely recasts his origin: Peter is now the offspring of Ego the Living Planet, and this grants him fleeting godlike abilities as well as a tragic history when they are taken away from him. Chris Pratt’s take goes for humor and heart, but if you’re a reader of the comics, the “Celestial bloodline” twist was a massive divergence.
3. Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver
Wanda and Pietro are mutants and Magneto’s children in the comics. Due to rights issues, the MCU was forced to abandon all that, so the twins were made to be Hydra experiments with no mutant ties. Wanda’s abilities are also much more cosmic in the films, embracing chaos magic rather than her mutant origins. Their background, powers, and familial connections are entirely different, and though the multiverse might retcon it someday, for now, on-screen Maximoffs are not comic ones.
2. Taskmaster
The Taskmaster of comics is one of Marvel’s most lethal mercenaries whose photographic reflexes enable him to mimic any fighting technique immediately. He has fought everyone from Captain America to Spider-Man, continually changing his tactics so as to always stay one step ahead. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as seen in Black Widow, the Antonia Dreykov version is a silent, brain-controlled killer who restructures the Avengers videos rather than instinctively copying moves. It is a big step down, and the fans were pretty much unanimous in their reaction that the film squandered one of Marvel’s most intriguing villains.
1. Hulk
Few have been depowered in the MCU as severely as the Hulk. In comics, his strength is infinite; the angrier he is, the more powerful he is. He’s supported mountains, broken through dimensions, and even survived the annihilation of entire planets. MCU Hulk, particularly once he is “Smart Hulk,” is much more contained and considerably weaker by comparison. While it makes him easier to fit into ensemble movies, comic fans know the Hulk is capable of feats far beyond what we’ve seen on screen.
The MCU has been fantastic at bringing these characters to a world audience, but in the process, it’s reimagined a great deal of them, sometimes better, sometimes worse than how they were originally distinct. Whether you like the unfiltered, sloppy versions from the comics or the polished ones on screen, one thing’s certain: Marvel knows how to get us arguing about these characters well past the credits roll.