The Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen its fair share of divisive reactions in recent years. It was always going to be a difficult task to follow up Avengers: Endgame with stories that captured the imaginations of audiences in the same way -- and that has proven to be a very difficult task for the MCU to accomplish. Still, most would argue there is still more good than bad -- though plenty of disappointment to go around.
Throughout MCU Phases Four and Five, several storylines were introduced without any obvious payoff in sight. There are even a few from before Endgame that still haven't received a follow-up. While any one of these storylines could be picked back up on -- after all, it took the MCU eight years between Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to fully pay off its Mandarin storyline -- as of this writing, it would seem several plots will be thrown to the wayside as Disney and Marvel attempt to course-correct their iconic connected universe. Some viewers may find this frustrating given how relatively tight the MCU's storytelling started -- but for some stories introduced, it may be best to let a sleeping dog lie.
10 The Skrull Invasion Caused More Problems Than Necessary
For the MCU Writers, Not the Characters
With James Rhodes being revealed to have been a Skrull in disguise during the events of the Disney+ series Secret Invasion, the Skrull Invasion is almost guaranteed to reappear in future installments of the MCU. With that said it would make sense why the Skrull scenario didn't end up being an immediate priority of the studio following Secret Invasion's extremely lackluster response from critics and fans alike.
The majority of Secret Invasion's runtime would have made for a good first act of a film if whittled down to its core, but the first five episodes ultimately led to an unbalanced, convoluted mess of a finale that tried to do far too many things at once. From stretching the audience's suspension of disbelief to outrageous lengths with the introduction of The Harvest -- a collection of DNA samples that granted Emilia Clarke's G'iah the superpowers of countless other MCU heroes -- to introducing baffling plot holes like one that could diminish one of the weightier moments of Avengers: Endgame, the Skrull storyline only aided in the poor reception modern-day MCU has received. It's difficult to argue against the idea that it'd be in the MCU's best interest to put some distance between Secret Invasion and whatever project they intend to use as a reintroduction to the Skrull threat.
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9 HYDRA Didn't Do Much With Those Pym Particles
A Moment Many Missed Suggested Hydra Was Up To Something Big (Or Small)
During a fight sequence between Scott Lang and Darren Cross from the first Ant-Man film, the side character Mitchell Carson was able to pull off his mini-heist. As the scuffle carried on, the HYDRA agent Carson managed to escape with a suitcase full of Hank Pym's Pym Particles with little more than a few ant bites for his troubles. This was blatantly meant to establish the concept of HYDRA gaining Pym Particles to do with as they pleased, which was a threat considering HYDRA was already adept at infiltration. Adding a shrinking ability to their repertoire would surely result in even more pervasive actions, right?
As it would turn out, no -- it wouldn't. This plotline was never picked back up. There have since been two Ant-Man sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Ant-Man: Quantumania, without anyone mentioning the missing Pym Particles. It would also seem that Captain America, the Avengers, and the agents of SHIELD have more-or-less rid the world of the primary HYDRA threat -- meaning the evil organization sat on this world-altering technology until they were ultimately brought down. HYDRA was always going to be an early-stage Avengers threat in the MCU, but the right choice was made to pivot to larger threats over the first three phases. While HYDRA with Pym Particles would have been a nice one-off threat for Ant-Man or another B-tier Avenger to deal with, the MCU as a whole evolved past the surface-level threat fairly quickly.
8 Iron Man's Retirement Was Never Going To Last
Iron Man 3's Final Moments Were All For Naught
Iron Man 3 seemed to have divided audiences at the time. While it was a fun action adventure that put more focus on Tony Stark than his superhero identity, many felt the movie felt a little flat. The lack of Iron Man action until the third act was a major point of contention, as were the fairly rushed Extremis subplot and a villain in Aldrich Killian whose thin motivations seemed pulled directly from a movie like Batman Forever. One of the more disappointing concepts introduced in the film, however, was Tony Stark's promise to Pepper Potts that he'd cut back his role as Iron Man from that point on -- even going so far as to destroy his Iron Legion of super suits.
While the idea of Tony Stark taking a break from his Iron Man duties would have been disappointing enough on its own, viewers were mainly disappointed because they immediately recognized this as a hollow gesture solely to create a feel-good moment at the end of the film. Avengers: Age of Ultron was already on the horizon by the time Iron Man 3 hit theaters, so audiences knew that this semi-retirement would only last roughly until the Avengers sequel was released. Sure enough, when Avengers: Age of Ultron was released two years later, Iron Man was front-and-center in the Avengers' raid on Hydra's Sokovia-based facility. What was more confusing than his appearance itself, though, was the complete lack of acknowledgment of his previous promise to Pepper. With no explanation as to why he not only didn't retire but seemingly amplified his role as Iron Man, audiences were left to accept the simple fact that the writers simply didn't adhere to Iron Man 3's ending.
7 Hulk and Black Widow's Romantic Ties Were Doomed From the Start
This Plot Fled As Fast As Hulk On A Quinjet
For a reason still unknown to anybody not named Joss Whedon, Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff entered Avengers: Age of Ultron having already begun a romantic relationship sometime between the events of the first film and this sequel. While still in its "honeymoon phase," there was a romantic link that audiences were not clued in on until the two flirted their way through the first act of the film.
Some fans were happy to see the two outsiders find love in the oddest of places, but a decent number were left scratching their heads at this new development. It seemed to only exist to add some unearned weight to Hulk's departure at the end of the film. While Natasha's anguish over him leaving Earth did add a bit of impact to the proceedings, there's likely a reason why this romance subplot was never picked back up on. The most it got was a knowing glare between the two characters when they met back up to aid in the world's struggle against Thanos, and then everything was carried out like business as usual. At least it gave the world the "sun's getting real low" line that has become something of a tongue-in-cheek joke these days.
6 Thor's Bubble Bath Premonition Went Nowhere
By Thor: Ragnarok, It Was An Afterthought
MJ May Not Survive The Next Spider-Man Film
Zendaya's character in the MCU might not make it beyond the Multiverse Saga, changing Tom Holland's Peter Parker forever. Script by Howard Waldstein and video edited by Federico Rossi.
In what is largely considered the worst moment from 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor takes a spiritual bath and catches a glimpse of the Infinity Stones -- which, of course, became the primary MacGuffin for the heroes to seek out as a means to end the evil Thanos' plans. While any sequences related to this subplot ground the film's momentum to a halt, it was the lack of payoff that made it a true waste of time in what was meant to be the big follow-up to 2012's iconic The Avengers.
Toward the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor vows to seek out and find the Infinity Stones to ensure the visions he experienced during his magical spa treatment won't come true. He then stoically blasts off, resolved to put an end to the major threat approaching the Avengers in the future. However, by the start of Thor: Ragnarok, not only is Thor not nearly as stern or determined as he once was, but he has also completely given up on his quest to find the Infinity Stones. In a throwaway line, Thor mentions beginning his search but giving up after not being able to track them down. It was best for the MCU to distance itself from the highly-panned Thor subplot from Avengers: Age of Ultron, as it eventually resulted in a more well-developed approach to tracking down the Infinity Stones for the Avengers to tackle. Viewers also didn't find it difficult to brush off this overly-simplified excuse for abandoning Thor's subplot, as they were ultimately treated to Thor: Ragnarok -- Thor's highest-rated solo outing, which redefined the character for audiences.
5 Turns Out, The World's Iron Man Suit Problem Isn't That Big Of A Deal
Tony Stark's Iron Man 2 Prediction Never Panned Out
During a moment in Iron Man 2, Tony Stark predicts that several international governments will have their own, dangerous versions of the Iron Man suit in five to ten years. Considering Iron Man 2 takes place in 2010 and Stark Himself passes away in 2023 during Avengers: Endgame, it would seem his predictions were pretty far off. The MCU never picked back up on this concept, leaving Stark's comments to be little more than fodder to feed the threat of Whiplash using his arc reactor technology.
With MCU projects like Ironheart and Armor Wars still on the official docket, it's becoming more and more possible that this plot point will be revisited. After all, what will the "war" in Armor Wars be if it doesn't deal with multiple versions of Iron Man armor? If that ends up being the case, Rhodey will certainly have his hands full without the help of Tony Stark's Iron Man this time around. Still, with the MCU progressing so quickly toward the intergalactic threat of Thanos during its first three phases, it was likely a good call to put off this comparatively low-stakes threat for the amount of time it did.
4 The Scorpion Asking About Spider-man Was Nothing More Than A Wink And Nod
This Moment Felt A Lot More Like A Sony Decision Than A Marvel One
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Sony's Spider-man Universe Films |
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Venom (2018) |
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Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) |
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Morbius (2022) |
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Madame Web (2024) |
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Venom: The Last Dance (2024) |
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Kraven the Hunter (2024) |
In a short post-credits scene that seemed more like set up for Sony's Spider-man villain universe where the likes of Madame Web and Morbius have been featured, Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes -- also known as The Vulture -- has a brief interaction with Mac Gargan. Mac is known to comic fans as the man who eventually becomes The Scorpion. Having been trounced by Spider-man during the events of Spider-man: Homecoming, Mac figured that Toomes knew who the web-slinging hero was. Toomes brushed off the would-be Scorpion... and MCU fans haven't heard from him since.
As already mentioned, Gargan could easily show back up in a future Spider-man film, but considering there have been two sequels to Spider-man: Homecoming -- with Peter Parker even getting involved in the Avengers' business in between -- it would seem The Scorpion isn't even on the radar anymore. As far as audiences know, Gargan is still locked up behind bars with no plan of action against Spidey. While it would have been interesting to see what the MCU did with The Scorpion with a fully realized approach to the classic villain, this particular iteration of the character that has been missing for so long hasn't exactly been to the detriment of the overall film series.
3 Mordo's Crusade Against Sorcerers Would Likely Have Been Forgettable
This Tease Did Little More Than Promise Another Tropey MCU Villain Arc
Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo was one of the more interesting aspects of the first Doctor Strange film. He started the movie out as one of the most loyal sorcerers following The Ancient One and seemed to have a great understanding of the mystical arts. However, throughout the film, he grows disenchanted when he learns that both The Ancient One and Doctor Strange himself have tapped into the Dark Dimension to use its powers to their benefit. In the film's post-credits scene, Mordo notes that there are "too many sorcerers" in an apparent vow to take them out.
However, by the time audiences saw Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, it would appear very little came from Mordo's vow. Strange makes one off-hand comment about how his universe's Karl Mordo tried to kill him, and that's all viewers get from the first movie's post-credits tease. While this may be frustrating to some, it may be for the better that audiences didn't get a full-blown Mordo revenge tour. After all, much of the criticism towards the MCU's villains is that they tend to be one-note, villainous copies of their superhero counterparts. Iron Man had the Iron Monger, Hulk had the Abomination, and even Black Panther had Killmonger. A villainous Mordo would have only continued that MCU trope and, while the character had well-developed motivation for his point of view, many fans would likely have rolled their eyes at the retread. With that being said, there were likely plenty of MCU fans who would welcome this thread eventually being picked back up -- as long the character is given more to do than just be the "bad" version of Doctor Strange.
2 Tom Hardy's Venom Was In the MCU -- Then Wasn't
Though, There Is Still Hope For the Symbiote
Who Are The New Symbiotes In Venom: The Last Dance?
The new Venom film introduced new Symbiotes and fans are eager to know more about them.
In one of the more confusing moments from the MCU's multiverse saga, Tom Hardy's version of Eddie Brock was warped to the primary Earth-616 universe during the closing moments of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. However, he doesn't do much of anything during this visit, as Doctor Strange's spell from the end of Spider-man: No Way Home effectively sends Brock back to Sony's Spider-man universe. This felt like a course correction on the MCU's part, as Eddie should never have been brought to Earth-616 in the first place -- if the established rules from No Way Home were to be followed. In that film, it's established that anybody who knew Spider-Man was Peter Parker would be ending up in the Earth-616 universe, which is why villains like Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus from Sam Saimi's Spider-man trilogy arrived. As far as audiences are aware, however, Eddie Brock doesn't even have a Spider-man in his universe, and only learned of Peter's identity after having already been warped to Earth-616.
Glaring plot holes aside -- the aforementioned rule also makes it questionable as to why Jamie Foxx's Electro was featured in No Way Home, having not even known Parker's skin color -- Eddie Brock's short time spent on Earth-616 could still pan out importantly. With Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, the small bit of symbiote that Brock inadvertently left behind could eventually make its way to Peter Parker and set in motion a proper MCU Venom down the line. However, the nature of the MCU's Secret Wars could have likely found any number of different ways to introduce that plot without the strange inclusion of Tom Hardy's character. While the cameo may have scratched a few viewers' itches, it was smart for the MCU to do away with Hardy's Eddie Brock as fast as they brought him in.
1 Kang the Conqueror Fell Flat As the New Big Bad
Kang's Mystique Was All But Killed By Quantumania
While some of the issues surrounding the Kang character were out of Marvel's hands given actor Jonathan Majors' indiscretions, the stories he appeared in also did the character no favors. Kang's variant, He Who Remains, was an interesting take on Kang and acted as a great foil for both seasons of Loki -- but that was admittedly a far leap from the primary version of the character that audiences were expecting to take over the mantle of "big bad" from Thanos in a post-Endgame MCU.
When audiences got their first true look at Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man: Quantumania, they were decidedly unimpressed. While Majors' performance was serviceable, the story itself did nothing to strike fear into the hearts of the heroes or audience. Being defeated fairly easily by Ant-Man's brigade of ants also left a bad taste in viewers' mouths, as it only ended up painting the most infamous version of Kang as a weak villain. Even a stadium of Kang variants couldn't rectify this issue when audiences already saw The Conqueror himself fall so easily. While Kang could always make a return to the MCU, viewers shouldn't be too surprised if a throwaway line of dialogue found in the final minutes of the Loki finale effectively wrote the character out entirely.
