The MCU is the highest-grossing movie franchise for a reason. The main reason behind this does not lie in how it ties up dozens of different stories into one near-flawless knot. Nor is it due to its breathtaking fights and battles. The MCU’s strongest feature is its characters. For over 11 years, Marvel Studios has graced audiences with many different characters, and we have fallen in love with each and every single one.
Simply because they’re flawed, just like us regular folk. With that in mind, the best reason to follow the now 23-movie saga is arguably to watch our favorite characters change and grow. And some have clearly stood out more than the rest. Here are the 10 biggest character developments in the MCU.
Rocket Raccoon
When Guardians of the Galaxy appeared out of nowhere, we were graced with a rag-tag group of scummy individuals and Rocket was definitely the worst. Gamora and Drax, although violent, had a sense of honor. Groot was a loveable tree. And Star-Lord was just goofy. However, the way he has evolved in the last few years is remarkable.
From a lonely, harmful creature, living only to serve his own interests. To a fully-fledged Guardian and Avenger, risking his life to save the universe for the third time, as he cried over the death of his “family”. Yondu put it best: “You push away anyone who’s willing to put up with you ‘cause just a little bit of love reminds you of how big and empty that hole inside you actually is.”
Bruce Banner/Hulk
Bruce Banner’s character arc is a weird one. It’s hard to point out exactly how he has evolved as a character. However, when we look at our hero, there is a clear evolution when it comes to the love/hate relationship between man and Hulk. We first knew him as a frightened scientist on the run, fighting to get rid of his alter-ego, whom he had no control over.
Slowly, he began to gain some sort of power over the monster and to accept his existence. Then Endgame brought us to the most fitting end to this struggle, with Bruce and the Hulk finally becoming one and the same. The Hulk is no longer a demon, but an essential part of him. He’s no longer a threat, he’s a hero.
Gamora
We never really saw an evil Gamora. Even when she was trying to steal the orb by beating the crap out of Star-Lord, she was doing it with the intention of getting it away from her father. Nevertheless, she wasn’t exactly… nice at first. Gamora appeared as a cold, hard, assassin. In fact, she was known as the deadliest woman in the galaxy.
That being said, it’s quite impressive that in Infinity War, she was now a woman capable of love, as Star-Lord can confirm. In her first movie, she complained that she was going to die, “surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy.” Those biggest idiots are now the only real family she has and has ever had.
Loki
There is no clearer character development than the villain who ultimately becomes the hero. There was a time when Loki was the greatest threat in the MCU. The adopted Frost Giant planned on taking over the Earth and managed to make a deal with Thanos for that very goal. Unfortunately for him, his attempt came shortly after the creation of the Avengers.
Needless to say, he failed miserably. However, he retained his vile persona all the way until Thor: Ragnarok, when he finally became a hero and made peace with the god of thunder. And in one last act of heroic irony, he saved his brother, by dying at the hands of the titan he had once served.
Steve Rogers/Captain America
Captain America has one of the most consistent, yet most interesting character arcs in the MCU. Since the day Chris Evans showed up in the ice, to his final(?) appearance as a 112-year-old husband, he always retained the same sense of courage and goodness. However, he did still undergo many changes. His belief in his country and his government shifted dramatically from Winter Soldier, onwards.
He left his goody-two-shoes personality to serve justice. His lack of faith when it came to having a simple life with the woman he loved was also utterly extinguished in Endgame. But really, the most impressive change was how weak, helpless Steve Rogers became the worthy, Mjolnir-wielding Captain America, leader of the Avengers.
Thor Odinson
It’s hard to keep track of how many different “Thors” we’ve seen over the years. There’s arrogant Thor, worthy Thor, funny Thor, King Thor, vengeful Thor, Bro Thor, and “Ultimate God-Mode” Thor. The truth is, he went through a lot. When we first saw him, he was dying to take Odin’s place as King. He was then taught a lesson in humility, becoming worthy of Mjolnir.
He no longer sought the throne. Alas, Ragnarok and Infinity War saw the loss of his hammer, eye, father, brother, best friend, and even his planet. Not to mention the guilt he felt after failing to kill Thanos. He became drunk and hopeless until finally, he reemerged as the most powerful, most experienced version of him we have ever seen.
Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
Black Widow was never front-and-center. However, she was one of the first Avengers to appear on screen, before even Captain America and Thor dropped in. Her character development moved slower than that of her teammates. Nevertheless, it does exist. Her past is still mysteriously hidden (for now), but we know a few tidbits.
She was never loved and never had any meaningful relationships. She was trained only to kill. Natasha then turned to SHIELD to begin her path of redemption. She meets the Avengers, befriends Steve Rogers, falls in love with Bruce Banner, becomes a leader, finds a family. And in the end, she redeems her past completely with a necessary sacrifice.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fairly recent addition to the MCU and his character arc is far from over. Nevertheless, with two solo and three team-up movies under his belt, Peter Parker already has a significant story to tell. We saw him first as a kid, with already a clear sense of “with great power comes great responsibility”, but still very young and reckless.
After helping Team Iron Man, he wanted nothing else but to leave his normal life behind, and instead become a fully-fledged Avenger. After a whole lot of irresponsible acts, followed by his death and subsequent resurrection, the devastating loss of his father figure, and finally the betrayal of a new-found friend, Peter is now a more mature, more responsible hero.
Nebula
This is another classic villain-turned-hero story. When Nebula was introduced, she appeared to be of little importance. In Guardians of the Galaxy, she was nothing but a secondary foe, Ronan’s lackey. However, Infinity War and Endgame proved us wrong, and she became a crucial piece of the MCU. All she had at first, was fear towards her father, and hatred towards her sister. GotG Vol.2 finally saw her accept Gamora as a sister.
After the “Snap”, she became the only surviving Guardian (apart from Rocket) and became a temporary Avenger. Her character development is made very clear when she ends up meeting her 2014 self. They are both so different, and so divided in their ideals, that the current Nebula is forced to kill her past self.
Tony Stark
Tony Stark has arguably the most impressive character arc in the MCU. A genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, turned selfless hero. During his time in the MCU, he went through many phases. His arrogant, selfish beginning, was followed by a heroic, yet still annoyingly arrogant stance. That was followed by a PTSD-like phase where he could not rest until he somehow saved the world.
He learned from his mistakes (cough Ultron cough), wanted to correct them, the Avengers split and he was forced to keep on working on making the world a safer place. Thanos came and won. The “playboy” became a father. And finally, in the greatest act of heroism the MCU has ever seen, sacrificed his life for the literal universe.
