Superheroes are the staple food diet for us hungry Hollywood Movie buffs now. Long gone are the days of the gangster movies and the romantic dramas. This is the age of superheroes. The MCU and the DCEU are hard at work to keep churning out movie after movie, showcasing one superhero after another. The MCU has been the clear winner in this race, with their formula based movies earning enormous profits at the Box Office. The number of superheroes they have within the MCU movies is staggering.
But did you know that the heroes you see aren’t even the tip of the iceberg when compared to the number of heroes they actually have within the Marvel Movie Universe? What would you say if we claim that the MCU has always had a way with hiding away popular superheroes within the various scenes in their movies, heroes who are extremely popular in the comic books but up until now were thought of having yet to make a mark on the movie universe? Sounds stupid, right?? Presenting 15 Famous Superheroes you never knew are neatly hiding within the MCU!!!
The original Human Torch
Many would say that Johnny Storm is the one and only Human Torch. That is a lie. The original Human Torch is Jim Hammond, an android specifically designed to light himself on fire and gallivant through the streets of America as one of Marvel’s first-ever superheroes. The Android Human Torch was created by Doctor Phineas Horton.
In Captain America: The First Avenger, when Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes visit the Stark Expo in 1943, there is an android on display titled ‘The Synthetic Man’ within a huge glass jar. This is Jim Hammond. The Easter egg was supposed to take a jab at Chris Evans, who played Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four and Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Rick Jones
In the comic books, Rick Jones is a well known supporting character in the Hulk issues. He even once took the role of the Hulk as the gamma-irradiated superhero known as A-Bomb. Rick Jones appears in the MCU’s unofficial Hulk movie The Incredible Hulk of 2008.
Rick Jones is one of the people on the watch list that General Ross and the USAF are keeping tabs on. In the movie, Rick Jones is one of Bruce Banner’s college mates and is suspected of being in contact with the Hulk.
Wonderman
Wonderman is one of the longest-running members of the Avengers. He has been through several adventures together with the Earth’s mightiest heroes and he even once had a very serious relationship with the Scarlet Witch. Wonderman was actually poised to appear in the GOTG movies.
James Gunn personally directed the scenes that featured Nathan Fillion as the superhero. But those scenes were effectively cut with only a few Easter eggs making it to the Theaters.
Union Jack
Union Jack is a name that would resonate only with the most diehard of the Marvel Comic book fans. In the comics, Union Jack is one of the Allies’ greatest superheroes that helped get them rid the world of Nazis and was a huge help to the good guys in the War Effort.
In Captain America: The First Avenger, we are introduced to the Howling Commandoes, a group of highly skilled war veterans that aid Captain America. One of the members is James Montgomery Falsworth aka Union Jack.
Kid Colt
Kid Colt is probably the most famous Old Western style Superheroes from the annals of Marvel Comic Books’ half a century old history. Kid Colt was featured in Agent Carter Season 2.
In a particular episode, Howard Stark started a film studio to bring Blaine Colt, an in-universe comic book superhero within the MCU, to the movie theaters. Blaine Colt is one of the oldest Marvel Heroes and luckily enough, he found his way into the screen.
Brother Voodoo
The Doctor Strange movie was released in 2016 and it opened up the Marvel universe to the concept of Magic and the Sorcerer Supreme. In the movie, the Earth is depicted to have three Sanctums that protect the planet from supernatural threats. One of the sanctums lies in New York, with the other two being in Hong Kong and London.
Before Strange took up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme and the guardian of the New York Sanctum, the place was under the protection of Daniel Drumm, the older brother of Jericho Drumm. In the comic books, Daniel’s ghost later aids Jericho in learning Voodoo magic and achieving feats of Magical Strength that rivals that of Strange, making the former the new Sorcerer Supreme.
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is one of Marvel’s most famous anthropomorphic characters apart from Rocket Raccoon. Howard was spotted first in Knowhere in GOTG Vol. 1.
In GOTG Vol. 2, Howard is seen again in Contraxia, having a drink with an unknown alien lady in the Iron Lotus. James Gunn loves the character and we will probably see more of him in GOTG Vol. 3.
Manifold
Manifold is an Australian Mutant Superhero with the power of teleportation in the comic books. In Agents of Shield Season 3, the good guys learn that the Australian Government is keeping him captive in a black site. Manifold was changed from a mutant to an Inhuman in the TV Show since Marvel still does not have the rights to the X-Men.
Adam Warlock
The way Adam Warlock has been handled by the MCU is nothing short of Atrocious. All the movies have given us Easter eggs and comic book references regarding the character. Thor 2 shows Erik Selvig talk about the Fault, a space-time anomaly that Adam Warlock is credited with fixing.
The Collector’s collection in GOTG Vol. 1 also features a cocoon that can be credited to have been inspired from Warlock’s origin story. Warlock was finally shown to us in GOTG Vol. 2 but he failed to make an appearance in Infinity War. Let’s hope GOTG Vol. 3 will change that.
Miles Morales
Miles Morales is the African American Spiderman and a major superhero in the comic books. Miles was bitten by a radioactive spider and turned into a human mutate just like Peter Parker was but with additional superpowers the original Spiderman doesn’t have access to.
In Spiderman: Homecoming, Donald Glover plays Aaron Davis, uncle of Miles Morales. Glover’s character even mentions that he has a nephew that lives in Queens and even calls him later in the movie to apologize that he won’t be able to visit him that day.
Guardians 3000
The Guardians of the Galaxy have been around since the 1960’s. The version that includes Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Mantis has only been around since 2008.
Before they came, the original Guardians of the Galaxy included Stakaar Ogord, Mainframe, Martinex, Yondu, Charlie 27 and Krugarr. When Yondu sacrifices his life to save the Universe at the end of GOTG Vol. 2, the old team gets back together to give us one huge comic book Easter egg.
Orson Randall
Danny Rand isn’t the Original Iron Fist. That honor goes to Orson Randall, who protected the gates of K’un-Lun in the East from trespassers while Captain America fought the Nazis in Europe in the West. In the Iron Fist Episode ‘Black Tiger Steals Heart’, we see archival footage of Orson Randall fighting Chinese Soldiers and using the Iron Fist ability in both his hands.
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing, the protector of the Nexus of All Realities, exists in the MCU. How do we know this? Iron Man 3 shows us, Ellen Brandt, the hot redhead injected with the Extremis Virus that attacks Tony Stark. In the comics, Ellen is Ted Sallis aka Man-Thing’s Ex-Wife. She betrayed him to AIM and as a result, Sallis scarred her face.
The scar is clearly visible on Ellen’s face in the movie. Thor: Ragnarok also features Man-Thing’s face on the Grandmaster’s Tower of Champions, meaning he used to be one of the gladiators in the Grandmaster’s arena.
J.O.C.A.S.T.A
When Ultron sapped the holy smokes out of Jarvis, Tony Stark was left without an A.I in Age of Ultron. He then goes through a pack of chips that house the other A.Is he has developed over the years. Before he settles for Friday, Tony looks over a chip titled ‘JOCASTA’.
In the comics, Jocasta is an AI created by Ultron to be his wife. She would later rebel against Ultron and join the Avengers like Vision did before her.
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is the cyborg guardian of the Korbinite race. He once fought Thor to a standstill and was able to lift Mjolnir, proving himself a noble soul and worthy of the power of Thor.
Thor acknowledged Beta Ray Bill and ordered Asgard’s Dwarf Smiths to create the Stormbreaker, a mystical mallet with similar powers to Mjolnir. Beta Ray Bill’s face is one of the faces embedded on the Grandmaster’s Tower of Champions in Sakaar in the movie Thor: Ragnarok.
