9 Of The Best MCU Characters That Don't Originate From Comics

The MCU is packed with familiar faces, but some of its most memorable characters never came from the comics at all. That mix of originals and legacy heroes has become part of what makes the franchise so fun to follow.

In this roundup, Reddit users weighed in on the best original MCU characters, from quick-witted side characters to scene-stealing fan favorites. Their picks show just how much these non-comic creations have added to the movies and shows over the years.

Some of the choices are obvious, others are a little surprising, and a few might make you want to rewatch the whole franchise. Read on.

The MCU has well-known heroes from comics,

Marvel Studios

But it also has amazing original characters.

Marvel Studios

1. Phil Coulson (portrayed by Clark Gregg)

"They've since put him in the comics, but he was created in the MCU first." - Citizensssnips.

Abc courtesy everett collection

First appearance: Iron Man (2008)

Marvel Studios

"I love how even though he has, like, three scenes total, you can totally tell he’s, like, this satire of someone totally controlled by misinformation haha." -ReadDesperate543

"Him taking a selfie in Venice while scared about the camera falling in the river, and then it falling from his hands anyway, sums up the comedic style of the trilogy." -poopatroopa3

Fans clearly remember Coulson for the little moments as much as the big ones.

Here are some of Coulson's best scenes:

2. Coach Wilson (portrayed by Hannibal Buress)

Marvel Studios

First appearance: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Marvel Studios

"I love how even though he has, like, three scenes total, you can totally tell he’s, like, this satire of someone totally controlled by misinformation haha." -ReadDesperate543

"Him taking a selfie in Venice while scared about the camera falling in the river, and then it falling from his hands anyway, sums up the comedic style of the trilogy." -poopatroopa3

Coach Wilson gets a lot of love for being a tiny but unforgettable part of the Spider-Man world.

Here is Coach Wilson's gym scene from Spider-Man: Homecoming:

3. Michelle Jones-Watson (portrayed by Zendaya)

Marvel Studios

First appearance: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Marvel Studios

"I prefer Michelle over any of the Mary Janes. I think she's a great match for Tom Holland's Spider-Man." - CloverPixels

"She has great chemistry with Tom Holland and fits the MCU a lot better than the original Mary Jane." - slaptito

"She turns a lot of the Spider-Man girlfriend tropes on their head, is a good source of comic relief, and makes Peter Parker way more relatable." - Kruger-Dunning

Michelle Jones-Watson clearly struck a chord with viewers right away.

The cutest couple:

4. Luis (portrayed by Michael Peña)

Walt Disney Co.

First appearance: Ant-Man (2015)

Marvel Studios

"I would love a Disney Plus short series where Luis explains each MCU movie. Nothing long, just short, like 3-5 minutes or so." - Deathly_rYaN

This feels like those small moments that turn ordinary life into sudden surprises.

Luis is the kind of character people could happily watch in his own spin-off.

Luis storytelling in Ant-Man:

5. Darcy Lewis (portrayed by Kat Dennings)

Marvel Studios

First appearance: Thor (2011)

Marvel Studios

"I wanna see her and Katy Chen get together and just destroy some villain with pure killer insults." - GANTRITHORE

"Darcy is my favorite; she's so fun. I want a series where she and Jimmy Woo solve superhero mysteries together. Jimmy would be actually investigating it, and Darcy would somehow accidentally get involved and help save the day. And they'd get a dog." - ChazzaHazza

Darcy's fans would happily hand her a whole new adventure.

Darcy and Thor, first meeting:

6. Ray Nadeem (portrayed by Jay Ali)

Netflix

First appearance: Daredevil (Season 3, Episode 1)

Netflix

"Ray Nadeem is so underrated." - VTYJ6503

"His growth and character arc were so good. I loved him, and the actor gave a great performance - easily one of my favorite characters, superheroes included.

It surprises me that a normal FBI agent was more interesting than the likes of someone like Yelena, Echo, Kate Bishop, Monica Rambeau, etc." - AbhayXV

Ray Nadeem's name came up fast, and for good reason.

Daredevil meets Nadeem for the first time:

7. Darryl Jacobson aka Thor's roommate (portrayed by Daley Pearson)

Marvel Studios

First appearance: Team Thor: Part 1 (short film)

Marvel Studios

"I love him! I heard they’re doing a Darryl and Korg short, but I don’t know how true that is." - maciswack0017

Darryl still has people hoping for more screen time.

The Team Thor:

8. Erik Selvig (portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård)

Walt Disney Co.

First appearance: Thor (2011)

Paramount Pictures

"I love Skarsgård, so hopefully he will be back." - Additional_Meeting_2

Erik Selvig remains one of those characters fans are still happy to see again.

Deleted scene of Selvig and Thor drinking together and having fun:

9. Finally, Grant Ward (portrayed by Brett Dalton)

ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection

First appearance: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 1, Episode 1)

Marvel Studios

"Ward is tied for the best MCU original character." - Sackzaur

"This might be a crazy hot take, but besides Fisk, Ward is the greatest villain in the MCU." - Gcarsk

Grant Ward closed things out with a lot of strong opinions behind him.

The evolution of Grant Ward:

If you are not an enthusiastic comic lover and didn't know much about MCU characters, we clarified it a little now. But we also wanted to ask devoted fans: is there any original MCU character you would like to add to this list?

Let us know in the comments section below.

Some original MCU characters just stick with people.

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