When it comes to cinematic adaptations of comic books, there are bound to be some creative liberties taken. Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman and Gotham is one of the most prominent examples, with his refreshingly grounded take on the Dark Knight’s mythos. As much as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been known for paying homage to its literary source material, much to the delight of fans, there have been some significant changes of its own.
One thing both fans and critics can agree on is that the MCU did a fantastic job of fleshing out villains like Loki, Thanos, Baron Zemo and Killmonger by tweaking their origins. Making them some of the most iconic and complex characters we’ve seen in comic-book film history. However, we’re not here to talk about them. Oh no, we’re here to discuss the Marvel characters they’ve utterly butchered!
Whether it’s mangling their comic book origins, turning them into dull goons or just making them into complete jokes, here are the characters that the MCU have ruined.
1. MODOK
We’re kicking off our list with the MCU’s latest film, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”. The Mechanised Organism Designed Only for Killing (MODOK) was never going to get the full sexy makeover in the MCU. We understand that in the comics he looked ridiculous and in live-action, he was always going to look a little silly. That being said, MODOK was at the very least a highly competent and dangerous evil genius who was capable of creating weapons of mass destruction and leading armies. Here, though, he’s been reduced from a quirky, dramatic villain to being a ridiculous punching bag for both heroes and Kang, and in a rather mean-spirited way too.
There is no reason whatsoever for MODOK to be introduced in “Quantumania” beyond the idea of having Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross acting as a source of comic relief. He doesn’t even meet Kang in the comics! The most egregious crime here is the abysmally bad CGI used to bring him to life. He looks more like Mr. Electric from “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D” than he does his actual comic-book counterpart. Now, some people online would argue that this was all done in the name of fun, but we can’t help but think this a waste of a potential solo villain and a lazy way to set up a twist for Darren Cross’ return.
2. Taskmaster
Anyone who has ever read Marvel comics would know Anthony “Tony” Masters, better known as Taskmaster, to be a rather unhinged, chatty mercenary. Not quite on the same level as Deadpool but still a relatively fun guy to have a drink with and someone you definitely want on your side in a fight. So when we saw Taskmaster appearing in the marketing for “Black Widow”, we were excited! Not only were we finally getting a proper solo adventure with the MCU’s most famous assassin but we’ll also get to see her go up against one of Marvel’s greatest combatants. A martial arts chameleon and a cold-blooded killer.
There’s just one problem…they turned Taskmaster into a mute, dull lackey of the uninspired General Dreykov. Sure you kept Taskmaster’s ability to mimic the fighting styles of Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Panther but you took away the best part of the character: their personality. The reason why Taskmaster is so interesting in the comics is that his ability to replicate other people’s fighting styles affects his memory and mental state. It would have been interesting to see Taskmaster spot witty banter with Natasha Romanoff as they cross swords and bullets. Sadly, we’ll never get that now.
3. Corvus Glaive
Yet another example of a terrific Marvel character being reduced to the role of super-henchman is the lacklustre introduction of Thanos’ fanatical, death-worshipping servant, Corvus Glaive into the MCU. He is the leader of the Black Order and Thanos’ second-in-command over his armies. First introduced in Jonathan Hickman’s “Infinity” comic book event, Corvus Glaive made an immense impression on readers with his threat to the King of the Inhumans, Black Bolt. With cruel glee and unwavering fervour, he demands that all Inhumans between the ages of sixteen to twenty-two years old be given to him. When asked by the Inhuman queen what they could offer him he chillingly responds “Only their heads”.
Throughout the universe, Corvus Glaive and his comrades have carved a bloody path in the name of their lord. He’s like something out of a horror story come alive. Unfortunately in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, this absolutely monster becomes indistinguishable from the many, many mindless grunts thrown against our heroes. Thankfully Ebony Maw gets a little more care but we would have loved to have seen Corvus Glaive and his fanatics descend upon a world to demand tribute. Instead, all he’s known for is saying “But sire, our troops.” in online memes. What a shame.
4. Thor Odinson
Before Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Ragnarok”, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Odinson was a bit of a stiff neck. He said his lines in ye olde English and threw his hammer. “Ragnarok” showed not only his fun-loving side but also his commitment to his people. Then in “Avengers: Infinity War”, we saw a grief-stricken Thor hellbent on vengeance. In spite of his revenge arc, we still managed to have some light moments with him and the Guardians of the Galaxy. That was Thor at his absolute peak. In “Avengers: Endgame” though…they made him fat and sad. Don’t get us wrong, he did get some badass scenes here and there but the whole Fat Thor schtick wore out thin after a while.
Oh, but the final nail in the coffin was what Taika Waititi did to Thor in “Thor: Love and Thunder”. They massacred our boy! It felt like every five seconds, Thor had to make some stupid quip or joke to add levity to the film. By the end of it all, Thor barely made any impression on us as a character as the film sped at lightning speed to one gag after another. Until he’s given a proper character arc again, Thor is ruined until further notice.
5. The Illuminati
Yes, we’re still sore about that! In Marvel comics, the Illuminati is a secret cabal represented by some of the greatest minds and powerful beings in the universe. The group included the likes of Professor Charles Xavier, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange, Namor, Reed Richards, Captain America and Iron Man. We knew that we weren’t getting the original roster for the Illuminati but we were still excited to see some version of this legendary team brought to the big screen. And what did you do with them? You had them all taken out like they were B-grade Avenger trainees!
Black Bolt unceremoniously blew his own head up. Reed Richards idiotically tried to wrap himself around Scarlet Witch and got turned into spaghetti. Captain Carter and Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel put up a bit more of a fight but they were still taken out with relative ease. Oh and sweet, sweet Professor X, arguably the greatest telepath in the entire Marvel universe basically got sucker punched psychically and died. Of all of the iconic powerhouses the MCU have nerfed in the name of a joke or twist in the last few years, the Illuminati has got to be the worst one we’ve seen thus far.
