10 Best One-Off Characters In The Marvel Cinematic Universe
We all could use more Hela.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, has turned weaving characters and storylines throughout its various movies into an art form. All twenty-three films in this mega franchise take place in the same universe, and so some storylines set up in the Iron Man films find themselves resolved in the Captain America films.
However, although everything is connected, that doesn't mean every single character, plot element, or story beat from one MCU film has to show up again in another. For every epic, all-consuming Avengers: Infinity War-like crossover film, the MCU will also put out a smaller, more contained movie that's usually every bit as good as its much larger in scale counterparts.
Unlike Infinity War or Endgame, where we've seen just about every major character before and will see them again, some of the characters in these smaller MCU films can be one and done, leaving the MCU as fast as they entered it.
While some of those characters may appear in a quick cameo in a different MCU film, TV show, or property, they mostly disappear after their one real appearance which actually affects the story of the MCU.
10. Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Despite being a staple of the Avengers in the comics for many years, Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver, only fully appears in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He and his twin sister Wanda join forces with Ultron after gaining powers from experimentation with an Infinity Stone (changed from their mutant origins in the comics).
However, after learning of Ultron's true intentions, they join forces with the Avengers. Unfortunately, Pietro dies in the film's climax in order to save Hawkeye's life, cutting his time in the MCU short.
Although the MCU doesn't do Quicksilver as well as the X-Men films, which give the character three great scenes in which we see the world from his perspective: slowed down with a fun song in the background, Aaron Taylor Johnson's version of the character has his charm. His cocky attitude and rivalry with Hawkeye are fun to watch, and he has some great moments, such as trying to grab Thor's hammer mid flight and his "Get off your asses" scene in Sokovia.
Although Quicksilver probably shouldn't have been just a one-off character, he makes for a good, if temporary, addition to the Avengers.