10 Most Underrated MCU Characters

10. Howard Stark

Howard Stark is much more important to the MCU than just being Tony Stark's Father. Aside from building Captain America's shield, Howard also built the original prototype of the Arc Reactor.

Without the knowledge of Howard's prototype, Tony may never have been able to build the miniature version that helped save his life, and could easily have died in Afghanistan.

If not for Howard's inventions, we would have lost Tony Stark much, much earlier. Everything that Tony accomplished during and after Iron Man would never have happened. No-one to stop Obadiah Stane or Ivan Marko. No-one to fly a missile into space and save New York City from certain destruction. Most importantly, there would have been no-one to crack the secrets of time travel, and no-one to do the snap that saved the universe from Thanos and his army.

The MCU without Iron Man would have been a very different, much darker place. Thanks to Howard Stark, we never have to see it.