12 MCU Characters Who Almost Looked WAY Cooler

What could have been...

Ultron Design
Marvel Studios/Phil Saunders

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the biggest franchise in the history of the movie industry, and not just in terms of box office numbers. The sheer amount of characters in the MCU is greater than any other movie series could ever boast.

From the originals like Iron Man and Cap, down to those who are limited to just a scene or two, like Miek, or any of Stan Lee's wonderful cameo appearance, a good design is absolutely key.

There is so much work that goes into creating a movie character, particularly those in the comic book world. In terms of aesthetics, though there is usually already a base to work from, the possibilities in a universe boasting aliens, talking trees, and completely unrealistic tech, are literally endless.

Naturally, this results in an immeasurable amount of character designs ultimately left out in favour of the final product. Whether these ideas evolve into what we ultimately see, or get scrapped altogether for something entirely different, good ideas will always get left behind. Sometimes this is to make way for great ideas, but just as often we're left wondering what went into thinking they shouldn't be included.

12. Zemo

After Captain America’s greatest ever villain was utilised in The First Avenger, and HYDRA and Bucky took the antagonistic lead in The Winter Soldier in the Red Skull’s absence, there was only one villain who could step in for Civil War. Helmut Zemo.

Of course, there was a huge amount of intrigue and excitement surrounding the character’s MCU debut, and while he was a strong villain, he was certainly subject to a lot of the Russo brothers’ creative liberty.

These changes were made to better suit the MCU. He was made to be Sokovian, he was motivated by the tragic loss of his family, and held a grudge against the entire Avengers team rather than just Cap. One of the biggest changes was the lack of Zemo’s trademark purple hood. It’s a justified change, but anyone who says they weren’t disappointed by not seeing a comic accurate version of the character isn’t being honest with themselves.

Thankfully, we can look forward to the classic look in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but we almost saw it in 2016, and it would have been epic.

Contributor
Contributor

This standard nerd combines the looks of Shaggy with the brains of Scooby, has an unhealthy obsession with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is a firm believer that Alter Bridge are the greatest band in the world.