MCU: 10 Marvel Movie Characters Who've Changed The Most

1. Iron Man

At the very outset of the MCU, Tony Stark was a peacocking playboy prick with devastating charisma and a likeability factor that his behaviour probably didn't deserve. He was a brainless, greedy man without principles and with no concern for his actions (hence his run ins with the boyfriends of women he'd seduced). In many ways, he was Bruce Wayne without it being an act.

As the films have introduced more and more emotional stakes, Tony has gone through pretty major changes, not only in personality but also in ideology. He is now the most in-tune with consequences of the entire Avengers cast (in fact, he's haunted by the possibilities of killing more people), he's no longer as impulsive (though ironically his attempts to plan for eventualities have been just as poor) and he's far more moral.

Sure, he's still cocky and he's still emotionally-led, as he always was, but he's also a PTSD survivor, a former alcoholic and a traumatised hero whose behaviour is almost unrecognisable from even his first days as Iron Man.

Interestingly, Spider-Man: Homecoming will also paint him as a sort of father-figure type to Peter Parker, which would have been unthinkable back in Phase One.

What Caused The Changes?

Accountability and guilt, mostly. More than any other character in the MCU, Tony wears the wounds of what has happened. He's haunted not only by those who've been killed but by the idea of more of his friends being killed, so his primary instinct now is to stop them having to be put in danger as much as possible.

He's no longer being killed by his shrapnel, which you'd think would have helped, but his psychological injuries are far more important now.

Which other MCU characters have changed the most since the start of the franchise? Share your suggestions below in the comments thread.