10 Most Exciting Marvel Characters Joining The MCU In 2025

Some of the most exciting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be introduced to live-action in 2025. Since 2008’s Iron Man, Marvel Studios has adapted dozens of Marvel Comics’ most powerful, notable and complex characters, heroes and villains alike, into the live-action MCU, fleshing out the almost-two-decade-long franchise. This is only set to continue in 2025, with both the MCU’s theatrical releases and Disney+ shows introducing some of the franchise’s most significant and exciting characters yet, who will change the shape of the MCU forever.

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MCU Live-Action 2025 Project You are watching: 10 Most Exciting Marvel Characters Joining The MCU In 2025	Release Date
Captain America: Brave New World	February 14, 2025
Daredevil: Born Again	March 4, 2025
Thunderbolts*	May 2, 2025
Ironheart	June 24, 2025
The Fantastic Four: First Steps	July 25, 2025
Wonder Man	December 2025

With six live-action projects expected to release in the MCU in 2025, dozens of new and exciting characters will be introduced to the franchise alongside mainstays, including Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier and Matt Murdock’s Daredevil. This includes some of Marvel Comics’ most iconic and popular characters, such as the Silver Surfer, the Sentry and the Fantastic Four. Introducing notable Marvel heroes and villains alike will establish new storylines, setting up the MCU’s next chapters and allowing the franchise to grow for years to come.

10

Seth Voelker, A.K.A. Sidewinder

Captain America: Brave New World (February 2025)

2025’s first MCU project, Captain America: Brave New World, is set to pit Sam Wilson’s Captain America against a number of powerful villains, including the Red Hulk, the Leader and the Serpent Society, a group led by Seth Voelker’s Sidewinder. Giancarlo Esposito will be making his MCU debut as Sidewinder in Brave New World, dubbed the King of the Serpent Society, though it’s unclear whether he will share superpowers with his snake-themed Marvel Comics counterpart. Sidewinder’s teleportation ability may be too fantastical for Brave New World, though the villain’s inclusion is still very exciting.

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Seth Voelker made his Marvel Comics debut in 1980’s Marvel Two-in-One #64, which introduced as the steadfast leader of the Serpent Society, whose ability meant that his followers seldom remained imprisoned after committing their crimes. Captain America: Brave New World is expected to debut a more grounded and realistic version of Sidewinder, rather than introducing the most snake-like iteration of the character from Marvel Comics. The Serpent Society have been long-rumored for the MCU, so it’s exciting to finally see the group debut opposite Sam Wilson’s Captain America, introducing a new prevailing threat.

9

Muse

Daredevil: Born Again (March 2025)

Continuing on from the finale of Netflix’s Daredevil season 3, 2025’s Daredevil: Born Again series will pick up several years after Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson and Karen Page agreed to open their own law firm and Daredevil entered into a tenuous truce with Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin. The series will mirror the grounded and gritty textures of the original Defenders Saga series, and the debut of Muse in Daredevil: Born Again is proof of these themes being included. Muse is one of Marvel’s most brutal, disturbing and haunting villains, so his inclusion in Born Again is incredibly exciting.

It’s unclear who will play Muse in Daredevil: Born Again, but he has been seen in trailers for the series. In Marvel Comics, Muse is a deranged serial killer who creates art from the innards of his various victims, which include police officers, Inhumans and many more. Muse’s graffiti of Daredevil and other street-level heroes during Kingpin’s time as Mayor of New York was a huge plot point during the Devil’s Reign event, so will likely play a role in Daredevil: Born Again, too, making Muse one of the MCU’s most mysterious and intriguing new characters.

8

Parker Robbins, A.K.A. The Hood

Ironheart (June 2025)

While Captain America: Brave New World and Daredevil: Born Again are expected to introduce new and exciting villains, so is 2025’s upcoming Ironheart series. Riri Williams’ new armored superhero will be pitted against Anthony Ramos’ Parker Robbins in Ironheart, an ally of Williams who dabbles in dark magic after donning a mysterious red hood. In Marvel Comics, Parker Robbins became the Hood after meeting with a demon, and speculation of Mephisto’s official MCU debut in Ironheart has raised hopes that he will be the demon entering into this deal.

Mephisto received his first MCU name-drop in 2024’s Agatha All Along series.

The Hood’s introduction in Ironheart stresses the fact that the series will explore the dichotomy between magic and technology, which has been an ever-present theme in the MCU since the introduction of characters such as the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange. Parker Robbins could have a bright future as a villain and antihero in the MCU’s future, particularly as a member of the Thunderbolts, the Cabal or the Initiative, following in the footsteps of his Marvel Comics counterpart. Anthony Ramos is a brilliant up-and-coming actor, so his debut in the MCU is incredibly exciting.

7

Eric Williams, A.K.A. Grim Reaper

Wonder Man (December 2025)

Another intriguing villain set to appear in the MCU for the first time in 2025 is the Grim Reaper, who will be portrayed by Demetrius Grosse in Wonder Man. Eric Williams is the brother of Simon Williams, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Wonder Man, so he will likely have a major role in the upcoming Marvel Spotlight series. Eric Williams was always the black sheep of the family, and he helped convince his more put-together brother to seek enhancements from Baron Heinrich Zemo in Marvel Comics, transforming him into the villain Wonder Man, though he joined the Avengers instead of destroying them.

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When Simon Williams sacrifices himself to save the Avengers, Eric Williams’ grief transforms him into the Grim Reaper. His techno-scythe has the power to absorb life energy from others, and he more recently gained more mystical abilities, giving him a command over life and death that better fits his supervillain moniker. The Grim Reaper is a very powerful villain, and Demetrius Grosse is a commanding and captivating actor, making Eric Williams’ introduction in 2025’s Wonder Man series a very exciting prospect.

6

Hector Ayala, A.K.A. White Tiger

Daredevil: Born Again (March 2025)

Kamar de los Reyes’ role in Daredevil: Born Again was thankfully filmed prior to the actor’s tragic passing in 2023, allowing Hector Ayala to make his MCU debut as the White Tiger in the upcoming street-level series. Hector Ayala made his first Marvel Comics appearance in 1975’s Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, introduced as a character who becomes enhanced with superhuman abilities when he sports three mystical tiger amulets. He fought alongside other street-level heroes, including Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, Daredevil and Spider-Man, so his MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again makes a lot of sense.

Daredevil: Born Again has been speculated to include several street-level heroes, given its focus on Wilson Fisk’s election to Mayor of New York, which hints at an adaptation of Marvel Comics’ Devil’s Reign storyline.

While Hector Ayala’s White Tiger is unlikely to continue on after Daredevil: Born Again, given the tragic loss of Kamar de los Reyes, the superhero moniker can be passed down through the Ayala family, similarly to the title of Black Panther. In Marvel Comics, Angela Del Toro, Hector’s niece, inherited the tiger amulets after Hector’s demise, while this honor was later bestowed upon Hector’s teenage sister, Ava Ayala. The White Tiger’s debut in Daredevil: Born Again could kick-start a new superhero dynasty, which could change the landscape of the MCU’s street-level stories for good.

5

Silver Surfer

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 2025)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is perhaps the most highly-anticipated project set to release in the MCU’s 2025 slate. Matt Shakman’s reboot is set to introduce characters acquired by Disney from 20th Century Fox to the MCU for the first time, though it will initially take place in an alternate reality across the multiverse. This means that some characters will be twists of the versions audiences expect, which creates the opportunity for Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer to appear, rather than the more well-known Norrin Radd, though both herald the coming of an even greater threat.

Fantastic Four Live-Action Movie	Year	Director
The Fantastic Four	1994	Oley Sassone
Fantastic Four	2005	Tim Story
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer	2007	Tim Story
Fantastic Four	2015	Josh Trank
The Fantastic Four: First Steps	2025	Matt Shakman

The metallic-skinned cosmic being, the Silver Surfer, is one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic characters, so it will be very exciting to finally see this formidable character appear in the MCU. Ozark star Julia Garner will portray Shalla-Bal in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, arousing hopes that Marvel Studios will do the character justice after 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer delivered a somewhat-lackluster interpretation. The Silver Surfer’s MCU debut will change the cosmic side of the MCU significantly, and will expand on the exploration of the MCU’s multiverse brilliantly.

4

Simon Williams, A.K.A. Wonder Man

Wonder Man (December 2025)

While Demetrius Grosse’s debut as Eric Williams’ Grim Reaper is an exciting prospect, the debut of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams in 2025’s Wonder Man is perhaps more highly-anticipated. Imbued with ionic energy, Wonder Man is one of Marvel’s most powerful characters, who uses his gifts to become a Hollywood actor, so introducing this hilarious and formidable character to the MCU will be game-changing. Wonder Man has become a member and leader of superhero teams such as the Avengers, the West Coast Avengers, the Defenders and more, meaning he could weave into every corner of the MCU.

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a remarkable actor who has a great deal of superhero franchise experience, having portrayed Black Manta in the DCEU’s Aquaman franchise and Doctor Manhattan in HBO’s Watchmen series. His role in the MCU will be more comedic, and being introduced in a Marvel Spotlight series gives him more freedom to make Wonder Man his own, rather than connecting too much to the MCU’s wider narrative. There’s no doubt Simon Williams will become one of the MCU’s most important heroes, however, so his 2025 debut is much anticipated.

3

Galactus

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 2025)

The Silver Surfer’s debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps is exciting, but this only sets the stage for a far more terrifying threat to appear. The Silver Surfer is notoriously the herald of the planet-eating cosmic being Galactus, who has opposed the Fantastic Four and a great many other Marvel heroes since his first Marvel Comics appearance in 1966’s Fantastic Four #48. Formerly a mortal man from before the current universe, Galactus consumes entire worlds to sustain his life force, serving a crucial role in the maintenance of the universe and its many cosmic entities.

Galactus was depicted as a cosmic cloud of gas in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which received a huge amount of critcism.

Galactus was completely butchered in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, so there is a lot of pressure on Marvel Studios to get the looming cosmic being right in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Casting English actor Ralph Ineson, who has a noticeable deep and rough Yorkshire accent, as Galactus in the MCU was a fantastic choice, while there is speculation that Galactus’ power will be put on full display as he could destroy First Steps’ retro-futuristic, 1960s-themed version of Earth. Galactus will likely become a long-running threat in the MCU, which is very exciting indeed.

2

Bob

Thunderbolts* (May 2025)

Lewis Pullman replaced Steven Yeun in Thunderbolts* in January 2024, seemingly taking over the mysterious role of Bob. While Marvel Studios has made attempts to keep Bob’s true identity hidden, there has been huge speculation, and it has been all but confirmed, that Bob is in fact Robert Reynolds, otherwise known as the Sentry. The Sentry is one of Marvel’s most powerful characters, harboring the power of a million exploding suns, so his debut in the MCU may have a serious impact on the power status of the franchise, but could also introduce another terrifying threat.

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman seemed to confirm that Steven Yeun was set to portray the Sentry, while Thunderbolts* star David Harbour recently accidentally revealed that Lewis Pullman will now portray Bob as the Sentry, spoiling the major MCU secret.

While the Sentry is a steadfast hero, he has a darker alter ego living inside him known as the Void. It’s unclear whether Marvel Studios will adapt the Sentry’s memory-wipe storylines from Marvel Comics, which revealed he had played a pivotal role in Marvel’s history upon his debut in Marvel Comics’ The Sentry storyline in 2000. Since his debut, the Sentry became one of the most central figures in several different Avengers teams, so he’ll likely become a permanent fixture in the MCU, rivaling the power of the likes of Captain Marvel, the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange.

1

The Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 2025)

Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige quickly confirmed that the Fantastic Four would be reinvented for the MCU following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. However, it wasn’t until February 2024 when the official cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps was confirmed, with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach being introduced to the MCU as Marvel’s new First Family. Several different versions of the Fantastic Four have been adapted into live-action before, but Marvel Studios’ iteration is expected to be the strongest and most comic-accurate incarnation yet.

Fantastic Four Member	Actor
Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic	Pedro Pascal
Sue Storm’s Invisible Woman	Vanessa Kirby
Johnny Storm’s Human Torch	Joseph Quinn
Ben Grimm’s Thing	Ebon Moss-Bachrach

The MCU’s Fantastic Four team will be introduced inhabiting an alternate 1960s-themed universe, explaining why they’ve been missing from the MCU until now. The introduction of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm will set up some crucial events for the MCU’s future, with the Fantastic Four team expected to lead the franchise for years to come alongside other superhero teams such as the Avengers and the X-Men. The Fantastic Four is the team that led Marvel Comics into a new era in 1961, and it’s very likely they’ll do the same for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.

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Kevin Feige

Upcoming Films

Deadpool & Wolverine
, Captain America: Brave New World
, Thunderbolts*
, Blade (2025)
, The Fantastic Four: First Steps
, Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
, Avengers: Secret Wars

Upcoming TV Shows

Agatha: Coven of Chaos
, Ironheart
, Daredevil: Born Again
, Wakanda
, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
, Marvel Zombies
, Wonder Man
, Vision Quest

Upcoming MCU Movies

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Captain America: Brave New World

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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*

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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

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Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars

Release Date

May 7, 2027