5 Best & 5 Worst Times MCU Movies Changed Major Characters' Origins

The movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe often make changes to their characters’ traditional origins, with both positive and negative effects. Over the entire movie timeline of the MCU, the franchise has introduced a wealth of Marvel characters in live-action. Though these characters are typically lifted from the pages of Marvel Comics, the shared universe often takes some creative license, changing or reworking their origins to better fit the tone and story of the MCU.

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The changes made by the movies of the MCU are often controversial. Though some of the rewritten origin stories work better for the franchise than the traditional comic book alternative, others are actually worse. It would seem that for every positive change there’s another that is lacking, making the MCU’s track record with reworking character origins somewhat inconsistent. With that in mind, here are the 5 best and 5 worst times that MCU movies changed characters’ origins.

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BEST: Taskmaster

Taskmaster’s MCU Origins Connected Her To A Key Hero

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The cast of Black Widow introduced a new villain to the MCU: Taskmaster. However, the Taskmaster of the franchise was rewritten in many ways from the version in the comics. A gender-swapped version of the villain with an entirely new backstory, the MCU’s Taskmaster’s own origins were directly linked to Natasha Romanoff’s own beginnings as a hero. While this change worked well, not every aspect of the MCU’s Taskmaster was so well-received.

Connecting Taskmaster’s origins to Black Widow’s by having her be the daughter of Dreykov was a good way to introduce the character and explain her mimic ability, and worked well for the MCU. However, rewriting Taskmaster’s entire personality to have the villain become a silent and scarred secondary antagonist was a marked downgrade from the comic book version. Even though the personality shift was unwelcome, the change to Taskmaster’s origins for the MCU was a good one.

WORST: Hawkeye

Hawkeye’s MCU Origin Was Far Less Robust Than The Comics

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Though Clint Barton eventually did lead the cast of Hawkeye, he was the last of the MCU’s founding Avengers to get a solo project in the franchise. This is linked to the issues with the character’s origins in the MCU, as it has failed to substantiate any real backstory for the hero. In the comics, Hawkeye learns his archery skills as a young orphan after running away to join the circus, adding a tragic note of context to his abilities.

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The version of Hawkeye in the MCU, however, seemingly has no such origin. In fact, he has not been given any particular origin, instead being introduced as an agent of SHIELD working under Nick Fury. The closest thing to an origin offered is the explanation of how Hawkeye met Black Widow, but this serves more as an explanation of her past than his. Considering the MCU has yet to give Hawkeye any real origin, it’s a step down from that of the comics.

BEST: Thor

Scrapping Thor’s Secret Identity Was Better For The MCU

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As one of the MCU’s most prolific heroes, Thor has received a considerable amount of attention in the franchise. Thor’s MCU story has explored many aspects of his life, including explaining his origins as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. In the franchise, he is sent to Earth without his abilities, in order to learn humility and earn the right to wield Mjolnir once more.

This origin works far better than his original Marvel Comics backstory. In the comics, Thor found himself on Earth with amnesia, unable to remember his life as an Asgardian god. Instead, he assumed the identity of Doctor Donald Blake, whose cane would allow him to transform into the God of Thunder. This origin would have seemed silly in the MCU, and the franchise’s simplified origin story allowed for a more robust exploration of Thor’s Asgardian heritage.

WORST: Whiplash

A Simpler Whiplash Story Could Have Helped Iron Man 2

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Of all the villains introduced into the MCU, Whiplash is often considered one of the worst. Making his debut in Iron Man 2 played by Mickey Rourke, Whiplash was one of the franchise’s most forgettable and poorly written villains. However, the changes the franchise made to his backstory actually contributed to this, and he may well have fared much better had his original comic book origins been kept intact.

In the comics, Whiplash’s desire for revenge on Tony Stark was much simpler: a man in a stolen Iron Man suit attacked his village and killed his father, causing Vanko to swear revenge on the hero. This origin would have worked much better in Iron Man 2, as not only was it less a convoluted explanation of Vanko’s grudge against Stark, but it connected to the film’s narrative about the danger of Stark’s tech falling into the wrong hands. Had the MCU opted not to change Whiplash’s origin story so much, he may well have been more popular.

BEST: Falcon/Sam Wilson

The MCU Made Falcon A More Grounded Hero

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Before Sam Wilson was named as the MCU’s new Captain America, he was introduced to the franchise as Falcon. As Falcon, Wilson joined the Avengers after befriending Steve Rogers, with the pair bonding over their military backgrounds. The MCU’s Falcon makes use of high-end tech including a powerful wingsuit and a drone identified as Redwing. This reworks much of the character’s original Marvel Comics backstory for the better.

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In the comics, Falcon’s abilities are less tech-based than in the MCU. Redwing is a real bird in the comics, which Wilson is able to bond with via telepathic and empathic connection. The fantastical element of Sam Wilson’s origins would not have worked as well in the MCU, and the franchise’s change to backstory to incorporate a more military-based explanation for his abilities actually made far more sense.

WORST: Vision

Making Vision A Hero From The Start Made Him Less Interesting

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Vision’s origins in the MCU differ greatly from his backstory in the comics, with the franchise skipping over some of the more compelling parts of his introduction. In the MCU, he’s created by the Avengers using the Mind Stone after they steal the body Ultron planned to transfer his consciousness into, and Vision then goes on to help them beat the villain. While it makes sense in terms of the MCU’s story, Vision’s introduction lacked much of the drama of his comic book debut.

In the comics, Villain is first introduced as a villain, created by Ultron to destroy the Avengers. By implanting the brainwaves of Wonder Man into the deactivated body of the original Human Torch, Ultron creates a being to help him attack the Avengers. However, the heroes are able to appeal to Vision, and he eventually helps them overcome his creator. Though the finer points would have needed to be changed, the broad strokes of Vision’s comic book origins could have worked better in the MCU than his simplified introduction.

BEST: Thanos

Thanos’ MCU Motivations Worked Better Within The Context Of The Infinity Saga

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Though other examples of the MCU simplifying or failing to explore characters’ origins didn’t work as well, the franchise’s handling of Thanos was an improvement on his comic book backstory. The MCU introduced him as a mysterious figure pulling the strings of other villains to collect the Infinity Stones. This was later revealed to be in aid of his plan to wipe out half of all life in the universe.

Thanos’ motivations being cited as balance and a misguided attempt to resolve universal issues saw him become the Infinity Saga’s main antagonist, and it worked perfectly for the MCU. In the comics, his motivation was connected to his desire to court Lady Death, who had not been introduced into the MCU at that point. Reworking Thanos’ origin story to better fit the narrative of the Infinity Saga worked well, establishing him as a terrifying yet compelling villain.

WORST: The Mandarin

The MCU Famously Bungled The Mandarin’s Origin Story

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In perhaps one of wrost mishandled Marvel characters in the MCU, Iron Man 3 introduced the Mandarin, Iron Man’s traditional comic book nemesis. Though the MCU’s version of the villain initially appeared to be a relatively accurate representation of the character, he was later revealed to be a decoy created by Aldrich Killian. Backlash later prompted the introduction of a more comic-accurate Mandarin, though his debut came after Iron Man’s MCU death.

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The original change to the Mandarin’s backstory was an awful decision, as it seemingly robbed fans of the opportunity to see him fight Iron Man as had been teased. It also pushed the real Mandarin’s appearance in the MCU back considerably, preventing him from ever facing Iron Man in the franchise. The significant changes to the character made him one of the most disappointing MCU villains in terms of wasted potential.

BEST: Iron Man

Having Tony Stark Announced Himself To The World Was The Best Choice

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Though the changes to his nemesis left much to be desired, the changes to Iron Man himself for the MCU were much more positive. The initial differences in Tony Stark’s origin story were minor, but they actually had major implications for the MCU as a whole. As Stark was the MCU’s first hero, the decision to immediately have him reveal his identity rather than maintain a secret identity as in the comics was a bold departure from his comic book origins.

The gamble paid off, not least because it better fit the hero’s MCU characterization. The franchise’s Tony Stark could not have believably kept his identity secret, and opting to forego anonymity set the tone for the rest of the franchise, which allowed for a far more interesting narrative. Though the change initially seemed a subtle one, the positive impact it had on the wider MCU was undeniable.

WORST: Wanda Maximoff

Wanda’s Missing Mutant Origins Hurt Her MCU Characterization

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Despite being one of the MCU’s most tragic characters, the franchise still failed to properly explore the nuances of Wanda Maximoff. Serving as both a hero and a villain within the franchise, Wanda’s story was a complex one, but it’s also one that didn’t match up to her comic book backstory. Due to rights issues, the MCU was forced to pivot away from Wanda’s mutant origins, instead introducing her chaos magic as a result of proximity to the Mind Stone.

The later reveal of Wanda’s latent mutant gene came far too late, as she then became the Scarlet Witch and was killed before it could be explored. This seemingly robbed Wanda of any chance to appear in adaptations of some of her best comic book storylines, making the unavoidable change to her origins particularly unfortunate. As such, it was one of the worst changes to a character’s origin story in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even if the reasons behind it were not deliberate.

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