15 Marvel Cinematic Universe Characters We Don't Expect To See Again

The Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off in 2008 with "Iron Man," and the franchise has undergone major changes in recent years. After "Avengers: Endgame" was released in 2019, it was time for Marvel Studios to say goodbye to some of their most famous characters. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) both perished, and Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) hung up his shield. However, this wasn't the end for any of the actors. Johansson returned as Nat in the prequel film "Black Widow," Evans cameoed as Johnny Storm in "Deadpool & Wolverine," and Downey Jr. is set to play Doctor Doom in "Avengers: Doomsday," a role he took on one condition. 

In true comic book fashion, death doesn't guarantee a character's (or actor's) end, but that doesn't mean everyone will return. Many stars are signed up for "Avengers: Doomsday," but a lot of major characters were left out of the announcement and probably don't have much of a future in the MCU anyway. While some names are still expected to be revealed, there are plenty that won't make the cut.

Here are 15 Marvel Cinematic Universe characters we don't expect to see again anytime soon.

When it comes to the original six Avengers, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is the least likely to return. Her death on Vormir to secure the Soul Stone in "Avengers: Endgame" was powerful and irreversible. After that, "Black Widow" was the perfect send-off. 

However, with Downey Jr. playing Doom, anything goes when it comes to an actor's return. Johansson could also come back in a completely different role, or as Nat from an alternate universe. More than likely, her relationship with Marvel Studios will likely continue in a producer-only position.

"It would be very hard for me to understand in what capacity [returning] would make sense for me, for the character that I play," Johansson told Vanity Fair. "I miss my buddies and really would love to be with them forever, but what works about the character is that her story is complete. I don't want to mess with that. For fans too — it's important for them."

Recently, Johansson revealed her biggest frustration about playing Black Widow. 

While Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) is alive and well in the MCU, it's unlikely you'll see him again on the big screen. Bautista has made it clear that he's done with the role, emphasizing that he no longer wants to deal with the makeup. "It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down," he told GQ. However, Bautista isn't opposed to taking on another comic book role.

"When I said that I was done, I was really just done with my journey as Drax," Bautista told Gizmodo. "I still have a relationship with Marvel. I've seen Kevin Feige again, Lou [D'Esposito] as recently as two weeks ago. And they know that I would be up for a role. I love the universe — the superhero universe, I love it. I'm a fan. So Marvel or DC, if they call, I would answer the phone. And if the role makes sense, I'd be all over it."

Bautista recently revealed the one condition that would bring him back as Drax, but it's probably not in the cards.

When "Eternals" was released in 2021, it felt like a new beginning for Marvel. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more of a dead end. Despite having a stacked cast and being helmed by Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, the film received a 47% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, a franchise low at the time. /Film called the movie "wildly ambitious, but tonally uneven." Nearly four years later, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is the only MCU movie with a worse score. Some fans have hoped that Marvel would give the team of immortals a second chance, but it's hard to see how they'd fit into the franchise's future.

"There are no immediate plans for 'Eternals 2,'" Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige told Inverse in 2024. While the use of "immediate" could leave room for hope, there's not much of a demand to see the characters again. Fans are much more interested in Tiamut Island, the Celestial landmass that formed on Earth at the end of "Eternals." Tiamut's remains were referenced in "Captain America: Brave New World," so the MCU isn't completely ignoring the events of the film.

The Eternals might be done, but Dane Whitman/Black Knight (Kit Harington) could reappear, since he was heard conversing with Mahershala Ali's Blade in a post-credit scene. Sadly, the MCU's "Blade" has dealt with its own string of setbacks, and some feel the reboot should be put to rest.

The beloved Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) was killed by Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in "The Avengers." However, he was resurrected in the ABC series, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," which some consider to be one of the best network shows in recent years. For a long time, the series was part of the MCU canon, but there has since been debate about whether it takes place in the main timeline. The show tied in with the movies for years, but things veered off when they didn't acknowledge the snap from "Avengers: Infinity War."

While no one from Marvel has confirmed the show's place in the MCU, many believe the first five seasons are set in the main timeline while the final two seasons happened in a branched timeline. Either way, no movie characters aside from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) knew Coulson was brought back to life. "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." ran for seven seasons, so there's a lot of Coulson lore the Avengers would need to catch up on.

That being said, Gregg did reprise the role of Coulson in "Captain Marvel" in 2019, which took place 17 years before Loki killed him. If they can figure out a way to bring Coulson back, we'd certainly be ecstatic.

If Charlize Theron had shown up as Clea in a post-credit scene during the Infinity Saga, no one would question whether or not she'd return to the franchise. However, the credits scenes in the Multiverse Saga have proved to be unreliable. When Theron made her one and only MCU appearance at the end of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," fans were excited about the character's future. Now, they're losing faith. 

Known as the "mistress of the Dark Dimension," there are many cool ways to use Clea. Alas, there's been no news about her return in four years. She could show up alongside Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in "Avengers: Doomsday," but Cumberbatch wasn't among the names revealed to be in the film. He has confirmed he'll be in "Avengers: Secret Wars," but it's hard to imagine how they'd include Clea with little to no character setup. 

Theron did enjoy her brief time in the MCU, and she even shared behind-the-scenes photos on social media. In a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she didn't seem to know much about the next steps. "I'm excited, but I honestly don't know what the f*** it's going to be." 

Brett Goldstein is another actor who debuted in a Multiverse Saga post-credit scene. He appeared in "Thor: Love and Thunder" as Hercules because Zeus (Russell Crowe) wanted to send Olympus' mightiest warrior after Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Unfortunately, the fourth Thor movie wasn't exactly a hit, with /Film calling it a "disappointing" follow-up to "Thor: Ragnarok." 

Hemsworth has been announced as part of the "Avengers: Doomsday" cast, but it's hard to imagine the franchise is going to give him a fifth standalone movie after the tepid response to "Love and Thunder." Hercules popping up in an already-packed film seems deeply unlikely, and it's difficult to see where else he could fit in. 

While there have been rumors of a Hercules solo film, the bosses over at Marvel have made it clear that they plan to release fewer projects per year. With so many big characters awaiting more screentime, we can't imagine Hercules being a priority for the studio.  

We really hope we're wrong about this one, but Marvel doesn't seem too eager to resurrect the characters from "Moon Knight." Layla El-Faouly/Scarlet Scarab (May Calamawy) was a badass addition to the MCU, but it's unclear where she'd fit in next. The return of Moon Knight, AKA Marc Spector AKA Steven Grant AKA Jake Lockley (Oscar Isaac), is also looking slim, but throwing him into an "Avengers" film or a "Blade" follow-up is more of a possibility than a second season of "Moon Knight." Sadly, that leaves less room for Calamawy.

"So I think Marvel Television has happened in waves, and I think 'Moon Knight' happened in a wave of shows that were going to establish characters that would tie-in to the future," head of Marvel Television Brad Winderbaum previously told ComicBook.com, confirming that "Moon Knight" season 2 is not currently on the table. "And moving forward, our priorities have shifted. We're making shows as shows that can exist as annual releases, more like television. I would love to see a 'Moon Knight' season 2, but there are plans for Moon Knight down the road."

Considering Calamawy was recently cut from "Gladiator II," we're hoping the talented actor has better luck down the line.

If the Eternals aren't coming back to the MCU, one can assume there's no future for Eros/Starfox (Harry Styles) and his companion, Pip the Troll (Patton Oswalt). Moviegoers were shocked to see the One Direction alum in the post-credits scene of "Eternals," and at the time, the addition was an intriguing one.

Eros has a cool history in Marvel Comics, and he's the adopted brother of Thanos. Nicknamed the "Knave of Hearts," there are many reasons why a rockstar like Styles seemed a good fit for the Titan. However, now that the Eternals are being put on the back burner, Starfox doesn't fit into Marvel's new plans. For now, his scene falls under the category of Marvel endings that never really paid off.

If this prediction bums you out, you can at least see Oswalt elsewhere in the MCU. The actor plays the Koenig brothers in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and he's a prominent part of the episodes that tie in with "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

Sadly, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) died in "Thor: Love and Thunder," but she is seen entering Valhalla in the movie's final post-credits scene. While Portman's last moment left some fans hopeful, it was likely nothing more than a fitting end. Portman had a huge gap between MCU appearances, missing out on the highest-rated Thor movie, "Thor: Ragnarok." Considering her last two entries were "Thor: The Dark World" and "Thor: Love and Thunder," Portman hasn't had the best MCU luck. (Yes, she was in "Avengers: Endgame," but only for about 10 seconds.) 

Despite the fact that she had to undergo grueling training for the fourth Thor movie, Portman does seem open to a return. "Oh, I have no idea," Portman told TotalFilm in 2024. "I mean, no one's asked me to. So I don't know. But sure, that was super-fun."

Pulling Jane out of Valhalla seems cruel, so the best we can hope for when it comes to Portman's MCU future is for Thor to die and meet her in the afterlife.

While some of us would ride or die for "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," there's a loud section of the Internet who were incredibly nasty about Disney+'s lawyer comedy. Between the vitriol and the expense (She-Hulk isn't exactly a cheap character to bring to life, and VFX artists are getting fed up with Marvel), there isn't a good chance the She-Hulk series will get another season. Jen Walters/She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) could appear in an Avengers film, but the show's supporting characters probably don't have a future in the MCU.

It's a shame, because every character in "She-Hulk" was a delight to watch. Jen's BFF Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga) was a hoot, and their co-worker Pug (Josh Segarra) was insanely lovable. Not to mention the memorable one-off characters like Madisynn (Patty Guggenheim), who was such a hit, she ended up making her Marvel Comics debut in 2024.

If season 2 is out of the question and "Avengers: Doomsday" is up in the air, there is one more place She-Hulk could appear: "Daredevil: Born Again." 

"Would I be born again? I mean, absolutely, he was so great," Maslany told Screen Rant, referring to Charlie Cox playing Daredevil on "She-Hulk." " I have a lot of serious bones in my body," the Emmy-winning actor replied when asked about potentially appearing in "Born Again."

When it comes to disappointing MCU projects, "Secret Invasion" is at the top of many fans' lists. It was a comic storyline that people had been waiting years to see adapted, and the result was underwhelming. Despite hitting the ground running, the show fell apart over the course of six episodes. The Disney+ series featured Emilia Clarke as G'iah, the daughter of Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). As a Skrull, G'iah is able to transform into anyone she sees, but she got an upgrade that makes her a hard character to reuse.

At the end of "Secret Invasion," G'iah is arguably the strongest character in the entire franchise. She becomes a Super Skrull who has the ability to become any of the Avengers who fought against Thanos at the end of "Avengers: Endgame." It's hard to see how any villain would be a match for her. If she showed up in "Avengers: Doomsday," the movie would be over instantly. Between "Secret Invasion" getting poor reviews and G'iah being written into an all-powerful corner, it seems likely that Marvel Studios will sweep her under the rug.

Laura Barton (Linda Cardellini) has had an interesting journey in the MCU. Her marriage to Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) was a surprise in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," and her history as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was revealed many years later in the finale of "Hawkeye." Laura is Agent 19, better known as Mockingbird in the comics. However, that moniker belongs to Bobbi Morse, who was played by Adrianne Palicki in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." It's unclear if Laura is supposed to be a different Mockingbird, but it's doubtful we'll ever find out.

Renner recently confirmed that he turned down "Hawkeye" season 2 because he was offered significantly less money than the first time around. There's a chance he'll reappear in "Doomsday" or "Secret Wars," but his family is most likely a closed chapter. Even if we don't see Laura again, that doesn't mean the end for Cardellini. She voiced Lylla in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," so you never know where she could pop up next. 

Marvel fans were shocked when it was announced that Harrison Ford would be taking over the role of Thaddeus Ross in the MCU. The part was played by William Hurt for many years, until the actor passed away in 2022. Ford made his franchise debut in "Captain America: Brave New World," playing Ross as both the President and Red Hulk. It originally seemed as though Ford was signing up to be a major player, but he may have just been finishing the job Hurt started.

Fans initially suspected that Ford would reprise his role in "Thunderbolts," which was released only a few months after the fourth Cap film. Considering "Thunderbolt" is Ross' nickname, and comic iterations of the team have included Red Hulk, it seemed like a no-brainer that he'd be in the movie. Turns out, the name had nothing to do with the now-former President, and he played no role in the film. 

Between the negative reactions to "Brave New World," Ford's age, and the fact that another standalone Hulk movie is probably never going to happen, we're betting that Ross is officially retired in the MCU. 

Just like Dave Bautista's Drax, Zoe Saldaña's Gamora is not expected to return after "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." The character already came back after dying in "Avengers: Infinity War," and she had a lovely little sendoff in the third "Guardians." Gamora found a new family in the Ravagers, and it wouldn't make much sense for her to return to her old friends, especially since she's not the same Gamora who spent years with them. More importantly, Saldaña has said she's done. 

"I think my role was great," she told Variety at the beginning of 2025. "My journey and partnership were memorable and so rewarding... I keep saying this time and time again — I can't wait to see what's next for Gamora. I hope they're not done with her, and I hope a woman of color or a woman with special needs can take on the role next. That would be incredible." 

While Saldaña wants to see someone else step into the role, it's doubtful Marvel will take that route. 

A lot of this list is based on guesswork, but it's been confirmed that Kang is officially out of the MCU. The role was played by Jonathan Majors in "Loki" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," and he was set to become the big bad of the Multiverse Saga. However, things took a turn when Majors was accused of assaulting a former girlfriend. The case went to court, and as soon as Majors was found guilty at the end of 2023, Marvel dropped the actor. 

Since "Avengers: Kang Dynasty" was on Marvel's lineup, fans wondered if the role would be recast. Last year, the title was changed to "Avengers: Doomsday" with Downey Jr. stepping into the main villain role. While the circumstances are unfortunate, the loss of Kang doesn't actually affect much of what we've seen in the Multiverse Saga. The second season of "Loki" gave the character a decent out, and "Quantumania" didn't exactly get fans excited for more. 

It's a bummer that a major comics character has to be sidelined because of one man's cruel actions, but Marvel made the right decision.