Marvel Characters: The Complete Directory
This directory of Marvel characters covers the heroes, villains and supporting cast you meet in the MCU, the Fox X-Men films and the Marvel TV shows.
Each card shows who plays the character and the film or show where they first appear. Jump to a group below.
First appearances and cast from Wikipedia’s MCU character articles and cast lists, checked 23 October 2026 · Unofficial fan guide
The directory lists 42 Marvel movie characters in eight groups, from the six founding Avengers to the Fantastic Four who arrived in 2025. It also covers the Netflix street-level heroes and the two Fox X-Men characters who crossed into the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Every first appearance is the first film or series where the character shows up in that franchise, cameos included. Use it with our Marvel movies in order checklist to find the films each character appears in.
Browse Marvel characters by category
Avengers
The founding six plus the heroes who joined later, from Sam Wilson to Kamala Khan.
X-Men
Wolverine and Deadpool, the two Fox characters now in the MCU. The full Fox film order is in our X-Men movies in order guide.
Guardians
Star-Lord’s team, from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) to Vol. 3 (2023).
Villains
Loki, Thanos, Kingpin, Agatha Harkness and Doctor Doom.
Supporting Cast
Nick Fury, Pepper Potts, Peggy Carter, Shuri, Wong and the other allies who hold the story together.
Multiverse Variants
Other versions of familiar faces, such as the 2014 Gamora and the Strange variants.
The core MCU characters
These six heroes formed the Avengers in The Avengers (2012). They carry the Infinity Saga, and Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth are both in Marvel’s official Avengers: Doomsday cast.
Tony Stark (Iron Man)
Played by Robert Downey Jr. First appearance: Iron Man (2008).
Steve Rogers (Captain America)
Played by Chris Evans. First appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Thor (God of Thunder)
Played by Chris Hemsworth. First appearance: Thor (2011).
Bruce Banner (Hulk)
Played by Edward Norton, then Mark Ruffalo from The Avengers (2012). First appearance: The Incredible Hulk (2008).
Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow)
Played by Scarlett Johansson. First appearance: Iron Man 2 (2010).
Clint Barton (Hawkeye)
Played by Jeremy Renner. First appearance: Thor (2011).
Marvel characters by franchise
Avengers and allies
Sam Wilson (Falcon, later Captain America)
Played by Anthony Mackie. First appearance: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier)
Played by Sebastian Stan. First appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)
Played by Elizabeth Olsen. First appearance: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
Vision
Played by Paul Bettany. First appearance: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
Peter Parker (Spider-Man)
Played by Tom Holland. First appearance: Captain America: Civil War (2016).
T’Challa (Black Panther)
Played by Chadwick Boseman. First appearance: Captain America: Civil War (2016).
Stephen Strange (Doctor Strange)
Played by Benedict Cumberbatch. First appearance: Doctor Strange (2016).
Scott Lang (Ant-Man)
Played by Paul Rudd. First appearance: Ant-Man (2015).
Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)
Played by Brie Larson. First appearance: Captain Marvel (2019).
Shang-Chi
Played by Simu Liu. First appearance: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).
Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)
Played by Iman Vellani. First appearance: Ms. Marvel (2022).
Guardians of the Galaxy
Peter Quill (Star-Lord)
Played by Chris Pratt. First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Gamora
Played by Zoe Saldaña. First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Groot
Played by Voiced by Vin Diesel. First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Nebula
Played by Karen Gillan. First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Mantis
Played by Pom Klementieff. First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).
Villains
Loki (God of Mischief)
Played by Tom Hiddleston. First appearance: Thor (2011).
Thanos (The Mad Titan)
Played by Josh Brolin. First appearance: The Avengers (2012).
Wilson Fisk (Kingpin)
Played by Vincent D’Onofrio. First appearance: Daredevil (Netflix, 2015).
Agatha Harkness
Played by Kathryn Hahn. First appearance: WandaVision (2021).
Victor von Doom (Doctor Doom)
Played by Robert Downey Jr. First appearance: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025, cameo).
Supporting cast
Nick Fury (Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
Played by Samuel L. Jackson. First appearance: Iron Man (2008).
Pepper Potts (Rescue)
Played by Gwyneth Paltrow. First appearance: Iron Man (2008).
Happy Hogan
Played by Jon Favreau. First appearance: Iron Man (2008).
Peggy Carter (Agent Carter)
Played by Hayley Atwell. First appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Shuri (Black Panther)
Played by Letitia Wright. First appearance: Black Panther (2018).
Wong (Sorcerer Supreme)
Played by Benedict Wong. First appearance: Doctor Strange (2016).
Yelena Belova (Black Widow)
Played by Florence Pugh. First appearance: Black Widow (2021).
Street-level heroes (Netflix and Disney+)
Matt Murdock (Daredevil)
Played by Charlie Cox. First appearance: Daredevil (Netflix, 2015).
Frank Castle (The Punisher)
Played by Jon Bernthal. First appearance: Daredevil season 2 (Netflix, 2016).
X-Men
Logan (Wolverine)
Played by Hugh Jackman. First appearance: X-Men (2000, Fox).
Wade Wilson (Deadpool)
Played by Ryan Reynolds. First appearance: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009, Fox).
Fantastic Four
Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic)
Played by Pedro Pascal. First appearance: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
Sue Storm (Invisible Woman)
Played by Vanessa Kirby. First appearance: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
Johnny Storm (Human Torch)
Played by Joseph Quinn. First appearance: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
Ben Grimm (The Thing)
Played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach. First appearance: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
Multiverse variants
Some characters appear as several versions. An alternate 2014 Loki and an alternate 2014 Gamora first show up in Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the Loki series follows that Loki. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) adds Defender Strange and Sinister Strange, and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) brings back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as other Peter Parkers.
New Marvel characters introduced in 2024-2026
The newest MCU characters arrive in Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Wonder Man. Several of them are in the Avengers: Doomsday cast that Marvel lists on its official page.
| Character | Played by | First appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Cassandra Nova | Emma Corrin | Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
| Bob Reynolds (Sentry) | Lewis Pullman | Thunderbolts* (2025) |
| Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm | Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach | The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) |
| Galactus | Ralph Ineson | The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) |
| Shalla-Bal (Silver Surfer) | Julia Garner | The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) |
| Victor von Doom | Robert Downey Jr. | The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025, cameo) |
| Simon Williams (Wonder Man) | Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | Wonder Man (2026) |
For how these films fit together, see the MCU timeline. For their reviews, see the best Marvel movies ranking.
Marvel characters FAQ
How many Marvel characters are there?
There is no official count, because Marvel’s comics have introduced thousands of characters since 1939. On screen the number is still large: Wikipedia’s MCU film cast lists name hundreds of credited characters across the films. This directory focuses on the 42 Marvel characters that matter most when you watch the films and series in order.
Who are the most powerful Marvel characters?
On screen, the strongest feats belong to Thanos with the complete Infinity Gauntlet, who wipes out half of all life in Avengers: Infinity War. Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch overpowers whole teams in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Carol Danvers destroys a warship alone in Avengers: Endgame. Galactus, the planet eater from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, works on a different scale again.
Are X-Men characters part of the MCU?
The X-Men were made by 20th Century Fox for two decades, so the Fox X-Men films are not part of the MCU timeline. That changed with Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), a Marvel Studios film that brings Hugh Jackman’s Logan and Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson into the MCU. Marvel’s official Avengers: Doomsday cast also includes Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Alan Cumming.
Who are the new Marvel characters in Phase 5 and 6?
Phase Five introduced Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine and Bob Reynolds, the Sentry, in Thunderbolts*. Phase Six opened with the Fantastic Four in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), along with Galactus and Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer. Wonder Man (2026) added Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Robert Downey Jr. returns as Victor von Doom.
Which Marvel character has appeared in the most movies?
Counting cameos, Wikipedia’s MCU film cast lists put Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, at the top with at least 12 released films, from Iron Man (2008) to The Marvels (2023). Tony Stark and Steve Rogers follow with 11 films each. The counts change once Avengers: Doomsday opens, since many of these actors return.
Who are the main villains in the MCU?
Thanos is the main villain of the Infinity Saga, building up from The Avengers (2012) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). Loki is the first big villain and later becomes a hero in his own series. In the Multiverse Saga, Robert Downey Jr. plays Victor von Doom, who leads into Avengers: Doomsday, and Wilson Fisk remains the main threat in the Daredevil shows.
Pick a character filter in the checklist on our home page to see every film and show they appear in.