The MCU, but the movies managed to get a few things wrong about the characters. The MCU is one of the most successful film franchises in history, stretching to over 30 movies and television shows, and the Avengers are responsible for its popularity. The MCU’s first several films featured the team’s core before bringing them together in 2012’s The Avengers.

Before the MCU, these characters were only known to comic book fans, but the movies helped cement their place in the pop culture landscape.

Today, MCU superstars such as Iron Man and Black Panther are household names, but this was not always the case. Before the MCU, these characters were only known to comic book fans, but the movies helped cement their place in the pop culture landscape. Along the way, the various writers, directors and producers of these movies made some changes to the characters. In many instances, the character’s essence was nailed perfectly, but the movies still got a few things wrong, and here are eight of them.

8 The Hulk is Not a Romantic Partner For Black Widow

The Hulk’s Budding Relationship With Black Widow Felt Forced

The MCU managed to duplicate several of Marvel’s greatest romantic pairings: Vision and the Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man and MJ and Iron Man and Pepper Potts, but it totally bungled another. In 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, it seemed as if Black Widow and the Hulk were going to get together romantically, but their burgeoning affair was nipped in the bud when the Hulk was shot into space during the movie. Fans were puzzled by this development, as there was zero precedent for it in the comics. Fortunately, the MCU stopped this pairing in its tracks.

Black Widow first appeared in 1964's Tales of Suspense #52.

In the comics, Black Widow and the Hulk have barely interacted, let alone date. Betsy Ross was the Hulk’s primary lover. As for Black Widow, she had a number of romantic partners, including Daredevil and Red Guardian. While the MCU acknowledged Betsy Ross’ role in Hulk’s life, it failed to do so with the various suitors in Black Widow’s. According to legend, the original plan was for Black Widow and Hawkeye to get together, but this idea was dropped. This couple made more sense story-wise, but with Natasha now dead, the likelihood it will ever happen is zero.

7 In the Comics, Captain America Was Not a Founding Member of the Avengers

The MCU Excluded Two Founding Avengers From the Lineup

The Avengers brought together all the MCU’s heroes at the time, pitting them against Loki and an alien invasion. In the comics, Loki was instrumental (but not by his own design), in assembling the Avengers. The MCU got this part right, but the first film ended up excluding two founding : Ant-Man and the Wasp. Instead, they were introduced a few years later. Without Ant-Man and the Wasp, Marvel needed other heroes to beef up the team, thus bringing in Hawkeye, Black Widow and Captain America, none of which were present at the team’s inception.

Marvel fans may never know why Ant-Man and Wasp were left out of the first Avengers movie in favor of others, but it nevertheless feels like a huge slight. One of the possible reasons for leaving Hank and Janet out is their highly problematic relationship, one marred by adultery and abuse. Hank Pym’s toxicity as a character has reduced his profile in Marvel Comics, which may have led to his exclusion from helping to create the Avengers. When Hank did make his MCU debut in 2015’s Ant-Man, played by Michael Douglas, he was much more mellow than his comic book counterpart.

6 Who Really Created Ultron in the Comics? Hint: It Was Not Iron Man

The MCU Has Given Ant-Man the Short Shrift Once Again

Ultron is one of Marvel’s most terrifying villains, and mainstream audiences got to see his evil first-hand in Age of Ultron. Played by James Spader, Ultron was the creation of Tony Stark. One of Stark’s experiments went awry, and Ultron tried to eradicate all life on Earth, but the Avengers were able to stop him, yet not without taking a few lumps themselves. Ultron’s demise at the movie’s end also led directly to the creation of the Vision, who would become a huge asset to the Avengers down the line.

Yet here’s the thing: it did not happen that way in the comics at all. Ultron made a cameo in 1968’s Avengers #54 before making his full debut in the next issue. Instead of being Tony Stark’s brainchild, Ultron was built in the comics by Hank Pym. Pym used his own brain waves to program Ultron, which may explain why the robot went rogue in the first place. What the MCU did get right, however, was the relationship between Ultron and the Vision: in the comics, Ultron created the Vision as a weapon he could use against the Avengers.

5 Spider-Man Never Had a Superhero Mentor in the Comics

A Teenage Spider-Man as Iron Man’s Protégé Was a Huge Twist

Spider-Man’s arrival in the MCU was a historic occasion, but it came with a massive twist: Peter was once again a teenager, and Iron Man was his mentor. In 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Iron Man brought the young Peter Parker in to help him fight Steve Rogers in the wake of the Registration Act’s age. Up until Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame, he guided Spider-Man’s heroic career, giving him advice as well as a huge supply of cool suits and gadgets. For a science aficionado like Peter, working with Tony was the next best thing to heaven.

Spider-Man revealing his secret identity in Civil War led directly to the events of One More Day, which undid his marriage to Mary Jane.

Even the most casual of Marvel fans know this is not how it went down in the comics. In the comic Civil War, Iron Man did manipulate Spider-Man, asking him to reveal his identity as a way of selling the Registration Act. By this time, Spider-Man was an adult and did not need guidance from anyone, let alone Iron Man. Why the MCU went this route to introduce Spider-Man into the mix may remain a mystery. However, this new dynamic between the two helped fuel some great stories, making this a change from the comics that actually paid off.

4 Captain Marvel Was a Contemporary of Iron Man and Thor

Why Was Captain Marvel’s First Film Set in the 1990s?

Carol Danvers, and the myriad of heroic identities she has adopted, have been part of Marvel Comics since the late 1960s, which makes her a contemporary of the Avengers. Carol has been a member of the team as well, and is currently serving, as Captain Marvel, as the team’s chair. Captain Marvel was a major player in the Civil War II miniseries, where she went up against Iron Man. While not currently appearing in an ongoing monthly comic, Captain Marvel still manages to make a huge impact on the present-day Marvel Universe.

Yet when it came time for Captain Marvel to debut in her self-titled 2019 film, the Powers-That-Be at the MCU decided to set her first adventure in the mid-1990s. Why the MCU made this decision is unknown, but eventually she made her way to the 2020’s. Despite this odd creative choice, it did prove to be the right thing to do. By placing Captain Marvel a few good decades in the past, it gave the filmmakers a chance to explore more of the MCU’s history, as well as create a nostalgic blast from the past.

3 The Avengers Got Their Name From Who Again?

One of the Excluded Founding Gave the Team Their Name in the Comics

The MCU took some liberties with how the Avengers obtained their name, and it is rooted in the exclusion of Ant-Man and the Wasp. In 1963’s Avengers #1, the duo ed other Marvel heroes in fighting Loki. As noted earlier, when the dust from the battle cleared, the five decided to form a superhero team to face threats they could not handle on their own. When the squad was trying to decide on a name for themselves, it was the Wasp who suggested “the Avengers.” It was a really cool name for the new team.

With the Wasp being left out of the team’s founding, the MCU needed a new way to name the team. Enter: Carol Danvers. In Captain Marvel, Carol met Nick Fury in the 1990s, teaming up with him to stop an alien invasion. The movie ends with Captain Marvel heading into space. The adventure clued Fury in that there were bigger and worse things in the universe, and a team would be necessary to counter these threats. Captain Marvel ended with Fury drafting “the Avengers Initiative,” named for Carol Danvers’ call sign in the military.

2 Doctor Strange’s Eye of Agamotto Is Different in the Comics

Altering the Eye of Agamotto Gave Doctor Strange an Even Stronger Connection to the MCU

From the MCU’s beginnings, fans have waited for Doctor Strange to make his debut. After being teased in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Doctor Strange would go on to appear in his own movie in 2016. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange made a huge impression on fans. The movie, by and large, was faithful to Doctor Strange’s classic origin, as well as introducing the major players in his mythos. The movie also allowed Strange to show off other aspects of his lore, namely the many magical trinkets he uses, such as the Eye of Agamotto.

Doctor Strange was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

In the comics, the Eye of Agamotto was created by Earth’s first Sorcerer Supreme millions of years ago, and gives Doctor Strange a great deal of his powers. Yet for some reason, it was decided that in the MCU, the Eye of Agamotto would be the Time Stone. No reason was given for this change, but it did help integrate Doctor Strange further into the MCU. It also put the Sorcerer Supreme right in Thanos’ crosshairs, as the Mad Titan took the Time Stone, and thus the Eye of Agamotto, from Doctor Strange.

1 Loki Is Far More of a Heel in the Comics

The MCU Wildly Enough Made Loki a Heartthrob

Loki is crucial to the story of the Avengers, both in the comics and the MCU, but how the two entities portray him is vastly different. In the comics, Loki was a straight-up villain, who was not above murder and deceit to get what he wanted. In Norse mythology, Loki is more of a trickster figure than a villain, but Stan and Jack fashioned him into pure evil. In the MCU, Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, also began as a villain, with little question over his morality.

Tom Hiddleston is set to wow audiences this summer in The Life of Chuck, directed by Mike Flanagan.

Yet something extraordinary happened along the way: Loki became far more sympathetic as a character, and by the time the second season of his Disney+ show ended, he was a good guy. This metamorphosis is largely due to Hiddleston’s winning performance. Hiddleston also became a geeky sex symbol, which may have also fueled his journey to the side of good. Loki is set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, but it is still unknown whether he will help the Avengers or hinder them once again.