Opinion: My Favorite Marvel Characters

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has risen to huge amounts of fame since the release of “Iron Man” in 2008. These are my three favorite MCU characters, in no particular order. 

Spiderman, whether played by Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire, is hilarious.

Being a teenager and seeing a teenage character who is realistic and struggles with the things that I struggle with is so refreshing. In “Spiderman: No Way Home,” when Peter Parker’s problems become Spiderman’s problems and worlds collide, Peter Parker, the teenager deals with it terribly, which is so realistic for a teenager. He doesn’t know what to do, and common sense eludes him, and he kind of messes everything up because of college, and as a senior, I totally get the college panic.

Not only is Spiderman funny but he also continues to be hit with loss after loss and continues to stay true to who he is, which is more than can be said about other MCU characters (cough, cough Scarlet Witch). Although his positivity and hope are what make him Spiderman, I totally wouldn’t be mad if the directors gave Peter a villain arc because he’s so smart so he’d make a great villain, like Scarlet Witch was in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Next on this list is Darcy Lewis, best friend to Dr. Jane Foster, Thor’s ex-girlfriend. Darcy boasts no magical powers and no crazy amount of degrees in astrophysics, but her sarcasm and wit make her one of my favorite characters. When Thor is exiled to Earth, Lewis and Foster find him and help him understand Earth. Even though she is a supporting character, Lewis makes herself known and her commentary is always hilarious. When she showed up in “WandaVision,” she really showed how great of a character she is. Her performance in “WandaVison” was so funny, and even though she still played a supporting role, she really made the show better.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Kamala Khan. Khan is a young, teenage superhero who gets her powers incredibly unexpectedly and just runs with it. Being a young Pakistani woman seeing a young Pakistani girl on screen, as a hero, is something that I will never forget. Not only is Khan’s character a representation of so many girls who don’t get to see themselves on screen very much, she is also a positive role model. Kamala is funny and smart and super awkward and she tries so hard to be a hero; it’s hard not to love her. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has no shortage of characters, and it certainly has no shortage of loveable characters. The MCU allows people to see themselves as heroes and in a positive light, and these characters are great examples of that.