10 MCU Characters Who Look Nothing Like The Marvel Comics Originals

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may bring characters from Marvel Comics to life in live-action, but not all of the franchise’s characters resemble their original comic book appearances. Since the franchise’s very beginning, the movies of the MCU have adapted the characters of Marvel Comics to the big screen. In many ways, the vast majority can be considered largely faithful to the source material, bringing a specific iteration of a prominent Marvel figure to life in live-action.

However, across the MCU’s movie timeline, there have been examples where this has not been the case. Often, characters are introduced who have been radically redesigned for the MCU, from physical appearance to costume design and even, on occasion, an entire overhaul. Though doing so has hardly hurt the MCU’s massive success, it’s undeniable that the franchise is often guilty of introducing characters who look nothing like their original Marvel Comics counterparts.

10 The MCU’s Grandmaster Is Not Blue

First appearance: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

The MCU introduced its version of Marvel’s Grandmaster as the secondary antagonist of Thor: Ragnarok after the character made a brief cameo in an MCU mid-credits scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Played by Jeff Goldblum, the MCU’s Grandmaster is the ruler of the planet Sakaar, where he hosts various games of skill and chance and keeps a wealth of captured beings as his subjects. The MCU’s Grandmaster was generally well-received, but looked different from in the comics.

In the comics, the Grandmaster is most notably depicted with blue skin. The MCU opted not to do so, instead bringing his appearance more in line with that of his brother, the Collector. The reason for this was reportedly down to director Taika Waititi wanted to not obscure Jeff Goldblum’s performance or charisma with blue make-up or CGI, which was inarguably the correct decision for his MCU portrayal.

9 Hank Pym Is Much Older Than His Comic Book Counterpart

First appearance: Ant-Man (2015)

When it came to introducing the hero Ant-Man, the MCU took an alternative approach. Rather than directly adapting the character’s comic book origins, the franchise skipped over Hank Pym’s creation of Pym Particles and the Ant-Man suit, and instead had Scott Lang serve as the MCU’s Ant-Man. As a result, Hank Pym acts more as a mentor and supporting character, and is only shown using his suit via flashbacks.

In the comics, Hank Pym is typically much younger than he is in the MCU. Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym also has dark hair in flashbacks, which contrasts the character’s typically blond appearance in the comics. Finally, the MCU also made some changes to Ant-Man’s suit, toning down the insectoid inspirations in favor of a sleeker, more sci-fi look. As a result, Hank Pym is incredibly different in the MCU than he is in the comics.

8 Wong’s Entire Character Was Reworked For Benedict Wong

First appearance: Doctor Strange (2016)

Wong was introduced into the MCU in 2016’s Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Wong. Depicted as one of Doctor Strange’s mentors and later his closest friend, the MCU’s Wong quickly became a fan-favorite character, thanks in part to his role as the provider of some of the franchise’s best deadpan comic relief. Benedict Wong went on to reprise the role numerous times in both movies and TV shows in the MCU.

In the comics, Wong is a relatively small, bald monk who acts as Doctor Strange’s servant and occasional sidekick. For the MCU, his entire character was reworked to better facilitate the casting of Benedict Wong, with his live-action appearance being a slightly larger figure who acted as the librarian of Kamar-Taj. Considering what the actor was able to do with the role, it appears to have been an especially sound decision to give him a visual overhaul in order to include him in the MCU.

7 Bill Foster Looks Nothing Like He Did In The Comics

First appearance: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Though Bill Foster is far from one of the better-known Marvel heroes, he has actually proven himself a long-standing supporting character within the comics. His introduction into the MCU in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp saw Laurence Fishburne cast as Foster. In the movie, Bill Foster appears in a supporting role, acting as the adoptive father of the film’s villain as well as a former colleague of Hank Pym.

Bill Foster’s original appearance in the comics was significantly different from his MCU counterpart. A much younger character, Marvel Comics’ Bill Foster was best known as the hero Goliath, employing the same technology as Hank Pym in order to drastically increase his size. Being young, muscular, and wearing a heroic costume were all key visual elements of the original character, and Laurence Fishburne’s MCU iteration certainly looked remarkably different.

6 Yondu’s Ravager Appearance Completely Reimagined His Original Design

First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Before he was given one of the MCU’s saddest parent deaths in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Yondu Udonta was introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. A Ravager captain, Yondu’s role as a spacefaring rogue saw him dressed as a sort of sci-fi pirate. Michael Rooker’s performance as Yondu made him seem particularly rough around the edges, with the Ravager spending much of his MCU debut attempting to hunt down Star-Lord, who he believes has stolen from him.

However, Yondu in the comics was originally very different from in the MCU. When he was first introduced, the character of Yondu had prominent Native American inspirations, wielding a bow and arrow and wearing animal skins. The MCU’s major redesign of Yondu made him fit much better within the franchise, as his role as a Ravager captain called for something a little more rugged.

5 Hawkeye’s Costume Was Massively Toned Down For The MCU

First appearance: Thor (2011)

Despite first being introduced in the comics as a villain, Hawkeye went on to become a key part of the iconic team The Avengers. As a result, it’s unsurprising that he was introduced early into the MCU, making a brief appearance in 2011’s Thor before becoming a founding Avenger in 2012’s The Avengers. Jeremy Renner’s MCU Hawkeye is an agent of SHIELD, and is typically clad in a dark leather outfit with his bow and a quiver of arrows on his back.

Hawkeye’s original comic book appearance has not been carried over into the MCU. Originally, Hawkeye wore an eye-catching purple and blue costume, with a large mask emblazoned with a huge letter H on his head. Unsurprisingly, the somewhat dated design did not survive in his live-action debut, and the MCU has yet to embrace the more notable elements of Hawkeye’s original comic book appearance.

4 Marisa Tomei Looks Nothing Like Marvel’s Original Aunt May

First appearance: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

In one of the MCU’s most obvious pieces of artistic license, the franchise opted to cast Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. As the character has long been a key part of Spider-Man’s own hero story, her inclusion in the MCU was vital. Tomei’s May Parker is Peter Parker’s young and attractive guardian, with whom other characters are almost constantly flirting as one of the franchise’s running jokes.

Given the character’s conventional depictions, Marisa Tomei wouldn’t have been the obvious pick to play Aunt May. In the comics, Aunt May is typically an elderly and vulnerable woman, and is generally depicted looking more like a traditional grandmother. The MCU took the character in an entirely different direction, and managed to not just cast an A-list actor to play May, but also turned her alternate appearance into something of a running gag.

3 Ulysses Klaue Has Little In Common With The Comics

First appearance: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Both from a design and a narrative perspective, the MCU’s Ulysses Klaue only vaguely resembles the comic book source material. The MCU’s version of the character is a South African arms dealer whose stolen cache or vibranium sees him at odds with the people of Wakanda as well as the franchise’s heroes. Over the course of his MCU story, he loses an arm, only to have it replaced with a high-tech prosthetic that allows him to fire sonic blasts.

In the comics, Klaue is better known as Klaw, and was originally a human physicist transformed into a being of living sound. The character’s most common form sees him dressed from head to toe in a skin-tight red and purple outfit. Andy Serkis’ MCU version of the character wears no such clothing, and is instead written to a much rougher, more human type of villain.

2 Ego Is More Kurt Russell Than Living Planet

First appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

In terms of strict characterization, the MCU’s take on Ego the Living Planet contained a reasonable amount of comic-accuracy. However, in the franchise’s presentation of the villain, there was a disconnect between the movies and the comics. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Kurt Russell plays the incredibly powerful being, who is also written to be the father of Star-Lord. However, that casting decision is ultimately what led to much less comic accuracy.

In the comics, Ego is almost always depicted as a living planet: a colossal being with a large face on a celestial body. However, in casting an actor of Kurt Russell’s stature, and having his MCU story revolve around deceiving Star-Lord, it only follows that Ego would spend the majority of the movie in apparently human form. Even so, this makes the MCU’s version of Ego look completely different from that of the comics.

1 The Ancient One’s Live-Action Redesign Was Hugely Controversial

First appearance: Doctor Strange (2016)

As per the character’s original comic book appearance, the Ancient One is considered by some to be problematic. However, 2016’s Doctor Strange attempted to subvert expectations by casting Tilda Swinton in the role. In the comics, the character had always traditionally been an older Asian male, and so altering these core aspects proved incredibly controversial. Though it worked on some levels, the changes lacked any semblance of comic-accuracy.

Swinton’s performance was commendable, but there’s no escaping the fact that the actor looks nothing like the Ancient One of the comics. Ultimately, the change had no real bearing on the overall story of either Doctor Strange or the wider MCU, but it stands out as one of the most blatant changes to a Marvel character’s design. In this, Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One is one of the most notable characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to look nothing like their original Marvel Comics appearance.

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