Both MCU and DCEU are guilty of wasting some really good characters in the name of entertainment. Here are a few.
DCEU: Martian Manhunter
J’onn J’onzz is one of the better known members of the Justice League and has been a central figure in many of the team’s incarnations. Fans were surprised to see Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. But it was merely a cameo appearance. Despite General Swanwick being in the DCEU as early as Man of Steel, the movies failed to utilize the character more effectively.
DCEU: Katana
The character of Tatsu had so much potential. But in the end, 2016’s Suicide Squad focused more on Deadshot and Harley Quinn. A complex and seasoned character like Katana was reduced to a pile of samurai stereotypes. All she was good for was acting as Rick Flag’s bodyguard. That was uncalled for.
MCU: Battlestar
The controversial death of Lemar Hoskins in Falcon & The Winter Soldier continues as a debate. Sadly, Lemar Hoskins aka Battlestar was killed off just because the MCU didn’t know what to do with him. He ended up fueling U.S Agent’s character arc.
DCEU: Brother Eye
Brother Eye, in the comics, was Batman trying to get back at the Justice League for manipulating his memories. The A.I satellite would monitor all metahuman activity and contain them if necessary. Brother Eye went rogue during Infinite Crisis and almost destroyed the world. Wonder Woman: 1984 featured the rogue A.I under the control of Maxwell Lord but it failed to make an impact.
MCU: Lady Sif
Appearing in the first two Thor movies and then being completely dropped from Ragnarok, Lady Sif is a criminally under-utilized character. A fierce Asgardian warrior, Lady Sif had so much to offer. But she had the bad luck of debuting in a time when the MCU didn’t know what to do with powerful female characters.
DCEU: Victor Zsasz
Victor Zsasz is a serial killer who “liberates” people by killing them – at least that’s what he thinks he does. A deranged psychopath, Zsasz is viciously unpredictable. In Birds of Prey, the character is just the lackey of Black Mask. The greatest contribution he had to the story was playing a role in murdering the Bertinellis.
MCU: The Prowler
The Prowler is Aaron Davis, a master thief and expert close quarter combatant. He is also Miles Morales’ uncle. Spider-Man: Homecoming gave the dude a blink and you miss it cameo. Fans were really hyped to see more of Miles’ uncle and even Miles himself in action.
DCEU: Cassandra Cain
In the comics, Cain was trained from birth to be the world’s most skilled assassin. She could read an opponent’s moves just by looking at their body language. An integral member of the Bat-Family, Cassandra Cain is a force to be reckoned with. What Birds of Prey did to her was wrong on so many levels.
MCU: Pietro Maximoff
Introducing a character like Quicksilver, only to kill him off to fuel the character arc of other MCU heroes was a really bad call. To top it off, that Ralph Bohner twist in WandaVision didn’t help either.