History UnexpectedCharacter / MCUPhase4

** [[spoiler:Reed Richards making an appearance before his team's debut was enough of a surprise for most but what makes it especially surprising is that he is portrayed by Creator/JohnKrasinski who was an extremely popular fan choice, so popular in fact that many initially dismissed it because Marvel Studio is usually known for casting actors who are either not well known or are initially seen as a curveball pick.]]

** Even less expected: The Black Knight, of all characters, as a supporting character. While he ''did'' have a relationship with Sersi - one of the main Eternals - in the comics, his fantasy background would have been a little too much [[FishOutOfWater out of place]] in a movie featuring cosmic-level superhumans. This became doubly true when it was leaked just prior to D23 that Creator/KitHarington had been cast in a secret role for an undisclosed MCU film. A large number of fans and websites assumed that given his high visibility thanks to the popularity of ''Series/GameOfThrones'', he would be playing a big name Marvel character like Reed Richards, or even ''Comicbook/{{Wolverine}}'' in an X-Men reboot. Very, ''very'' few people guessed that he'd be playing Black Knight, a C-list Avenger who hadn't even been prominent in the comics for a great many years.

* Despite the deal between Marvel and Sony regarding the rights of Franchise/SpiderMan, Sony still produces movies with Spider-Man-related characters, set in a [[Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse different universe]]. So people where surprised [[spoiler: when TheStinger of ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage'' showed Creator/TomHardy's ComicBook/{{Venom}} being transported in the MCU. Likewise, MCU-fans that haven't seen that movie were probably taken by surprise when the stinger of ''No Way Home'' featured Eddie Brock and the symbiote, despite them not appearing in the actual plot of the movie.]]

* When Creator/RussellCrowe joined the cast, no one was expecting him to announce that he’s playing Greek God [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Zeus]]. For one thing, most fans thought that it would have been too excessive having ''two'' iconic pantheons in European mythology (Norse for Thor, and Greek for Zeus) in the MCU.[[note]]Not to mention, there is also the fact that Greco-Roman myths have traditionally been the realm of the Franchise/WonderWoman and Franchise/{{Shazam}} comics in the Franchise/DCUniverse, whose [[Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse live-action adaptation]] Crowe had previously been part of as Jor-El (Superman's biological father). [[/note]]

* While a Disney+-series about Riri Williams a.k.a. ComicBook/{{Ironheart}} was announced in 2021, the fact the character would make her MCU-debut in the ''Film/BlackPanther''-[[Film/BlackPantherWakandaForever sequel]] was quite surprising giving there's no connection between the two characters in the comic books.

** While the involvement of Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor wasn't a big surprise as ''Film/DoctorStrange'' had a [[TheStinger stinger]] showing his character Mordo on a dark path, the unexpected part was he was playing an alternate version of the character who [[spoiler:is both Sorcerer Surpreme and a member of the Illuminati]], while the SequelHook from the first movie was solved off-screen.
** After WesternAnimation/WhatIf debuted [[spoiler:Captain Carter, a variant of Series/AgentCarter as [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica super soldier]], few expected to see Creator/HayleyAtwell to portray a live-action version of the character, save one that joined the Illuminati]].

* The Mandarin himself is a rather unexpected choice as the BigBad for ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''. Not only does he [[RoguesGalleryTransplant not have any connections to Shang-Chi]], let alone [[RelatedInTheAdaptation that of father and son]], in the comics (due to him being Iron Man's ArchEnemy and all), but many fans thought that the Mandarin was PutOnABus after ''Film/IronMan3'' and ''Film/AllHailTheKing''[[note]]Which establishes that neither Aldrich Killian or Trevor Slattery are the MCU's "definitive" Mandarin, and that there is a real, more comic-accurate Mandarin in the setting[[/note]], especially since Iron Man died in ''Avengers: Endgame''. Lastly, there was the concern about the Mandarin's YellowPeril nature not being feasible in an increasingly diverse MCU, so Creator/MarvelStudios resolved this simply by having him fight their first Asian lead. The best part? Not only will this Mandarin be the ''real'' Mandarin - not the Trevor Slattery version - but he has his trademark [[RingOfPower powered rings]].
* Not only that Marvel revealed Xu Wenwu as the real Mandarin to make up the controversial ''Iron Man 3''-twist that the Mandarin really was an actor named Trevor Slattery - that character was ''also'' brought back in that movie after being [[PutOnABus being kidnapped by the Ten Rings in the short ''All Hail The King'' ]]. With Trevor's actor being no one less than high-profile actor Creator/BenKingsley it is surprising they had hidden his involvement from marketing and it only became known when Kingsley attended on the premiere.

* While a Disney+-series about Riri Williams a.k.a. ComicBook/{{Ironheart}} was announced in 2021, the fact the character would make her MCU-debut in the Black Panther-sequel was quite surprising giving there's no connection between the two characters in the comic books.

* The character of Werewolf By Night has always been minor if recurring presence in the comics so centering an entire Halloween special around it is a bit surprising to say the least.
* Man-Thing has had some small mentions in other MCU productions so it's not shocking that he would eventually appear, especially in a Halloween special. A Halloween special focusing on Werewolf By Night though? Now that's surprising.

* [[spoiler:The Stinger introduces Shuri and the audience to T'Challa's previously unknown son with Nakia. T'Challa has no known child in the main-continuity in the comics, so TheReveal comes as a surprise to many.]]

* [[spoiler:[[The Stinger The mid-credit scene]] introduces Shuri and the audience to T'Challa's previously unknown son with Nakia. T'Challa has no known child in the main-continuity in the comics, so TheReveal comes as a surprise to many.]]

** And than it was announced that not only would Jane make her return in that movie, it was also announced at the same time that this movie would loosly adapt Jason Aaron's acclaimed [[ComicBook/Thor2014 Thor-run with Jane as new female Thor]]. To see Portman actually train to portray Jane as "The Mighty Thor" was also rather unexpected for many fans.

** While the involvement of Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor wasn't a big surprise as ''Film/DoctorStrange'' had a [[TheStinger stinger]] showing his character Mordo on a dark path, the unexpected part was he was playing an alternate alternativen version of the character who [[spoiler:is both Sorcerer Surpreme and a member of the Illuminati]], while the SequelHook from the first movie was solved off-screen.

* Despite the deal between Marvel and Sony regarding the rights of Franchise/SpiderMan, Sony still produces movies with Spider-Man-related characters, set in a [[Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse different universe]]. So people where surprised [[spoiler: when TheStinger of ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage'' showed Creator/TomHardy's ComicBook/{{Venom}} being teansported in the MCU. Likewise, MCU-fans that haven't seen that movie were probably taken by surprise when the stinger of ''No Way Home'' featured Eddie Brock and the symbionte, despite them not appearing in the actual plot of the movie.]]

* Despite the deal between Marvel and Sony regarding the rights of Franchise/SpiderMan, Sony still produces movies with Spider-Man-related characters, set in a [[Film/SonyMarvelUniverse different universe]]. So people where surprised [[spoiler: when TheStinger of ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage'' showed Creator/TomHardy's ComicBook/{{Venom}} being teansported in the MCU. Likewise, MCU-fans that haven't seen that movie were probably taken by surprise when the stinger of ''No Way Home'' featured Eddie Brock and the symbionte, despite them not appearing in the actual plot of the movie.]]