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* The show hinted at an unseen character behind the plot, eventually releaving it to be [[spoiler: [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheKingpin Wilson Fisk]] -- with [[Series/Daredevil2015 Vincent D'Onofrio reprising his role]]]].
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* While the trailer revealed the arrival of villains, it did ''not'' reveal the presence of [[spoiler:[[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Tobey Maguire's]] or [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries Andrew Garfield's]] Spider-Man iterations. Also making a surprise appearance was Charlie Cox as [[Series/Daredevil2015 Matt Murdock]]]].
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* The return of Natalie Portman as Comicbook/JaneFoster in ''Thor: Love and Thunder''. While Portman's surprise cameo in ''Endgame'' had indicated that she and Marvel had possibly mended fences after her previous CreatorBacklash over the way ''Thor: The Dark World'' turned out, her return to the ''Thor'' franchise still took many fans by surprise. ''Especially'' after the way Jane had been rather dismissively written out of the series via a single throwaway line in ''Ragnarok''.
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* The return of Natalie Portman as Comicbook/JaneFoster Jane Foster in ''Thor: Love and Thunder''. While Portman's surprise cameo in ''Endgame'' had indicated that she and Marvel had possibly mended fences after her previous CreatorBacklash over the way ''Thor: The Dark World'' turned out, her return to the ''Thor'' franchise still took many fans by surprise. ''Especially'' after the way Jane had been rather dismissively written out of the series via a single throwaway line in ''Ragnarok''.
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* [[spoiler:Eros[=/=]Starfox]], who appears in the mid-credits scene, took several people by surprise, as the character is introduced [[spoiler:well after the death of his brother Thanos.]] Likewise with [[spoiler:Pip the Troll, who's more closely associated in the comics with Adam Warlock.]]
* Even fewer people were expecting [[spoiler:an [[EarlyBirdCameo early-bird]] VoiceOnlyCameo from Creator/MahershalaAli as ComicBook/{{Blade}}]]in the post-credits scene, as the character has nothing to do with the Eternals and not much to do with [[spoiler:the Black Knight]].
* Even fewer people were expecting [[spoiler:an [[EarlyBirdCameo early-bird]] VoiceOnlyCameo from Creator/MahershalaAli as ComicBook/{{Blade}}]]in the post-credits scene, as the character has nothing to do with the Eternals and not much to do with [[spoiler:the Black Knight]].
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* A few people that played smaller roles in various MCU films are set to appear ''Series/WandaVision'', a series revolving around two heroes that said characters have little to no connection to normally:
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* A few people that played smaller roles in various MCU films are set to appear in ''Series/WandaVision'', a series revolving around two heroes that said characters have little to no connection to normally:
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* Unexpected Characters? Try Unexpected '''Universes'''. Though it was a poorly-kept secret that the film would involve the multiverse, what shocked fans the most, especially when it was proven true with the first trailer, that it would go back to the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''. We had our first inklings of this when news of Creator/JamieFoxx being casted as Electro again and again with Creator/AlfredMolina being casted as Doctor Octopus once more. The trailer proved these not only to be true, but that they were their ''original film counterparts''. Even more so, the trailer hints that Creator/WillemDafoe will reprise his role as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and we may even see Sandman and the Lizard!
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* Creator/JamieFoxx will portray [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2 Electro]] [[https://screenrant.com/spiderman-3-mcu-movie-villain-jamie-foxx-electro/ once again]] in the third ''Spider-Man'' movie, although it's not clear if this is a new iteration of the character (like with J. K. Simmons returning as J. Jonah Jameson) or if it's the same character from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''. (Foxx noted "I won't be blue in this one" in a now-deleted Instagram post, implying a new take on the character.) Aside from the casting, however, the character is unexpected given that the MCU has thus far strayed from reusing ''Spider-Man'' supervillains from TASM or [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Sam Raimi's trilogy]].[[note]]And though [[Film/SpiderMan3 Sandman]] was '''technically''' used in ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'', it was as an illusion from Mysterio that was technically named "Magnum", and the illusion never interacted with Spider-Man.[[/note]] Even fans who were rooting for them to use previous villains were expecting more iconic characters with deep-seated connections to Spider-Man -- like Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus -- to come first, making it surprising that a less influential villain would be confirmed to appear before them.
** Which is not to say that people weren't surprised [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-3-alfred-molina-returning-as-doctor-octopus when it was confirmed that]] Creator/AlfredMolina ''would'' be returning to play [[Film/SpiderMan2 Doctor Octopus]]. Nothing is confirmed, but between him and Jamie Foxx returning, speculation of a Multiverse story has run rampant.
** Which is not to say that people weren't surprised [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-3-alfred-molina-returning-as-doctor-octopus when it was confirmed that]] Creator/AlfredMolina ''would'' be returning to play [[Film/SpiderMan2 Doctor Octopus]]. Nothing is confirmed, but between him and Jamie Foxx returning, speculation of a Multiverse story has run rampant.
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* Creator/JamieFoxx will portray [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2 Electro]] [[https://screenrant.com/spiderman-3-mcu-movie-villain-jamie-foxx-electro/ once again]] in Unexpected Characters? Try Unexpected '''Universes'''. Though it was a poorly-kept secret that the third ''Spider-Man'' movie, although it's not clear if this is a new iteration of film would involve the character (like multiverse, what shocked fans the most, especially when it was proven true with J. K. Simmons returning as J. Jonah Jameson) or if it's the same character from first trailer, that it would go back to the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''. (Foxx noted "I won't be blue in We had our first inklings of this one" in a now-deleted Instagram post, implying a new take on the character.) Aside from the casting, however, the character is unexpected given that the MCU has thus far strayed from reusing ''Spider-Man'' supervillains from TASM or [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Sam Raimi's trilogy]].[[note]]And though [[Film/SpiderMan3 Sandman]] was '''technically''' used in ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'', it was when news of Creator/JamieFoxx being casted as an illusion from Mysterio that was technically named "Magnum", Electro again and the illusion never interacted again with Spider-Man.[[/note]] Even fans who were rooting for them to use previous villains were expecting more iconic characters with deep-seated connections to Spider-Man -- like Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus -- to come first, making it surprising that a less influential villain would be confirmed to appear before them.
** Which is not to say that people weren't surprised [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-3-alfred-molina-returning-as-doctor-octopus when it was confirmed that]]Creator/AlfredMolina ''would'' be returning to play [[Film/SpiderMan2 being casted as Doctor Octopus]]. Nothing is confirmed, Octopus once more. The trailer proved these not only to be true, but between him that they were their ''original film counterparts''. Even more so, the trailer hints that Creator/WillemDafoe will reprise his role as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx returning, speculation of a Multiverse story has run rampant.we may even see Sandman and the Lizard!
** Which is not to say that people weren't surprised [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-3-alfred-molina-returning-as-doctor-octopus when it was confirmed that]]
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* Most people were hoping for but not expecting Isaiah Bradley to make an appearance, especially since he had been absent from the comics for a long time due to copyright issues, but his adaptation is surprisingly faithful to his comic counterpart, complete with the racially charged, Tuskegee Experiments allusions.
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* Most people were hoping for but not expecting Isaiah Bradley to make an appearance, especially since he had been absent from the comics for a long time due to copyright issues, but his adaptation is surprisingly faithful to his comic counterpart, complete with the racially charged, racially-charged Tuskegee Experiments allusions.
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* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Uatu will become the third character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
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* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is the lead character. Uatu protagonist. He will become the third character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
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* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror]]''', the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.
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* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror '''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror]]''', the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.
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* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character.Uatu will become the second character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
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* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Uatu will become the second third character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
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* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror!!]]''', the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.
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* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror!!]]''', Conqueror]]''', the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.
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* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
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* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first second character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
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* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror!!]]'''
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* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror!!]]'''Conqueror!!]]''', the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.
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* Lady Sif appearing in Episode 4, after being missing from the MCU since a guest role in "Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E12WhoYouReallyAre" episode back in 2015 and her last film appearance back in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''.
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* Lady Sif appearing in Episode 4, after being missing from the MCU since a guest role in "Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E12WhoYouReallyAre" episode back in 2015 and her last film appearance back in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''. While she is confirmed to return in ''Thor: Love and Thunder'', one can't help but to be surprised at seeing Lady Sif make a return here in Episode 4.
* Remember how Creator/RichardEGrant was mentioned to be in the cast list prior to release? He just so happens to play an older version of Loki, as per TheStinger of Episode 4. In addition, he's even shown wearing Loki's 60s costume!
* Frog Thor aka "Throg" manages to make an appearance trapped in a jar in episode 5.
* Meanwhile the infamous memetic Thanos Copter can also be spotted among the rubbish.
* Alioth is actually from the comics, but is very, very obscure with only a small handful of appearances.
* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror!!]]'''
* Remember how Creator/RichardEGrant was mentioned to be in the cast list prior to release? He just so happens to play an older version of Loki, as per TheStinger of Episode 4. In addition, he's even shown wearing Loki's 60s costume!
* Frog Thor aka "Throg" manages to make an appearance trapped in a jar in episode 5.
* Meanwhile the infamous memetic Thanos Copter can also be spotted among the rubbish.
* Alioth is actually from the comics, but is very, very obscure with only a small handful of appearances.
* How do you top all of the above? Episode 6 has the answer — ''[[ComicBook/KangTheConqueror Kang the Conqueror!!]]'''
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* Lady Sif appearing in Episode 4, after being missing from the MCU since a guest role in "Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E12WhoYouReallyAre" episode back in 2015 and her last film appearance back in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''.
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* Comicbook/ShangChi is another one. He's obscure and was never even ''mentioned'' beforehand as a possibility, yet is set to headline his own standalone movie. There was also the fact that, in the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of the infamous Literature/FuManchu himself, although since his debut, this aspect of his character has largely been abandoned in the comics due to Marvel [[ExiledFromContinuity losing the rights to Fu Manchu]]. To remedy this, Creator/MarvelStudios simply decided to use the Mandarin as the BigBad for his movie.
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* Comicbook/ShangChi is another one. He's obscure and was never even ''mentioned'' beforehand as a possibility, yet is set to headline his own standalone movie. There was also the fact that, in the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of the infamous Literature/FuManchu himself, although since his debut, this aspect of his character has largely been abandoned in the comics due to Marvel [[ExiledFromContinuity losing the rights to Fu Manchu]]. To remedy this, Creator/MarvelStudios simply decided to use the Mandarin as the BigBad and Shang-Chi's father for his this movie.
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* Wong appearing in the film's second trailer (fighting the aforementioned Abomination) was also a big surprise, since he mostly appears as a side character in the Avengers and Doctor Strange's films, and has little connection to Shang-Chi overall.
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* Wong appearing in the film's second trailer (fighting the aforementioned Abomination) was also a big surprise, since he mostly appears as a side character in the Avengers ''Avengers'' and Doctor Strange's ''Doctor Strange'' films, and has little connection to Shang-Chi overall.
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* When Creator/RussellCrowe joined the cast, no one was expecting him to announce that he’s be 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]]
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* When Creator/RussellCrowe joined the cast, no one was expecting him to announce that he’s be 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) father). [[/note]]
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* Wong appearing in the film's second trailer (fighting the aforementioned Abomination) was also a big surprise, since he mostly appears as a side character in the Avengers and Doctor Strange's films, and has little connection to Shang-Chi overall.
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* '''Nobody''' was expecting Emil Blonsky/The Abomination to make an appearance anywhere before his already surprising return in ''She-Hulk''.
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Black Best Friend was renamed Token Black Friend; they must be a Satellite Character and/or added for diversity
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* Episode 2 also introduces Lemar Hoskins, AKA Battlestar, John Walker's BlackBestFriend and sidekick. Given how rarely he's shown up in the comics for ''years'', it would have been very easy to have him AdaptedOut.
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* Episode 2 also introduces Lemar Hoskins, AKA Battlestar, John Walker's BlackBestFriend TokenBlackFriend and sidekick. Given how rarely he's shown up in the comics for ''years'', it would have been very easy to have him AdaptedOut.
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[[folder:Loki]]
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[[folder:WandaVision]]
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[[folder:The Falcon And The Winter Soldier]]
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[[folder:Black Widow]]
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[[folder: What If...?]]
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[[folder: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]
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[[folder: Eternals]]
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[[folder: Hawkeye]]
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[[folder: Spider-Man: No Way Home]]
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[[folder: Thor: Love and Thunder]]
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[[folder: Moon Knight]]
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[[folder: She-Hulk]]
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[[folder: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania]]
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[[folder: Blade]]
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* When Creator/RussellCrowe joined the cast, no one was expecting him to announce that he’s be playing Greek God [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Zeus]]
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* When Creator/RussellCrowe joined the cast, no one was expecting him to announce that he’s be playing Greek God [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Zeus]]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]]
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* When Creator/RussellCrowe joined the cast, no one was expecting him to announce that he’s be playing Greek God [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Zeus]]
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* No one was expecting a movie about Comicbook/TheEternals, given their obscurity. It makes sense, as their status as being a race of superpowered beings in a hidden city fills the void of Comicbook/TheInhumans after their movie was cancelled.
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* No one was expecting a movie about Comicbook/TheEternals, given their obscurity. It makes sense, as their status as being a race of superpowered beings in a hidden city fills the void of Comicbook/TheInhumans after their movie was cancelled.cancelled and [[Series/{{Inhumans}} their TV show]] flopped.
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[[folder: What If...?]]
* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]
* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]
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[[folder: What If...?]]
* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]
* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]
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* 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 let alone 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]].
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* 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 let alone 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]].
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* The Mandarin himself is a rather unexpected choice as the BigBad for ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTen Rings''. Not only does he [[RoguesGalleryTransplant not have any connections to Shang-Chi]], let alone [[RelatedInTheAdaptation let alone 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]].
to:
* The Mandarin himself is a rather unexpected choice as the BigBad for ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTen Rings''.''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''. Not only does he [[RoguesGalleryTransplant not have any connections to Shang-Chi]], let alone [[RelatedInTheAdaptation let alone 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]].
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* The Mandarin himself is a rather unexpected choice as the BigBad for ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings''. Not only does he [[RoguesGalleryTransplant not have any connections to Shang-Chi]] 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? This Mandarin will '''not''' be the Trevor Slattery version, but the ''real'' Mandarin.
to:
* The Mandarin himself is a rather unexpected choice as the BigBad for ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTen Rings''. Not only does he [[RoguesGalleryTransplant not have any connections to Shang-Chi]] Shang-Chi]], let alone [[RelatedInTheAdaptation let alone 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? This Not only will this Mandarin will '''not''' be the Trevor Slattery version, but the ''real'' Mandarin. Mandarin - not the Trevor Slattery version - but he has his trademark [[RingOfPower powered rings]].
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** Rhodey's brief appearance in the first episode was a pleasant surprise to many, though Don Cheadle was listed in the cast before this, as well as him admitting he'd play a role in the show several days before the first episode released.
* Most people weren't expecting to see the return of [[BadassNormal Georges]] [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier Batroc]] in the opening minutes of the first episode.
* Comic fans definitely didn't expect Joaquin Torres, AKA the second Falcon, to be in the show, given how relatively recent his character is and greatly underutilized he's been since then.
* Episode 2 also introduces Lemar Hoskins, AKA Battlestar, John Walker's BlackBestFriend and sidekick. Given how rarely he's shown up in the comics for ''years'', it would have been very easy to have him AdaptedOut.
* Most people were hoping for but not expecting Isaiah Bradley to make an appearance, especially since he had been absent from the comics for a long time due to copyright issues, but his adaptation is surprisingly faithful to his comic counterpart, complete with the racially charged, Tuskegee Experiments allusions.
* In a strange case of an Unexpected ''Setting'', the usually ComicBook/XMen-associated Madripoor being adapted to a general crime haven for a series about characters not usually associated with the locale could count.
* The ending of Episode 3 gives us a character that absolutely was not spoiled by the trailers, previews, or cast lists: [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Ayo]], [[Film/BlackPanther the second in command of the Dora Milaje]], who was sent to extract Zemo. Her appearance implies that Wakanda is now tied up in this plot as well, which is equally surprising.
* Though the character doesn't actually appear, the criminal Sam briefly poses at Selby's club is a gangster named Conrad Mack who is better known as Smiling Tiger. While Smiling Tiger actually is an existing Marvel Comics villain, he is extremely obscure and was part of an equally obscure team of villains whose only role of note was fighting the New Warriors, a hero team whose members have yet to even appear in the MCU. Talk about a deep cut.
* Another deep cut in Episode 5 is Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus) who is a relatively minor character in the comics, notable mostly for being a former SHIELD agent, paramour of Nick Fury, and most recently Madam Hydra.
* Most people weren't expecting to see the return of [[BadassNormal Georges]] [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier Batroc]] in the opening minutes of the first episode.
* Comic fans definitely didn't expect Joaquin Torres, AKA the second Falcon, to be in the show, given how relatively recent his character is and greatly underutilized he's been since then.
* Episode 2 also introduces Lemar Hoskins, AKA Battlestar, John Walker's BlackBestFriend and sidekick. Given how rarely he's shown up in the comics for ''years'', it would have been very easy to have him AdaptedOut.
* Most people were hoping for but not expecting Isaiah Bradley to make an appearance, especially since he had been absent from the comics for a long time due to copyright issues, but his adaptation is surprisingly faithful to his comic counterpart, complete with the racially charged, Tuskegee Experiments allusions.
* In a strange case of an Unexpected ''Setting'', the usually ComicBook/XMen-associated Madripoor being adapted to a general crime haven for a series about characters not usually associated with the locale could count.
* The ending of Episode 3 gives us a character that absolutely was not spoiled by the trailers, previews, or cast lists: [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Ayo]], [[Film/BlackPanther the second in command of the Dora Milaje]], who was sent to extract Zemo. Her appearance implies that Wakanda is now tied up in this plot as well, which is equally surprising.
* Though the character doesn't actually appear, the criminal Sam briefly poses at Selby's club is a gangster named Conrad Mack who is better known as Smiling Tiger. While Smiling Tiger actually is an existing Marvel Comics villain, he is extremely obscure and was part of an equally obscure team of villains whose only role of note was fighting the New Warriors, a hero team whose members have yet to even appear in the MCU. Talk about a deep cut.
* Another deep cut in Episode 5 is Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus) who is a relatively minor character in the comics, notable mostly for being a former SHIELD agent, paramour of Nick Fury, and most recently Madam Hydra.
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[[folder: Spider-Man 3]]
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[[folder: Spider-Man 3]]Spider-Man: No Way Home]]
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** [[spoiler:Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver appearing was a shock since he died in ''Age of Ultron'' but hadn't been seen since...but that's not the unexpected part. What's most unexpected is that he's ''not'' played by Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson; he's played by ''Creator/EvanPeters'' aka ''Peter Maximoff'' from the FOX ''X-Men'' Film Series.]]
to:
** [[spoiler:Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver appearing was a shock since he died in ''Age of Ultron'' but hadn't been seen since...but that's not the unexpected part. What's most unexpected is that he's ''not'' played by Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson; he's played by ''Creator/EvanPeters'' aka ''Peter Maximoff'' from the FOX ''X-Men'' Film Series.]] [[spoiler: This ends up being subverted when it turns out Peters' character is actually a magically controlled victim of Agatha Harkness who isn't actually either version of Quicksilver, so it was ultimately just a CastingGag.]]
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!!Phase 4
[[folder:WandaVision]]
* A few people that played smaller roles in various MCU films are set to appear ''Series/WandaVision'', a series revolving around two heroes that said characters have little to no connection to normally:
** Practically ''nobody'' was expecting Darcy Lewis to reappear in the MCU, given that she only appearred in ''{{Film/Thor}}'' and ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', where she was a CanonForeigner, and was thought to have been completely forgotten after the events of the latter movie.[[note]]Unlike Jane, whose absence was at least handwaved, Darcy didn't even warrant a single mention in ''Thor: Ragnarok''.[[/note]] Her appearance here is quite the shock, as Darcy has absolutely no relation to anything MCU-related outside of the Thor movies, much less Wanda and Vision.
** Given that he only appeared relatively recently as a side character in ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and has no connection whatsoever to Vision or Scarlet Witch in the comics, it's unlikely anyone ever expected Jimmy Woo to appear in this series as well.
** Comicbook/MonicaRambeau of all people plays a big role in this series. Like Woo, she was only introduced as early as ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' as a young, but as a bright kid during the events of that film. As such, this series shows her having grown up significantly since her debut, now played by [[TimeShiftedActor Time Shifted Actress]] Teyonah Parris.
** [[spoiler:Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver appearing was a shock since he died in ''Age of Ultron'' but hadn't been seen since...but that's not the unexpected part. What's most unexpected is that he's ''not'' played by Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson; he's played by ''Creator/EvanPeters'' aka ''Peter Maximoff'' from the FOX ''X-Men'' Film Series.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Falcon And The Winter Soldier]]
* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'' has been revealed to include the Captain America foe Flag-Smasher, or at least a group who bears the same name as him. This is a minor surprise if only because of Flag-Smasher's relative obscurity and the fact that the series will already have Zemo take up the main villain role.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Black Widow]]
* Yelena Belova, the ''other'' Black Widow appears, even when she seemed to be AdaptedOut apart from a MythologyGag with Natasha looking like her as a blonde in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.
* The main villain of the movie? ''ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}}''. He's always been an EnsembleDarkhorse, but never was he hinted at to appear in the MCU, and he's never been a specific villain for Black Widow.
* The Red Guardian, which is the Soviet equivalent to Captain America, makes a surprise appearance since he's obscure and fell OutOfFocus after the real world fall of the Soviet Union.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]
* Comicbook/ShangChi is another one. He's obscure and was never even ''mentioned'' beforehand as a possibility, yet is set to headline his own standalone movie. There was also the fact that, in the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of the infamous Literature/FuManchu himself, although since his debut, this aspect of his character has largely been abandoned in the comics due to Marvel [[ExiledFromContinuity losing the rights to Fu Manchu]]. To remedy this, Creator/MarvelStudios simply decided to use the Mandarin as the BigBad for his movie.
* The Mandarin himself is a rather unexpected choice as the BigBad for ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings''. Not only does he [[RoguesGalleryTransplant not have any connections to Shang-Chi]] 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? This Mandarin will '''not''' be the Trevor Slattery version, but the ''real'' Mandarin.
* On a meta-level, yet another case of Unexpected ''Actor''. In this film, the Mandarin will be played by Creator/TonyLeung. While Leung is known in his native China for acting in exclusively Asian cinema, this is his first Hollywood role. While Creator/MarvelStudios' intentions of [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff appealing to the Chinese market]] are understandable, casting Leung [[DarkhorseCasting of all actors]] was quite a surprise.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: What If...?]]
* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Eternals]]
* No one was expecting a movie about Comicbook/TheEternals, given their obscurity. It makes sense, as their status as being a race of superpowered beings in a hidden city fills the void of Comicbook/TheInhumans after their movie was cancelled.
** 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.
** In another case of an unexpected ''actor'', the news that Creator/GemmaChan would be playing Sersi despite having already played Minn-Erva in ''Captain Marvel'' just two years earlier also caught many off guard. While there had already been a few cases of actors from Marvel's TV shows portraying different characters in the movies and vice versa[[note]]Most notably Creator/AlfreWoodard, who played Mariah Dillard in ''Series/LukeCage2016'' and Miriam Sharpe in ''Captain America Civil War''.[[/note]], this was probably the most prominent example of an actor playing two wholly unrelated characters in the films.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Hawkeye]]
* ComicBook/KateBishop is set to debut in the ''Hawkeye'' series where she takes up Clint's mantle. Because she's rather recent, the rest of the Young Avengers haven't debuted yet, and many assumed that Clint's daughter Lila Barton would be the MCU's equivalent to Kate Bishop, it was a surprise.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Spider-Man 3]]
* Creator/JamieFoxx will portray [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2 Electro]] [[https://screenrant.com/spiderman-3-mcu-movie-villain-jamie-foxx-electro/ once again]] in the third ''Spider-Man'' movie, although it's not clear if this is a new iteration of the character (like with J. K. Simmons returning as J. Jonah Jameson) or if it's the same character from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''. (Foxx noted "I won't be blue in this one" in a now-deleted Instagram post, implying a new take on the character.) Aside from the casting, however, the character is unexpected given that the MCU has thus far strayed from reusing ''Spider-Man'' supervillains from TASM or [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Sam Raimi's trilogy]].[[note]]And though [[Film/SpiderMan3 Sandman]] was '''technically''' used in ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'', it was as an illusion from Mysterio that was technically named "Magnum", and the illusion never interacted with Spider-Man.[[/note]] Even fans who were rooting for them to use previous villains were expecting more iconic characters with deep-seated connections to Spider-Man -- like Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus -- to come first, making it surprising that a less influential villain would be confirmed to appear before them.
** Which is not to say that people weren't surprised [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-3-alfred-molina-returning-as-doctor-octopus when it was confirmed that]] Creator/AlfredMolina ''would'' be returning to play [[Film/SpiderMan2 Doctor Octopus]]. Nothing is confirmed, but between him and Jamie Foxx returning, speculation of a Multiverse story has run rampant.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Thor: Love and Thunder]]
* The return of Natalie Portman as Comicbook/JaneFoster in ''Thor: Love and Thunder''. While Portman's surprise cameo in ''Endgame'' had indicated that she and Marvel had possibly mended fences after her previous CreatorBacklash over the way ''Thor: The Dark World'' turned out, her return to the ''Thor'' franchise still took many fans by surprise. ''Especially'' after the way Jane had been rather dismissively written out of the series via a single throwaway line in ''Ragnarok''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Moon Knight]]
* ''ComicBook/MoonKnight'' getting his own series on Creator/DisneyPlus might just take the prize for least expected announcement in 2019. Not only is he a pretty damn small-time character in the comics with only a few short runs to his name, but the width of difference between those takes has left many people wondering what exactly they plan to do with him and what niche he's meant to fill going forward. Even those who ''were'' expecting him probably raised an eyebrow at him being added to Disney's proprietary streaming service given the Moon Knight mythos is packed to capacity with family-unfriendly content, to the point many expected that if he ''did'' show up it would be on Netflix with other shows based on similarly adult franchises.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: She-Hulk]]
* ''Comicbook/SheHulk'' getting her own Disney+ show wasn't on anyone's radar, due to the rights issues with Creator/{{Universal}} that have kept Bruce from having his own movie since Phase 1. To clarify, Universal holds the distribution rights to stand-alone Hulk movies while Disney [=/=] Marvel Studios can use the Hulk and his characters in ensemble projects such as the ''Avengers'' movies and ''Film/ThorRagnarok''. How was this show able to get greenlit then? Simple: Marvel realized that [[LoopholeAbuse there was no rule]] against the Hulk and his characters appearing in a ''TV series''.
** Many fans were caught off guard when it was confirmed by Disney in late 2020 that the series would feature the return of Creator/TimRoth as the Abomination, who hasn't been seen since ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' all the way back in ''2008''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania]]
* [[https://deadline.com/2020/09/jonathan-majors-ant-man-3-marvel-universe-1203028234/ Kang the Conqueror will be the]] BigBad of the third Ant-Man movie, of all projects. While Kang the Conqueror has fought Ant-Man, normally it is done in the context of the Avengers comics, rather than in Ant-Man's solo comics. Likewise, most people thought that Kang's time-traveling nature would have made him a better fit for a future Avengers film than a street-level hero such as Ant-Man.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Blade]]
* ''Comicbook/{{Blade}}''. Outside of small whispers that were made sporadically, few expected he would headline a movie. It was thought that his DarkerAndEdgier nature and his deal with the supernatural, specifically the element that is the vampires, would keep him ''away'' from the MCU. This only made it all the more surprising when their SDCC 2019 presentation closed on the ''Blade'' announcement, indicating they were ''very'' aware of this.
** On an actor level, the reveal that Blade would be played by none other than Creator/MahershalaAli also shocked many fans, given he'd [[YouLookFamiliar already played an MCU character]] (Cottonmouth) in ''Series/LukeCage2016''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WandaVision]]
* A few people that played smaller roles in various MCU films are set to appear ''Series/WandaVision'', a series revolving around two heroes that said characters have little to no connection to normally:
** Practically ''nobody'' was expecting Darcy Lewis to reappear in the MCU, given that she only appearred in ''{{Film/Thor}}'' and ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', where she was a CanonForeigner, and was thought to have been completely forgotten after the events of the latter movie.[[note]]Unlike Jane, whose absence was at least handwaved, Darcy didn't even warrant a single mention in ''Thor: Ragnarok''.[[/note]] Her appearance here is quite the shock, as Darcy has absolutely no relation to anything MCU-related outside of the Thor movies, much less Wanda and Vision.
** Given that he only appeared relatively recently as a side character in ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and has no connection whatsoever to Vision or Scarlet Witch in the comics, it's unlikely anyone ever expected Jimmy Woo to appear in this series as well.
** Comicbook/MonicaRambeau of all people plays a big role in this series. Like Woo, she was only introduced as early as ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' as a young, but as a bright kid during the events of that film. As such, this series shows her having grown up significantly since her debut, now played by [[TimeShiftedActor Time Shifted Actress]] Teyonah Parris.
** [[spoiler:Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver appearing was a shock since he died in ''Age of Ultron'' but hadn't been seen since...but that's not the unexpected part. What's most unexpected is that he's ''not'' played by Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson; he's played by ''Creator/EvanPeters'' aka ''Peter Maximoff'' from the FOX ''X-Men'' Film Series.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Falcon And The Winter Soldier]]
* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'' has been revealed to include the Captain America foe Flag-Smasher, or at least a group who bears the same name as him. This is a minor surprise if only because of Flag-Smasher's relative obscurity and the fact that the series will already have Zemo take up the main villain role.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Black Widow]]
* Yelena Belova, the ''other'' Black Widow appears, even when she seemed to be AdaptedOut apart from a MythologyGag with Natasha looking like her as a blonde in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.
* The main villain of the movie? ''ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}}''. He's always been an EnsembleDarkhorse, but never was he hinted at to appear in the MCU, and he's never been a specific villain for Black Widow.
* The Red Guardian, which is the Soviet equivalent to Captain America, makes a surprise appearance since he's obscure and fell OutOfFocus after the real world fall of the Soviet Union.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]
* Comicbook/ShangChi is another one. He's obscure and was never even ''mentioned'' beforehand as a possibility, yet is set to headline his own standalone movie. There was also the fact that, in the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of the infamous Literature/FuManchu himself, although since his debut, this aspect of his character has largely been abandoned in the comics due to Marvel [[ExiledFromContinuity losing the rights to Fu Manchu]]. To remedy this, Creator/MarvelStudios simply decided to use the Mandarin as the BigBad for his movie.
* The Mandarin himself is a rather unexpected choice as the BigBad for ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings''. Not only does he [[RoguesGalleryTransplant not have any connections to Shang-Chi]] 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? This Mandarin will '''not''' be the Trevor Slattery version, but the ''real'' Mandarin.
* On a meta-level, yet another case of Unexpected ''Actor''. In this film, the Mandarin will be played by Creator/TonyLeung. While Leung is known in his native China for acting in exclusively Asian cinema, this is his first Hollywood role. While Creator/MarvelStudios' intentions of [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff appealing to the Chinese market]] are understandable, casting Leung [[DarkhorseCasting of all actors]] was quite a surprise.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: What If...?]]
* While the character is associated heavily with the ''What If...?'' comics, and his species was introduced in ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', Uatu the Watcher being confirmed as the narrator of the Disney+ series ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'' is something that came as a surprise to a number of fans due to his association with the ''Fantastic Four'' IP, and by extension, those film rights. Most fans expected the characters to start being integrated at a much later point than 2021, in cameo capacities, but Uatu is lead character. Provided that there aren't any surprise cameos in the works preceding ''What If...?'', Uatu will become the first character from the Fox-Marvel library to be integrated into the MCU.[[note]]Although Ego the Living Planet was the first overall due to an agreement between Disney and Fox, Uatu is specifically tied to the Disney-Fox merger.[[/note]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Eternals]]
* No one was expecting a movie about Comicbook/TheEternals, given their obscurity. It makes sense, as their status as being a race of superpowered beings in a hidden city fills the void of Comicbook/TheInhumans after their movie was cancelled.
** 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.
** In another case of an unexpected ''actor'', the news that Creator/GemmaChan would be playing Sersi despite having already played Minn-Erva in ''Captain Marvel'' just two years earlier also caught many off guard. While there had already been a few cases of actors from Marvel's TV shows portraying different characters in the movies and vice versa[[note]]Most notably Creator/AlfreWoodard, who played Mariah Dillard in ''Series/LukeCage2016'' and Miriam Sharpe in ''Captain America Civil War''.[[/note]], this was probably the most prominent example of an actor playing two wholly unrelated characters in the films.
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[[folder: Hawkeye]]
* ComicBook/KateBishop is set to debut in the ''Hawkeye'' series where she takes up Clint's mantle. Because she's rather recent, the rest of the Young Avengers haven't debuted yet, and many assumed that Clint's daughter Lila Barton would be the MCU's equivalent to Kate Bishop, it was a surprise.
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[[folder: Spider-Man 3]]
* Creator/JamieFoxx will portray [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2 Electro]] [[https://screenrant.com/spiderman-3-mcu-movie-villain-jamie-foxx-electro/ once again]] in the third ''Spider-Man'' movie, although it's not clear if this is a new iteration of the character (like with J. K. Simmons returning as J. Jonah Jameson) or if it's the same character from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''. (Foxx noted "I won't be blue in this one" in a now-deleted Instagram post, implying a new take on the character.) Aside from the casting, however, the character is unexpected given that the MCU has thus far strayed from reusing ''Spider-Man'' supervillains from TASM or [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Sam Raimi's trilogy]].[[note]]And though [[Film/SpiderMan3 Sandman]] was '''technically''' used in ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'', it was as an illusion from Mysterio that was technically named "Magnum", and the illusion never interacted with Spider-Man.[[/note]] Even fans who were rooting for them to use previous villains were expecting more iconic characters with deep-seated connections to Spider-Man -- like Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus -- to come first, making it surprising that a less influential villain would be confirmed to appear before them.
** Which is not to say that people weren't surprised [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-3-alfred-molina-returning-as-doctor-octopus when it was confirmed that]] Creator/AlfredMolina ''would'' be returning to play [[Film/SpiderMan2 Doctor Octopus]]. Nothing is confirmed, but between him and Jamie Foxx returning, speculation of a Multiverse story has run rampant.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Thor: Love and Thunder]]
* The return of Natalie Portman as Comicbook/JaneFoster in ''Thor: Love and Thunder''. While Portman's surprise cameo in ''Endgame'' had indicated that she and Marvel had possibly mended fences after her previous CreatorBacklash over the way ''Thor: The Dark World'' turned out, her return to the ''Thor'' franchise still took many fans by surprise. ''Especially'' after the way Jane had been rather dismissively written out of the series via a single throwaway line in ''Ragnarok''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Moon Knight]]
* ''ComicBook/MoonKnight'' getting his own series on Creator/DisneyPlus might just take the prize for least expected announcement in 2019. Not only is he a pretty damn small-time character in the comics with only a few short runs to his name, but the width of difference between those takes has left many people wondering what exactly they plan to do with him and what niche he's meant to fill going forward. Even those who ''were'' expecting him probably raised an eyebrow at him being added to Disney's proprietary streaming service given the Moon Knight mythos is packed to capacity with family-unfriendly content, to the point many expected that if he ''did'' show up it would be on Netflix with other shows based on similarly adult franchises.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: She-Hulk]]
* ''Comicbook/SheHulk'' getting her own Disney+ show wasn't on anyone's radar, due to the rights issues with Creator/{{Universal}} that have kept Bruce from having his own movie since Phase 1. To clarify, Universal holds the distribution rights to stand-alone Hulk movies while Disney [=/=] Marvel Studios can use the Hulk and his characters in ensemble projects such as the ''Avengers'' movies and ''Film/ThorRagnarok''. How was this show able to get greenlit then? Simple: Marvel realized that [[LoopholeAbuse there was no rule]] against the Hulk and his characters appearing in a ''TV series''.
** Many fans were caught off guard when it was confirmed by Disney in late 2020 that the series would feature the return of Creator/TimRoth as the Abomination, who hasn't been seen since ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' all the way back in ''2008''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania]]
* [[https://deadline.com/2020/09/jonathan-majors-ant-man-3-marvel-universe-1203028234/ Kang the Conqueror will be the]] BigBad of the third Ant-Man movie, of all projects. While Kang the Conqueror has fought Ant-Man, normally it is done in the context of the Avengers comics, rather than in Ant-Man's solo comics. Likewise, most people thought that Kang's time-traveling nature would have made him a better fit for a future Avengers film than a street-level hero such as Ant-Man.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Blade]]
* ''Comicbook/{{Blade}}''. Outside of small whispers that were made sporadically, few expected he would headline a movie. It was thought that his DarkerAndEdgier nature and his deal with the supernatural, specifically the element that is the vampires, would keep him ''away'' from the MCU. This only made it all the more surprising when their SDCC 2019 presentation closed on the ''Blade'' announcement, indicating they were ''very'' aware of this.
** On an actor level, the reveal that Blade would be played by none other than Creator/MahershalaAli also shocked many fans, given he'd [[YouLookFamiliar already played an MCU character]] (Cottonmouth) in ''Series/LukeCage2016''.
[[/folder]]
