History ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames / MarvelCinematicUniverse

** Played with for ComicBook/ColleenWing: she didn't have her own codename in the comics, she does make a reference by calling herself "Daughter of the Dragon" when participating in underground cage matches; which is the team name for [[ComicBook/DaughtersOfTheDragon her and Misty Knight as a duo]].

** Jack Duquesne is clearly a talented swordsman, but isn't known as ''the'' Swordsman - he's heavily implied to be a NotWearingTights VillainWithGoodPublicity who has no need for a flashy alias.
** In her debut, Maya Lopez was not called Echo onscreen, but the third episode, which opens with a {{flashback}} to Maya's childhood, is titled "Echoes".

** Comicbook/ErikKillmonger is renamed Erik Stevens, with "Killmonger" being a military nickname. In both cases, he was born N'Jadaka and legally adopted a Western name after being exiled from Wakanda, but the film is less blatant about making him ObviouslyEvil. Ultimately averted, as the heroes freely call him "Killmonger" after learning of the name.

** In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', he is never called "Ronin" at any point in the movie, in spite of having adopted the Ronin costume and weapons from the comics following his family's death. It's possible that this is also an example of sticking to the OneSteveLimit, as ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' and ''Captain Marvel'' already had Ron'''a'''n the Accuser. The Ronin name was used for merchandise (such as the Marvel Legends action figure of the character) and some promotional material, however. By the start of ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}'', his actions have been associated with the Ronin name, but almost no one is aware that Clint ''has' been Ronin.

** Trish Walker ([[ComicBook/PatsyWalker Hellcat]]) and Will Simpson (Nuke) don't get their codenames referenced either. Given Simpson's first name was changed for the series,[[note]]He's ''Frank'' Simpson in the comics. His first name was likely changed so as [[OneSteveLimit to avoid confusion with Frank Castle]], who was being introduced in season 2 of ''Series/Daredevil2015''[[/note]] it isn't immediately apparent that he's Nuke, right down to the pills that give him super powers, until he utters his (in)famous catchphrase, "Give me a Red" while Dr. Kozlov is tending to him.

** Kazi is a member of the Tracksuit Mafia, but has not yet been called "The Clown".

** Maya Lopez has not yet been called Echo onscreen, but the third episode, which opens with a {{flashback}} to Maya's childhood, is titled "Echoes".

[[AC:Films]]

* In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', Clint Barton is called "{{ComicBook/Hawkeye}}" all of once by the Black Widow during the Battle of New York. It appears to be his radio callsign, with the name appearing briefly when Coulson is viewing his dossier in the film's beginning. The closest anyone comes otherwise is Dr. Erik Selvig semi-dismissively calling him "the Hawk". During his prior cameo in ''Thor'' it wasn't even alluded to, and in ''Avengers: Age of Ultron'' it's used once in an affectionately mocking way by [[spoiler:his wife]]. It's absent again in ''Civil War'', and when meeting Black Panther he explicitly introduces himself as "Clint", not "Hawkeye".

* ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}:

** In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', he is never called "Ronin" at any point in the movie, in spite of having adopted the Ronin costume and weapons from the comics following his family's death. It's possible that this is also an example of sticking to the OneSteveLimit, as ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' and ''Captain Marvel'' already had Ron'''a'''n the Accuser. The Ronin name was used for merchandise (such as the Marvel Legends action figure of the character) and some promotional material, however. By the events of ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}'', his actions have associated with the Ronin name.

*** The film also introduces ComicBook/TheFalcon, whose name is taken from the code name of the [[MilitarySuperhero elite military program]] where he gained his wings; despite or because of this, Maria Hill actually ''does'' address him as "Falcon" while acting as MissionControl. By ''Ant-Man'', the name is publicly known and Scott addresses him as such. Though ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' has some gags about how some people think he's "[[CaptainEthnic Black Falcon]]" instead. When he officially takes up the mantle of Captain America, he openly uses the name.

** In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', he is never called "Ronin" at any point in the movie, in spite of having adopted the Ronin costume and weapons from the comics following his family's death. It's possible that this is also an example of sticking to the OneSteveLimit, as ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' and ''Captain Marvel'' already had Ron'''a'''n the Accuser. The Ronin name was used for merchandise (such as the Marvel Legends action figure of the character) and some promotional material, however.

** Lampshaded by ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'':
--->...The Avengers roster bloats even further with '''Vision''', '''Scarlet Witch''' and '''Quicksilver''', who for some reason, are never called '''Vision''', '''Scarlet Witch''' or '''Quicksilver'''.

** Dane Whitman is never called the Black Knight, but this is [[JustifiedTrope justified]], as he spends the entire film as a civilian, and stays in London after Sersi, Sprite, and Ikaris leave. [[spoiler:[[TheStinger The post-credits scene]] has Dane psyching himself up to take up the Ebony Blade, but he is interrupted by (ironically) ComicBook/Blade.]]

* ''Film/{{Eternals}}'' is another case where the characters don't use superhero code names, and go either by their real names or more conventional aliases (e.g. Phastos uses the name Phil while hiding out in Chicago). Gilgamesh, however, loses his comic self's epithet of "the Forgotten One".

** As for the villains, Obadiah Stane is never called "Iron Monger", although he briefly says the word in reference to Stark Industries' role as a weapon manufacturer. Meanwhile, there's Ivan Vanko: a CompositeCharacter of two villains named "Crimson Dynamo" and "Whiplash". He gets called neither in the second film, though the marketing referred to him as Whiplash. In ''Iron Man 3'', Eric Savin and Jack Taggert go by their real names, and are never once referred to as "Coldblood" or "Firepower" (and the Extremis soldiers all have heat powers, so "Coldblood" wouldn't even make sense anyway). The Mandarin is an aversion, being referred to as such, [[spoiler:though the character Ben Kingsley played is ultimately revealed as a DecoyLeader. The real villain, Aldrich Killian, only refers to himself as the Mandarin once to proclaim his TheManBehindTheMan status.]] This gets even stranger in the short ''Film/AllHailTheKing'', where it's revealed that [[spoiler:Killian wasn't the REAL Mandarin either, and had stolen the name. The REAL one, though never shown - at least not until ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'' came out anyway - , is naturally miffed at other people stealing his shtick.]]

** Although the codename had already been established in the MCU, "[[spoiler:the Mandarin]]" is avoided and the character [[NamedByTheAdaptation is given a new proper name of "Wenwu"]] in order to get away from the YellowPeril stereotype. [[spoiler:A scene has Wenwu mock the moniker chosen by the ''Iron Man 3'' villains saying "The US government was almost toppled by a pretender named after a chicken dish...America was afraid of an orange."]]
** In contrast, Razor Fist and Death Dealer are aversions, known only by their codenames and their real names are unrevealed in promo materials.

** As for the villains, Obadiah Stane is never called "Iron Monger", although he briefly says the word in reference to Stark Industries' role as a weapon manufacturer. Meanwhile, there's Ivan Vanko: a CompositeCharacter of two villains named "Crimson Dynamo" and "Whiplash". He gets called neither in the second film, though the marketing referred to him as Whiplash. In ''Iron Man 3'', Eric Savin and Jack Taggert go by their real names, and are never once referred to as "Coldblood" or "Firepower" (and the Extremis soldiers all have heat powers, so "Coldblood" wouldn't even make sense anyway). The Mandarin is an aversion, being referred to as such, [[spoiler:though the character Ben Kingsley played is ultimately revealed as a DecoyLeader. The real villain, Aldrich Killian, only refers to himself as the Mandarin once to proclaim his TheManBehindTheMan status.]] This gets even stranger in the short ''Film/AllHailTheKing'', where it's revealed that [[spoiler:Killian wasn't the REAL Mandarin either, and had stolen the name. The REAL one, though never shown - at least not until ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'' comes out anyway - , is naturally miffed at other people stealing his shtick.]]

** Although the codename had already been established in the MCU, "[[spoiler:the Mandarin]]" is avoided and the character [[NamedByTheAdaptation is given a new proper name of "Wenwu"]] in order to get away from the YellowPeril stereotype. [[spoiler:A scene has Wenwu mock the moniker chosen by the ''Iron Man 3'' villains saying "they named me after a chicken dish!"]]

** Although the codename had already been established in the MCU, "[[spoiler:the Mandarin]]" is avoided and the character [[NamedByTheAdaptation is given a new proper name of "Wenwu"]] in order to get away from the YellowPeril stereotype. [[spoiler:A scene has Wenwu mock the moniker chosen by the ''Iron Man 3'' villains saying "they named me after an orange!"]]

** Although the codename had already been established in the MCU, "[[spoiler:the Mandarin]]" is avoided and the character [[NamedByTheAdaptation is given a new proper name of "Wenwu"]] in order to get away from the YellowPeril stereotype.

* ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'':

* ''Series/{{Loki}}'': Variation with [[spoiler: He Who Remains. The character is ostensibly the MCU version of Immortus, but that name is never used, and even his birth name of Nathaniel Richards goes unmentioned. His past incarnation as Comicbook/KangTheConqueror is alluded to when he says that he has been known as "a conqueror," but again, that name is never said aloud.]]

** In contrast, Razor Fist and Death Dealer are aversions, known only by their codenames and their real names are unrevealed.

*** The "Winter Soldier" codename is invoked frequently as an urban legend in black-ops circles, but the heroes stop calling him this once they find out that he is [[spoiler:ComicBook/BuckyBarnes]], and in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' it's established that [[spoiler:there are more HYDRA super-assassins, and Bucky refers to them as "Winter Soldiers" as well]]. The Winter Soldier does have a proper codename as "The Asset" which is significant as it shows [[spoiler:how HYDRA views him as only a tool]]. As of ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinter Soldier'', he's actively distancing himself from the identity and the codename.

** Parodied with "Comicbook/StarLord"; Peter Quill introduces himself as that, but people just respond with confusion. When the Nova Corps later look at his rap sheet, they comment that apparently [[SmallNameBigEgo the only person who calls Quill "Star-Lord" is himself]] (and his booking sheet when he's arrested calls him ''Space''-Lord. Comically, he is ecstatic when, in the last act of the film, Korath the Pursuer actually ''does'' call him Star-Lord without a trace of irony.[[note]]While Korath pretty much snarls the name at him due to how pissed-off he is to see him, he's not mocking it and actually seems to only know him by this name.[[/note]]

** The words "ComicBook/WarMachine" originate in ''Film/IronMan2'' as an offhanded insult from Tony to James Rhodes. Averted in ''Film/IronMan3'', where "War Machine" is his official codename and Tony is incredulous that Rhodey actually adopted it just from that remark. Or rather, his ''official'' codename in ''3'' is "Iron Patriot", which Rhodey claims "tested better with focus groups"; but a number of people state they liked "War Machine" better. By ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', he's just "War Machine" again and uses the name in a BadassBoast.

** Inverted for the most part, since everyone's "superhero" identities are in fact their real names. Thor himself inverts it in the [[Film/{{Thor}} first movie]], as the character once had a civilian identity in the comics, but the movies don't bother. So "Thor" is used all throughout the movie, while the name "Dr. Donald Blake" is the one that only gets [[MythologyGag a few token mentions]].

*** The "Winter Soldier" codename is invoked frequently as an urban legend in black-ops circles, but the heroes stop calling him this once they find out that he is [[spoiler:ComicBook/BuckyBarnes]], and in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' it's explained that [[spoiler:there are more HYDRA super-assassins, and Bucky refers to them as "Winter Soldiers" as well]]. The Winter Soldier does have a proper codename as "The Asset" which is significant as it shows [[spoiler:how HYDRA views him as only a tool]]. As of ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'', he's actively distancing himself from the identity and the codename.

*** [[Comicbook/BaronZemo Zemo]] never had a codename to begin with, but is nonetheless changed from ''Baron'' Zemo in ''Civil War'' since he's presented as a Sokovian soldier rather than a NaziNobleman as he is in the comics. ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' reverses this and reveals that he actually ''had'' been a Baron the whole time.

* From multiple movies, Natasha Romanov's handle of "Comicbook/BlackWidow" never comes up in ''Film/IronMan2'', but later movies use it infrequently. The name is known by the populace, but she's generally better known by her real name (at least among people who know her).

* This trope can be applied to the MacGuffin of ''Captain America'' and ''The Avengers''. In the movies, it's called the Tesseract, or "the cube". They never use its comic book name, the "Cosmic Cube". However, it and other related {{MacGuffin}}s are collectively known as [[ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet Infinity Stones]], a name that ''is'' taken from the comics.

** Parodied with "Comicbook/StarLord"; Peter Quill introduces himself as that, but people just respond with confusion. When the space cops later look at his rap sheet, they comment that apparently [[SmallNameBigEgo the only person who calls Quill "Star-Lord" is himself]]. Comically, he is ecstatic when, in the last act of the film, someone actually ''does'' call him Star-Lord without a trace of irony.[[note]]While Korath pretty much snarls the name at him due to how pissed-off he is to see him, he's not mocking it and actually seems to only know him by this name.[[/note]]
** ''Vol. 2'' has a similar parody with the leader of the Ravager mutiny, who calls himself "Taserface". ''Nobody'' can take that name seriously. And yes, this is his name in the comics, along with "Nameless One" and "Overkill".
--->'''Rocket:''' I just keep imagining you waking up in the morning, sir, looking in the mirror, and in all seriousness saying to yourself, ''[[[BriefAccentImitation super-gruff voice]]]'' "Y'know what would be a REALLY kickass name? '''''TASERFACE!!!'''''" ''[normal voice]'' That's how I hear you in my head! What was your second choice? "Scrotumhat"?!

** Like the Cosmic Cube example from ''Captain America'' and ''The Avengers'', nobody refers to Ronan's hammer as the Universal Weapon (partly because it never comes up; the bigger threat is Ronan himself).
** In the second film, Ego the Living Planet is simply referred to by his name and never with the title. Similarly, Yondu calls his old Ravager captain by "Stakar" and not "Starhawk".

** Wanda and Pietro Maximoff are never referred to as ComicBook/ScarletWitch and ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}}, the closest is when Tony refers to Wanda as "that little witch". This gets lampshaded in ''Series/WandaVision'', when S.W.O.R.D director Tyler Hayward asks about Wanda's alias and is surprised to learn she doesn't have one. [[spoiler: She's finally given her codename in Episode 8 of the same show, as Agatha Harkness identifies her as a mythical witch capable of using Chaos Magic to cataclysmic extents.]]
** All this was parodied by ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'':

** Jackson Brice actually does call himself the Shocker, but Adrian Toomes is quick to point out how stupid that sounds. After [[spoiler:killing Brice by accident]], Toomes hands Herman Schultz the weapon and says "Here, now you're the Shocker." Schultz himself never uses the codename, though.
--->'''Adrian Toomes:''' And you're out there, wearing that goofy thing lighting up cars, calling yourself "[[SarcasmMode THE SHOCKER! I'M THE SHOCKER! I SHOCK PEOPLE!]]" What is this, pro wrestling?
** While Aaron Davis is only referred to by his real name, Karen's profile of him does mention "The Prowler" as an alternate alias.

** As established in ''Age of Ultron'', Klaw appears under his original surname of Ulysses ''Klaue'' (pronounced the same), instead of his supervillain name. Then again, Klaue never truly "becomes" the Klaw of the comics -- while he does have an ArmCannon, the comics version eventually became a man of ''living sound''.

* Apart from Comicbook/{{Thanos}} briefly referring to Ebony Maw as "the Maw", none of the Black Order's extravagant titles are given in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. While most of the names (Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, and Proxima Midnight) do appear in merchandising and supplemental material, two of the sillier ones are avoided entirely: Black Dwarf is renamed Cull Obsidian (which in the comics was an alternate name for the entire group) and Supergiant is just plain AdaptedOut. Thanos is also never referred to as "The Mad Titan" (which was used in ''Guardians of the Galaxy''), though he briefly references that [[TheyCalledMeMad his people called him mad]] for his plan for the universe.

** ComicBook/CarolDanvers is never called "Captain Marvel". Fury does mispronounce Mar-Vell's name as "Marvel", though, and says that it sounds better.[[labelnote:Fun fact]][[ComicBook/CaptainMarVell The comics version of Mar-Vell]] was the first Captain Marvel, and [[StevenUlyssesPerhero got his superhero name from that same mispronunciation]].[[/labelnote]] "Captain Marvel" does come up in conversation in ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' and even then Fury [[spoiler:(who was actually a disguised Talos)]] doesn't want anyone to invoke the name of someone he respects so much. In ''Series/WandaVision'', Jimmy Woo and Darcy Lewis call her Captain Marvel while discussing the events of ''Endgame'', although actual S.W.O.R.D. agents still call her Carol.

** The majority of Wilson Fisk's henchmen have codenames in the comics, like Leland Owlsley (The Owl), John Healy (Tenpin [[CompositeCharacter and/or]] Oddball), Roscoe Sweeney (The Fixer), Melvin Potter (Gladiator), and Ben Donovan (Big Ben). Obviously, codenames are not used since these are just normal people and not costumed supervillains. There are a few nods to the names, but not many: Healy is arrested for killing one of Fisk's rivals with a bowling ball, Melvin has some Roman gladiator posters on his workshop wall and uses some pieces of his comics armor on occasion, Roscoe Sweeney is ''a'' fixer of boxing matches, Owlsley is shown getting a business suit that looks like his comics suit, etc.

** Played with for Cottonmouth. In the comics, it was [[StevenUlyssesPerhero his surname]]. Here, he's Cornell ''Stokes''. "Cottonmouth" was an EmbarrassingNickname he gained from a childhood injury where he had to stick cotton balls in his mouth afterward, and [[BerserkButton he absolutely hates it]].
** Mariah Dillard is almost never called "Black Mariah", as the name acts as a BerserkButton. She explains in Season 2 that it was a racist childhood nickname that other kids gave her.

** As for the villains, Obadiah Stane is never called "Iron Monger", although he briefly says the word in reference to Stark Industries' role as a weapon manufacturer. Meanwhile, there's Ivan Vanko: a CompositeCharacter of two villains named "Crimson Dynamo" and "Whiplash". He gets called neither in the second film, though the marketing referred to him as Whiplash. In ''Iron Man 3'', Eric Savin and Jack Taggert go by their real names, and are never once referred to as "Coldblood" or "Firepower" (and the Extremis soldiers all have heat powers, so "Coldblood" wouldn't even make sense anyway). The Mandarin is an aversion, being referred to as such, [[spoiler:though the character Ben Kingsley played is ultimately revealed as a DecoyLeader. The real villain, Aldrich Killian, only refers to himself as the Mandarin once to proclaim his TheManBehindTheMan status.]] This gets even stranger in the short ''Film/AllHailTheKing'', where it's revealed that [[spoiler:Killian wasn't the REAL Mandarin either, and had stolen the name. The REAL one, though never shown - at least not until ''Film/ShangChiAndTheTenRings'' comes out anyway - , is naturally miffed at other people stealing his shtick.]]

** Johann Schmidt gets called "The ComicBook/RedSkull" (by ''Hitler'', no less) one time as an insult, much to his annoyance. For the rest of the movie, only his real name is used. However, when he's mentioned in future movies and shows, it's only done by his codename.
** Technically, this trope is true of Montgomery Falsworth, aka "Union Jack", in the first movie. However, Falsworth is not a costumed hero in this movie so there would be no reason to say the name at all.
** In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'':

*** Joaquin Torres isn't the (second) Falcon here, both because he isn't superpowered in this version and because Sam is still using the name.

** This carries over to ''Film/BlackWidow2021'', not only for Natasha but for another comics Widow, Yelena Belova. The movie's initial promotion also indicates that Melina Vostokoff doesn't go by her comics codename of "Iron Maiden", but that's more due to streamlining via MetaOrigin than anything else as she's now a third Black Widow agent rather than another Russian assassin unrelated to the Widows.

* ''Film/BlackWidow2021'': General Dreykov references the Taskmaster protocol early in the film, but aside from that, [[TheDragon his mysterious enforcer]] is not called by any name until late in the movie. Justified, as Taskmaster [[SilentAntagonist isn't giving anyone much to go on in that regard]]. [[spoiler:Near the end, Natasha calls Taskmaster by her real name, Antonia.]]

* ''Film/AvengersEndgame'':
** ComicBook/PepperPotts is never called "Rescue," though the reasoning for that specific codename doesn't exist in the MCU (the comics version is explicitly a pacifist who does actual rescue work and avoids combat when possible, while her MCU gear is fully weaponized); and she appears in a BigBadassBattleSequence where there's not a lot of dialogue to spare to make the reference anyways. However, merchandise based on the character does use the name Rescue.