The Marvel Cinematic Universe Is Filled With Abandoned Potential

That the MCU is heading for a significant change post-Avengers 4 has been known for some time, with actors for the core characters being open about the upcoming movie being their final outing as such mainstays as Captain America, Thor et al. Not all of the original Avengers will depart entirely — Scarlett Johansson looks set to finally get the solo Black Widow movie that’s been discussed for years, and who can tell if Robert Downey Jr. will extend his contract again to keep popping up in Spider-Man movies — but there’s no getting around the fact that a new generation of heroes will be taking charge in Marvel’s movies from 2019 going forward.

But beyond the big names, there’s an entirely separate level of fallen heroes littering the backstage of Marvel’s onscreen reality — the minor heroes, the background characters and the leads of now-cancelled TV projects who, in theory, are still around in the continuity but are more likely to remain permanent casualties of the Infinity War or accidents surrounding it.