Marvel Studios’ animation slate has become a fertile testing ground for new ideas, alternate takes, and character experiments. Shows such as What If…?, Marvel Zombies, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man introduced/reintroduced fan-favorite figures in striking ways, sometimes years before those characters appear (if they ever do) in live action.
A character can already feel familiar to MCU viewers because of animation yet still be missing from the live-action timeline, where the studio’s biggest budgets, crossovers, and cultural moments happen. These early introductions have positive aspects because they essentially establish a presence for a character within the overarching MCU, making their eventual live-action transition even more exciting.
Animated Marvel Icons Still Waiting for Their Live-Action MCU Debut
Blade (Eric Brooks)
The legendary Daywalker, Blade, is a character whose live-action MCU debut has been a subject of intense speculation and development, with Mahershala Ali cast in the title role for a highly anticipated feature film. However, before his movie arrives, an alternate version of the character was formally introduced into the animated corner of the MCU. Blade was first featured in a brief montage at the end of What If...? Season 3, depicted as a hybrid of Blade and Moon Knight. The Marvel Vampire made his second appearance in the recently released Marvel Zombies animated series, where fans saw Blade Knight in his full glory.
Blade Knight took on the mantle of the Fist of Khonshu, a role famously held by Marc Spector in the live-action Moon Knight series. This unique, multiversal take establishes Eric Brooks’ canonical existence and connection to the MCU’s growing mystical and supernatural elements.
While this animated version is a variant, it serves as the first fully realized visual and narrative representation of the character under the Marvel Studios banner. This has set a high expectation for Ali’s inevitable live-action portrayal and demands a compelling explanation for the differences or similarities in the mainline continuity.
Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho, a character renowned for his exceptional intellect and eventual transformation into a powerful version of the Hulk known as the Totally Awesome Hulk, made his MCU debut in the Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (YFNS) animated series. In this iteration, Cho is an Oscorp intern, placing him directly within the orbit of Peter Parker and Norman Osborn during Peter’s formative years.
This is a critical introduction, as it strategically inputs a genius-level character, often touted as the seventh smartest person on Earth in the comics, within the MCU’s high-tech landscape. His presence at Oscorp suggests a future link to advanced technology and potentially gamma radiation research, a clear setup for his comic book destiny.
Introducing Amadeus as a contemporary of Peter Parker provides a strong, pre-established relationship for when he inevitably gains his powers in a live-action capacity. A live-action debut would solidify the presence of another brilliant young mind in the MCU, following in the footsteps of characters like Riri Williams (Ironheart).
Tombstone (Lonnie Lincoln)
Another formidable foe from Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery, Lonnie Lincoln, better known as Tombstone, is introduced in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. In the animated series, he starts as a high school peer of Peter Parker, initially a football player, before taking on the moniker Tombstone given to him by the leader of the 110th Street Gang, Big Donovan. He later gained his trademark super strength and albino appearance through exposure to a mysterious gas from an Oscorp truck.
The series maps out his progression from a peer to a powerful criminal figure, an origin story distinct from this version of the MCU. The live-action introduction of Tombstone is long overdue, as he is a major figure in organized crime in the comics and a personal adversary of Robbie Robertson (a character who has appeared in the Spider-Man films).
His appearance in YFNS is a deliberate move to integrate a significant street-level threat, paving the way for a live-action narrative that could delve into the darker, criminal underbelly of New York City and challenge the live-action Spider-Man.
Uncle Ben
Uncle Ben Parker is arguably the most foundational character in Spider-Man lore. Yet, his presence in the MCU’s live-action offerings has been relegated to implied history and emotional subtext, famously characterized by the lack of a traditional on-screen death. In both What If...? and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Uncle Ben’s existence and influence are made more tangible, even without his physical presence.
In YFNS, the series establishes that his recent death is Peter Parker's foundational trauma, driving him to become Spider-Man. However, the character himself is only seen in an on-screen photograph within the animated series. Furthermore, the prequel comic to YFNS provided the first instance of Uncle Ben’s official dialogue in the MCU, speaking to Peter from beyond the grave with words of pride and encouragement, thereby giving his character emotional weight that transcends a mere reference.
The decision to establish his legacy so clearly, even in non-live-action, acknowledges the character's narrative importance. A proper live-action appearance, whether in a flashback or through a multiversal twist that explores a surviving version, remains necessary to fully give weight to the "great power, great responsibility" mantra that defines the core of Spider-Man's character within the live-action MCU.
Uatu, The Watcher
Uatu, The Watcher, served as the omniscient narrator and a key figure in all seasons of What If…? Voiced by Jeffrey Wright, this version of the cosmic entity transcended his non-interference vow, actively intervening in multiversal events to protect reality. He is the principal character of the animated series and represents the largest-scale conceptual introduction from the animation slate.
Though he has only appeared in animation and the I Am Groot shorts, his role as the primary observer of the multiverse makes his eventual live-action debut feel inevitable. He is the definitive bridge between the live-action MCU and its animated multiversal explorations.
A live-action appearance would be a momentous occasion, likely heralding a major multiversal crossover event and finally giving a physical, tangible form to the entity that has, up until now, only watched from the periphery of the live-action films and shows.
Storm (Ororo Munroe)
The iconic mutant Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm, is a powerful figure whose live-action MCU debut is highly anticipated. While the mainline X-Men are expected to arrive in live-action, an alternate, incredibly powerful version of Storm was introduced in What If…? Season 3.
In a particularly thrilling multiversal twist, this variant of Storm is shown to wield Mjolnir, becoming the "Goddess of Thunder." This portrayal immediately established a high benchmark for the character’s potential power level within the MCU framework, connecting her to the Asgardian mythology and the highest echelons of heroic power.
The live-action MCU needs to introduce the mainline version of Storm to solidify the X-Men’s arrival, and this animated exploration ensures that her power and prominence will not be understated.
Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich)
A classic Spider-Man antagonist, the brute-force villain Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich) has had a notable, if divisive, appearance in a previous non-MCU live-action film. However, his official MCU debut was made in the first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which is set for a second season with this new villain. Within the series, Aleksei Sytsevich is one of the criminal figures who acquires advanced, armored technology to become the hulking villain.
The inclusion of a major villain like Rhino in the animated series indicates an intention to build out Spider-Man's roster of recurring foes early in his career. The Rhino’s inclusion is crucial for establishing the kind of physical threats that the MCU’s live-action Spider-Man must contend with on a street level in the future. His straightforward, power-focused villainy is a perfect counterpoint to the more cerebral threats like Vulture or Doctor Octopus.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
