Many characters are confirmed to exist in the MCU, even though they haven’t made a proper entrance. Instead, their names get mentioned, their properties appear, or their images pop up in the background, leaving fans to wonder if these characters will ever officially debut.
Sometimes, through post-credit scenes or official announcements, Marvel fans are teased with new projects and character debuts, though not all of them eventually pay off. Then there’s another group that gets a different treatment: they’re only mentioned or referenced by other characters in the movies. This means that while they technically exist in the MCU, their stories may have already ended or been quietly sidelined.
10 MCU Characters Who Exist Only Through Easter Eggs & Mentions
The Living Tribunal
The Living Tribunal appeared as a giant golden humanoid with three cloaked faces representing distinct personalities: Equity, Necessity, and Vengeance, and a blank space where a fourth face should be, which it suggests belongs to the enigmatic Stranger. The powerful cosmic entity is as old as the universe itself, and it is responsible for safeguarding the Multiverse, ensuring balance and order.
So far, a glimpse of what resembles the remnants of a statue of the Living Tribunal was seen in The Void in Season 1, Episode 5 of Loki. Before that, the sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, Karl Mordo, wielded a relic he called the Staff of the Living Tribunal. The relic was used to train with the newly enrolled Doctor Strange, then later used to fight against Kaecilius.
Jocasta
Jocasta, Ultron’s comic-book bride, was teased in Avengers: Age of Ultron when her name appeared on a pile of Tony Stark’s AI program list. In Marvel Comics, Jocasta was created by Ultron as his robotic companion, but she ultimately betrayed him by siding with the Avengers.
While this storyline hasn’t been told in the MCU, her existence was subtly hinted at in the 2015 film. When Tony Stark was browsing through a collection of U.I. chips to replace JARVIS (presumed destroyed by Ultron), one of them was labeled JOCASTA. However, Stark chose FRIDAY instead, dashing any immediate hopes for Jocasta’s debut. That said, Jocasta is reportedly set to appear in the upcoming Vision Disney+ series.
Uncle Ben
Despite being referenced multiple times throughout Spider-Man’s MCU journey, Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben had already passed away before the story began. His death became a pivotal part of Peter’s backstory, i.e, one of the main reasons he kept his Spider-Man identity hidden from Aunt May.
Across Tom Holland’s trilogy, Uncle Ben was referenced but never shown. That finally changed with Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, released on Disney+ in January 2025, which featured Uncle Ben’s first official dialogue in the MCU. While the series isn’t set directly in Holland’s Spider-Verse, the moment served as a small but meaningful consolation for fans eager to finally see Ben acknowledged.
Miles Morales
Donald Glover's Community character inspired the creation of Miles Morales when he wore a Spider-Man costume. After this, he voiced Miles in the Disney XD animated series Ultimate Spider-Man. Ever since his comic debut in 2011, Miles Morales has become one of Marvel’s most beloved young heroes, even headlining his own animated films with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
In the MCU, Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced his uncle, Aaron Davis (played by Donald Glover), when he casually mentioned he had a nephew in the neighborhood, a clear nod to Miles. Still, years later, Aaron Davis and his nephew have yet to appear on-screen.
Nevertheless, fans remain eager for Miles to swing into the MCU alongside (or even after, as in the comics) Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
Blade
Talks of an MCU Blade movie have been around for quite some time. The franchise's second life was announced in 2019, with Mahershala Ali set to play the titular vampire hunter. Since then, the project has faced an almost absurd number of roadblocks, including losing directors, shuffling writers, adding new actors, and ultimately getting stuck in development limbo.
Nonetheless, Ali still made an off-screen debut in the post-credits scene of Eternals, which also teased Black Knight. Though a different version of Blade will appear in Disney+'s Marvel Zombies, the future of Marsheala Ali's Blade in the MCU remains uncertain.
Brother Voodoo
Doctor Strange perfectly set up the origin of Jericho Drumm, aka Brother Voodoo, and indirectly hinted that he may already be lurking somewhere in the MCU. Jericho and his twin brother, Daniel Drumm, were born and raised in a village in Haiti but chose different paths as adults. Daniel remained at home and became a local houngan, while Jericho moved to America to pursue a career as a psychologist and scholar. In the comics, Daniel’s tragic death inspires Jericho’s transformation into Brother Voodoo.
The MCU touched on this origin in Doctor Strange, where Daniel Drumm appears as a Master of the Mystic Arts before being killed by Kaecilius. This moment could still serve as the foundation for Jericho’s rise, as his brother’s death pushes him into the world of mysticism, where he quickly surpasses Daniel’s mastery of voodoo.
It’s easy to assume that Marvel’s roster of sorcerers and mystics is already packed. However, introducing Brother Voodoo would bring a different type of magic to the MCU. In fact, in the comics, he even carries the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme.
Brian Braddock (Captain Britain)
In the comics, Brian Braddock becomes Captain Britain after choosing the Amulet of Right over the Sword of Might, gaining enhanced strength, flight, and energy manipulation.
Although big stars like Henry Cavill expressed interest in the role, Captain Britain has yet to make his MCU debut. His name first surfaced in Avengers: Endgame when Peggy Carter mentioned Braddock, hinting at his existence. With teams like Excalibur waiting in the wings, Captain Britain’s eventual debut could open the door to a new corner of the MCU.
Rick Jones
In the comics, Rick Jones is a close friend and sidekick of the Hulk, eventually transforming into the creature known as A-Bomb. The character even received a subtle nod in The Incredible Hulk, whose name appeared on the U.S. Army’s watch list as someone Bruce Banner might contact.
2012's The Avengers revealed that SHIELD’s files also contained information about Jones' connection to Banner. Yet, despite these teases, it’s now been 17 years since Rick Jones’ offscreen debut in The Incredible Hulk, and fans are still waiting for a proper introduction. Many fans remain eager not only for Rick Jones/A-Bomb but also for more Hulk-centered movies that give the wider cast of franchise characters the spotlight they deserve.
Beta Ray Bill & Dark-Crawler
Major characters like Beta Ray Bill, Ares, Bi-Beast, and Man-Thing were briefly referenced in Thor: Ragnarok as sculptures depicting past champions of the Grandmaster’s Contest of Champions on Sakaar. While this detail seemed to imply major parts of their stories may have already played out within the MCU timeline, fans haven’t stopped wondering what could have been.
Beta Ray Bill, in particular, remains one of the most intriguing missed opportunities, a cosmic warrior who famously went from Thor’s rival to one of his greatest allies. Bringing him into the fold would not only expand the cosmic side of the MCU but also give audiences fresh, exciting dynamics alongside Thor.
Ares
Ares’ existence was teased in Thor: Ragnarok, where his sculpture appeared among the Grandmaster’s past champions on Sakaar. His father, Zeus, and brother, Hercules, later showed up in Thor: Love and Thunder. That story that ended with Zeus nursing a hole in his chest, and Hercules set on a revenge mission against the God of Thunder.
With Hercules already gunning for Thor, it’s easy for fans to assume Ares won’t be far behind. As the God of War, he may also want his own shot at Thor, making him a natural addition to the unfolding War of Gods.
