MCU: The 10 Best Supporting Characters From Phase One

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has now been running for nearly 20 years, which is as impressive a run as you’ll find for any movie franchise. Add in the mostly consistent positive critical reception of the projects and the even more consistently positive box office success, and you have a franchise that’s almost unmatched in cinematic history. They’ve established some of the most popular superheroes to ever grace the big screen, yet they’ve also given us some incredible supporting characters.

These characters might not be the main heroes of any given story, but they’re mostly beloved by fans and play important parts in the respective stories. It all began back in Phase One, which covers Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers. Each of those films introduced the world to some supporting characters who would go on to become key pieces of the overall franchise.

Without counting the villains of the franchise or the heroes who are main stars in films, a few supporting characters stood out from the pack. The likes of Black Widow and Hawkeye started as supporting players in other roles, but as main characters in The Avengers, they don’t count for this list.

10

Thaddeus Ross (The Incredible Hulk)

Although The Incredible Hulk is one of the more forgotten entries in the MCU, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross has withstood the test of time as a key supporting piece. Played by William Hurt in The Incredible Hulk, Ross is the main antagonist who is fighting vehemently against Hulk.

He might not become an even match like Abomination, but it’s Ross who pushes everything forward. Hurt made you actively dislike this character in a way that few antagonists could match. The character kept popping up going forward and was recently played by Harrison Ford after Hurt’s passing.

9

Ho Yinsen (Iron Man)

Ho Yinsen makes one of the earliest appearances of any MCU character because he debuted in Iron Man. He meets Tony Stark when Tony is captured early in the film and is one of the captives alongside him. The two form an unexpected bond while trapped together.

Ultimately, Yinsen steps up for Tony as he uses his skills as a doctor to help him heal. It’s also Yinsen who Tony trusts to keep his escape plan secret and Yinsen ends up sacrificing himself to save Tony. It’s an underrated kind of heroism that should be discussed more.

8

Abraham Erskine (Captain America: The First Avenger)

He might be a relatively small figure in the grand scheme of the MCU, but Abraham Erskine is one of the most important. He’s the man who handpicks Steve Rogers to be the recipient of the super soldier serum when everyone else wanted a more traditional soldier to get it.

Erskine saw something special in Steve and he was right. Erskine, played fantastically by the iconic Stanley Tucci, is someone who shows kindness to Steve and without him, the Captain America that everyone knows and loves would’ve never come to be.

7

Maria Hill (The Avengers)

Many people likely weren’t expecting too many notable new characters to be introduced in The Avengers. The film had to balance the heroes we’d met in earlier projects, while also shining more of a light on Black Widow and Hawkeye, just to name a few. However, Maria Hill managed to stand out.

Played by Cobie Smulders, Maria is basically the right hand agent for Nick Fury. Although The Avengers is her first movie, she proves herself as a badass who is willing to step up alongside superpowered individuals and she eventually becomes a key member of the team for years.

6

Erik Selvig (Thor/The Avengers)

Dr. Erik Selvig is way more prominent in Phase One of the MCU than a lot of people realize. Stellan Skarsgård’s character first pops up in Thor as the mentor to Jane Foster and he helps Thor accomplish his goal and come out on top at the end of the film.

Selvig also appears in a post-credits scene and then is one of the people who gets possessed by Loki throughout The Avengers. However, Slevig proves his heroic side when he reveals that even while under Loki’s influence, he built a failsafe that could help stop Loki’s plan. He’s another underrated hero.

5

Jane Foster (Thor)

Romantic interests have been hit or miss within the MCU. Sometimes, they have strong chemistry with the lead and they work well together, while in others, they barely get developed past just being a love interest. However, Jane Foster is one of the exceptions for several reasons.

First, Natalie Portman’s Jane had remarkable chemistry with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. On top of that, Jane is one of the smartest people in the MCU and the astrophysicist is crucial to Thor’s overall success in his solo film. She only appeared once in Phase One but eventually returned as Thor and was a hero herself.

4

James Rhodes (Iron Man/Iron Man 2)

James Rhodes is one of the few MCU characters who was able to appear in more than one entry throughout Phase One. First played by Terrence Howard in Iron Man, Rhodes is Tony Stark’s best friend who doesn’t get a ton to do throughout the first film.

It’s in Iron Man 2 that James Rhodes, this time played by Don Cheadle, gets more to do. That time, he must step up to stop a self-destructive Tony and it means he gets to don the War Machine suit. When it comes to the film’s climax, Rhodes stands right next to Tony as they stop Whiplash and every other threat.

3

Pepper Potts (Iron Man/Iron Man 2/The Avengers)

Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, is one of the better romantic interests in the MCU. In Iron Man, she’s Tony’s assistant who understands him better than most and she even ends up helping him stop Obadiah Stane. Then, she returns in Iron Man 2 and is again part of Tony’s success.

The fun part about Pepper Potts is that the MCU didn’t rush or force a romance between her and Tony. We always knew it would come, yet the movies don’t push them together too soon. Instead, we get to watch things blossom organically. Pepper also gets a fun little scene in The Avengers as well.

2

Phil Coulson (Iron Man 2/The Avengers)

In Iron Man, Agent Phil Coulson makes his first appearance and it’s nothing special. He pops up for an interaction or two and returns in Iron Man 2, though again, he doesn’t do all that much. It’s when he shows up in The Avengers that Coulson becomes a standout.

In The Avengers, Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, is one of the key pieces to bringing the titular team together. He shows no fear when facing off against a literal God in Loki. He may lose his life (at least until he’s brought back for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) but his death cements the team as a true unit.

1

Peggy Carter (Captain America: The First Avenger)

It’s hard to top Peggy Carter in terms of great supporting characters. For starters, her romance with Steve Rogers is incredibly endearing and sweet. Hayley Atwell and Chris Evans had great chemistry and it was again a case of a romance not feeling forced.

Peggy Carter was also a badass who rose through the ranks as an officer and she doesn’t back down from anyone. She’s one of the bravest characters to ever appear in the MCU. Following Captain America: The First Avenger, she also went on to be a founding member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and led her own TV show.