Summary
- MCU sidekicks play crucial roles in completing the plots of superhero movies, such as Darcy's intelligence and resourcefulness in WandaVision.
- Characters like Maria Hill and Happy Hogan prove their competence and loyalty as trusted allies to superheroes like Nick Fury and Iron Man.
- Fan-favorite sidekicks like Groot and Okoye bring heart and support to their respective crews, making them important and beloved characters in the MCU.
There’s not a lot that a superhero can do without an extra bit of help. And that is no different with our MCU superheroes. Can you imagine the Ant-Man franchise without Luis’ (Michael Peña) frantic, exaggerated story-telling? Can you picture the Guardians of the Galaxy without the good-natured Groot that has become the fandom favorite?
Indeed, sidekicks have become crucial characters in the superheroes' spectacles, whether as best friends, relatives, or ordinary citizens doing their part to make the world a better place. They tend to be the last missing piece to make the plot complete. Take a look at a few of our favorite MCU side characters.
Updated on August 26th, 2023 by Gargi Chatterjee: To keep this article fresh and relevant, we've added more information, entries, and additional content.
14 Darcy Lewis
First Appearance: Thor (2011)
Ever since we were introduced to Darcy (Kat Dennings) in the first Thor movie, we knew we would instantly fall in love with her charisma. It was only a matter of time until we would get her character back in full glory, and we can thank the WandaVision producers for that.
While everyone was panicking over the mess happening in Westview, Darcy instantly knew what to do to get a grasp on the situation. It's only fitting that Vision kept calling her "Doctor" to remind her who she is after she got stuck in Wanda's reality. The show has also blessed us with the absolutely perfect trio: Darcy, Monica (Teyonah Paris), and Agent Woo (Randall Park). We hope that Darcy and Agent Woo get their spin-off.
13 Maria Hill
First Appearance: The Avengers (2012)
Even though she is technically not a sidekick of a superhero, Maria Hill is one of the most trusted employees of S.H.I.E.L.D. and also the right-hand person of Nick Fury. She first appeared in The Avengers in 2012 and has made many appearances on screen since then.
Her final appearance was in the recent Secret Invasion series where she met her demise. She was one of the most competent agents and earned her place as one of the fiercest sidekicks in all of MCU.
12 Happy Hogan
First Appearance: Iron Man (2008)
Isn't it awesome that actor-director Jon Favreau has not only become an irreplaceable figure in the MCU, but he also directed the first two Iron Man movies? Someone who was essentially meant to be a small side character in Iron Man has developed into a father figure of Spider-Man.
He has always been there to pull Tony out of trouble, and he has done the same for Peter ever since he came to be Tony's "successor". It's honestly heartbreaking to know that after all the help he's provided, he has not only lost his best friend but also his lover.
11 Sam Wilson/Captain America
First Appearance: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Yes, Sam Wilson is the new Captain America after Steve Rogers retired from the job after Avengers: Endgame. However, before he was bestowed with his new title, Sam Wilson used to be one of Steve Rogers' closest friends and his trusted sidekick The Falcon.
First appearing in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson is a former U.S. Air Force pararescueman who becomes friends with Rogers and helps him defeat Hydra and rescue Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier. Sam Wilson is now a close friend of Bucky Barnes and remains one of the strongest sidekicks of all MCU heroes.
10 Okoye
First Appearance: Black Panther (2018)
In Black Panther, Okoye (Danai Gurira) is not only a quotable character, but her beautiful loyalty and devotion to the king and Wakanda is something you cannot help but love. She is a powerful, morally strong woman who doesn't abandon her beliefs.
She proved this even when it meant standing up against her husband. She is a character who's not afraid to speak her mind, despite the possibility of offending those in power, which made her a fan-favorite and led to her later involvement in other MCU events as well.
9 Groot
First Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
If you love Guardians of the Galaxy, you can't not love Groot. This friendly and loving tree giant joins Star-Lord and the rest of the crew as a huge entity. But when he almost dies protecting them in the first movie, he returns as a child version of himself that again starts to grow.
Groot is not only a trusted friend of Peter Quill but also the one who keeps the crew together through thick and thin, making him not only one of the cutest but also one of the most important MCU sidekicks of all time.
8 Valkyrie
First Appearance: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Since we're on the topic of strong women, we certainly can't leave out Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). She has lost an entire sisterhood due to war and became an alcoholic to numb the pain. And even after all the dreadful things that had happened to her, she eventually agreed to fight alongside Thor.
She helped him defeat Hela and later joined the Avengers to defeat Thanos. As Thor points out at the end of Endgame, she would make an exceptional queen of the Asgardians. Fans got to see more of her leadership and an exploration of her bisexuality in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
7 Luis
First Appearance: Ant-Man (2015)
Luis is a very important character in the 2015 movie Ant-Man and also appears in the 2018 movie Ant-Man and the Wasp. A former cellmate and friend of Scott Lang, he is the one who persuades Lang into committing a robbery.
It's that robbery where Scott Lang first acquires Hank Pym's Ant-Man suit. Throughout the movie, Luis stays a very important part of Lang's life and his crew, making him a great superhero sidekick. The fans of the movie also loved the character a lot, and his absence in Qunatumania was felt deeply.
6 Wong
First Appearance: Doctor Strange (2016)
Ever since his character introduction in 2016's Doctor Strange movie, Wong (Benedict Wong) has become Doctor Strange's voice of reason. He is always the one to warn him about the dangers that he might entangle himself in.
Just look at what happened in Spider-Man: No Way Home as soon as Wong left him alone—he helped Peter mess with time and its alternative universes. Wong has gone from being portrayed as a serious character to someone who fights for fun and completely loves singing pop music, all the while reigning as Sorcerer Supreme.
5 Ned
First Appearance: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
As the proper best friend that Ned (Jacob Batalon) is, he was the first one to know about Peter's Spider-Man identity and was trying hard as hell to protect it. Unlike many other sidekicks, he doesn't have any sort of power but is still one of the most lovable characters in the MCU franchise.
He's always there to hype Peter up when he needs it, to the best of his abilities. If the Spider-Man story gets another trilogy, it would be amazing to see Ned turning evil as he does in the comics. They have already laid the groundwork for it in Spider-Man: No Way Home with his constant jokes.
4 Shuri
First Appearance: Black Panther (2018)
If we are talking about Black Panther, then we have to talk about the genius younger sister of the King of Wakanda, Shuri. She is not only the younger sister of King T'Challa but also an inventor. Her sassy attitude and impeccable inventions often accompany her brother in his various daredevil missions throughout the movie.
Even during the final battle, Shuri helps her brother and his army with her various weapons and joins the battle herself. Shuri has to be one of the youngest and most important superhero sidekicks of the MCU.
3 Katy
First Appearance: Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings (2021)
First and foremost, can we collectively thank Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for giving us a healthy platonic relationship between a man and a woman? Not making Katy (Awkwafina) just another woman's love interest makes her so much more of an individual character that the audience genuinely loves her.
She's always there to have Shang-Chi's back, no matter if it's an adventurous or a dangerous situation. Her vibrant charisma reeks off of the screen so much that she has managed to convince us that singing "Hotel California" when confronted with a situation does, indeed, make sense.
2 Bucky Barnes
First Appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Steve have become an inseparable duo ever since we saw them in Captain America: The First Avenger. Their relationship is so strong that the whole movie is technically based on Steve avenging Bucky's supposed death.
He has been either on Steve's side or on his mind ever since the 1940s, even before Steve became the sweetheart of America. Bucky was able to withstand his Winter Soldier urges solely because he didn't want to hurt Steve. Not to mention that Steve started a whole Civil War just because he wanted to protect him.
1 Yelena Belova
First Appearance: Black Widow (2021)
Raise a hand if you can listen to Yelena (Florence Pugh) talking about pockets for hours, because same. Sadly, we could have had so many sister scenes if they had introduced Yelena to us before Black Widow's death. Their chemistry is truly off the roof in Black Widow.
Not to mention the badass of a character that she is with the harsh Widow training that she received. Amazingly, they have decided to explore her character further in the Hawkeye series. It would make us so happy to see Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Yelena as a new, chaotic version of Black Widow and Hawkeye.