It goes without saying that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most accomplished example of a comic book canon being translated to the big screen to date. Over the 16 films currently released by Marvel Studios, the MCU has brought vast reams of comic book characters to the movies, usually with a deep fidelity to the source material.
We say ‘usually,’ though, as sometimes Marvel decides to throw out what’s come before and start totally fresh. While the portrayals of the likes of Iron Man and Captain America were exactly what fans wanted, other heroes, villains and supporting characters have been adapted for the screen with much more of a cavalier attitude.
Sometimes this worked out for the better – something that worked on the page wouldn’t always work in a movie, after all – while other times it really didn’t. As they say, don’t mess with the classics if you don’t have a better replacement.
Either due to rights complications with other studios, to make things work better in a modern context or just to fit within the confines of the movie’s storyline, the following 10 comic book characters were totally changed for their appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.