Marvel is easily one of the two largest comic book publishers, creating best-selling comics month after month. Additionally, thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the publisher has also become the biggest name in pop culture overall. This has increased the brand's popularity and launched more than a few characters into stardom.
Certain Marvel characters have been household names for decades, but the MCU shone a spotlight on several that propelled their popular among comic fans and superhero movie lovers. Marvel's most popular heroes and villains are the biggest characters in pop culture. Whether it's a recent thing or something that has been around forever, their popularity is astounding.
She-Hulk Is the Original Meta Hero
Initially, Jennifer Walters was much like her cousin when it came to maintaining her Hulk powers. Though she tried to keep them under control, she would occasionally "hulk out" to deal with issues. By her second ongoing, Marvel found a significantly better way to utilize the character. In contrast to Bruce, Jennifer learned how to enjoy her superpowers.
She-Hulk gained popularity in the late '80s and '90s as a hero who frequently broke the fourth wall. Gaining a sense of humor did wonders for the character, as did building essential relationships with both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. It's no surprise Disney attempted to give her a show on Disney+, but it's unfortunate they didn't quite stick the landing with the show's ending.
War Machine Expands Iron Man's Universe
James Rhodes took over for Tony Stark in the '80s as Iron Man, but fans could've never guessed that was the precursor to him becoming his own armored hero. While Stark was out of action once again, he granted Rhodes his latest armor, codenamed "War Machine." More heavily armored and loaded with more ballistic weapons, it didn't take Rhodey long to make the armor his own, becoming both a member of the Avengers and gaining a solo comic.
The MCU helped Rhodey's popularity slightly by placing him in the eyes of young fans everywhere. Unfortunately, Rhodey's solo project, Armor Wars, remains in the air. With no rumors about him appearing in the new Avengers films, currently, he gets most of his screen time in the pages of West Coast Avengers.
Green Goblin Uses His Power To Threaten All Marvel Heroes Now
At one point, Green Goblin was the biggest villain in Spider-Man's rogues gallery. It was easy to see why, too; thanks to the way the Goblin Serum affected him, he kept just as many secrets as Peter Parker. Not only was he the father of one of Pete's friends, but in his civilian life, Norman was a successful businessman. That it mattered to him to keep his identity secret made it mean so much more when he discovered that Peter was Spider-Man.
Norman has become an even bigger part of the Marvel Universe since his return from the dead in the late '90s, though. After the blockbuster event Secret Invasion, Norman briefly took control of SHIELD, transforming it into HAMMER while he waged war on every unregistered superhero. The only thing keeping Norman from being even more popular these days is he's currently non-existent within the MCU.
Kingpin Goes To War With All the Street-Level Heroes
Since the Daredevil television series took off in popularity, Kingpin has been more popular than ever. Yet Wilson Fisk has always been a major part of the Marvel Universe since his introduction. As the Kingpin of crime in New York City, he's linked to nearly anything involving organized crime in the city.
Because of his importance to organized crime throughout the East Coast, Fisk isn't just a Spider-Man villain. He's also been a problem for street-level heroes in general, particularly during his time as Mayor, where he outlawed all masked vigilantes. Even though Fisk doesn't wield as much power as he once did, he's always just a few moments away from being back in charge.
Venom's Popularity Took Him From Villain To Anti-Hero
Going back to his introduction, Venom immediately became one of Marvel's biggest characters. He's appeared in most of Spider-Man's cartoons, tons of video games, and has had multiple symbiote-related crossovers even going back to the nineties. More importantly, he's the only supervillain who got his own standalone films, with all of them being massive commercial hits.
Though Venom was originally meant to be a villain, his popularity meant he couldn't stay in that role for long. For a time, he was an anti-hero "Lethal Protector", having no problem eliminating villains that other heroes might leave alive. While the person bonded to the symbiote changes frequently, the symbiote itself has been around long enough to know it wants to operate as a hero and help others.
Groot Won Fans Over During the First Guardians of the Galaxy Movie
Inarguably the most popular Flora colossus in the Marvel universe, Groot earned the fandom's heart since the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. That reputation holds even though he never said more than "I am Groot." This giant tree-like alien only appeared in comics after the 2000s, but the MCU found a way to make him as relevant as other Marvel characters who have been around since the '60s.
Not only does Groot have a hilarious dynamic with the rest of the Guardians, but he also sacrifices himself by the end of the film, proving his courage. This didn't stop him from appearing in the sequel, now as Baby Groot, an adorable twig on a pot -- and then a teenage branch. His reborn journey was full of relatable moments and he skyrocketed into popularity, even starring on his own MCU TV show in 2022 and in a couple of volumes alongside his best friend Rocket Raccoon in past years.
Jean Grey Has Hosted a Dangerous Entity
With incredible psychic abilities that range from empathy to telekinesis, Jean Grey reached her true potential when she became the host of the Phoenix Force — one of the most powerful entities in Marvel. While merged with this creature, she starred in the Dark Phoenix Saga, in which she went as far as destroying an entire solar system before succumbing to the Phoenix powers. This epic tale is an iconic moment in the X-Men's history, so comic fans have known Jean very well since the '80s.
In more mainstream media, Jean Grey has appeared in dozens of animated TV shows, but she became more known thanks to Famke Jansen's portrayal in the first X-Men trilogy. Sophie Turner got a chance to play her again in X-Men: Dark Phoenix and while the movie wasn't a commercial success, it helped keep the character in the public's mind. Hopefully, the MCU's adaptation will show even more people how powerful this telepath is.
Spider-Gwen Proves Second Chances Pay Off
Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker's first love, became known in the comic world due to her tragic story. She died in the Green Goblin's hands during The Amazing Spider-Man #121–122 (published in 1973). Her death became a milestone in Spider-Man's story, who then realized he couldn't save them all.
Around 40 years after this devastating moment, an alternate version of Gwen made waves in the Marvel universe again. Hailing from Earth-65, she lives in a world where Peter Parker became the Lizard, forcing her to fight him to death after she's bitten by a radioactive spider. As Spider-Woman or Spider-Gwen, Gwen became one of the most popular Spider-people ever, thanks to the Spider-Verse movies. At this point, it's hard to believe she stayed dead for so long before becoming a heroine.
The MCU Made Thor a More Palatable Character
A member of Marvel's big three alongside Captain America and Iron Man, Thor is an Avengers founding member. He has had a solid rogues' gallery since his debut. Plus, some of the best Marvel writers have worked on him — Walter Simonson, Roy Thomas, Jason Aaron. However, it wasn't until the MCU that he became a truly beloved character.
Many older fans will disagree, but the movies helped Thor's popularity by making him funnier than he ever was. In the comics, he always had a solemn quality to his person, which makes sense for a god. This allowed Thor comics to become like Nordic epics, but they were too serious for most people outside the comics fandom. Unfortunately, fans didn't warm up to and get to know the character until the MCU made him a more humorous figure.
Doctor Doom's Villainy Is Timeless
Doctor Doom is a timeless, classic villain. He wants to conquer the world, has a tormented past, and he's obsessed with himself. Doom is a complex man and as the years pass, he remains a fan favorite. So much so that he's even the main Marvel antagonist in One World Under Doom. His intentions may be the same every time, but fans can't get enough of him.
As the most iconic Fantastic Four villain, Doom has appeared in all the Fantastic Four live-action films made in the last decades. Sadly, the movies have failed to do him justice. With the recent announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will return to portray the character in Avengers: Doomsday, the audience is divided. Some consider he already brought Iron Man from obscurity, but others think he won't have the range. Either way, Doom's future appearance in the MCU will have his popularity skyrocketing from the very first moment.
