Not every character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is instantly likable, but over time, the franchise has proven it can develop even the most abrasive of characters into an endearing personality. It’s no secret that the success of the MCU as a series leans strongly on the charisma of its characters, with strong personalities from great casting like Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man or Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord doing much of the heavy lifting. While not every character needs to be someone audiences could imagine themselves hanging out with, it never hurts to enhance the likability of a given character.

Movies in the MCU can sometimes introduce new characters somewhat bluntly, suddenly presenting audiences with a new face they may or may not be familiar with from the comics. Just as often as the MCU introduces new villains clearly meant to be unlikable, they have also introduced new heroes to less-than-stellar reception. In either case, the franchise has proven it can consistently develop both despicable antagonists, grating anti-heroes, or heroes of dubious character into genuinely likable faces that fans are keen to pick out of a roster.

10. Captain Marvel’s Stoicism Was Worn Down

Despite Captain Marvel being the most powerful Avenger, audiences were initially skeptical of the franchise’s first female protagonist to lead a feature film. Avengers: Endgame was many viewers’ first exposure to the character, which presents her as a cocky, stoic heroine who seems far more concerned with the affairs of the galaxy as a whole than her home planet of Earth. While her eponymous solo movie has colors of this characterization, particularly at the beginning, fans who watched both will notice a stark difference from her endearing, compassionate, and relatable personality in that film to Endgame’s emotionless space cop.

9. Rocket Raccoon Learns To Stop Lashing Out
The Gun-Toting Mammal’s Arc is Among the Strongest in The MCU

Despite being endlessly watchable, calling Rocket Raccoon as he appears in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie likable would certainly be a stretch. Needlessly abrasive and paranoid, over the course of his appearances in the Guardians trilogy, Rocket slowly learns to overcome his past trauma and slowly lower his defenses, bonding with the team’s other members outside of Groot. While he still has moments of callousness, Rocket Raccoon winds up being the new leader of the Guardians, showcasing his emotional maturation and newfound ability to work with others.

8. Yondu’s Soft Side Is Slowly Revealed
The Ravagers’ Leader Has a Bark Worse Than His Bite

Early on, Yondu was only known for being a ruthless spacefaring criminal that abducted Peter Quill at a young age, taking advantage of the impressionable boy while scaring him into obedience. As time went on, more of Yondu’s softer side was unveiled with revelations like his refusal to turn Quill over to his father, or how he celebrated Christmas by gifting Star-Lord his signature blasters. In the end, Yondu acknowledges his role as Peter’s father figure, telling him that Ego “may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy”. After his sacrifice, it’s hard not to love Yondu.

7. Baron Zemo Is A Distinctly Likable Villain
For as Despicable as He is, It’s Hard Not to Love Zemo

Baron Zemo is one of the most manipulative villains the Avengers have ever faced, successfully orchestrating the schism of the team in the events of Captain America: Civil War. Even if Zemo’s motivations may have been sympathetic, his actions were utterly reprehensible. That being said, his appearance in Falcon and the Winter Soldier gave Zemo a chance to show off his personality, endearing himself to fans with a surprising knowledge of Marvin Gaye, sense of humor and club dance moves. There’s no denying he’s a deranged murderer, but in the context of Marvel villains, he’s become hard not to like.

6. Jane Foster’s Personality Got A Major Upgrade
From bland love interest to Mighty Thor

When Natalie Portman dropped out of the MCU, her absence wasn’t missed by many in Thor: Ragnarok, her dry character of Jane Foster not conveying much in the way of personality. Dr. Foster wasn’t unlikable, but she didn’t have a well-established character, being mostly set-dressing for Thor’s conflict to play out against and coming across as detached. However, her upgrade to Mighty Thor and character development in Thor: Love & Thunder did wonders for the character’s likability, showing off her lighthearted side and relatable nervousness in the wake of gaining Mjolnir’s powers.

5. Wong Has Come Into His Own As A Hero
The Sorcerer Supreme has come a long way from gatekeeping books

In Doctor Strange, Wong was mostly relegated to being a minor bureaucratic obstacle for Stephen Strange to navigate around within the social structure of the sorcerers, refusing Strange access to the most prized tomes of magic. Over his surprising number of appearances in MCU projects since then, Wong has been given much more time to shine, delightfully bickering with Strange as a powerful magician in his own right and even earning the title of Sorcerer Supreme in Strange’s absence. Beyond his title change, Wong’s incredulous personality works excellently as a straight man in the MCU’s increasingly magical world.

4. Abomination Rehabilitated Into A Delightful Model Prisoner
From Monstrous Villain to Incarcerated Hippie

A relic from the oft-forgotten early MCU entry The Incredible Hulk, few expected Emil Blonsky to return to the franchise in any notable capacity, vaguely remembered as being a hypermasculine villain with a literal monstrous side. Shockingly, in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it’s revealed that Abomination spent considerable time in prison learning to control his powers, reforming into a new-age personality with no desire to do harm. It’s even explained that he willfully returned to prison after being freed by Wong, painting a far different personality from the Emil Blonsky that battled The Hulk.

3. Hawkeye Went From Nameless Assassin To Family Man
Clint Barton’s Arc as a Supporting Character Made Him More Endearing

Of the original Avengers, Hawkeye has consistently gotten overshadowed in terms of character development. Introduced in Thor as a simple assassin, Hawkeye’s character didn’t do much to dispel this image by the time of his inclusion in The Avengers. Eventually, the introduction of his family in Avengers: Age of Ultron, demonstrated friendship with Black Widow, and mentorship of Kate Bishop in the Hawkeye series gave fans a better picture of what Clint Barton was really like. Hawkeye’s journey through the MCU slowly endeared him to audiences one movie at a time, even if he never got his own solo film.

2. Loki Went From A Selfish Villain To Making The Ultimate Sacrifice
From Earth’s Threat to The Multiverse’s Savior

Few characters exemplify the stellar character growth the Marvel Cinematic Universe is capable of portraying quite like Loki. Even as a villain in Thor and The Avengers, Loki was undeniably likable, with an egostical charm that stole the show in every scene he was in. In his own self-titled series, however, Loki proved he was capable of growing into a genuinely good person, even making the ultimate sacrifice at the end of Loki’s second season, putting the needs of the multiverse above his own desires in a striking display of virtue. If Loki was loved as a villain, he’s adored as a true hero.

1. Thor’s One-Note Personality Was Expanded Upon
Thor Just May be The MCU’s New Poster Boy

In his earliest appearances, Thor’s personality and cadence mirrored the fantasy genre his series was emulating, navigating the modern world with an almost Shakespearean cadence of speech. While this approach to Thor was enjoyable, it got old quickly, and Thor’s early depictions as more of a time-displaced warrior limited the depth of his character and likability. With Thor: Ragnarok, the God of Thunder’s humorous side was expanded upon, and the distinct difference between Hemsworth’s performances before and after the film marked a turning point in the perception of one of the MCU’s flagship characters.