The MCU is filled with characters who have grown and developed since their introductions, and some of those narrative arcs have brought huge changes.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s story has seen the development of many characters, but some changed an incredible amount during their time in the franchise. The movies of the MCU have introduced countless characters from the pages of Marvel Comics to the big screen, in the process making up cinema’s most ambitious and successful shared universe of all time. Narrative cohesion is an important aspect of creating a shared continuity like the MCU, with characters and stories unfolding in some cases over several years.

Certain MCU characters have undergone a huge amount of change across the MCU’s movie timeline. For those with a specific start and end point to their franchise story, the amount of growth or change they have undergone can be examined with a degree of finality rather than those with continued potential. With that in mind, here are 10 MCU characters who have changed the most from their first to last appearance.

10. Odin Softened Considerably Before His Death

First Appearance: Thor (2011)

First introduced to the MCU in Phase 1’s Thor in 2011, Odin was quickly established as the powerful ruler of Asgard. Odin’s supreme command of the god-like beings of his kingdom came with a hard edge, with his anger shining through in rare flashes. In his first scenes in the franchise, he berates Thor and declares him unfit to rule Asgard, later banishing him to Earth.

After reappearing in the sequel, Thor: The Dark World, Odin makes his final MCU appearance in Thor: Ragnarok. When he appears to his sons, he declares that he’s dying, and he cuts a much softer and more emotional figure. Sharing a heartfelt moment with Thor and Loki before passing away, it’s clear that Odin underwent a massive transformation to become the much less harsh and far more gentle figure he was at the time of his death.

9. Black Widow Learned To Embrace Her Heroic Nature

First Appearance: Iron Man 2 (2010)

When Natasha Romanoff was first introduced in 2010’s Iron Man 2, she was a supporting character and an undercover SHIELD agent. For all her talents, it’s clear that there’s no trust between Stark and Romanoff, as the latter is a spy before all else. This is the defining characteristic of Black Widow up until the end of 2012’s The Avengers, where she begins her journey of transformation.

After multiple appearances in the franchise, Black Widow’s chronological MCU ending comes in Avengers: Endgame. Natasha opts to sacrifice herself to allow Hawkeye to return home to his family, managing to fulfill her duty and protect her friend at the same time. Natasha’s selflessly heroic death shows how far she has grown, as the act of self-sacrifice is much more that of a superhero than it is a spy.

8. Talos Went From A Refugee To A SHIELD Spy

First Appearance: Captain Marvel (2019)

Initially introduced at the beginning of Captain Marvel, Talos is a Skrull. The alien race is first presented as the villains of the movie, attempting to infiltrate and conquer the Earth using their shape-shifting abilities. Talos serves as their Skrull General, although Carol Danvers later learns that the Skrull population is simply refugees attempting to find sanctuary from the Kree. With the movie set in the mid-‘90s, Talos then flies under the radar for a sizable part of the MCU’s timeline.

Talos re-emerges as part of Secret Invasion’s cast of characters, where it is explained that he has been working with Nick Fury for decades. This marks a pretty large shift for Talos, as in his previous appearance, he was a simple refugee fighting for survival. Talos’ role in attempting to maintain peace between humans and Skrulls makes him one of the MCU’s unsung heroes, which is a big change from initially appearing to be a villain.

7. Thanos Underwent Multiple Changes After His Introduction

First Appearance: The Avengers (2012)

As one of the MCU’s most powerful villains, Thanos played a significant role in the franchise’s Infinity Saga, acting as the main antagonist of Phases 1 through 3. The Mad Titan first appeared in the MCU at the end of The Avengers, where he briefly teases his impending introduction in full. He then made a handful of other cameos in subsequent movies ahead of his eventual full debut in Avengers: Infinity War.

Over those years, Thanos underwent a number of changes. Many of them were physical in nature, with the character subtly redesigned. The role was also recast for Josh Brolin, marking another major change to his general appearance. His motivations also appeared to change, as The Avengers teased the appearance of Lady Death, whereas later movies gave Thanos a new goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe. Considering his importance to the franchise, the size of Thanos’ MCU transformation seems especially noteworthy.

6. The MCU’s Original Vision Grew Increasingly Human

First Appearance: Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

As far as MCU heroes go, Vision’s role in the franchise was relatively short-lived before his death. The synthezoid’s body was created by Helen Cho, while his personality was crafted from Tony Stark’s Jarvis AI. Finally, Vision was brought to life by the Mind Stone in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and despite his staggering wealth of abilities, he was an incredibly naïve and innocent figure.

Vision’s subsequent appearances saw him learn more about the human condition and gradually begin to fit in with his Avengers teammates. He learned much about humanity and even sparked up a romance with Wanda Maximoff ahead of his death in Avengers: Infinity War. Vision’s original consciousness was later magically revived by Wanda, furthering the character’s connection to humanity. Considering his origins, the original Vision’s transformation leading up to his ultimate demise in WandaVision is truly a sight to behold.

5. Ultron Rapidly Changed Before Being Killed

First Appearance: Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

In the comics, Ultron is one of Marvel’s most dangerous and adaptable villains. His introduction to the MCU came in Avengers: Age of Ultron, when Tony Stark is manipulated by Wanda Maximoff’s magic and, in his paranoia, creates the AI program to protect the Earth. Ultron takes his orders too seriously, coming to the conclusion that humanity must die in order for the planet to thrive. The sophisticated AI is able to learn and adapt remarkably quickly, and so he quickly begins his transformation.

First, Ultron is able to enter a broken shell of a Stark drone. Later, he crafts himself a better body and then crafts a third with the intention of transferring himself into it. He also expands his consciousness to include the Iron Legion, effectively making Ultron an army of mechanical enforcers. As he’s killed at the end of the movie, that’s where Ultron’s transformation ends, but despite all occurring in a single movie, he changes an alarming amount.

4. Jane Foster Went From Scientist To Superhero

First Appearance: Thor (2011)

First appearing in 2011’s Thor, Jane Foster is the astrophysicist who finds Thor when he’s first banished to Earth. The pair establish rapport and develop a romantic connection that carries over into the sequel, Thor: The Dark World. As Natalie Portman departed the franchise shortly after, Jane Foster’s story was put on hold. However, Jane returned in Thor: Love and Thunder, having undergone a radical transformation.

When Jane reappeared in the MCU, it was as the Mighty Thor. Having sought out the fragments of Mjolnir due to her rapidly advancing cancer, Jane was filled with the power of Thor and became a superhero in her own right. Jane later died in Thor: Love and Thunder’s ending, seemingly marking the end of her MCU journey, but not before she established herself as one of the franchise’s most-changed characters.

3. Wanda Maximoff Became Immensely Powerful Before Her Death

First Appearance: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Even upon her introduction in one of the MCU’s post-credits scenes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Wanda Maximoff was always a powerful character. Having been experimented on by Hydra using the Mind Stone, Wanda possessed telekinetic and vaguely defined magical abilities. Initially acting as an antagonist, Wanda later defected to join the Avengers and fight back against Ultron. By the end of Age of Ultron, Wanda was granted Avenger status along with other new recruits.

Subsequent movies saw Wanda explore the limits of her power, although it wasn’t until WandaVision that she began to unlock her true potential. Fueled by grief and manipulated by Agatha, Wanda soon became the Scarlet Witch, an immensely powerful character of legendary status. Influenced by the Darkhold, Wanda then became a full villain, leading up to her eventual self-inflicted death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

2. Steve Rogers Learned How To Walk Away From A Fight

First Appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

There is perhaps no other figure in the MCU as consistently inspiring as Steve Rogers. After struggling to enlist in World War II due to health issues, Steve was transformed into a super soldier and adopted the mantle of Captain America. After defeating the Red Skull, Steve was then frozen and woken almost 60 years later, bringing his old-school heroism to the modern world. Naturally, the personal journey this takes Steve on is one of epic proportions.

Steve quickly gets to grips with the modern world but still struggles with his idealistic notions. However, across his own personal MCU timeline, Steve learns more about heroism and leadership, and eventually even learns how to keep himself out of a fight. Seeing Steve go from a young man desperate to help to understanding when it was time to walk away cements his transformation as one of the MCU’s biggest character changes.

1. Iron Man Went From Billionaire Playboy To Genuine Hero

First Appearance: Iron Man (2008)

There is no doubt that Iron Man should be considered the protagonist of the MCU’s Infinity Saga. The entire MCU began with Iron Man’s origin story, the beginning of which sees a self-centered and profit-driven Tony Stark held hostage by a group of terrorists. After creating the Iron Man armor and adopting it as his hero persona, Stark begins a twisting journey of self-discovery, battling his inner demons while also serving as a role model to other heroes and civilians alike.

By the time Tony Stark’s narrative arc ends, he’s come full circle. Not only is he no longer the irresponsible playboy he once was, but he proves himself a true hero, sacrificing his life to stop Thanos for good. Iron Man’s transformation into the franchise’s greatest hero is undeniably the best the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer and is by far its biggest character change.