Summary

Many ofMarvel’s most popular characters have existed for several decades. For instance,Captain America first appeared in print in 1940. These characters often endure over time, with their backstories being updated to reflect the modern era. Rather than merely altering existing characters, new ones have also been introduced.

The 2000s saw the creation of numerous new characters who have become integral to the roster of heroes. Some of these characters have significantly impacted mainstream media, particularly in film and television.

Debut Year: 2008

Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters in pop culture, and it’s no surprise that he has manydifferent versions across the multiverse. One of the earliest and most beloved variations is Spider-Man Noir, also known simply as The Spider-Man.

He comes from the reality of Earth 90214, where superheroes emerged in the 1920s. This version of Peter Parker embodies the essence of a Film Noir detective, using his spider powers to combat crime in gritty New York City. Dressed in a striking black costume, complete with a trench coat and fedora, he was introduced to a wider audience in the movieSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. There is also a live-action series featuring Nicolas Cage in the works.

In 2008, an alternate-reality version of Wolverine, known as Old Man Logan, was introduced. In this storyline, Wolverine was deceived by Mysterio into killing the members of the X-Men, which forced him into a secluded retirement. His quiet life changed when he embarked on a road trip with Hawkeye, a storyline that served as a loose inspiration for the filmLogan.

Old Man Logan is considered one of the best story arcs in Marvel history, and the decision-makers at the Marvel Cinematic Universe should consider a more faithful adaptation for the big screen. The character has since moved to the Earth-616 universe, joining many other popular alternate-reality heroes.

Debut Year: 2005

The original Hawkeye, Clint Barton, made his debut in the 1960s. However, in 2005, Marvel took a new direction with the character and introduced a young female hero named Kate Bishop to take on the mantle of Hawkeye.

After the Avengers helped save her, Kate admired Hawkeye because, like her, he had no superpowers yet was still a superhero. This inspiration led her to pick up a bow and train to become a hero. She eventually joined the Young Avengers and established herself as a leader. At one point, Clint officially passed the Hawkeye mantle to her while he was operating under the name Ronin. Kate became a popular character in the comics and a mainstay on various Avengers teams, ultimately making her live-action debut in theHawkeyeseries on Disney+ in 2021.

Debut Year: 2007

Hope Summers has become a pivotal figure among the mutants in Marvel Comics. Born without a father due to the Phoenix Force impregnating Louise Spalding, she was the first mutant born after M-Day and is regarded as a messiah destined to save both mutantkind and humankind.

As a result, Cable took her to the future and raised her as his own until she was ready to fulfill her legacy. Hope developed into a significant player in the X-Men, but she has not received much mainstream recognition beyond the comics. This may change with the upcoming X-Men chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Debut Year: 2003

Surprisingly, X-23 was not initially introduced in the comics. She made her debut in the animated seriesX-Men: Evolutionin 2003 and was soon added to the comic book universe.X-23 is a clone of Wolverine, created by the Facility to serve as an assassin.

After discovering the truth about her origins, she escaped from the facility and tracked down Wolverine. He subsequently enrolled her at Xavier’s Institute and later included her as a member of the X-Men. Over time, X-23 has evolved into much more than just Wolverine’s clone; she even took on the role of Wolverine herself and has appeared in the live-action filmLoganand laterDeadpool & Wolverine.

Debut Year: 2001

It may come as a surprise to some that Jessica Jones was introduced in 2001 while the other members of the Defenders have been around for much longer. Retroactively, she first appeared in 1963 as a classmate of Peter Parker. However, this was retconned much later after her official debut.

Jones became a pivotal member of the Defenders, a team of street-level heroes in New York City, combining her role as a private investigator with her superhero activities. She made her live-action debut in her self-titled Netflix series, which has since been incorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Although Thunderbolt Ross first appeared in 1962, he did not become the Red Hulk until 2008. Ross is a military general who views the Hulk as a significant threat to the world and seeks to eliminate him. After decades of unsuccessful attempts, he decides to become a version of the Hulk himself to gain the upper hand.

Over time, he softens his goal of killing the Hulk and instead joins the Avengers as a hero, establishing himself as a fully developed character in his own right. Red Hulk made his live-action debut inCaptain America: Brave New World, adding to the long list of characters that havetransitioned from comic books to the big screen.

Debut Year: 2000

Sentry is often compared to Marvel’s version of Superman, but his origins are quite different from the DC hero’s. Although he was created in 2008, his in-universe backstory dates back even further. Robert Reynolds was a meth addict who broke into a laboratory and consumed an enhanced version of the super-soldier serum called the Golden Sentry Serum, which granted him immense reality-warping powers.

Using these abilities, he became a superhero known as the Sentry, one of the earliest heroes in the Marvel Universe. However, he also had a dark alter ego named the Void. To protect the world, he teamed up with Doctor Strange and Mr. Fantastic to erase the Sentry from existence, including from his memory. Eventually, this spell lost its effect, and he became a wildcard within the Avengers, exhibiting an unstable and dangerous psyche. It remains unclear whether this specific backstory will be established in the upcomingThunderboltsmovie, where Sentry is set to make his cinematic debut.