The Best New MCU Characters Of 2021

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a constantly expanding collection of stories, spanning feature-length movies, streaming series, and even short films. As these stories grow, so too does the roster of MCU characters within them, giving us a constant stream of heroes, villains, and people who lie in between to enjoy.

2021 was a particularly exciting year for MCU fans. A whopping five new streaming series were released on Disney+, along with four new feature films. This plethora of productions gave MCU filmmakers many opportunities to introduce new players in the ongoing saga.

But which of these new characters will stick in our minds, long after 2021 is over? Which personalities are the most compelling, the most promising, and the most likely to make a long-term impact on the MCU's landscape? That's what we're here to find out. From magic users to crime lords and everyone in between, these are the best new MCU characters of 2021.

Though he's got some competition these days, there was a time when Tom Hiddleston's Loki was easily the MCU's most beloved villain. He makes being bad look so good, it's nearly impossible to resist his charm. That goodwill carries over into "Loki," the character's Disney+ series. Going into that delightful show, the idea of any other major player stealing the spotlight from him seems absurd.

Then Sophia Di Martino arrives, playing Sylvie, the Loki variant who refuses to be called Loki. She's packed with just as much cleverness, cunning, and wit as the original character, plus some seriously impressive enchantment skills. From the moment she's introduced, Sylvie proves to be every bit Loki's match. The two journey through the Sacred Timeline together, building an unlikely and ultimately quite moving love story in the process. Thankfully for all of us, "Loki" has already been renewed for Season 2, so we'll be seeing more of Sylvie's particular brand of mischief in the future.

This particular phase of the MCU is very fixated on the idea of legacy. Pre-existing characters from the first three phases are now passing the torch to a new set of heroes and villains, who come from all walks of life. We see it in "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Hawkeye," and, with particular prominence, "Black Widow."

Though "Black Widow" is billed as a long-awaited solo adventure starring Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, the film is actually a bit of a two-hander. Natasha reconnects with her adoptive sister Yelena (Florence Pugh), who she hasn't seen in years. The two of them end up working together to bring down the Red Room, where they were trained and brainwashed into the Black Widow program. In Pugh's hands, Yelena becomes just as deadly and conflicted as Natasha, but with an added layer of youthful exuberance and self-awareness we don't often get to see from her big sister. She outright steals huge chunks of the movie with her charm, pathos, and killer action sequences. Seeing her stick around for more stories is sure to be one of the great joys of the MCU going forward.

The Watcher is a tricky character: He has to project a certain amount of power and intrigue without revealing all that much about himself, or developing many emotional attachments. Getting Jeffrey Wright to voice him on "What If...?" was an important first step in nailing the character, as his sonorous voice adds instant gravitas to every role.

Then, everyone involved in bringing the Watcher to life stepped up their game to craft a portrait of a dedicated observer who's sworn to never interfere. He guides viewers through all manner of wild adventures ... right until the moment he decides to break his cardinal rule. Establishing the Watcher's mode of operation so clearly, then disrupting it for the "What If...?" season 1 finale, is a master stroke that establishes him as an actual character, rather than just an interesting narrator. This adds irresistible intrigue that future installments of the series will doubtlessly explore.

Shang-Chi is easily one Marvel's highest-profile new characters, but his supporting cast is just as compelling. Take his sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), who's every bit as capable as he is, but interested in far different things. For much of the film, Xialing and Shang-Chi share the goal of stopping their father's dangerous quest to free his departed wife from the afterlife. It's clear they have a bond that is, in no small part, driven by their mutual sense of overcoming the adversity of their youth. But while Shang-Chi spends much of the movie searching for his true place in the world, Xialing seems fairly confident she already knows hers.

From the beginning, when we see her running an underground fight operation, it's clear that Xialing is interested in following in her father's footsteps as an empire-builder. By the end of the film, she's pulled it off, molding his Ten Rings organization into something of her own. It's not clear how far she'll take this path, or when we might see her next, but her drive and intelligence make her a compelling addition to the MCU.

Marvel's "Eternals" introduced an entirely new team of superheroes to the MCU in the fall of 2021: The near-immortal Eternals, who came to Earth to fight a race of monsters known as Deviants, then never got orders to leave. Their millennia-old status and nifty power sets make each of them interesting in their own way. But of all the Eternals who seem primed to have more adventures in the MCU going forward, the best might be the speedster known as Makkari.

Played by Lauren Ridloff, Makkari is the first-ever deaf superhero in the MCU. She's also uniquely set apart from her fellow Eternals: While they went out into the world, existing among humans in one way or another, Makkari stayed behind, holing up on their ship and keeping herself busy while she waited for the day she'd get to go home. You'd think that might make the character boring, but Ridloff's portrayal is anything but. Through her, Makkari becomes a searcher for truth, a compassionate voice, and a character primed for bigger things.

Early trailers for "Hawkeye" focus rather heavily on the group of goons known as the Tracksuit Mafia. This suggests they might be the biggest threat the two Hawkeyes face over the course of the show. But then Maya Lopez, aka Echo, appears in Episode 2, "Hide and Seek." Alaqua Cox's tremendous screen presence makes it immediately clear that she's the one they should be worried about.

Maya is deaf, deadly, and fearsomely determined. Her powers of observation and control of her own body are so honed, she's able to mirror the fighting style of anyone she faces. This gives her an enormous advantage in hand-to-hand combat that is absolutely incredible to watch in action. But Maya's not just a particular set of skills — she's also a person wounded by a tragic past. Maya searches for validation and vengeance amid the New York underworld, though she often seems conflicted over how far she must go. One thing is clear: Maya is primed for big things, many of which are sure to go down in "Echo," her upcoming Disney+ series.