TheMarvel Cinematic Universecontinues to evolve, and by 2025, several characters have undergone dramatic transformations. Some characters who were once sidelined inthe MCU timelineare now leading major teams. Others have taken dark or surprising turns, completely changing the trajectory ofthe MCU’s future.
The post-Endgame landscape, especially with Disney+ shows and new vphases of the Multiverse Saga, has opened doors for deeper development, shocking deaths, and massive shifts in allegiances. Whether it’s legacy characters or newer additions, the MCU has redefined many of its key players in ways that no one saw coming just a few years ago.
10Thunderbolts Ross Is Now In Prison After A Red Hulk Transformation
Captain America: Brave New World
Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross has long loomed in the background of the MCU as a hard-nosed government official, but 2025 markedhis most explosive evolution yet.First, he became President of the United States, then he transformed into the Red Hulk. Rumored for years and finally confirmed onscreen, Ross’s transformation was as violent and catastrophic as expected.
However, instead of joining a heroic cause or staying on a leash, Red Hulk’s uncontrolled rampage led to mass destruction. Ross was arrested and imprisoned on the Raft. The once proud Secretary of State isnow a cautionary tale of unchecked power.
This complete downfall flips his character arc on its head. It turned a longtime manipulator of heroes into a fallen monster. Unlike many MCU foes, Ross survived, suggestingRed Hulk could once again emerge.
9Bucky Barnes Is In An Active Superhero Team Once More
Thunderbolts*
After decades of wandering and emotional isolation, Bucky Barnes has finally found purpose again. This time, he’san official member of a functioning superhero team. While the Falcon and the Winter Soldier series hinted at Bucky’s healing process, 2025 cemented his return to action with the Thunderbolts.
This marks a major turnaround from his days as a reluctant hero weighed down by trauma. Now, Bucky isno longer just Cap’s best friendor a shadowy assassin. He’s leading missions, forging team dynamics, and contributing to major global conflicts. Not to mention his new role as a US Congressman.
Bucky’s evolution into a true team player places him in a totally new category in the MCU.Once considered unstable and too dangerous to trust, Bucky is now someone others rely on. His new status reinvents him as one of Marvel’s most balanced and redemptive figures.
8Valentina Is Seemingly The Nick Fury Of The New Avengers
Controversial, mysterious, and manipulative, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has slowly taken over the kind of role Nick Fury once held. Yet unlike Fury, Val doesn’t play by the old SHIELD rulebook. As of 2025, she wasthe inadvertent driving force behind the Thunderbolts, leading to her announcing this new team as the New Avengers.
Whether she’s forming morally grey teams or influencing global politics, Valentina has become the ultimate shadow player. What makes her arc so compelling is how naturally she slipped into this role across multiple shows and films, appearing everywhere fromBlack WidowtoThunderbolts*. She’snot just a puppet masteranymore.
Valentina is effectively the MCU’s new strategic anchor. This shift completely transforms her from an obscure comic cameo to amajor force with long-term ramifications. WithThunderbolts*’s ending, however, she has had a major shift in power regarding her new team.
7Taskmaster Is Dead
After years of lingering as a character with unrealized potential, Taskmaster’s journeycame to an abrupt and final endin 2025. Antonia Dreykov, once a mind-controlled assassin with photographic reflexes, found freedom thanks to Natasha Romanoff. However, her story never fully rebounded.
After being recruited by Valentina, Taskmaster was among the antiheroes gathered at the O.X.E. inThunderbolts*.She is killed in the ensuing fight by Ava Starr, before the group team up together. Her death was brutal and sudden, marking one of the MCU’smost sobering character exitsin recent years.
It also reshapes her arc from pawn to tragic figure. While she didn’t get the same sprawling arc as other characters, Taskmaster’s end brings emotional weight and closure. Her death alsocrystallizes the Thunderbolts lineupagainst Valentina. A once-cold figure is now remembered with unexpected reverence and loss.
6Riri Williams Made A Deal With The Devil
Ironheart
Introduced as a promising prodigy inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams’ evolution took a dark and unexpected path by 2025. In her solo seriesIronheart, Riri made a Faustian deal with Mephisto. In an attempt to save the life of her friend, Natalie, Riristrikes a bargain with Marvel’s Devil-like figure.
The terms of this deal and its long-term consequences are left intentionally vague. While her intentions were noble, this deal has pulled her into murky territory. The bright, idealistic genius who once seemed like a clean successor to Tony Starknow operates in a gray area.
This decision could alienate her from other heroes and put her at odds with SHIELD and Wakanda. Her transformation from spirited inventor to spiritually compromised technocrat is a warning of how theline between innovation and corruption can blur. This is sure to impact Riri’s future in the MCU.
5Yelena Belova Is The Leader Of The New Avengers
Yelena Belova started out as a snarky, reluctant assassin with a deep emotional scar. She was driven more by revenge than justice. However, by 2025, she’s done what few thought possible:take up the leadership mantlefor a new generation of Avengers.
With the formation of the New Avengers inThunderbolts*, Yelena stepped up as leader. This transformation sees her mature into someone who understands sacrifice, diplomacy, and big-picture threats. Gone is the sarcastic loner. In her place isa woman commanding missions, mentoring young heroes, and making high-stakes decisions.
Her rise isn’t justa tribute to her sister, it’s her own hard-won evolution. Yelena’s leadership adds a new flavor to the Avengers: bold, brash, and unflinchingly real. It’s a stunning payoff for a character introduced just four years ago.
4Joaquin Torres Is The New Falcon
Joaquin Torres has officially taken flight,literally and symbolically. Introduced as a helpful side characterin The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Joaquin has stepped into Sam Wilson’s former role as the new Falcon by 2025. What started as a passing of the wings has evolved into a full superhero identity.
Though set up inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,Torres officially gained the title inCaptain America: Brave New World.His transformation from military tech analyst to costumed hero reflects the MCU’s continuedpush to expand its benchwith diverse, capable characters. He brings his own energy to the role, leaning into optimism, agility, and a fresh worldview.
No longer just a sidekick, Joaquin is front and center. His evolution marks a rare example ofseamless legacy-buildingin modern superhero storytelling. He is expected to be a central part of Sam’s Avengers in the MCU’s future.
3Kingpin Became Mayor Of New York City
Daredevil: Born Again
In a jaw-dropping power move, Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, used politics to achieve what crime couldn’t. In 2025’sDaredevil: Born Again, he became the official mayor of New York City. It consequentlybrought a terrifying legitimacyto his long-running criminal empire.
Fisk’s election storyline, teased inHawkeyeand expanded inEcho, has fully paid off, turning Fisk into a true kingmaker. Now wielding real political authority, he can control law enforcement, policy, and the mediaunder the guise of public service. This evolution makes Kingpin more dangerous than ever.
Fisk is no longer just a brute force or back-alley puppet master, but a legally untouchable figurehead. Daredevil and other street-level heroes now face a system rigged from the top down. Fisk’s reinvention as a political titan adds terrifying realism to the MCU, and it totallyredefines how supervillains can thrivein plain sight.
2Sam Wilson Is In Direct Competition With Bucky And The New Avengers
Captain America: Brave New World & Thunderbolts*
Sam Wilson is officially Captain America, but that doesn’t mean things are smooth. InCaptain America: Brave New World, Sam is tasked with forming an official Avengers successor. This iscomplicated by Valentina announcing the New AvengersinThunderbolts*.
The flashforward in theThunderbolts*post-credits scene revealed that the New Avengers are locked in a deep feud with Sam’s Avengers, including a lawsuit for trademark infringement. After thepair’s reluctant journey into being firm allies, this is a distinct change in trajectory.
With both teams in direct competition, the former friends find themselves at odds once again. Though Bucky is not the leader of the New Avengers, his relationship with Sam has made him the conduit. This willlikely be addressedinAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, which will presumably see the teams unite against Doom.
1Daredevil Lost His Closest Friends
Matt Murdock has never had it easy, but by 2025, Daredevil is truly isolated.Daredevil: Born Againopens with Foggy Nelson’s assassination,killing Matt’s long-term best friend. This leads Karen Page to leave New York City, leaving Matt without either of his closest confidants.
While he tries to leave superheroics behind in his grief,Kingpin’s machinations continue to touch his life. Matt resumed his vigilante actions, despite Fisk’s warnings and his now-dwindling support network. Though he has many friends, there are few left that know he is Daredevil.
However, season 1 concluded with Daredevil recruiting for his war against Kingpin. Season 2 will deliver on this, meaning that by thenDaredevil could have some new essential allies. Nevertheless, in 2025, theMCUgave Daredevil an especially turbulent year.
Cast
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew World Order)marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.After meeting President Thaddeus Ross, Sam is caught in a global crisis. He must expose the mastermind behind a sinister plot before the world descends into turmoil. Captain America: Brave New World marks the big-screen debut of Sam Wilson as Captain America, and Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut, replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
Daredevil: Born Again follows blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who uses his heightened abilities to pursue justice in New York. As he manages a bustling law firm, former mob boss Wilson Fisk navigates political ambitions, leading both men toward a confrontation as their pasts resurface.
Ironheart: Following Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart introduces Riri Williams, a prodigious inventor navigating her path back in Chicago. Balancing her inventive prowess in creating iron suits with the enigmatic presence of Parker Robbins, known as The Hood, Riri finds herself at the intersection of technology and magic.
