Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe launched in 2008 with the release of Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey Jr., True Believers have met hundreds of characters in both film and TV shows. And we’re not just talking about the marquee names like Captain America, Spider-Man, or Wolverine either. As the multiverse expanded and expanded, this epic franchise began to introduce Defenders, Eternals, and Inhumans. And no one could have predicted that one of the most beloved corners of the MCU would belong to the Guardians of the Galaxy. But with “Avengers: Doomsday” on the horizon, this expansive ensemble is only about to get larger.

With so many characters currently inhabiting the House of Ideas, there is only enough screen time to go around. As much as we’d love to see some of our favorite characters all the time, they sometimes need to fade into the background a bit to serve the larger narrative. In an effort to keep their legacies alive, let’s take a look at some MCU characters that we haven’t seen in a while for one reason or another.

There’s no one in the Marvel universe with a cosmic collection like the one curated by Taneleer Tivan. Played by Benicio Del Toro, The Collector was first introduced to the MCU in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” where he was attempting to acquire an Infinity Stone. His next appearance comes when Thanos makes his way to Knowhere to retrieve the stone from Tivan. But an argument could be made that this appearance doesn’t count since he turns out to be an illusion created by the Mad Titan’s Reality Stone that may or may not be a recollection of the collection’s destruction.

So what exactly happened to The Collector after his run-in with the wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet? In “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” we learn that Star-Lord and his team bought the remnants of Knowhere from Tivan to use as a base of operations. Beyond this detail, we have no idea where he went after the sale. While he could have retired after his encounter with Thanos, he may simply be on the hunt for new trinkets to rebuild his collection.

The MCU doesn’t have a shortage of heroes. While some will regularly save worlds, others are more like the everyday, keep the peace sort of hero. Rhomann Dey of the Nova Corps falls into that latter category.

Also making his MCU debut in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the space cop is played by “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Walk Hard” star John C. Reilly. Dey is responsible for arresting Star-Lord for petty theft, which led to the formation of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Then, during the Battle of Xandar, Peter Quill contacts Dey in order to work alongside the Nova Corps to subdue the threat of Ronan the Accuser.

After this film, aside from appearances in tie-in comics and novels, we do not see Dey again in the MCU. Taika Waititi once shared that he wanted to include the character in “Thor: Ragnarok,” but things ultimately didn’t work out. Although, if Marvel Studios acts on the long-rumored plans for a “Nova” project, it’s very possible that he could pop up again.

Lady Sif was one of Thor’s closest friends and allies in Asgard. However, Jamie Alexander’s appearances in the MCU don’t necessarily reflect that relationship. Instead, Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder is off questing without his crew more often than not. But in the meantime, that leaves the mighty Sif time to have adventures of her own.

After appearing in “Thor” and “Thor: The Dark World,” Sif joined forces with Agent Phil Coulson on ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” as they captured a rogue Asgardian and thwarted a Kree operative. Meanwhile, she would not appear in “Thor: Ragnarok” or “Avengers: Endgame” to aid her long-time friend or her people. Instead, it seemed like Tessa’s Thompson’s Valkyrie stepped into the void left by the fierce maiden’s absence.

Finally, after not appearing in the MCU since 2015, Sif returned in 2022’s “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Unfortunately, she was sidelined by Gorr the God Butcher relatively quickly and brought to New Asgard to heal. So while we do have an explanation of where she is now, there still isn’t a great reason for why she was absent so much before this and if we’ll ever get to see her again.

The MCU is filled with cute little guys. Groot, Rocket, and Alligator Loki fall into this category, but this is more about the pet sidekicks like Goose the Flerken, Lucky the Pizza Dog, or Morris the Dijiang. And of these adorable companions, one that should have been featured more is Lockjaw, the Inhumans’ giant teleporting dog.

So far, Lockjaw has only appeared in the much maligned “Inhumans” series. While a Black Bolt variant (played by Ansel Mount) made a cameo in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” Lockjaw and the rest of the Inhuman Royal Family have been absent from the Sacred Timeline. Considering the ruckus they caused in Hawaii, it would have made sense for them to catch the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Jiaying and the Inhuman colony Afterlife after the fall of Attilan. Instead, none of the cast made the logical transition to “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” or any other Marvel show.

However, based on Lockjaw’s history with Ms. Marvel in the comics, hopefully the big sweet boy crosses paths with Kamala Khan in the future.

Before Marvel Television was folded into a restructured Marvel Studios, Hulu planned to have its own corner of the MCU similar to Netflix’s “Defenders” franchise. The difference would be that it would focus more on the spooky stories of this world. The first show in this “Adventure Into Fear” imprint was “Helstrom” starring Tom Austen and Sydney Lemmon as Daimon and Ana Helstrom, the children of a serial killer who set out to hunt down terrible people. Basically, it was “Dexter,” but with more demons and supernatural beings.  

The show was a flop for the streamer and was ultimately cancelled. Not only was it largely uninteresting, but other than the Roxxon Corporation, there were no connections to the MCU at large. At the end of the series, the Helstrom siblings and their allies decide to raise a baby together to protect it from the evil of this world. No other Marvel project has checked in on them since, but with Agatha Harkness, Werewolf By Night, and Mephisto now in play, it’s possible that Helstrom’s dark magic could be revisited somewhere down the line.

The second series planned for Hulu’s “Adventure Into Fear” was an “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” spinoff for the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider played by Gabriel Luna. This vessel for the Spirit of Vengeance was a car mechanic who died as a result of gang violence, which also left his brother in a wheelchair. But as he embarked on a mission of revenge, Reyes also teamed up with Agent Phil Coulson’s team to deal with several threats, including the Darkhold. When we last saw him, Ghost Rider returned to Hell with the menacing tome to keep it out of the wrong hands.

Of course, the book would eventually reappear on the Sacred Timeline thanks to the Scarlet Witch. But how did it leave Robbie’s possession? That’s probably the sort of thing that would have been covered if the Ghost Rider series had moved forward as planned, but we currently do not have the answers to those questions. But with more and more mystical elements seeping into the MCU lately, maybe we haven’t seen the last of Ghost Rider. Plus, with “Avengers: Secret Wars” on the horizon, maybe we’ll even see Luna’s hellish vigilante alongside the Nic Cage variant. 

Baron Karl Mordo played a big part in Doctor Strange’s second film. He and the Illuminati kept Benedict Cumberbatch’s former Sorcerer Supreme in check regarding the Darkhold and the Scarlet Witch. However, this version of the character played by Chiwetel Ejiofor is not the one from the Sacred Timeline. That Mordo turned on Strange and Kamar-Taj following the events of 2016’s “Doctor Strange” and set out on a mission to target the magic wielders of the MCU. This endeavor started in the film’s post-credits scene. But since then, Mordo hasn’t been seen.

Considering his nefarious intentions, he could be operating in the shadows and simply waiting for the right time to reemerge. But based on Strange and Wong’s public heroics alongside heroes like the Avengers, Shang-Chi, and She-Hulk, it’s surprising that he hasn’t set his sights on his former allies as of yet.

A new generation of heroes is rising to prominence in the MCU. Kamala Khan, Cassie Lang, William Kaplan, and Kate Bishop are just a few of the potential future Avengers to step up to follow in the footsteps of previous champions. But before any of them suited up, Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen were young heroes protecting New Orleans in Freeform’s “Cloak & Dagger.” But after leaving the Big Easy and making a quick pitstop in California for an incredible team-up with The Runaways, Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph’s vigilantes with mysteriously linked abilities disappeared from the face of the multiverse.

During their time in Louisiana, Ty and Tandy became familiar with the Darkforce dimension that was established in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Agent Carter.” Based on all the inter-dimensional travel in the Multiverse Saga, it seems like Cloak and Dagger would have been excellent characters to showcase ahead of “Avengers: Secret Wars.” Instead, we have no idea when or where or if we’ll ever see them again.

While “Cloak & Dagger” was an interesting show, when it came to teen Marvel heroes in the era prior to Disney+, “Runaways” on Hulu was the place to be. This ragtag group formed when they learned that their parents were high-profile supervillains and decided to thwart their evil plans. But after Alex Wilder, Nico Minoru, Karolina Dean, Gertrude Yorkes, Chase Stein, and Molly Hernandez defeat The Pride, aliens known as the Gibborim, and all-powerful sorceress named Morgan Le Fey, the Runaways prove until their very last episode that they have plenty more adventures left in them.

In the series finale, the group deals with changing timelines and rescuing fallen members. You would think that would be enough to signal the TVA, but no dice. Plus, the series references Victor Mancha, a character from the comics who ends up being Ultron’s son. With James Spader set to reprise his role as the murderous robot for the upcoming Vision series on Disney+, it’s possible that Victor and the Runaways could factor into the future of the MCU. Until then, we’ll just have to assume that these kids are roaming around LA fighting crime whenever possible.

Now that Marvel Studios has a renewed focus on Daredevil’s corner of the MCU, more characters associated with the Defenders are rumored to be on their way to “Daredevil: Born Again.” But as much as True Believers are excited to see Luke Cage and Jessica Jones again, there were plenty of opportunities to bring other characters back into the fold sooner. For example, Misty Knight could have factored into “Hawkeye” or “Spider-Man: Homecoming” due to her affiliation with the NYPD.

Like Sif, Misty gets into a lot of adventures on her own. After Simone Missick debuted as the character in “Luke Cage,” she would go on to appear in “The Defenders” and “Iron Fist” as well. She even gets brought up in “Cloak & Dagger.” But after helping Danny Rand and Colleen Wing take down Davos, she is offered a job as a police captain. With a super-powered arm and a valiant desire to help people, there’s no way that Knight would be relegated to a desk job… right? Unfortunately, we don’t have the answers right now, but hopefully we get them when the Man Without Fear returns for another season.

When you think of actor Ty Burrell, it’s hard to picture him in any role other than the lovable Phil Dunphy from “Modern Family.” Surely, it’s even harder to imagine the quintessential goofy sitcom dad as a superhero. And yet, if the character hadn’t completely disappeared after his involvement in “The Incredible Hulk,” that’s probably what would have happened to Doctor Leonard Samson.

Just like the comics, Burrell’s Doc Samson is a psychiatrist and college professor with romantic feelings toward Betty Ross. But in the MCU, Samson is also the one who tells General Thunderbolt Ross that Bruce Banner has returned to Culver University, which leads to a massive skirmish on campus between the Jade Giant and the armed forces. But if we caught up with him like we did with some of his co-stars that appeared in “Captain America: Brave New World,” it’s possible that he could have followed in his comic book counterpart’s footsteps and gained super-powers from siphoned gamma radiation. 

Unfortunately for Doc Samson fans, he’ll probably end up being a punchline when She-Hulk or Deadpool makes a joke about the Avengers needing a super-powered psychiatrist in the future.

While she received a grand sendoff from S.H.I.E.L.D. with a Spy’s Goodbye, it’s hard to believe that Bobbi Morse would stop being involved in that world after leaving Coulson’s team. In fact, Adrianne Palicki’s Mockingbird was meant to rejoin Nick Blood as Lance Hunter on a new adventure in a spinoff titled “Most Wanted.” Unfortunately, ABC passed on the pilot, so with the characters being disavowed from S.H.I.E.L.D., it left them out in the cold and away from the MCU aside from passing references. 

However, S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t the only intelligence organization in the MCU. Maybe Mockingbird could have been recruited by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Nick Fury, or Jimmy Woo to work with any of their groups. Or could you imagine her working alongside the Thunderbolts or taking independent bookings in Madripoor? Of course, not even the amazing Palicki’s involvement would have helped improve the quality of “Secret Invasion.” Still, it would have been great to see her pop up again after an awesome “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” run. 

Due to the success of the animated “Spider-Verse” movies, Miles Morales’ Spider-Man is a huge hit among fans. Unfortunately, True Believers will have to wait until 2027 for the final installment of the trilogy, “Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse,” to hit theaters. In the meantime, could characters from those films pop up in the live-action MCU? We can’t say for sure, but a good place to start would be Aaron Davis.

Played by “Community” and “Solo” star Donald Glover, Davis appears in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” After initially being seen checking out the Vulture’s modded Chitauri weapons, Davis is the one who tells Spidey about the deal between Adrian Toomes and Mac Gargan on the Staten Island Ferry. And though he shows some remorse for his criminal activity because of wanting to be a better person for his young nephew, the web-slinger punishes the small-time crook by keeping him webbed up to his car while his ice cream melts in his trunk.

Oh, and by the way: That nephew? In the comics, he grows up to be the next Spider-Man, Miles Morales. But considering that Davis plays a big part in Miles’ journey and we haven’t seen him since his first appearance, who knows if the Sacred Timeline variant of Morales will follow the same path as his animated film or comic book counterpart? Although, even if it doesn’t come to pass, at least we still saw Glover’s Davis suit up as the Prowler in “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.”

“Thunderbolts*” features an ultimately sweet reunion between father Red Guardian and daughter Yelena Belova. The young Widow has been going through a particularly hard time since the death of her sister, Natasha Romanoff, so it would make sense for her to seek solace in her remaining adoptive family. However, one person missing from the reunion is Yelena’s mother, Melina Vostokoff.

Rachel Weisz’s character loyally worked for Dreykov and the Red Room as a lead scientist and a field operative. Although, after some convincing from Natasha, she agrees to dismantle the program and free Taskmaster and the other Widows from their mind control. But after her family escapes the clutches of General Thunderbolt Ross thanks to the Black Widow, we don’t hear from Vostokoff again. Her whereabouts aren’t even discussed between Alexei Shostakov and Yelena in their Phase Five film. Considering that she’s a veteran spy, it’s possible that they have no idea where she is, but after the end of “Black Widow,” maybe we can assume that she’s helping former Red Room operatives. It’s either that or she’s becoming a supervillain like in the comics. Either way, we have no official explanation to tell us for sure.

Just because a character starts out as comic relief in the MCU doesn’t mean that they won’t eventually evolve. Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo and Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis proved to be integral parts of “WandaVision” after playing minor roles in the “Ant-Man” and “Thor” franchises, respectively. But in the case of Michael Peña’s Luis, an expanded presence likely isn’t in the cards. I mean, he doesn’t even have a last name.

Regardless, Scott Lang’s best friend and business partner in X-Con Security Consultants doesn’t appear in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” While the reason is likely due to the film mostly taking place in the Quantum Realm, we don’t know for sure what Luis and the gang are up to in Scott’s absence. But no matter what it is, hopefully he pops up again to tell another one of his trademark stories.