Along the chronological spine
Where the guide talks about them (6)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (FILM, 2022) — Written around Chadwick Boseman's death. T'Challa dies of an undisclosed illness. A vibranium detector triggers conflict between the surface world and Talokan; Namor tries to force Wakanda into alliance against everyone else; Queen Ramonda is killed. Shuri takes the heart-shaped herb, becomes Black Panther, and ends the war by refusing to kill Namor. Introduces Riri Williams, an MIT student who built a working Iron Man suit.
Riri Williams, expelled from MIT, builds armour with stolen resources and falls in with Parker Robbins / the Hood, whose cloak grants magic at a cost.
| Character | Premiered | Appeared in | Status now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanos | Avengers (2012, post-credits) | Guardians, Ultron, Infinity War, Endgame | Erased from existence by Stark. Both versions |
| He Who Remains / Kang | Loki S1 (2021) | Loki S1–2, Quantumania | Dead, and the character is retired — Jonathan Majors was fired and not recast |
| Ultron | Age of Ultron (2015) | Age of Ultron | Destroyed — and returning in VisionQuest |
| The Collector | Dark World (2013, post-credits) | Dark World, Guardians, Infinity War | Dead, killed by Thanos offscreen |
| The Grandmaster | Ragnarok (2017) | Ragnarok | Alive, deposed, not seen since |
| Arishem | Eternals (2021) | Eternals | Alive — took three Eternals for judgment and never came back |
| Mephisto | Ironheart (2025) | Ironheart | Alive, now loose in the MCU |
| Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel | Captain Marvel (2019) | Captain Marvel, Endgame, Shang-Chi, The Marvels | Alive, mostly in deep space |
| Monica Rambeau | Captain Marvel (2019, as a child) | Captain Marvel, WandaVision, The Marvels | Stranded in another universe — the one with Beast and Charles Xavier |
| Shang-Chi | Shang-Chi (2021) | Shang-Chi | Alive, holding the ten rings. D |
| Xialing | Shang-Chi (2021) | Shang-Chi | Alive, running the Ten Rings organisation |
| Thaddeus Ross | The Incredible Hulk (2008) | Incredible Hulk, Civil War, Infinity War, Endgame, Black Widow, Brave New World | Alive, imprisoned at the Raft by his own choice |
| Samuel Sterns / the Leader | The Incredible Hulk (2008) | Incredible Hulk, Brave New World | Alive, imprisoned |
| Character | Premiered | Appeared in | Status now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kate Bishop | Hawkeye (2021) | Hawkeye, The Marvels (post-credits) | Alive, recruited toward a Young Avengers team |
| Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel | Ms. Marvel (2022) | Ms. Marvel, The Marvels | Alive — and confirmed to carry a mutation |
| Riri Williams / Ironheart | Wakanda Forever (2022) | Wakanda Forever, Ironheart | Alive, and has made a deal with Mephisto |
| Billy Maximoff / Wiccan | WandaVision (2021) | WandaVision, Agatha All Along | Alive in a host body, with Agatha's ghost attached |
| Simon Williams / Wonder Man | Wonder Man (2026) | Wonder Man | Alive, powers newly revealed |
| White Vision | WandaVision (2021) | WandaVision | Active — location unknown. The subject of VisionQuest |
Tier 5 — not required FILMS: Iron Man 1–3 · Thor 1–3 · First Avenger · Guardians 1–3 · Ant-Man 1–2 · Captain Marvel · Eternals SERIES: Ms. Marvel · She-Hulk · Secret Invasion · Echo · Ironheart · Moon Knight · Wonder Man
Phase Six (2025–2027): FILMS — The Fantastic Four: First Steps · Spider-Man: Brand New Day · Avengers: Doomsday (18 Dec 2026) · Avengers: Secret Wars (17 Dec 2027) SERIES — Ironheart · Wonder Man · Daredevil: Born Again S2 · [The Punisher: One Last Kill](/title/the-punisher-one-last-kill/) (special) · VisionQuest