5 MCU Fan Favorites Who Have Overcome Hardship

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, today we are looking at characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, much like Steve and Bucky, who have been through their fair share of challenges. Fans certainly love Marvel movies for their intense action sequences and interweaving storylines. Beyond that, however, fans also find themselves inspired by the heroes they see on the screen.

Every hero faces hardship and loss. In the wake of these defeats and personal losses, characters tap into their own strength and resilience to rise above the seemingly insurmountable circumstances. In no particular order, here are five of our favorite stories of overcoming hardship in the MCU.

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Bucky Barnes

Bucky Barnes, the ever-loyal best friend of Steve Rogers, seemed to have it all. From dashing good looks and a loving family to a heart of gold, Bucky was the quintessential all-American boy. Joining the Army and serving in World War II seemed like a natural progression for his character, and his service became more meaningful when he got to serve with his now super-powered best friend Steve Rogers.

All of that changed when Bucky was captured for experimentation, turned unwillingly into the feared assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Bucky spendt most of his time in this role cryogenically frozen, only being brought out to complete clandestine missions to take out high-level targets. Whenever Bucky’s compliance wavered, he was painfully recalibrated before being returned to his Cryostasis Chamber.

Bucky eventually remembered who he is thanks to both the healing technology in Wakanda as well as the love and loyalty of his best friend Steve Rogers. He uses his new lease on life to be a soldier and serve on his own terms, helping those that need it most against threats both human and extraterrestrial.

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Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers’ most famous line — “I can do this all day” — truly captures the essence of his character. Few characters in the MCU take both physical and emotional blows as well as Steve, who manages to keep his chin up through loss after loss. Steve’s troubles began before his tenure as Captain America, when he lost both of his parents at a relatively young age. He went on to contend with being blocked from joining the army due to his chronic health problems.

Moments after receiving the Super Soldier Serum, Steve lost Dr. Erskine, who had been instrumental in allowing Steve’s physical form to match the courageous heart he had within him. Although Steve eventually got his wish to serve alongside his best friend Bucky, he eventually lost him too. He took comfort in his budding relationship with Peggy Carter … only to take a one-way trip into the ice to disable a HYDRA bomb.

Steve awakes in 2011, and the world he knew and the life he hoped for are gone. He manages that loss by serving as a member of the Avengers, which gives him a sense of purpose. In the line of duty, Steve still loses multiple friends but he never stops standing up no matter how hard he gets knocked down. Eventually, Steve does get his happy ending, taking the advice of his departed friend Tony Stark. Seizing the opportunity that traveling through time presented, Steve returns to his long-lost love Peggy and lives what he describes as a beautiful life.

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The Hulk

As a brilliant scientist, Dr. Bruce Banner had many things in his favor. With unparalleled intelligence, a rewarding career, and a woman he loved, he was an unstoppable force. When his experiments with gamma radiation went awry, he lost the life he loved in a fraction of the time it took for him to build it. Recognizing that he was a danger to others due to what he described as his “condition,” he chose to become all but a recluse, living far away from anything that could trigger him into becoming the Hulk.

Despite his best efforts to hide, he was eventually found by Natasha Romanoff and recruited by Nicky Fury to become part of the Avengers. During his time in the Avengers, he found himself the hero for once, instead of just a raging, destructive monster. Beyond this, he is valued on his team for his brains as much as his brute strength. Every time the Hulk takes over, however, Bruce grapples with what “the other guy” living within his skin does to him.

As Bruce sorts out his dual identity, he even temporarily loses the ability to transform into the Hulk after he is overpowered by Thanos. Bruce comes to find that the identity he hated so much was actually an integral part of him that he had come to value. Even as he loses the woman he had once loved when Natasha sacrifices herself and loses a beloved friend when Tony Stark gives his own life to save the world, Bruce continues to value the friends who remain. He honors their legacy by continuing to keep the world a safe place.

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Loki

Few characters in the MCU have as complicated of history as Loki of Asgard. First introduced as the trickster little brother of Thor, Loki emerged as the MCU’s first big bad. Having learned that he was in fact a Frost Giant, Loki fervently rejected his adopted family despite the love he once shared with his brother and, especially, his mother Frigga. His own feeling of not belonging and the resulting ambition led to the loss of his family.

Loki wavers from being a villain to a hero to an antihero and everything in between, often serving the greater good only when it aligns with his own aspirations. While imprisoned for his crimes in New York City, Loki faced his first major loss when his beloved mother was killed during the Dark Elves’ raid on Asgard. He lost his father as well, and eventually lost his own life to avoid losing Thor at the hands of Thanos.

Loki gets something akin to a second chance when his variant from 2012 escapes the Avengers’ capture and is taken on as a working member of the Time Variance Authority, or TVA. It is within this role that Loki grows close to other variants, perhaps most notably Sylvie. However, Loki’s most transformative relationship is his friendship with his handler, Mobius. Mobius has faith in Loki even when Loki does not have faith in himself. Loki finally finds his true glorious purpose when he learns to make the right choice simply because it is right, even at a great cost to himself. At the end of season 2 of Loki, he transcends his role as the God of Mischief and becomes the God of Stories.

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The Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy are perhaps one of Marvel’s most ragtag teams, made up of individuals hailing from different species and planets. Despite their obvious differences, each member knows what it is to lose everything and to feel lost in the galaxy. Peter Quill never knew his father growing up, and lost both his mother and his home planet in the same terrible night. He grew up raised by Yondu and the Ravagers, with Yondu becoming something of a begrudging father figure. Eventually, Peter lost him too.

Gamora lost her family and half of her people when Thanos came. The Mad Titan took a shining to her thanks to her courage and adopted her as his daughter. He trained her to be a fearsome warrior, and for a time she was not able to be truly close to anyone. Drax lost his wife and daughter when an invasion led by Ronan swept over his home planet. His sole purpose became vengeance against anyone responsible for his loss.

Rocket was formerly a normal raccoon that was experimented on, losing many friends along the way who had experienced the same horrors he did. Not quite animal and not quite human, his only true friend prior to becoming part of the Guardians of the Galaxy was Groot, a sentient tree-like being. Groot faced losses of his own. As the last known member of his species, he knew for a time what it was to be truly alone.

The group’s shared pain, as well as the good hearts that beat beneath all the troublemaking tendencies, allows them to become a formidable force that repeatedly saves the entire galaxy. They even expand their team, including the sweet and quirky Mantis and the sullen but lovable Nebula. Although they are strikingly different at first glance and have their differences, no group in the MCU feels like as much like a found family quite like the Guardians of the Galaxy.

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Between the loss of loved ones, adapting to new and at times unwanted abilities, and making incredible sacrifices, the characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe face no shortage of hardships. Still, our heroes never run from these challenges or fully give in to despair. By leaning on their loved ones, remembering what they are fighting for, and digging deep into their reserves of inner resilience, each character finds a way to rise above their circumstances and comes out even stronger.

Whose heroic struggle do you identify with most? Join the conversation with other Marvel fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!