27 Marvel Cinematic Universe Characters You Might Not Have Known Were Avengers

"Once an Avenger, always an Avenger." That's one of the mottos of the Marvel Comics superhero team that's been dominating movie box offices for the past decade. But there have been a LOT of Avengers, and if you though a lot were appearing in the forthcoming movie "Avengers: Infinity War," the spandex mob still pales before how many heroes COULD appear. And while the likes of Black Panther, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and The Winter Soldier will likely be official team members by the time "Avengers 4" is done, here are 27 characters who are Avengers in the comics who have ALREADY appeared in the MCU. Avengers Assemble?

1. Peggy Carter

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Avenger-ness: Staff

Tenure: Kick-ass secret agent Peggy Carter had a long and illustrious career, and really wasn't one to retire, so instead, she did a stint running communications for the Avengers. Perhaps not the most exciting way to end her working life, but she was on-hand for a number of supervillain attacks on Avengers Mansion, which is a pretty exciting way to spend your golden years.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: While she'll almost inevitably appear in flashback again, the character is dead in current MCU continuity.

2. Daisy “Quake” Johnson

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Avenger-ness: Brief

Tenure: Quake didn't really hit it off with the Avengers at first … there was a whole thing about her helping Nick Fury brainwash a bunch of superheroes to overthrow a terrorist sponsoring dictator, but she did officially join the team for a few missions

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Not great, but she's a popular character on “Agents of SHIELD,” which is the most tightly connected show to the movies, so anything's possible.

3. Bobbie “Mockingbird” Morse

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Avenger-ness: Core team member

Tenure: In the comics, SHIELD agent Mockingbird married Avenger Hawkeye, and joined him in establishing the team's West Coast branch, which she served with for years, until her apparent death. In reality, she had been replaced by a Skrull sleeper agent, and eventually returned and served on more recent teams.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Better than most, if only because she's more of a central Avenger than some of the others. Things didn't work out with her spin-off show, though, so that doesn't bode well.

4. Edwin Jarvis

Eric Mccandless / ABC / Via IMDB

Avenger-ness: Staff

Tenure: In the comics, Jarvis has been the Avengers' butler from day one, a role he still reprises from time to time now. Many members consider him to be an invaluable part of the team, and indeed, its very heart.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Alas, in the MCU, he's a young man in World War II, and is inferred to no longer be alive in the present. Tony Stark named his personal AI assistant after him. And that went on to be the Vision, so ... yeah.

5. Robbie “Ghost Rider” Reyes

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Avenger-ness: New

Tenure: Reyes' predecessor as Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, had a difficult relationship with the Avengers, clashing with them a couple times (although he served with Avengers Hercules and Black Widow in the Champions). But Reyes will apparently be joining the team in the near future.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Unlikely, but the odds are getting incrementally better, especially as he's going to be on a team in the comics with other members that are central to the movies, such as Captain America, Iron Man, Dr. Strange and Captain Marvel. He's clearly being positioned for a larger profile.

6. Luke Cage

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Avenger-ness: Core team member

Tenure: After the Avengers had disbanded briefly, Cage joined a new version of the team after helping stop a super-powered prison breakout, and went on to have a distinguished career, including leading affiliate teams. He's always happier staying close to NYC, but he seems to take naturally to being an Avenger, including rallying an ad hoc team to battle Thanos' minion, Proxima Midnight.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Slight, but more likely than most to make the jump from TV to film. Like he did in the comics, he'd represent a fundamental shift for the team, and after the cosmic Thanos stuff, some more Earthbound adventures might be appreciated.

7. Jessica Jones

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Avenger-ness: Reluctant

Tenure: Jessica was basically forced to be an Avenger because she was married to Cage and they had a baby, so sooner or later it was inevitable she'd jump in to a more active role with the team. She stopped that nonsense as soon as she could.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Nah.

8. Matt “Daredevil” Murdock

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Avenger-ness: Reluctant

Tenure: Daredevil turned down membership several times, even going so far as to recommend Maya Lopez, the original Ronin, in his place. Eventually, though, Captain America got him to sign on, at least for a few missions.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Nah.

9. Danny “Iron Fist” Rand

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Avenger-ness: Reluctant

Tenure: Iron Fist pretty much got dragged into being an Avenger by Luke Cage, mostly because of the aftermath of the Civil War and the (brief) death of Captain America. He stuck around for a while, but was never particularly interested in making it a full-time job, eventually drifting away.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Nah.

10. Trish “Hellcat” Walker

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Avenger-ness: Perpetual Reservist

Tenure: “Patsy” Walker is one of Marvel's oldest characters, a holdover from its early Romance Comics, so it was kind of an inside joke when she gained a costume that gave her catlike powers and assisted the Avengers on a few missions. She accepted an offer to join, but ended up taking an offer to further her training with fellow Avengers recruit Moondragon. Although she's spent much more of her career as a member of the Defenders, she helps out the Avengers whenever called upon.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: The MCU character, who goes by “Trish” and not “Patsy,” is a little different, and has certainly shown a somewhat unhealthy desire to be a superhero like her foster sister, Jessica Jones. But while she's an intriguing prospect, likely won't make the jump.

11. Black Bolt

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Avenger-ness: Reluctant

Tenure: In the wake of the Kree-Skrull War, a number of the leaders of various superhero factions and kingdoms within the Marvel Universe started coming together in secret as the Illuminati, in order to trade information and stave off major threats to the planet. Black Bolt, king of the Inhumans, was among these heroes. Eventually, during the prelude to “Secret Wars,” most of the Illuminati joined other factions of the Avengers to form “The Last Avengers,” but the meta-team was unable to stop the universe's destruction. (The universe eventually got better. It's a long story.)

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Nah.

12. Medusa

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Avenger-ness: Brief

Tenure: After the events of Thanos' invasion – one of the stories being adapted for “Infinity War,” actually – Attilan was destroyed and the Inhumans were forced to live on Earth. Medusa joined the Avengers briefly, particularly its all-female spin-off team, A-Force, but has been mostly preoccupied with Inhumans' business and conflict with Earth's mutants.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Nah.

13. Crystal

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Avenger-ness: Core team member

Tenure: Crystal, at the time the estranged wife of the Avenger Quicksilver, joined the team during a convulsive period, but managed to remain a key member through several incarnations, and has returned on occasion when the call has gone out for reservists. Mostly these days, her primary concerns are The Inhumans and her daughter, Luna.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Unlikely, but the most likely of the MCU's Inhumans. Also, she comes with Lockjaw, and everybody loves Lockjaw.

14. Nico “Sister Grimm” Minoru

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Avenger-ness: Peripheral

Tenure: When the Runaways went their separate ways for a while, Nico ended up associating with A-Force. She's since reunited with her original team.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Unlikely, but hey, it could be fun down the road sometime. I mean, she's older than Spider-Man!

15. Thaddeus “The Red Hulk” Ross

Marvel Studios/Disney

Avenger-ness: Brief

Tenure: “Thunderbolt” Ross spent his career hunting The Hulk, which at times both put him in conflict with the Avengers and made him an ally. When he was ironically transformed into a Hulk himself, albeit one that retained his intelligence, Captain America recruited him for the team, where he served briefly.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: No, but he'll remain a thorn in the team's side as long as they can hold onto William Hurt.

16. Jim “The Human Torch” Hammond

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Avenger-ness: Peripheral

Tenure: Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, was an android built in World War II, where he fought beside Captain America as a member of The Invaders. For a good long while, the Avengers were tricked into believing his body was used to create The Vision, but that proved erroneous, and Hammond's real body was found and reactivated. He joined the West Coast Avengers immediately, staying with them until he lost his powers. He later regained his powers, and joined the team's black-ops division, The Secret Avengers, quitting after a conflict which resulted in the deaths of other artificial life forms.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Well, he's only appeared in one shot in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” so probably not good. But the cameo generated a whole lot of buzz!

17. Hank “Ant-Man” Pym

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Avenger-ness: Founding member

Tenure: Hank Pym helped found the Avengers, and has served in most incarnations of the team, although mental health issues lead to a court martial and his removal for a time. His marriage to fellow founding member the Wasp dissolved about the same time, after he physically assaulted her. Lately, he's been merged with his creation, Ultron, and has become an antagonist to the team. Really, he's about as flawed a hero as you're going to get.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Unlikely, as he's portrayed in the movies as a much older man well-past his adventuring days, and one who's not really fond of the Avengers, at that. He will more likely remain an adviser to the current And-Man, Scott Lang, and Wasp, his daughter Hope Van Dyne.

18. Janet “The Wasp” Van Dyne

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Avenger-ness: Founding Member

Tenure: Jan has been a fixture of the team since day one, and one of its most effective leaders, notably leading the reclaiming of Avengers Mansion when it was seized by The Masters of Evil and fending off a global invasion by Kang the Conqueror.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: While the character is slated to return, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, the mantle of The Wasp and her role on the team will likely stay with her daughter, Hope.

19. Jane “Thor” Foster

Avenger-ness: Core team member

Tenure: Battling cancer, off-and-on Thor paramour Jane Foster was deemed worthy to wield Mjolnir and take on the mantle of Thor while the original was dealing with issues that made him “unworthy.” So … she was now Thor, and he wasn't. Comics! She served as a linchpin for recent incarnations of the team, but alas, finally succumbs to the disease after defending Asgard one last time.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: It doesn't sound like things ended well between Marvel and Natalie Portman, so we probably won't be seeing her again.

20. Sharon Carter

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Avenger-ness: Peripheral

Tenure: A longtime agent of SHIELD and Captain America romantic interest, Sharon was no stranger to the Avengers, but she took the plunge eventually and joined Cap’s covert Secret Avengers. She stayed in the role until Rogers turned the team over to Hawkeye, and while it was probably nothing personal, she left to return to SHIELD.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Hmmm. Y’know, she could possibly recur in a liaison role, like Maria Hill. Probably depends on the fate of Chris Evans’ Captain America.

21. Victoria Hand

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Avenger-ness: SHIELD Liaison

Tenure: When Norman Osborn — AKA The green Goblin — took over SHIELD and transformed it into HAMMER, Victoria Hand was his right hand. Captain America gave her a second chance, making her the liaison to Luke Cage’s Avengers team, which caused much dissension, including causing Spider-Man to quit. She was also a triple agent, working for Cap to infiltrate Hydra, and then she died. It was a short but eventful career.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: She died on “Agents of SHIELD,” betrayed by Hydra infiltrators, which is kind of a waste of Saffron Burrows.

22. Brunnhilde, “The Valkyrie”

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Avenger-ness: Peripheral

Tenure: Mostly a member of the Defenders, Valkyrie did a couple stints on Captain America's covert “Secret Avengers” teams.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: With her star-turn portrayal in “Thor: Ragnarok” and her upcoming appearance in “Infinity War,” there are good odds that a stint on the movie Avengers is something that's being strongly considered.

23. Cassie 'Stature” Lang

Avenger-ness: Peripheral

Tenure: Ant-Man's daughter? Yep! She's an Avenger. A teenager in the comics, Cassie was swiping Pym particles from her dad for a long time in the hopes of developing superpowers. Which she did. After her father briefly died (comics!), she used her size-changing powers as a member of the Young Avengers, a team of young heroes influenced by the Avengers, and then briefly as a member of a team lead by Henry Pym. She died, too, but Dr. Doom brought her back to life. As these things happen.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: If the franchise sticks around another 10, 15 years? Yeah, sure. Why not?

24. Flash “Agent Venom” Thompson

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Avenger-ness: Peripheral

Tenure: No, really. Spider-Man's one-time schoolyard bully turned close friend Flash Thompson was merged with the venom symbiote after he lost his arms and legs in the Gulf War. With his new-found superpowers, he worked as part of the Secret Avengers covert team, then later as the Avengers' representative on The Guardians of the Galaxy, leaving both teams upon his eventual return to Earth during Civil War II.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Currently an unpowered teenager and frenemy of Peter Parker in the MCU, it seems unlikely that Flash Thompson will develop superpowers and become an Avenger anytime soon.

25. Mantis

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Avenger-ness: Brief

Tenure: In the comics, Mantis is from Earth, and joins the Avengers after conflicts with The Zodiac and other supervillains. However, she learns she's something called “The Celestial Madonna,” and leaves Earth shortly after joining the team to marry an alien tree. Comics! There was also a whole thing where she was making moves on The Vision. She's returned to aid the team on a few occasions.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: She pretty much comes with the Guardians of the Galaxy package these days.

26. Nebula

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Avenger-ness: Infiltrator

Tenure: Oooh-kay. It's like this: Time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror's significant other, Ravonna, infiltrated the team disguised as Nebula. To make it worse, Dr. Druid was leading the Avengers back then, so you know things were bad. It was never the real Nebula, though.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Well, her role in “Infinity War” and the subsequent sequel looks like it'll be pretty substantial, but she'll likely be an antagonist before it's all over. (Especially if she follows the path she did in the “Infinity Gauntlet” comic.)

27. Blade

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Avenger-ness: Reluctant

Tenure: Briefly served with Luke Cage's “Mighty Avengers” team, under the guise of Ronin (an identity previously used by Maya Lopez and Clint Barton.) He was never really interested in joining, though, and once his mission to kill the demonic Deathwalkers was over, he took off.

Odds of Making the Movie Team: Slim, but you know you want it. Is he really even in the MCU? We're saying "yes." Because.