With the highly anticipated release of Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming to a close. With multiple Hulks, the gates of Eternity, and a multiverse of madness, Phase Four has significantly expanded the MCU. Phase One, with its grand total of six superheroes, feels like a distant memory.
But Phase One still has plenty to offer. From Agent Phil Coulson to Dr. Darcy Lewis to Tony Stark wannabe Justin Hammer, Phase One introduced some of the MCU’s funniest characters.
J.A.R.V.I.S.
J.A.R.V.I.S., the artificial intelligence in Tony Stark’s lab, and later embedded into his Iron Man suit, would eventually become the Vision and get a fleshed-out character arc in which he fell in love with Wanda Maximoff, got killed by Thanos, and came back as a figment of Wanda’s imagination for a poignant study of grief.
But he began his life as a disembodied A.I. dryly reacting to Tony’s antics. J.A.R.V.I.S. was always a hilarious foil for Tony, both in his workshop and in his armor.
Justin Hammer
Most of Tony Stark’s enemies were fellow scientists, tech moguls, and/or arms dealers who desperately wanted to be him. But easily the funniest of the bunch is Justin Hammer, who tries and fails to evoke Stark’s signature flash at every opportunity.
From his one-liners that don’t land to his embarrassing dance across the stage at his expo, Sam Rockwell’s hysterical performance as the anti-Tony Stark is one of the highlights of Iron Man 2.
Dr. Darcy Lewis
In the role of Dr. Darcy Lewis, the best friend and scientific partner of love interest Jane Foster, Kat Dennings was the comic relief of the Thor franchise before the series became 100% comic relief. Taika Waititi would eventually turn Thor, Jane, Loki, Odin, and Sif into zany comic creations with their own jokes and one-liners.
But back when they were standard dramatic characters, they relied on Darcy for comedic reactions to all the unwieldy Asgardian lore and Earth’s constantly impending doom.
Howard Stark
Being set in World War II, Captain America: The First Avenger is largely disconnected from the other movies in Phase One. But there is one clear connection to Iron Man as Tony Stark’s father Howard designs Cap’s vibranium shield.
In the hands of Dominic Cooper, Howard is every bit the charismatic quipster that his son would grow up to be. He has many hilarious lines, like “Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend.”
Agent Coulson
Agent Phil Coulson is one of the few original creations in the MCU who never appeared in the comics. From his debut in the first Iron Man movie, Coulson was conceived as an audience surrogate that the viewers could see themselves in (despite having a lucrative job title at S.H.I.E.L.D.).
Coulson is the starstruck everyman surrounded by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, who he idolizes. Clark Gregg played the character’s giddy superhero fandom perfectly.
Happy Hogan
Jon Favreau was an actor before he was a filmmaker, so he often casts himself in his movies. In the first Iron Man movie, he gave himself the role of Tony’s close friend and head of security, Happy Hogan, a role that he would continue to play in MCU projects long after Tony’s tragic demise.
Happy always made a great foil for Tony (and later for Peter Parker), especially after Tony became a heavily armored superhero and Happy maintained the job title of his “head of security.”
Natasha Romanoff
In her early Phase One appearances, Natasha Romanoff was overly sexualized as a character. But she was also defined by a strong sense of humor. The movies got a ton of laughs out of juxtaposing Nat’s dangerous spy antics with her ice-cool attitude.
When she’s tied to a chair by menacing goons and Coulson calls her, she says, “Let me put you on hold,” before effortlessly freeing herself and taking down the goons.
Loki
Back in Phase One, Thor’s adopted brother Loki was introduced as a villain. But he was always just as lovable as he is today as a more traditional protagonist. His tragic backstory makes him sympathetic, his mischievous ways make him endearing, and his dry sense of humor makes him hilarious.
Sometimes, Loki is the butt of the joke, too, like when the Hulk thrashes him around Tony Stark’s apartment and calls him a “puny god.”
Nick Fury
Samuel L. Jackson is a brilliant dramatic actor, but his comedic talents have always been a part of his appeal as a movie star. In the role of S.H.I.E.L.D. head honcho Nick Fury, Jackson was originally relegated to bringing the appropriate gravitas to exposition about alien threats to Earth.
But he also made Fury one of Marvel’s funniest characters with deadpan line deliveries: “I recognize that the council has made a decision. But given that it’s a stupid-a** decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.”
Tony Stark
Robert Downey, Jr. defined the MCU’s comedic sensibility with his snappy ad-libs in the role of Tony Stark. He has a quip for every occasion and a pop-culture-referencing nickname for everybody he meets.
Gwyneth Paltrow was perfectly matched with Downey as his love interest, Pepper Potts; his quippy one-liners mixed with her deadpan reactions are ripped straight from a classic screwball comedy.
