While the MCU didn’t officially start until 2008’sIron Man,Marvelhad several successful film and television properties that had previously accumulated a legion of fans. Many will recall the popular Netflix series from Marvel, such asDaredevilandJessica Jones, but there was also Fox’sThe Giftedand Hulu’sRunaways. These shows put the spotlight on lesser-known heroes and villains from Marvel Comics, showcasing a diverse cast of characters that would some say has yet to be matched in the greater MCU.
In terms of women representation, the early years of the MCU definitely left something to be desired. It wasn’t until years later that Black Widow and Scarlet Witch moved to the forefront of major storylines, joining 2019’sCaptain Marvel, which became theMCU’s first woman-led project. However, the Marvel shows that came before, and some that ran consecutively, to the larger cinematic universe had some of the best story development for women characters. From the Avengers’ Daisy Johnson and the X-Men’s Polaris, these women were a force to be reckoned with and audiences couldn’t get enough of them.
Here are ten pre-MCU Marvel TV show heroines, ranked.
10Colleen Wing — Iron Fist
Of all the Marvel originals on Netflix,Iron Fistseems to have been the most challenging to watch. Season one was often clunky with its storytelling, contained lackluster fight sequences, and many viewers had a hard time connecting with the show’s lead character.The whitewashing controversysurrounding the casting of Danny Rand/Iron Fist certainly didn’t help, either.
However, it wasn’t all bad. Jessica Henwick’s performance as Colleen Wing was a beacon of light among the dizziness of the problematic series. She owned every scene she was in, and season two shifting its focus to feature more of her character was an absolute step in the right direction. Colleen’s role worked on multiple levels, not only making her a love interest for Finn Jones' Danny Rand, but a hero in her own right, who advocates for her community and ultimately takes up the Iron Fist mantle in the final episodes of the series. With more and more formerly-Netflix characters like Daredevil and Kingpin being integrated into the MCU, areturn for Colleen Wingcould be inevitable as well.
Related:Here’s Every Woman-Led MCU Release So Far (& Others We’re Excited About)
9Dagger — Cloak and Dagger
As one-half of the crime-fighting superhero duo calledCloak and Dagger, Tandy Bowen (a.k.a. Dagger) has the ability to create light-based daggers to use as offensive weapons, as well as the ability to see a person’s hopes and dreams by touching them. Adapted for cable’s Freefrom network, Olivia Holt played Tandy for two seasons, in which the roles of Tandy were the opposite of her characteristics in the comics. Instead of being the hopeful, optimistic one, this Tandy was jaded and distrustful — something that her partnership with Tyrone Johnson (played by Aubrey Joseph) would change forever. While Holt’s portrayal of the character was a departure from how she is in the source material, she made Tandy her own by holding on to Dagger’s fight and grit. As cynical as she was, she never gave up on the people she cared about and never hesitated to put her life on the line to save others.
8Misty Knight — Luke Cage
Much like Colleen Wing, Misty Knight appeared in multiple Marvel shows during her time on Netflix. Played to perfection by Simone Missick, Misty is a tough-as-nails police detective who quickly becomes an ally of Luke Cage’s during the fight against Black Mariah and Cottonmouth. In the comics, she has ties to multiple superheroes, including Black Panther, Iron Fist, and she was even Jean Grey’s college roommate. Alongside her private investigator partnership with Colleen Wing as the Daughters of the Dragon, she also formed her own all-women team of heroes called the Fearless Defenders.
Missick’s nuanced performance of Misty was one of the touchstones of both theLuke CageandThe Defenderslimited series. She went from being a cynical street cop to an ally of superheroes, eventually becoming one in her own right. After losing her right arm in battle, Misty received a bionic replacement from Tony Stark, granting her heightened strength and maneuverability.
7Mockingbird — Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.featured multiple heroines over the course of its seven seasons, some based on comic book characters and otherscreated as original charactersfor the show. Mockingbird was perhaps the first big comic book hero “get” for the series, with Adrianna Palicki appearing as Bobbi Morse starting in season 2. In the comic books, Mockingbird is a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the on-and-off-again wife of Hawkeye, and one of the founding members of the Avengers' West Coast branch.
InAgents of SHIELD, Bobbi is an undercover agent acting as a member of HYDRA to infiltrate and expose double agents. She returns to the fold after the events ofCaptain America: The Winter Soldierled to the crumble, and eventual rebirth, of S.H.I.E.L.D. Bobbi remained a vital member of the team as both a fighter — utilizing the characters' signature fighting batons — and as a biochemist alongside fellow scientists Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) and Leo Fitz (Iain de Caestecker). Since the debut of the Disney+Hawkeyeseries, rumors have circulated about bringing Mockingbird into the MCU proper, withfans campaigning for Palickito return to the role.
6Karolina Dean — Runaways
Runawayswas a truly underrated series that broke a lot of ground in terms of the superhero television landscape. Among other things, it featuredMarvel’s first same-sex couple, Karolina Dean and Nico Minoru. Played by Virginia Gardner, Karolina was the daughter of radical church leaders, who eventually learns that she has superpowers — and that she’s gay. Karolina and Nico start off as frenemies, mainly thrown together thanks to the villainous shenanigans of their parents, but later become a beloved and fan favorite couple on the show. Their natural opposing dispositions — Karolina representing the light; Nico embodying the dark — made for a potent romantic pairing.
Though unsure about her abilities at first, Karolina eventually became one of the most powerful members of the Runaways. She not only had the ability to fly and have her entire body emit radiant light, but she was also able to channel that light into either blinding flashes or blasts of concussive force. Although the show only lasted for three reasons, it seemed as though Karolina had tapped into only a fraction of her power potential, compared to her comic book counterpart.
5Polaris — The Gifted
The tragically short-livedX-MenseriesThe Giftedfeatured several underrepresented mutants throughout the course of its two seasons. While characters such as Sage, Thunderbird, and Blink appeared regularly, the performance that stood the most was Emma Dumont’s portrayal as Lorna Dane (a.k.a. Polaris). The character experienced the most character growth, starting out as a member of the Mutant Underground, a group of mutants who banded together in the wake of the assumed deaths of the X-Men, to a member of the nefarious Hellfire Club, and then back to the side of good.
Just as in the source material, Polaris was the daughter of Magneto, and his legacy weighed heavily on Lorna for the course of the series, especially when she became pregnant with her own child. She’s also a woman struggling with bipolar disorder as well. While there are some issues with the show, there is a lot to love when it comes to seeing these X-Men characters who haven’t really appeared in live action yet. Dumont does wonders with the material she is given, and gives both a delicate and reckless side to the character.
Related:Here Are the Toughest Female Superheroes, Ranked
4Melinda May — Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Melinda May was an original character created for Marvel’sAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but became a fan favorite in a short amount of time. Known as “The Cavalry,” May was the team’s second-in-command, after Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), an ace pilot, expert fighter, and essentially the mother of the team. Following a tragic incident while on the job, May took a desk job until Coulson convinced her to join his field team. May was probably the most complex character on the show, being both stoic and blunt, but sympathetic and encouraging when needed. She would go on to train several other agents, mainly Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet), becoming a mentor in the process.
Wen’s work throughout the series is a testament to her ability to show up and deliver on every level. May is the type of character who typically relied more on actions and facial expressions as opposed to the use of words, and Wen never disappointed. Her tough exterior eventually gave way to someone who was able to open up her heart to her long-time teammate and accept her newfound empathic abilities in the final season.
3Nico Minoru — Runaways
Nico Minoru, played by Lyrica Okano, was quite possibly the most popular character to stand out fromRunaways. Not only was she the most powerful member of the team, utilizing the Staff of One for spellcasting, as well as being a formidable martial artist, but she was also the de facto leader of the Runaways in the comics and on the show, following Alex’s betrayal. She was also the first bisexual Marvel superhero to appear in live action, having romantic relationships with both Alex Wilder (Rhenzy Feliz) and Karolina Dean (Virginia Gardner). Okano was magnificent in the role, leading to rumors that she may reappear in the MCU in the upcoming Disney+seriesAgatha: Coven of Chaos, a spinoff of 2021’sWandaVision.
2Jessica Jones — Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones is a private investigator with superpowers, who gave up the life of being a hero following a traumatic run-in with a mind-controlling villain and decides to help everyday people. While the comic book character was relatively unknown at the time, whenJessica Jonespremiered on Netflix in 2015, she became an instant fan favorite. Complicated and messy, yet empathetic and quick-witted, Jessica was the reluctant type of hero missing from Marvel TV. Jessica Jones was featured in various Netflix shows throughout the course of their run, includingLuke CageandThe Defenders. Her romantic relationship with Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and friendship with Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) mirrored strong ties to the source material. Krysten Ritter’s memorable performance has kept audiences waiting for Jessica’s potential return to the MCU, following in the footsteps of Cox’s Daredevil.
1Daisy Johnson — Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
While there were multiple standout performances over the course ofAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s seven seasons, the best has to be Chloe Bennet’s Daisy Johnson. Daisy actually started out as a character named Skye, a lone computer hacktivist who became the audience’s point-of-view character for most of the first season. Under the tutelage of May, she eventually grew into a rather capable agent and skilled combatant. It wasn’t until season three and Inhumans were introduced that Skye’s real identity is revealed as Daisy Johnson, aka Quake. As the daughter of Inhumans, she was destined to come into powers of her own, gaining the ability to create shock waves and manipulate the earth, becoming the most powerful member of the team. In the later seasons, Daisy became a formidable superhero and the leader of her own team. The character became a hit with fans, with many hoping she will return in the upcomingSecret Invasionseries, which is based on the comic book storyline that first introduced her character.
