10 MCU Heroes Who Still Have Secret Identities (& 4 Who Could)

More and more of the current heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have retained their secret identities compared to previous years, with several more yet to be introduced. Since the MCU’s first project, 2008’s Iron Man, the franchise’s superheroes haven’t had any qualms about revealing their real identities to the world, most notably shown in Tony Stark’s iconic “I am Iron Man” moment. The MCU’s superheroes have achieved celebrity status both in and out of their costumes, but this trend has changed significantly in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, with more heroes now hiding their true identities, and the political climate of the MCU explains exactly why.

Captain America: Civil War introduced the Sokovia Accords in the MCU, which required superheroes to reveal their identities and operate under the watch of the United Nations. Even though Phase 4 revealed that the MCU’s Sokovia Accords have been repealed, the public’s opinion of superheroes seems to be changing rapidly, particularly after the events of Phase 5’s Secret Invasion saw a rise in paranoia and fearmongering. This has led to more and more superheroes preferring to keep their real identities hidden, and this seems to be continuing as new secret heroes are set to be introduced in the MCU’s upcoming projects.

10 Spider-Man

Tom Holland debuted as the MCU’s Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, and although other superheroes in the MCU know that he’s actually Peter Parker under the mask, the public initially didn’t. Parker’s close friends and family eventually learned of his alter ego, including Ned Leeds, MJ, and Aunt May, and at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Parker’s real identity was revealed to the world by Mysterio. Doctor Strange’s spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home allowed Parker to regain his secret identity, as everyone in the world has now forgotten him. This means that he’ll have his secret identity when Spider-Man 4 releases in the MCU’s future.

Night Monkey

While on his high school vacation in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker wanted to ensure that nobody could figure out that he was Spider-Man, so sported a sleek black stealth suit to help Mysterio fight an Elemental in Prague. In this guise, Parker is dubbed “Night Monkey” by Ned Leeds, wanting to draw suspicion away from Spider-Man and Parker. Spider-Man: No Way Home referenced Night Monkey, proving that Interpol was still searching for the superhero after his escapades in the Czech Republic, which cements the fact that his identity is still a secret.

9 Daredevil

Matt Murdock’s work as an attorney means it’s paramount that he keeps his vigilante adventures as Daredevil completely hidden. Charlie Cox originally debuted as Murdock in Netflix’s Daredevil, but joined the MCU with cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and is set to appear in Echo before his solo Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again premieres. Only a select few people know that Matt Murdock is Daredevil, and the threat of having his identity revealed is a prominent element in many of his Marvel Comics stories, so this will surely continue when Daredevil becomes a regular fixture in the MCU’s future.

8 Ms. Marvel

Iman Vellani debuted as Kamala Khan in the MCU’s Phase 4, a teenager from Jersey City who gains light-based abilities after acquiring a mysterious bangle. Although Kamala’s close friends and family quickly find out about her new powers, her identity is still very much a secret to the rest of the world, and it seems as though it will remain this way in her upcoming appearance in The Marvels. Although Kamala’s mask doesn’t hide her identity completely, it provides enough cover so that she can keep her true identity secret, which might be the best choice for the young hero, particularly since Spider-Man’s Phase 4 story may repeat itself.

7 Ronin

Although his identity as Hawkeye is far from a secret, Clint Barton’s time operating as Ronin during Avengers: Endgame’s five-year Blip isn’t common knowledge. Jeremy Renner’s Avenger transformed into a vigilante in Endgame after losing his entire family in Thanos’ Infinity War snap, heading out across the globe as the Ronin to eliminate threats he deemed unworthy of surviving when billions of innocent people had been killed. This came back to haunt him in Phase 4’s Hawkeye, which saw him reveal his Ronin identity to several characters, including Kate Bishop and Maya Lopez, yet it’s unlikely the Ronin will return to the MCU.

6 Moon Knight

Introduced during Phase 4, Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight and May Calamawy’s Scarlet Scarab have both retained their secret identities. Marc Spector has the benefit of a mask covering his face when he’s operating as Moon Knight or Mr. Knight, but Layla El-Faouly doesn’t have this cover, so it’s possible her identity could be revealed. Moon Knight and Scarlet Scarab’s futures in the MCU are uncertain, but if the pair does return, it’s likely they will retain their secret identities when dealing with the public, though will probably reveal themselves to the MCU’s other superheroes.

5 Black Panther

After the tragic death of Wakandan King T’Challa, Letitia Wright’s Shuri stepped up to the plate as the Black Panther in Phase 4’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Much like T’Challa’s time as the Black Panther, the people of Wakanda know that Shuri is their protector, but the outside world surely doesn’t. Since Namor also knows that Shuri is the Black Panther, it can also be assumed that the other residents of the underwater city of Talokan also do, so her identity isn’t a complete secret. It’s unclear exactly when Shuri will be returning, though this could happen in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or a potential Black Panther 3.

4 The Midnight Angels

Much like introducing Shuri as the new Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also debuted the MCU’s Midnight Angels, comprising former Dora Milaje members Okoye and Aneka as new blue-suited warriors. Similarly to the Black Panther, the residents of Wakanda know that Okoye and Aneka are the Midnight Angels, but the public of the outside world certainly don’t and likely don’t even know that these new heroes have emerged at all. The one exception is former CIA Agent Everett K. Ross, who was freed from his incarceration by Okoye in her Midnight Angel guise.

3 The Eternals

Despite having lived on Earth for seven thousand years, the Eternals managed to stay under the radar, only getting involved in human affairs when the population was threatened by Deviants. While their identities in Phase 4’s Eternals were proven to be a secret, even to their nearest and dearest (as they didn’t want to get too attached to humanity), this could change in the MCU’s future. Kingo was shown to be filming a documentary of sorts, revealing the true nature of the Eternals to the world, and Phastos had revealed the truth of his nature to his new family, so their secret identities may be removed in the future.

2 Several Thunderbolts

Phase 5 will end with the MCU’s Thunderbolts team forming for the first time, and several members of the antihero team have managed to retain their secret identities. This is likely to change as the team seems to be government-funded and run by the CIA, so their real identities will surely be revealed, but the likes of Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and even Yelena Belova haven’t yet revealed themselves to the world. It’s possible that word will get out about Red Guardian and Yelena’s relation to Natasha Romanoff, which could see them become overnight celebrities, but for now, they’re still operating in the shadows.

1 Ironheart

Ahead of her solo Disney+ series, Dominique Thorne debuted in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart, Iron Man’s legacy hero in the MCU. Taken in by the Wakandans to protect her from Namor, Williams’ superhero identity is revealed to Okoye and Shuri, but the rest of the world still has no idea that a new armored hero has emerged. Phase 5’s Ironheart will change this, yet will likely keep Williams’ true identity a secret, particularly since she’ll be dealing with mystical threats, including the Hood and potentially even Mephisto.

New Heroes Who Could Have Secret Identities

There may already be several superheroes operating in the MCU with secret identities, but there are several new heroes set to be introduced in upcoming projects that could also benefit from keeping their identities hidden. The futures for these few new heroes are uncertain, but with the MCU’s politics taking the forefront in Phase 5, it may become even more important for these heroes to retain their secret identities. It’s also possible that these new heroes could simply reveal themselves to the world, though this seems like a very unlikely route to take.

The New Falcon

Danny Ramirez debuted as Joaquin Torres in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a member of the United States Air Force who works with Sam Wilson and is eventually gifted Wilson’s old Falcon wings. This teased Torres becoming the MCU’s new Falcon, which has since been confirmed to be taking place in Phase 5’s Captain America: Brave New World. Set photos for the upcoming film revealed a first look at Torres’ costume as the Falcon, which appears to include a full-coverage mask over his face, suggesting his identity will be kept a secret. However, in a position as high-profile as the Falcon, it’s possible this won’t last long.

Black Knight

Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman first appeared in Eternals as a love interest to Gemma Chan’s Sersi with a mysterious family history. Although his depiction of Whitman was divisive, his future as the MCU’s Black Knight was teased with the appearance of the Ebony Blade in Eternals’ post-credits scene. Since Harrington’s rumored role in the MCU’s Blade reboot has potentially been trimmed, it’s unclear what the future holds for this mystical hero, but it’s more than likely that Whitman will want to keep a separation between his life as Dane and his life as the Black Knight.

G’iah

Emilia Clarke’s G’iah was introduced in Phase 5’s Secret Invasion as Talos’ daughter and a high-ranking member of Gravik’s Skrull rebellion. Over the course of the series, G’iah enhances herself with various abilities, including the collective DNA of Nick Fury’s “Harvest,” which has set her up as one of (if not the) most powerful characters in the entire MCU. At the end of Secret Invasion, G’iah entered into a deal with MI6’s Sonya Falsworth, hinting at her returning in the MCU’s future, but with President Ritson declaring war on the Skrulls, it’s likely she’ll want to keep her true nature a secret from everyone.

Deadpool

Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson has never been shy about revealing his identity, but wearing a full-body costume as Deadpool (covering his severe scarring) means that he could easily keep his identity a secret in Phase 5’s Deadpool 3. Many characters from Fox’s X-Men franchise who already know his true identity will also be returning in Deadpool 3’s cast, but the public of the MCU’s main timeline will have no knowledge of Wade Wilson whatsoever. Since Deadpool is expected to be part of the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all the franchise’s heroes will likely soon learn exactly who is under the mask.