It’s been a troublesome couple of years for the superhero genre in theaters following the unprecedented and never seen before success that was the Avengers: Infinity War x Avengers: End Game back to back, double header. Don’t get me wrong, there have been successes since. Namely the Marvel Disney+ shows in Wandavision and Loki Season 1 and 2, Spider-Man No Way Home, and of course the 2024 summer box office smash it that was Deadpool and Wolverine. But there have been some huge stumbling blocks and failures by the high standard Marvel has set itself with its Cinematic Universe.
This year has been somewhat of a reset year for Kevin Feige and his charges having only two schedules Disney+ shows in X-Men 97 and Agatha All Along, alongside the singular cinematic release of Deadpool & Wolverine. With Marvel pulling the brakes in a way we haven’t seen for quite some time, it would be interesting to see whether the habits and feelings amongst the fan base and the biggest Marvel characters has shifted in the last few years. We compiled a list of Marvel characters, both heroes and villains alike, to see who are the most popular characters within each American state, and Canadian province/territory. For each territory, the data includes the most searched hero, the number of searches for that hero, the most searched villain, and the number of searches for that villain. We have also compiled odds on the potential return of some much adored actors into the MCU.
Province-by-Province: Canada’s Favorite Marvel Heroes and Villains Unveiled
Spider-Man, a fan favorite, emerges as the most searched Marvel hero across several Canadian provinces. In Ontario, the web-slinger leads with an impressive 110,000 searches, while British Columbia follows with 33,100 searches. Spider-Man’s enduring appeal, with his dual identity as a relatable high school student and superhero, continues to resonate with fans across the nation. His charm isn’t just limited to major provinces either, with Spider-Man also dominating in smaller territories like Nunavut (480 searches) and the Yukon (210 searches).
| Province/Territory | Most Popular Hero | Searches | Most Popular Villain | Searches |
| Northwest Territories | spider man | 260 | doctor doom | 30 |
| Yukon | spider man | 210 | doctor doom | 30 |
| Nunavut | spider man | 480 | thanos | 20 |
| British Columbia | spider man | 33,100 | doctor doom | 5,400 |
| Ontario | spider man | 110,000 | doctor doom | 14,800 |
| Nova Scotia | spider man | 5,400 | doctor doom | 880 |
| Prince Edward Island | spider man | 720 | doctor doom | 110 |
| Alberta | spider man | 40,500 | doctor doom | 4,400 |
| New Brunswick | spider man | 4,400 | doctor doom | 590 |
| Saskatchewan | spider man | 9,900 | doctor doom | 880 |
| Manitoba | spider man | 14,800 | doctor doom | 1,300 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | spider man | 1,900 | doctor doom | 390 |
| Quebec | spider man | 90,500 | doctor doom | 6,600 |
Interestingly, the love for Spider-Man in Canada is consistent with global trends. The character’s long-standing presence in film, from Sam Raimi’s original trilogy to his appearances in the multiverse-centric films such as No Way Home and Across the Spider-Verse, keeps him at the forefront of Marvel fandom. With Spider-Man 4 and Secret Wars on the horizon, it’s no surprise that the wall-crawler remains a favorite hero.
Deadpool, Canada’s very own, is also one of the most searched heroes in the country. The Merc with a Mouth’s popularity is especially pronounced in Alberta, where Deadpool garners over 8,500 searches. Deadpool 3, set to including Wolverine, has undoubtedly fueled fan interest in both characters. With Deadpool’s notorious humor and irreverence, it’s no wonder he consistently ranks among the top Marvel heroes in his home country.
The villainous side of the Marvel Universe isn’t forgotten either. The Green Goblin – Spider-Man’s iconic foe – also makes a notable appearance. Particularly in provinces like Ontario. Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of the villain in No Way Home was widely praised, leading to speculation about his return to the role in future multiverse stories.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand into new realms and timelines, it’s clear that the battle between good and evil will remain a constant source of intrigue for fans across Canada. With Spider-Man and Deadpool leading the way, Canadians are ready for whatever the Marvel multiverse has in store.
State-by-State: America’s Favorite Marvel Heroes and Villains Revealed
Unsurprisingly, Spider-Man is the most searched hero in multiple states, including California (450,000 searches), Florida (246,000 searches), and New York (201,000 searches). Spider-Man’s relatability, through being a teenage, high school student alongside compelling storytelling and having a strong moral center have made him a beloved superhero across generations. A much adored character who burst onto our screens in 2002 with Sam Raimi’s first ever Spider-Man movie.
The last two Spider-Man films in No Way Home and Across the Spider Verse were both multiversal films and it seems as though we are likely to get far more multiversal stories within both the MCU and the Sony Spider-Man Universe with both Spider-Man 4 and Doomsday x Secret Wars on the way. Andrew Garfield is seen as 1/1 to return to the MCU following his star guest feature in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Interestingly, Willem Dafoe, who portrayed Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, has odds of 3/1 for a comeback. Dafoe’s performance in Spider-Man: No Way Home was widely acclaimed, solidifying his place as one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains. He has shown openness to reprising the role if the story is right. The multiverse storyline offers ample opportunity for his return, potentially as Green Goblin or another variant.
Alfred Molina, who played Doc Ock/Otto Octavius, has odds of 5/1 for another appearance following his return in Spider-Man: No Way Home. A return that was met with significant excitement. However, the ongoing multiverse storyline leaves the door open for a possible return, again either as another variant or in a new role altogether.
Deadpool has proven to be the other most popular MCU hero in American states, with Merc with a Mouth the most searched hero in 6 American states. Idaho leads with the highest number of searches for Deadpool at 9,900, whilst Wyoming has the lowest number of searches for Deadpool, with only 2,400. Ryan Renolds, who stars as Deadpool, is ½ to make a return in the near future. Deadpool and Wolverine was a film that was laced with cameo guest appearances including Chris Evans who made a return as Johnny Storm. Chris Evans portrayed the Human Torch in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and returned this summer to reprise the role. Surprisingly, Evans has odds of 5/1 for a possible return despite already recently doing just that.
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| State | Most Popular Hero | Hero Searches | Most Popular Villain | Villain Searches |
| California | spider man | 450,000 | doctor doom | 49,500 |
| Florida | spider man | 246,000 | doctor doom | 22,200 |
| Georgia | spider man | 33,100 | doctor doom | 9,900 |
| New York | spider man | 201,000 | doctor doom | 22,200 |
| Nevada | spider man | 40,500 | doctor doom | 4,400 |
| Maryland | spider man | 60,500 | doctor doom | 6,600 |
| Texas | spider man | 450,000 | doctor doom | 33,100 |
| New Jersey | spider man | 74,000 | doctor doom | 9,900 |
| Illinois | spider man | 135,000 | doctor doom | 14,800 |
| Virginia | spider man | 74,000 | doctor doom | 8,100 |
| Arizona | spider man | 74,000 | doctor doom | 8,100 |
| Washington | spider man | 74,000 | doctor doom | 8,100 |
| Massachusetts | spider man | 49,500 | doctor doom | 6,600 |
| Colorado | spider man | 49,500 | doctor doom | 6,600 |
| Connecticut | spider man | 27,100 | doctor doom | 3,600 |
| Oregon | spider man | 40,500 | kingpin | 5,400 |
| Hawaii | spider man | 12,100 | doctor doom | 1,300 |
| North Carolina | spider man | 110,000 | doctor doom | 9,900 |
| Delaware | spider man | 8,100 | doctor doom | 880 |
| Tennessee | spider man | 74,000 | doctor doom | 5,400 |
| Utah | spider man | 27,100 | doctor doom | 3,600 |
| Alabama | spider man | 60,500 | doctor doom | 3,600 |
| South Carolina | spider man | 40,500 | doctor doom | 3,600 |
| Missouri | spider man | 49,500 | doctor doom | 5,400 |
| Louisiana | spider man | 49,500 | doctor doom | 2,900 |
| Pennsylvania | spider man | 110,000 | doctor doom | 12,100 |
| New Mexico | spider man | 18,100 | doctor doom | 1,600 |
| Ohio | spider man | 90,500 | doctor doom | 9,900 |
| Michigan | spider man | 74,000 | doctor doom | 8,100 |
| Kansas | spider man | 22,200 | doctor doom | 2,400 |
| Nebraska | spider man | 14,800 | doctor doom | 1,600 |
| Indiana | spider man | 49,500 | doctor doom | 5,400 |
| Rhode Island | spider man | 6,600 | doctor doom | 1,000 |
| Minnesota | spider man | 40,500 | doctor doom | 4,400 |
| New Hampshire | deadpool | 6,600 | doctor doom | 1,000 |
| Oklahoma | spider man | 33,100 | doctor doom | 2,900 |
| Wisconsin | spider man | 33,100 | doctor doom | 4,400 |
| Maine | deadpool | 5,400 | doctor doom | 1,000 |
| North Dakota | spider man | 4,400 | doctor doom | 480 |
| Mississippi | spider man | 27,100 | doctor doom | 1,600 |
| Iowa | spider man | 22,200 | doctor doom | 2,400 |
| Idaho | deadpool | 9,900 | doctor doom | 1,300 |
| Kentucky | spider man | 33,100 | doctor doom | 3,600 |
| Arkansas | spider man | 22,200 | doctor doom | 1,900 |
| Alaska | spider man | 3,600 | doctor doom | 590 |
| Wyoming | deadpool | 2,400 | doctor doom | 390 |
| South Dakota | spider man | 4,400 | doctor doom | 590 |
| West Virginia | spider man | 9,900 | doctor doom | 1,000 |
| Vermont | deadpool | 2,400 | doctor doom | 390 |
| Montana | deadpool | 4,400 | doctor doom | 720 |
Doctor Doom Dominates as Robert Downey Jr. returns as the MCU’s Next Big Villain
The big news that shocked the entire world this summer was the announcement that Robert Downey Jr will be returning to the MCU to take on the role of Doctor Doom in Avengers; Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Doctor Doom is the most searched villain in all but one state which includes California (49,500 searches), Florida (22,200 searches), and New York (22,200 searches).
The data also reveals that the number of searches for heroes is much higher than for villains. In California, Spider-Man has 450,000 searches compared to Doctor Doom’s 49,500 searches which shows that despite the huge love and adoration Downey Jr has been able to garner during his time as Iron Man, Doctor Doom potentially being a lesser known character compared to Spider-Man means interest in the two characters massively differs.
Elizabeth Olsen and Tom Hiddleston: High Odds of Return in Marvel’s Multiversal Future
Doom, also known as Victor Von Doom, is one of the most iconic villains in the Marvel Universe and is primarily known as the archenemy of the Fantastic Four. His entry into the MCU, with Robert Downey’s return, could open the gates for a whole host of appearances and returns. With odds of 2/3, Olsen is considered highly likely and a favorite to return to the MCU. Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff has been a central character in recent storylines involving the multiverse including Wandavision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Her arc leaves room for further exploration in future Marvel projects, especially with fan demand and her own interest in returning under the right conditions.
Another fan favorite is Mr Tom Hiddleston remains a fan favorite who we last saw in Loki Season 2. He is almost certain to continue appearing with Hiddleston’s odds at . His continued enthusiasm for the role and especially for the Loki character in tandem with Marvel’s plans for the multiverse strongly suggest more appearances. Loki was last seen engaging in an intense battle to fix the timelines and save the multiverse from collapsing, Loki takes on a pivotal new role. He decides to embrace his destiny and becomes the “God of Stories,” sitting on a throne made of the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, at the center of all timelines.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is never too far away from the headlines for good or bad and with a host of films on the way after a quiet 2024 by their standards, it’s time to prepare for another foray into the multiversal Marvel Cinematic Universe next year.
| Actor | Fractional Odds | Decimal Odds |
| Ryan Reynolds | 1/2 | 1.5 |
| Elizabeth Olsen | 2/3 | 1.7 |
| Andrew Garfield | 1/1 | 2.0 |
| Tom Hiddleston | 5/4 | 2.3 |
| Willem Dafoe | 3/1 | 4.0 |
| Hugh Jackman | 4/1 | 5.0 |
| Chris Evans | 4/1 | 5.0 |
| Tobey Maguire | 5/1 | 6.0 |
| Alfred Molina | 5/1 | 6.0 |
| Scarlett Johansson | 7/1 | 8.0 |
| Jamie Foxx | 8/1 | 9.0 |
| Marisa Tomei | 9/1 | 10.0 |
| Michael B. Jordan | 10/1 | 11.0 |
| Thomas Haden Church | 12/1 | 13.0 |
| Idris Elba | 12/1 | 13.0 |
| Josh Brolin | 16/1 | 17.0 |
| Zoe Saldana | 16/1 | 17.0 |
| Rhys Ifans | 20/1 | 21.0 |
Methodology
We compiled a list of Marvel characters, both heroes and villains alike to see who are the most popular characters within each American state. For each state, the data includes the most searched hero, the number of searches for that hero, the most searched villain, and the number of searches for that villain. We have also compiled odds on the potential return of some much adored actors into the MCU. Search volume is pulled from Google Keyword Planner.
The odds in this piece are created for editorial purposes only – seeking to entertain Canadian sports betting, and online casino enthusiasts.
You can find the dataset here.
