The MCU Superhero With The Most Screentime Is Not An Avenger

The Marvel Cinematic Universe features no shortage of superheroes fighting the good fight. Despite the Avengers boasting a litany of superstar names in its ranks, here's a fun fact: The defender of justice with the most screentime in the MCU is not part of the franchise's flagship ground. This Man Without Fear isn't considered to be one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but that's okay, because he's more than happy saving Hell's Kitchen rather than the whole world.

Charlie Cox's Daredevil is the MCU superhero with the most screentime, and his nearest competitor is not even close. Let's look at the stats for a second: He's the lead in Netflix's "Daredevil" series, which consists of three seasons, each with 13 hour-long episodes. He also had a starring role in the eight-episode team-up show "The Defenders." Throw in his cameos in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," and "Echo," and then add the hit revival series "Daredevil: Born Again" to the mix, and that's a lot of Matt Murdock.

It's as clear as Daredevil's radar abilities that he's the real main character of the MCU — well, at least in terms of screentime. What's more, it doesn't appear like anyone will ever beat this record, because the Man Without Fear still has more gas in his tank. Daredevil's MCU timeline is only set to expand (there are lots of clues that he'll be appearing in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day"), as he remains a beloved character and continues to thrill fans.

In the world of music, some people are better suited to being solo performers. The same can be said about Daredevil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Matt Murdock teams up with other heroes on occasion, he's predominantly a street-level hero who fights on a smaller scale against threats to his city rather than chasing off intergalactic monsters, and that kind of work usually doesn't require a large team.

This is no different from the comic book version of the character. Daredevil has joined forces with both the Defenders and the Avengers in the comics, but he still prefers to operate as a lone wolf, choosing the rooftops and streets as his battleground. As a matter of fact, the best Daredevil stories, such as "The Man Without Fear" and "Born Again," all center on the character facing more personal challenges and grounded villains. He's a beacon of realism in a universe that can trek into the furthest corners of sci-fi and fantasy.

Not every character needs to be in the Avengers, and the Avengers don't need every character. Keeping Matt Murdock separate from the team allows the focus of his tales to be on the darker, boots-on-the-ground storytelling where he inevitably thrives. Plus, there are still many Daredevil storylines we want to see the MCU adapt. Maybe he'll join the MCU Avengers at some point, but no amount of multiversal shenanigans will top his gritty hallway fights.