The MCU could take lessons about humor from how Worf was written

We recently touched on a story where Michael Dorn, the man behind the ridges of Worf, spoke about how the writers of Deep Space Nine failed to grasp the humor in the character. He talked about how they wanted him to be in on the joke, laughing along with everyone else. Almost a caricature of who he was. He was a serious man, who enjoyed a good fight, and who also had a habit of cracking up the audience.

Albeit, unintentionally. This caused his more humorous scenes to be far more iconic than those written to be part of the gag. His seriousness made the moments pop more and didn't take away from his effectiveness as a character.

This is a lesson the Marvel Cinematic Universe should heed. They have a nasty habit of making every character a joker, or some characters just awful jokes. Two key characters in mind are Thor and Drax. The two characters are as close to Worf as an MCU character can be to a Star Trek character.

All three enjoy a good fight, they take themselves seriously, and tower over their comrades. Yet, Thor and Drax are often either the butt of a joke or so oblivious it hinders the way the audience perceives them. Drax was a man hellbent on killing Thanos when we first met him and seemed to be a very serious character. Now, he's a goofball whose obliviousness is the butt of many jokes. An idea that wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't aware of why it was funny. Yet, in later films, he's become more aware of the concept of humor and overreacts for comedic effect.

Thor? Don't even get me started on what they did to my boy. They turned him into a laughing stock and played more for laughs than showing the severity that depression can do to a person.

In either case, both seemed like failed takes on Worf. Two strong, combat-centric characters with a more serious demeanor than most, but unlike Worf, that aspect of their character was sacrificed for cheap laughs. A situation that Worf could've found himself in.

Due to this, Drax will likely never rise above a C-level character, even if he is played by the brilliant Dave Bautista. Thor may regain his form but he's been in a few films since then that haven't done anything to help re-establish himself as a serious character that one should fear.

Jokes are great, and serious characters can be a part of the comedic process, but you can't sacrifice them for the comedy. Doing so will forever alter the character. When they're not aware of the humor, that is when these characters make the most sense.

That's why, nearly 40 years later, Worf remains one of the most beloved and time-tested characters in science-fiction history. It's also why the love affair with the MCU has waned. When you try and make every character the same, you lose their authenticity. It's a problem that's been playing out for years now after the close to Avengers: Endgame.

Maybe even before then. Yet, it won't be an issue with Worf. As long as the writers protect the sanctity of the character, he'll never spoil, no matter how long he's out there for and regardless of who plays him.