Write Them Up ASAP: The Next Marvel Movies That Need To Be Made
Now that Marvel Studios have begun planning out their next many phases of comic book adaptations, we thought it would be a good idea to sit down and think about all the potential storylines that might be on their way. Many of these include characters that the studio didn’t previously have access to.
- X-Men
- Fantastic Four
- Galactus
- Annihilus
- Magneto
- Daredevil
These stories are often considered some of the best ever written. Because of this, bringing them to the big and/or small screen only makes sense. The question is whether or not Kevin Feige agrees. After all, he’s the one in charge of the whole operation and if he does or doesn’t like an idea, it happens or doesn’t happen.
For what it’s worth, if I were Kevin Feige, which by the way I’m not, I’d want to see each of the below fast-tracked and adapted into one of his Marvel Movies.
And here they are…
10. Inhumanity
What would happen if the Terrigen Mists were released on the world?
That’s the exact question answered by Matt Fraction’s Inhumanity.
Inhumanity sees a new breed of Inhumans take form after the Terrigen Mists awaken dormant abilities across the Earth. As these new Inhumans struggle to understand who and what they’ve become, the Inhuman Queen Medusa struggles to rule her expanded empire.
Although the story wasn’t received as well as some others I’m about to talk about, Inhumanity was a success. It A) opened up the Inhumans to a new era of comic book readers who hadn’t heard of them, B) gave access to a new set of characters to writers moving forward, and C) shed light on what it’s like to be Black Bolt, Medusa, and Karnak.
9. World War Hulk
If now that Black Widow has her own movie, there’s any character deserving of their own movie, it’s Hulk. Sure, both Edward Norton and Eric Bana delivered one already but neither has brought what Mark Ruffalo has brought to the character. Mark Ruffalo is the Incredible Hulk. He’s soft-spoken like Bruce Banner and can rumble and tumble like the Hulk.
Of all the Incredible Hulk stories, none have the following that World War Hulk has. World War Hulk follows Planet Hulk (loosely adapted in Thor: Ragnarok). With his wife killed and nothing left for him, Hulk recruits the vilest beings from Sakaar and makes his way back to Earth. Once on Earth, the army begins to attack and destroy everything in sight.
World War Hulk should be one of the next Marvel Movies simply because, aside from giving Mark Ruffalo a chance to shine, it would be one of the greatest spectacles ever put on film. Just think about what it would look like to have the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four come together as a way to stop someone nearly unstoppable.
8. God Loves, Man Kills
God Loves, Man Kills is one of the quintessential X-Men stories. It is as timeless and relevant today as the day it was written.
Before you tell yourself that it was already loosely adapted in X-2, hear me out. First, I know this. Second, although Fox did a good job, the team at Marvel Studios would do a great job.
The story follows that of William Stryker who, after learning that his son was born a deformed mutant, murders his wife and son. This event triggers Stryker to seek out the extermination of the entire mutant population. To do this he gathers a large following and convinces them that in the eyes of God, mutants are an abomination.
God Loves, Man Kills is littered with religious undertones and real-world fear that forces its reader to question their own beliefs. If and when the X-Men come to the MCU, God Loves, Man Kills should be fast-tracked into production.
7. Coming of Galactus
Even though Galactus has been brought to the big screen, Marvel should seriously consider doing it again.
Why, you ask?
The version of Galactus that was delivered in Fox’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer movie lacked…….in a big way. The Marvel Comics version is Galactus is a giant alien entity adorned in purple who is feared from one side of the galaxy to the other. The Fox Studios version was, well, an underwhelming cloud of dust.
One of the next Marvel Movies should be the coming of Galactus to A) redeem what Fox did to the character, B) give the studio a chance to properly introduce some big players in the Cosmic Universe, and C) show the world how Jack Kirby creations are meant to be done.
6. Korvac Saga
The Korvac Saga is a 1970s masterpiece created by Jim Shooter, George Pérez, David Michelinie, and David Wendell.
As its name implies, the character most central to the story is a man named Michael Korvac. Different from the many other characters in the story, Michael Korvac doesn’t come from the main timeline. Instead of Earth-616, he comes from Earth-691. Moreover, his timeline is set 3,000 years into the future.
When we first met him, Michael Korvac is nothing but an ordinary man who works as a computer technician. Everything changes for him when an alien species known as the Badoon invade his homeworld. Eventually, he was captured, and once captured, Korvac was transformed into a cyborg. Rather than succumb to his situation, he sought to use it as a way to better understand the world and the greater Multiverse.
This caught the attention of the Earth-691s Guardians of the Galaxy. After multiple battles with them, Korvac learned how to travel across both time and space. With this knowledge, he made his way to Earth-616. Before landing on Earth, however, he stole the power of Galactus. With it in tow, he set out to rule and oppress any who opposed him.
5. Annihilation
We already know that the Fantastic Four is one of the next Marvel movies to be made. Their introduction opens a realm of possibility for Marvel Studios. Not only does it allow them to use each member of the team in whichever way they want, but it also gives them access to a catalog of characters that have helped shape the Marvel Comics landscape for decades.
- Dr. Doom
- Galactus
- Silver Surfer
- Namor
- Mole Man
- Psycho-Man
And Annihilus.
Up until this point, tackling a project like Annihilation couldn’t have been done.
Why?
They didn’t have Annihilus.
Yes, they had Nova, Star-Lord, Gamora, Adam Warlock, the Skrulls, Thanos, and Drax. They probably could have done the movie without Galactus, the Silver Surfer, and Super Skrull. However, doing a movie without the central antagonist is borderline blasphemous. Annihilus is the reason Annihilation happened. Without him, a movie adaptation might as well be called “A Bunch of Cosmic Comic Book Characters Come Together and Have A Party”.
Now that Annihilus has safely landed at Marvel, I hope it’s only a matter of time before Annihilation is adapted.
4. Roulette
If any story that appears in this article has no chance of ever being made into one of Kevin Feige‘s Marvel movies, it’s Frank Miller’s, Daredevil Roulette.
Why, you ask?
The content is some of the darkest to ever grace the page of a Marvel Comics comic book.
“You must be wondering why I came here, Bullseye. Why Daredevil, Man Without Fear, idol of millions, wastes a lovely autumn evening in the company of his deadliest enemy. The answer’s simple enough. I’m here to play a game with you. It’s called roulette, but not the kind you play in a casino.”
Daredevil Roulette is different from most other comic stories in the sense that most of it is told as a monologue from the title character. After killing Elektra, Bullseye finds himself hospitalized. Seeking revenge for her murder, Daredevil pays his enemy a visit. Because Bullseye is unable to talk and is confined to a bed, Daredevil announces that the two will be playing a game of Russian Roulette.
Over the course of their conversation, he switches between aiming a gun at himself and pressing the trigger and aiming the gun at Bullseye and pressing the trigger. With every press and “click” of the gun, Frank Miller masterfully build some of the greatest tension ever to appear on the pages of a comic book.
Roulette is one of those stories that leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering and waiting for the inevitable moment that has yet to come.
3. Magus Saga
At the center of the Magus Saga is the being known as Magus. He’s the leader of the Universal Church of Truth and the self-anointed all-powerful. He controls his followers with empty promises of grandeur and silences any who oppose him. Adam Warlock comes to learn of his existence and challenges his authority. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that Magus is Adam Warlock, albeit from the future.
The reveal is both shocking and unnerving… and that’s what makes the story so great.
Here’s why the Magus Saga needs to be one of the next Marvel movies. The Magus Saga transformed Adam Warlock from a cosmic character struggling to gain any sort of following into one of the premiere cosmic characters in the Marvel Universe. The Magus Saga took a hard stance on organized religion and illustrated what can happen should one individual gain too much power. And the Magus Saga cemented Jim Starlin as the greatest cosmic writer/illustrator in the history of comics.
Here’s why the Magus Saga won’t be one of the next Marvel movies. Disney owns Marvel and Disney tries very hard not to create content that is upsetting.
2. Kraven’s Last Hunt
There isn’t a Spider-Man story that fans want to see as one of the next Marvel movies as bad as Kraven’s Last Hunt.
Different from most other Spider-Man stories, Kraven’s Last Hunt is as much a psychological throw down as it is a beat ‘em up comic book. The story opens with Kraven looking to finally lay claim to his greatest achievement…the capture and death of Spider-Man. Within the first few pages, he does, in fact, do this…to a degree. Although he defeats Spider-Man, instead of killing him, he buries him alive. With Spider-Man out of the picture, Kraven assumes his identity and begins thwarting crime all over New York.
Eventually, Spider-Man resurfaces and is furious as to what had transpired. After a long and arduous battle, Spider-Man defeats Kraven. If the story were to have ended there, there’s no way it would’ve made this article. Because it didn’t, it easily makes this article. After being once again defeated by Spider-Man, Kraven picks up a shotgun and proceeds to kill himself.
Kraven’s suicide would be exactly what Kevin Feige and Disney wouldn’t want on one of their screens. The tension, drama, and psychology of the story, however, would be exactly the kind of shake up that Spider-Man could use.
1. Marvels
Marvels by Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek will forever be considered a timeless classic. The story was told over four issues beginning in January of 1994 and ending just four months later in April.
Rather than a run-of-the-mill superhero story, Marvels takes a look at what it’s like to be a regular person constantly caught in the worldwide destruction that usually accompanies superheroes. The story takes place between the late 1930s and the mid 1970s. It follows the life of the photographer, Phil Sheldon.
What makes Marvels so interesting is that as Phil works his way through life, the stories that he witnesses are well-known Marvel stories. For example, his first encounter is with that of the original Human Torch. By the 1960s, he’s both fearful of the now-known mutants and hopeful about the newly formed Fantastic Four and Avengers.
Marvels is the kind of story made for movies. With Kevin Feige continually pushing the boundaries of the genre, it’s only a matter of time before Marvels becomes one of the next Marvel movies.
And that’s it. Those are the storylines that we believe should be turned into the next Marvel Movies. What do you think? What stories do you think should become the next Marvel Movies?
