There are still many superheroes from Marvel Comics that deserve to get adapted into great live-action movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s characters were being adapted for live-action long before the MCU kicked off with 2008’s Iron Man, dating back to the Captain America serial of the 1940s, though 1986’s Howard the Duck was the first feature film based on Marvel Comics. While dozens of incredible comic characters have been given movies in the years since, some of Marvel’s best have still gone unnoticed.
While it’s been great to see the likes of Iron Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and many more get attention on-screen, the possibilities are endless for the MCU’s future. With the Multiverse Saga coming to an end after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Studios could branch out into new territories in Phase 7 and beyond. This creates the opportunity for even more amazing superheroes from Marvel Comics to get their first movies – or live-action redemption – in the MCU.
7) Eric Brooks’ Blade
1998’s Blade, 2002’s Blade II, and 2004’s Blade: Trinity already brought the Daywalker to life, played by Wesley Snipes, but the character deserves a modern-day reimagining to distance himself from these lackluster adventures and make him even better. Mahershala Ali was confirmed to be the MCU’s Blade in 2019, but the development of a reboot has been difficult. There are hopes that the MCU’s Blade reboot is now on the right path, which means Eric Brooks can finally get a good movie in the franchise’s next era, bringing Blade, vampires, Dracula, and more into the MCU.
6) Brian Braddock’s Captain Britain
Brian Braddock has been speculated to be joining the MCU for a number of years, and Phase 7 is the perfect place to finally debut him as Captain Britain. After Secret Wars, Marvel Studios is expected to focus more on mutant characters, which could introduce Betsy Braddock’s Psylocke and other British superheroes. Captain Britain is the UK’s answer to Captain America, and his corner of the Marvel Universe has huge cinematic potential, so it would be incredible to finally bring Brian Braddock and his related UK-based heroes into the MCU in his own solo movie.
5) Ororo Munroe’s Storm
A prominent member of the X-Men, Storm had a long-running career in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, where she was played by Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp. However, Storm never got a solo instalment, despite being an important and hugely powerful fixture in Marvel’s mutant stories. With a detailed backstory connected to the Wakandans and T’Challa’s Black Panther, Storm is easily significant enough to carry her own movie, so it would be great to see Marvel Studios finally give the weather-manipulating superhero the attention she deserves on-screen.
4) Wendell Vaughn’s Quasar
Now that the Guardians of the Galaxy’s future in the MCU is unclear and a project focused on Richard Rider’s Nova may have been shelved, Marvel would benefit from introducing more cosmic heroes into live-action. Wendell Vaughn’s Quasar is the perfect candidate, especially after Ms. Marvel and The Marvels introduced his greatest asset, the Quantum Bands, to the MCU. The Quantum Bands give Quasar remarkable cosmic energy manipulation and teleportation abilities that would make for a very cinematic adventure, and he is the best character to bridge the gap between the cosmos and grounded stories of the MCU.
3) Johnny Bart’s Rawhide Kid
The Rawhide Kid first appeared in the 1950s predecessor to Marvel, Atlas Comics, but was reintroduced to Marvel Comics in 1960’s Rawhide Kid #17 as a soft-spoken and confident gunslinger who embarked on energetic adventures in the Old West. In the years since, Johnny Bart has been included in many time travel stories, so recent MCU projects create the perfect opportunity for him to debut in live-action. The MCU’s heroes first time traveled in Avengers: Endgame and have journeyed to other eras several times since, so the door is open for the MCU to finally introduce the Rawhide Kid.
2) Doreen Green’s Squirrel Girl
Despite being one of Marvel’s weirdest heroes, Squirrel Girl is also a fan-favorite, so it’s a wonder she hasn’t yet been adapted into live-action. Milana Vayntrub was cast as Doreen Green for an unaired Marvel Television pilot, so it’s high time Squirrel Girl gets her own MCU movie. The origin of Squirrel Girl’s abilities, which include a squirrel-like physiology and the ability to communicate with squirrels, has never been confirmed, but she is actually one of Marvel’s strongest heroes. She has been associated with several Avengers teams over the years, so she deserves a space in the MCU.
1) Norrin Radd’s Silver Surfer
Marvel Studios is about to debut a version of the Silver Surfer from an alternate reality, Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which leaves the door open for Norrin Radd to also get his MCU debut. The original Silver Surfer was previously seen in live-action in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but Marvel could handle him a whole lot better. Norrin Radd has a rich history in Marvel Comics that hasn’t been explored on-screen, so there are hopes this Silver Surfer appears alongside Ralph Ineson’s Galactus in the Fantastic Four’s future MCU adventures.
Which Marvel Comics characters do you want to see get their own movies in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!
