The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be giving just about every character in the comic book roster their own film or TV series these days, but there are still others who deserve the same treatment.
While the media landscape is oversaturated with superhero projects, there are still many Marvel characters whose stories and histories are worth the time and money typically spent on such a project. So before superhero fatigue completely kicks in, these characters should get their own film or TV show in the MCU.
Adam Warlock
Genetically engineered to be the perfect being, Adam Warlock went on to discover his own fate and began protecting the universe from evil as the Avatar/Champion of Life. He most notably led Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against Thanos after the Titan wiped out half of all life with the Infinity Gauntlet. He eventually wielded the Gauntlet himself and became a god. And with his ability to resurrect himself, this cosmic entity has essentially stood as one of the strongest forces in the Marvel Universe.
Warlock is set to make his cinematic debut in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, but this could still serve as the springboard for the mighty hero to start his own adventures. In the comics, he is responsible for creating “The Magus” and “Goddess,” two versions of himself that became existential threats to the universe. So a project centered around this golden god and his foes could make for a fascinating tale exploring morality, religion, and how being perfect is virtually impossible.
Betsy Braddock (Psylocke/Captain Britain)
Betsy Braddock, known to many fans as Psylocke, remains one of the most popular X-Men in Marvel Comics, particularly due to her time in the body of the psychic ninja Kwannon. This complicated part of her backstory may not work on film today, but Braddock is still an awesome fighter with a layered history that could make for an excellent journey to live-action.
Braddock recently got to headline a comic book storyline with 2019’s “Excalibur,” which saw her taking on the Arthurian forces of Otherworld and the mantle of Captain Britain. Marvel Studios can thus introduce her and the Captain Britain Corps as a whole, which can lay the foundation for a sprawling, multiverse fantasy epic centered around Braddock and the mutant team Excalibur.
Nova
Marvel fans have been clamoring for this hero to appear for a long time. Richard Rider became the superhero Nova after finding the last survivor of Xandar’s Nova Corps, who granted him his uniform and cosmic powers. Rider has since had a long history working with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and his power allowed him to face the likes of Thanos, Annihilus, and even Galactus.
It’s a shame that Nova hasn’t touched down in the MCU yet, but the seeds of his origin have been planted with the appearance of the Nova Corps in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Also, since Avengers: Infinity War glossed over the destruction Thanos left on Xandar, a film or series about Nova could explore this cataclysmic event and make it part of his journey to becoming a superhero.
Black Cat
Though Black Cat started out as an adversary/partner of Spider-Man, this free-spirited cat burglar came into her own as time passed. She received many of her own comics in recent years, which have shown her leading her own gang of thieves, confronting the man who taught her to be a thief, seeking out the Infinity Stones, donning her own Iron Man armor, and even transforming into an Asgardian goddess.
Even without Spider-Man, she is more than capable of helming her own exciting live-action adventure, and the fact that she hasn’t received one yet is the true crime.
Namor
Just for the record, Namor can’t get a solo film within the MCU, as the rights to his character still belong to Universal. This doesn’t detract from the fact that the Sub-Mariner deserves his own project, and he could work just as well with a miniseries centered around him and his undersea kingdom of Talokan.
Marvel Studios introduced moviegoers to Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, presenting him as a compelling and well-rounded antihero who just wants to protect his home from the outside world. Namor immediately became a fan favorite, and Tenoch Huerta’s performance as the Sub-Mariner helped make the aquatic mutant one of the MCU’s biggest highlights in recent years. This character and the undersea world he hails from brim with the possibility of an outstanding fantasy adventure that audiences would love to see.
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