The Marvel Cinematic Universe is recovering from a rather mixed Phase Four. It wasn’t exactly a failure but it was the first time that public sentiment started to turn against the MCU. Phase Five is supposed to focus on Kang and introduce the Fantastic Four. It’s a time of new beginnings for the MCU, and giving it a shot in the arm based on Marvel’s successful comic stories is the way to go.
There are some amazingly underrated stories out there that would make great MCU films or Disney+ series. The MCU has always looked to Marvel’s stories for inspiration and some would make this Phase a lot better.
10/10 Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home Introduced Some Wild Concepts To Spider-Man
MCU Spider-Man is ridiculously popular, but for many fans, his characterization and stories are a bit tame. It’s time to throw something different into the works. A great way to do that would be adapting Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home, by writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist John Romita Jr. This story introduced Spider-Man to Ezekiel and changed how he looked at his powers.
Coming Home introduced the idea that Spider-Man’s powers are totemic and introduced the incredibly cool Spider-Man villain Morlun, a universe-traveling monster who feeds on people with spider totem powers. They’d have to make changes, but Morlun and Ezekiel are great characters and this story could change things up for MCU Spidey.
9/10 Dark Avengers: Assemble Took Earth’s Mightiest Heroes In A Very Different Direction
Dark Avengers: Assemble, by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato, took place after Secret Invasion. Here, Norman Osborn is given control of the Avengers and constructs a team of villains, placing them in heroes’ costumes. They’re immediately called in to deal with Morgan Le Fay, who has kidnaped Doctor Doom.
Secret Invasion is getting a Disney+ series, so Dark Avengers: Assemble could provide an interesting template for what comes next. The comic used Thunderbolts as its basis, so an adaptation could do that as well. The characters would have to change, but otherwise, it’s a cool concept.
8/10 2021’s Eternals Would Fix The Damage The Movie Inflicted
Eternals was the MCU’s first failure. The movie tried to do way too much and couldn’t decide if it was going to be a smart generational story or a big, dumb MCU spectacle. The best way to fix the movie’s middling reception would be to adapt a great Eternals story. 2021 saw Eternals get a twelve-issue series, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Esad Ribic and Guiu Villanova, focused on the Eternals struggle with Thanos.
The Eternals book accomplished exactly what the movie tried to. It’s a combination of very smart, unconventional writing and superhero awesomeness. Thanos coming back to life in the MCU isn’t a big deal and seeing the Eternals fight him or someone like him would be just what movie audiences want.
7/10 2004’s Secret War Is A Superhero Spy Epic
Marvel has some great event books, but not all of them are well-known. 2004’s Secret War is in the latter camp. Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Gabriele dell’Otto, the book saw tech-based villains stepping up their attacks, more powerful than ever, targeting specific heroes. Only Nick Fury knew it was happening because of his secret war against Doctor Doom’s Latveria, using amnesiac heroes as his soldiers.
Secret Invasion is centered around Nick Fury, so Secret War could act as its sequel. Fury in the Marvel Universe is much shiftier than he is in the MCU. It would be nice to see more layers on MCU Fury, helping him develop into an actual character.
6/10 The Last Avengers Story Features Kang
For good and for ill, there are some surprising Avengers stories. The Last Avengers Story, by writer Peter David and artist Ariel Olivetti, is one of the greats. Taking place in a future where the Hulk has killed the Avengers, Hank Pym has to bring together a new team to battle Kang.
Good Kang stories in the modern day are few and far between, so The Last Avengers Story could truly inspire the MCU. The multiverse introduced a host of new possibilities for the MCU, including timelines like this. As usual, they’d have to choose a different roster of characters, but the story’s strong enough to survive that.
5/10 Marvel Boy Is Wonderful Superhero Absurdity
Grant Morrison’s Marvel tenure was short but fruitful. When they came over in 2000, their first Marvel work was Marvel Boy, with art by J.G. Jones. The book stars Noh-Varr, an alternate-universe Kree soldier who is captured when his ship is shot down by Doctor Midas. After his escape, he vows revenge, attacking humanity with his absurdly advanced technology.
Marvel Boy could be adapted into an amazing Disney+ show. It’s got multiverse stuff, which is a plus for this era of the MCU, but mainly it has killer characters and an atmosphere unlike anything MCU’s fans have seen. 2000s Marvel was pretty edgelord, so they’d want to update some things but it would still be worth adapting.
4/10 Infinity Is Big-Time Marvel Sci-Fi
Marvel does great sci-fi, mixing superheroes and space action expertly. Infinity, by writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Jim Cheung, Jerome Opeña, and Dustin Weaver, pit the Avengers against the Builders in space while Thanos came to Earth. It’s a sci-fi epic and would make for an amazing big-screen spectacle.
Infinity would require a lot of changes, but just keeping the Builders from destroying Earth provides a truly epic plot. The Incursions are Infinity‘s inciting incident. They were set up in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, so the story is easy to integrate into the MCU.
3/10 Infamous Iron Man Could Work With Some Big Changes
Infamous Iron Man, by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev, had Doctor Doom take over as Iron Man after Stark was put into a coma.
In his new role, Doom battled everything from villains to heroes, Mephisto to SHIELD. It’s a very interesting take on Doom, but it would also be a hard sell in the MCU
Doom hasn’t been introduced yet, but here’s the thing: maybe introducing him as the new Iron Man is a good idea. He could keep his identity secret and pretend to be a hero to get intel on the good guys. It wouldn’t technically be an adaptation, but the MCU has been inspired by a lot of stories, borrowing small elements and making something new.
2/10 The Sentry Would Be An Amazing Disney+ Series
Some Marvel books have amazing endings and that’s The Sentry‘s greatest asset. Written by Paul Jenkins with art by Jae Lee, the story introduced Robert Reynolds and his wife Libby. Robert started having memories of life as a superhero, eventually learning the terrible truth about himself.
The Sentry is an amazing story that recontextualizes Marvel’s Silver Age. It could do the same for the MCU’s Phases One and Two. Adding the Sentry and the Void to past events in the MCU would be so much fun and the character has so much potential. There’s a lot that can be done with him and a Disney+ series adapting his first story would be brilliant.
1/10 Original Sin Would Be Interesting In The MCU
Some Marvel books are critical successes even if fans don’t love them. Original Sin, by writer Jason Aaron and artist Mike Deodato Jr., fits into this category. The story sees the Watcher murdered and the heroes scrambling to figure out who did it and why. Before the story ends, it reveals secrets that shake the Marvel Universe to its very core.
The MCU has most of the factors needed for Original Sin. The movies are known for changing things up when they adapt tales, and Original Sin could use a remix. It’s a great story that makes a few missteps. The MCU might be able to fix those and create a story that’s more beloved than its comic ancestor.