In light of the fact that Marvel now has Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Daredevil and Jessica Jones airing on television as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s fairly obvious that they plan on continuing the expansion of their flagship franchise on the small screen.
In the past, the likes of Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and Blade have all been given television shows (though obviously those shows weren’t part of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe) and it would be nice to see some new characters given a chance.
So, with the criteria being that these characters can’t have been given a live action depiction in the past, here are ten unused Marvel heroes who deserve television shows…
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is, without a doubt, the most well-known character on this list (expect more obscure ones after her), but a television show rather than a film about the character would definitely be the best way to go about adapting her in live action.
She is Jennifer Walters – Bruce Banner’s cousin and a criminal defense lawyer, meaning that her show could be a mixture of high-powered action and courtroom drama (crossovers with Daredevil, anyone?).
Walters gained her powers when she received a transfusion of gamma-irradiated blood from her cousin (the aforementioned Bruce Banner) when she was shot by a crime boss who had crossed paths with her County Sheriff father, William Morris Walters.
She isn’t as powerful as Banner and doesn’t really grow in size when she “hulks out”, so a toned actress in make-up would be all it took to depict her as She-Hulk – which wouldn’t require the massive CGI budgets of a blockbuster movie.
White Tiger
White Tiger is the name of several heroes in the Marvel universe – all of whom generally have the same gimmick – but the original and best is definitely Hector Ayala.
Ayala is a superhero of Hispanic descent, which would add some diversity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that is still somewhat lacking.
A college student, Ayala became the superhero known as White Tiger when he found a powerful set of amulets that had been discarded by the group called the Sons of the Tiger in a New York subway. He developed near-superhuman martial arts abilities when he wore them and opted to use them to fight crime in his neighbourhood whilst continuing his studies at Empire State University.
Part of his anti-criminal crusade involved tracking down the perpetrators of the murders of his parents and two siblings, which could be the ultimate plot of the television show. He is also a friend of Spider-Man’s, which could result in some cool crossovers with him and Tom Holland’s character.
Captain Britain
The Marvel Cinematic Universe already has Captain America, so why not Captain Britain as well? The British character is far less popular than his United States counterpart, but he’s far more powerful and definitely warrants at least getting his own television show – and it would add a really different tone to the MCU.
He is Brian Braddock and he was granted his powers by the famous wizard Merlin of British legend. Merlin found Braddock when he was injured, after having crashed his motorcycle whilst looking for help when the nuclear research centre he was working in was attacked. Merlin empowered him, giving him the chance to become the heroic Captain Britain, and he was assigned to enforce and uphold the laws of Great Britain itself.
He possesses great super-strength, speed and durability, the ability to fire energy blasts, the ability to erect force fields and he can fly. He often works with the British intelligence agency MI-13.
A British-based television show with traditional mystical origins would make a pleasant change (even Agent Carter is set in the United States, despite the titular character being British) and Captain Britain could go on to work alongside the Avengers, the Illuminati or even the Captain Britain Corps in the wider MCU.
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is an awesome character who has yet to be given a chance in a live adaptation – but he’s one who’s often talked about as the star of a potential television show and he definitely deserves such an opportunity.
He is Marc Spector – the son of an American rabbi whose professions have included being a heavyweight boxer, a U.S. Marine and a mercenary (so a show with him as the star would definitely be action-packed).
While working for the African mercenary Raoul Bushman, Spector took umbrage to the fact that Bushman both intended to loot the dig they were working on and the fact that he killed his friend Jean-Paul “Frenchie” DuChamp. He challenged him to a duel, defeated him, but died from his injuries. However, roaming worshipers of the Egyptian gods saved him and the all-powerful god Khonshu offered him a second chance at life if he became his avatar on Earth.
He used the power granted to him by Khonshu – superhuman physical attributes and great martial arts skills – to become a crime fighter. He also created a number of alter-egos (such as that of a taxi driver) to keep in touch with with the crime-filled streets and the whole thing would make one hell of a television show.
Squirrel Girl
Although Squirrel Girl AKA Doreen Green is indeed a mutant, she is more strongly associated with the Avengers and related characters than the X-Men et al. With that in mind, like Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver before her, there’s every chance that she could be adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A television show starring the character could be a fantastic episodic comedy. Squirrel Girl’s entire shtick is that, in spite of her powers being nothing to shout about, she regularly defeats much more powerful foes with ease (the likes of Doctor Doom, MODOK, Terrax and Deadpool have all fallen before her!) – a quirk that has earned her nicknames like the Anti-Life and the Slayer of All that Breathes.
As he name would suggest, her mutation gives her squirrel-like abilities, including razor-sharp claws, a prehensile tail, an enhanced sense of smell, slightly superhuman physical strength and agility and the ability to communicate with squirrels.
Along with her trusty squirrel sidekicks - Tippy-Toe and Monkey Joe (with whom she can communicate as part of her aforementioned power-set) - a television show in which she defeats a different powerful enemy every week would be most welcome.
Doctor Druid
Doctor Druid would make a great subject for a television show, now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to delve into the world of the supernatural, following the imminent introduction of a certain Doctor Strange.
He is a psychiatrist, with inherent telepathic abilities, who became a supernatural monster-hunter when a patient of his – the Ancient One posing as a Tibetan lama – taught him about the occult. The Ancient One had chosen him as back-up, in case grooming Doctor Strange into becoming the Sorcerer Supreme failed.
While he operates alone quite a lot in his monster-hunting endeavours, he has also worked alongside the likes of the Avengers, the Monster Hunters and the Legion of the Unliving, so crossover potential would be huge in the MCU.
Seeing which monsters he was hunting and which characters he mingled with on a weekly basis would make for a really fun television series – and a meet-up with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange character would surely be inevitable.
John The Skrull
John the Skrull is an extremely interesting and unique character – and one who would undoubtedly be a brilliant focal point for a television show.
As his name would suggest, he is a Skrull – a member of the alien species whose most notorious ability is that they can shapeshift to look like any living being – but his story is a very fascinating one.
He was sent to Earth in 1963, along with three other Skrulls, to facilitate an invasion of the planet – and they took on the appearance of The Beatles. He took on the appearance of John Lennon (hence his name), which he sticks with most of the time, but the quartet opted to stay on the planet and live there, rather than trigger an attack, due to the “money and power” they believed they could acquire there.
His three accomplices (Paul, George and Ringo!) were all killed and John survived into the modern era. He was recruited by MI-13 and became an agent for them – shapeshifting to infiltrate enemies when necessary and growing extra parts (tentacles, wings etc) when the fight or situation required it. It would make a superb plot for a television series.
Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar isn’t exactly an A-list Marvel hero, but his popularity is great enough that he has been suggested as the potential star of his own movie in the past. In the absence of that actually happening, a television series might be the best way to go in the current climate.
He’s very different to anything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the moment. He was born Kevin Reginald, Lord Plunder, in Castle Plunder, Kentish Town, London, England. However, when his mother and father were killed in the Savage Land, he was found and raised by the sabertooth tiger Zabu (who possessed near-human intelligence thanks to a mutation caused by radioactive mists).
Brought up with the name Ka-Zar, he became an expert hunter, trapper and fisherman, living off the wild land. He regularly encounters hostile tribes and creatures there, as well as invaders from the more mainstream and modern Marvel universe (he has fought against and alongside the likes of the X-Men, Magneto, Thanos, Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus and Daredevil in his time).
A Ka-Zar television show would introduce a completely new environment and a totally new type of hero into the MCU – and, quite frankly, we’d love to see it.
Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone is actually the daughter of a possibly more popular character in Ulysses Bloodstone. Ulysses was a near-immortal monster-hunter (prior to his death) and Elsa followed in his footsteps – but her obvious similarities to a certain Buffy Summers would make the formula of her potential television series an equally obvious recipe for success.
She leads an interesting life – living in the lavish Bloodstone Manor with her mother and her ally Adam the Frankenstein Monster, who worked as a handyman for her father, prior to his death.
It was Adam that Ulysses entrusted to give Elsa his choker, which contained a piece of the Bloodgem – a powerful item that grants her enhanced strength, speed, endurance, durability and agility.
Her monster-hunting adventures represent a complete juxtaposition to her home and personal life and, as a result, it would make an extremely interesting television show – just like Buffy the Vampire Slayer did.
Cloak And Dagger
Sure, Cloak and Dagger are two characters, but the fact is they come as a package, so you bet your bottom dollar that they’re being included as one entity in this article.
They are Tyrone “Ty” Johnson (Cloak) and Tandy Bowen (Dagger), who met when they were both teenage runaways – Tyrone was seventeen and Tandy was sixteen – from very different backgrounds. Ty was relatively underprivileged with a debilitating stutter and Tandy was from a very rich family. They became unlikely friends but, when some strange men offered them shelter, their lives changed forever.
The duo were tested on as guinea pigs for a new synthetic form of heroine. The Maggia had been testing it on runaway kids, with fatal results, but both Tyrone and Tandy miraculously survived – even developing superpowers as a result.
Tyrone developed a link to the Darkforce, giving him the ability to teleport himself and others to the Darkforce Dimension and turn intangible. He became Cloak. Tandy gained the ability to create daggers of light, which could drain or heal targets when they were struck by them. Using their powers, they became heroes by waging a war on drugs – fueled by the fact that they were used as drug guinea pigs – and a television show depicting this war would be awesome (they have links to the likes of the Avengers too, giving major scope for crossovers).
What do you think? Do these characters deserve television shows? Which other unused Marvel characters should get a shot on the small screen? Have your say below!
