The climax of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s three phases is near, and fans are wondering what direction the shared universe will take in the future. There are a number of Marvel superheroes who could make quite a splash after Avengers 4.
More interestingly, fans wonder who will take supervillain Thanos’ place after he meets his defeat. Sure, the MCU already introduced Dormammu last year in Doctor Strange. While he’s one of the most powerful villains in the comic books, he can still be regarded as a specialized one. After all, he’s known best for clashing with the Sorcerer Supreme.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few awesome characters that Marvel can’t use, which is a shame. Nonetheless, here’s our own list of superheroes and supervillains we’d like to see in the MCU. We won't see them in the MCU, but we hope that Fox, Sony, and the other studios will find ways to make the most of them.
Professor X
While most people recognize Professor X as the leader of the X-Men, he’s much more than that in the comics. For example, and to make an MCU-related point, Charles Xavier is a founding member of the Illuminati, which is a sort of United Nations group for all superheroes. As such, Professor X has participated in decision making that shaped the Marvel comic book universe by triggering or influencing events that include World War Hulk and Secret Invasion.
In addition to those storylines, Professor X is also one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful telepaths, and the MCU could really use someone like him.
Kevin Feige has already teased the Illuminati's appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so one can hope, right? Yes, but that doesn't mean that Professor X is going to join the shared universe anytime soon. The character has already appeared (successfully, we might add) in two interconnected Fox franchises, and he’s scheduled to appear in a number of upcoming mutant-centric movies. So, while it would be awesome if he were actually a member of the MCU's Illuminati, that isn’t going to happen.
Unless Marvel and Fox make a deal over this character, as they did with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch"¦
And since we’re talking Illuminati"¦
Mister Fantastic
The names on the original Illuminati roster include Iron Man (representing of the Avengers), Namor (for Atlantis - the rights reverted back to Marvel), Black Bolt (representing the Inhumans), Black Panther (for Wakanda), Doctor Strange (as the Sorcerer Supreme), Professor X (for the mutant race), and Mister Fantastic (representing the Fantastic Four). And, unfortunately, 20th Century Fox has already blown their two shots at bringing the Fantastic Four to life.
Even worse, Reed Richards is one of the most intelligent beings in the Marvel universe. He’s the kind of guy who can become even more intelligent via his abilities, the kind of guy who can enlarge his brain. And that kind of guy is always useful.
But wait…it could be even worse than that, since Fox owns the rights to quite a few other characters related to the Fantastic Four, including both supervillains and superheroes.
We can hope that a deal will be made. Hey, maybe this is why Marvel hasn't announced which movies they’ll release after Avengers 4"¦Bring Marvel's First Family back to Marvel!
Storm
Among all of the X-Men, what makes Storm so special? After all, given the way Logan ended, Wolverine could have appeared on this list. He’s one of the most popular mutants ever, and Hugh Jackman has said that he’s game if the character is added to the MCU. Hell, we could have mentioned Deadpool, too, for that matter.
However, none of them has what Storm has: an actual connection to an already-existing Marvel Cinematic Universe character. Many see this as one of the deepest and most meaningful relationships in the Marvel Comic Books universe. Ororo Munroe is more than just a powerful and renowned mutant. In the comics, she’s also Black Panther’s wife. Their story as a couple goes way back to when Storm saved the life of the Wakandan prince when she was just a child (this is one side of the story).
So the MCU would have not just one awesome black superhero, but two, and they’re an actual couple. And this couple would make any foe tremble at the mere thought of a clash. Combine the athleticism and technology-based powers of T'Challa with the mutant AND magical abilities of Storm and"¦
Well, Alexandra Shipp plays Storm in the X-Men franchise, and we don't believe that Fox will give her away so easily (even if the actress were to express interest in such a possibility).
Silver Surfer
Stepping outside of Earth's atmosphere, we find quite a few superheroes Marvel could STILL use. Some of them (like Nova and Adam Warlock) will certainly be introduced in upcoming movies. The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is perfect for such characters.
Unfortunately, none of these heroes is Silver Surfer. Originally a literal herald of death, the Silver Surfer becomes a hero after meeting with the Fantastic Four. He’s exiled to the planet he saved after his humanity is rediscovered and he goes against his master.
After the Infinity Stones are all discovered and placed with various superheroes for safe-keeping, seeking out new sources of power could be the catalyst that pushes the shared universe forward. And what could be more appealing than the Power Cosmic (which is vague, but extremely powerful, nonetheless)?
The Silver Surfer, with his tragic backstory, would fit perfectly. Except that he won't, since Fox owns him.
Gladiator
As a member of the Shi'ar race and an Imperial Guard with tremendous strength and numerous abilities, Gladiator is another character who could further expand the MCU into new corners of the comic book universe. He could make any current MCU superhero tremble (yes, even Hulk). In addition to his great strength, he can fly faster than light (which we haven't witnessed in the MCU); he's invulnerable (can withstand a supernova); and he has freeze breath, heat vision, and other abilities. He could literally be the strongest of them all.
His backstory is what makes him interesting: how he became a Praetor, how he was trained, his involvement with the X-Men"¦
We could actually see him co-starring in a Guardians of the Galaxy flick, if the character's rights hadn’t been sold to Fox.
Kang the Conqueror
Dormammu could be the MCU’s next big baddie, but Kang the Conqueror would make an even better villain, because he has the ability to travel through time. A scholar from the thirtieth century, Kang discovers time-travel technology, and conquers and creates various timelines. Using technology far beyond that used by the Avengers, he would potentially present an even bigger threat than Thanos does.
Just imagine someone as intelligent as Kang who can leap through time (into the future and into the past) and reshape history as he wants it to be.
The problem is that Kang is actually Nathaniel Richards, so 20th Century Fox obviously owns the rights to this character. Unfortunately, Fox hasn't figured out how to make the most of the Richards family"¦
The use of time travel could be the best way to reboot the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And Kang the Conqueror would be the best villain to do that.
Doctor Doom
Despite being just a human, Doctor Doom is one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel comic book universe. At times, he’s able to pose a threat to a multiversal menace, such as the Beyonder, because Victor Von Doom can do literally anything with enough preparation. So he’s Thanos’ equal in several different ways, and some believe that Doom might even be a bigger threat than the Mad Titan.
But Marvel can’t use him, even though Fox tried their luck with the character on two separate occasions. In the movies in which he appeared, he stole Silver Surfer's power, which is something that he does a lot in the comics.
The MCU could benefit from such a powerhouse villain. We hope that it will, and that Marvel will make a deal with Fox over the Fantastic Four and some of their villains.
Galactus
Since we’ve mentioned Doctor Doom, we should mention Galactus, who isn't quite a villain, although he acts as though he’s a powerful antagonist. Imbued with the Power Cosmic, he’s basically the personification of the entire Cosmos. He’s literally a god, and he feeds on entire planets to survive. The fact that he’s above the morality of mere mortals makes him invincible.
He possesses a vast array of powers and abilities, and he could be the next big threat to the MCU superheroes. With his rather tragic background (he doesn't really want to destroy civilizations, but he has to), he'd make an awesome antagonist.
Along with Doctor Doom and Silver Surfer, Fox owns Galactus, and they transformed this tremendous superbeing into a simple cloud that swallowed Earth. Go figure.
Venom
We've mentioned the historic deal between Marvel and Sony in the hopes that Fox will smarten up and trade some of its characters. Although we’ve seen Spider-Man in the MCU, and there are at least four more movies in the pipe, we still don't know everything about the deal.
We don't know whether Marvel can use Venom, who’s one of Spidey's most iconic villains. This is a shame, since the Symbiote race could make for an epic antagonist in the MCU. Even if he’s in just one movie, Venom could pose a threat to the entire planet, and it could even go beyond that.
Sony’s aiming to release their Venom flick next year, so we doubt that the villain will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Shared Universe. We hope that Sony’s learned their lesson and will avoid ruining the character yet again.
Onslaught
Lastly, Onslaught is an uber-powerful antagonist who basically possesses the powers of both Professor X and Magneto. Additional abilities include manipulation of matter, a certain degree of omniscience, immense strength that would make the Hulk cower in fear, and others.
His telepathic ability would make him interesting and unique in the MCU. Scarlet Witch is the only character who’s used this ability, and then only to a small degree in Age of Ultron. Maybe Marvel should consider having its heroes face off with antagonists who have unique skills and abilities.
Of course, this won't happen anytime soon, since Fox owns the rights to Onslaught.
The Shi'ar Empire
We know we have already mentioned a member of the Shi'ar Empire - Gladiator, who himself would make a great addition to the MCU. However, the inclusion of his entire people would benefit even more the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, the same problem can be mentioned in here - the Shi'ar are owned by Fox. But that doesn't really changes anything, does it?
The Shi'ar are one of the greatest galactic empires from the Marvel comics, with popular characters such as Gladiator and Lilandra among their ranks. And with them in the MCU, Disney and Marvel could introduce a second cosmic team besides the Guardians of the Galaxy. If Avengers 4 will indeed mark the ending of Marvel's Phases system, the Shi'ar and the Guardians of the Galaxy could be the ones to usher a new beginning.
Even more, the Shi'ar are also well-known for being the most powerful of three major galactic empires. One of them is the Kree Empire, which has already appeared in the cinematic universe. The other is"¦
Super-Skrulls
Just like Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, Marvel can use the Skrulls in its movies (even if they haven't appeared just yet). However, despite being one of the three major galactic empires from the comics, the Skrulls aren't exactely a match for the MCU superheroes - however, this cannot be said about the Super-Skrulls, a faction of this race that matches in power the Fantastic Four.
In this way, the Super-Skrulls are shapeshifters (like the Skrulls), but they also possess the immense powers of the Fantastic Four and other superheroes (in this latter case, telepathy), via artificial augmentation. So they could prove to be terrific against anything the Avengers or the Guardians of the Galaxy could throw at them.
The relationship with the other galactic empires is also an interesting one and, if Marvel Studios decides to go down this route, it could switch the focus away from Earth. Even more, given the infighting in the Skrull Empire, the Marvel Cinematic Universe could easily become the space-opera heralded by the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
Rogue
This might be an unusual choice, but Rogue was one of our favorite characters, especially since she debuted X-Men animated series of the "˜90's. Given her main ability, which was a curse rather than a gift, she has always been a tragic character. However, her other abilities made her also one of the most powerful.
And of course Rogue appeared in Bryan Singer's movies - but she wasn't really anybody's favorite. And the rumor is that she will appear again, as soon as X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives. However, what powers will she have? If she has just her death-touch, maybe she should at least be able to absorb the psyche (thus giving her an edge) of the victim as well.
In the comics, Rogue gains her other cool superpowers by coming in contact with Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel. And since Captain Marvel is set to make her solo debut in the MCU in 2019, who knows? Well, we already know that Rogue won't appear in this shared universe. But we can dream about that.
Mad Jim Jaspers
Here is an interesting mutant that could present a threat to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe - especially in this post-Accords universe. In the comics, Mad Jim Jaspers is a mutant hiding his powers and working in the Parliament. What is interesting is that he pushes an anti-superhuman agenda. So, so to speak, he is a general Ross taken to the extreme.
However, he does that in order to become the strongest on the planet.
There is another twist, since using his reality-warping powers makes him insane - hence the name Mad Jim Jaspers. And when he truly becomes mad, he also becomes a universal threat. So he'd be more powerful than the strongest Avengers (and, for that matter, even more powerful than Star-Lord). The only way he could have been defeated was destroying the continuity he lived in - basically, he was a multiversal threat.
And if the MCU is indeed going to move away from the Phases system and expand in the universe and throughout dimensions, Mad Jim Jaspers would be an awesome one-time villain.
Wolverine
It goes without saying why Hugh Jackman's Wolverine cannot be replaced in the X-Men shared universe - at most, his role could be substituted with the one of X-23, even if that would make the X-Men timeline even more nonsensical.
However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't introduced a superhero like Wolverine until now. Of course there are the fighters (such as Captain America) and the angry ones (go figure). But Logan is one of a kind, with his stamina, his healing factor, his tracking skills, and so on. Furthermore, with Disney, the character's true potential from the comics could be explored - after all, Wolverine is regarded as one of the better hand-to-hand combatants of the Marvel comics.
So if you think that the fight between Cap and Bucky in Captain America: The Winter Soldier was an intense one, imagine having Steve facing a literally indestructible foe (yeah, he'd have to be one, at least until he regains his memories).
Annihilus
Just like Mad Jim Jaspers, Annihilus would be a great one-time villain to be included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether he clashes with a single hero (or the Guardians of the Galaxy), whether he goes against the Avengers themselves, the lord of the Negative Zone would be a great addition - if he wasn't owned by Fox, of course.
While he is in the comics a traditional adversary of the Fantastic Four, with his Cosmic Control Rod he was able to defeat even the mighty Thor in combat. The fact that he is basically immortal (since he is reborn each time he dies) makes him even more powerful.
And so if the Marvel Cinematic Universe will expand throughout the universe and beyond, maybe a Negative-Zone-like dimension could be found. And, say, Captain Marvel, or the Guardians of the Galaxy, or some-other cosmic superhero (even Doctor Strange) will discover an Annihilus-like supervillain.
It could work, right?
Cable
While most fans would like to see Deadpool in the MCU, the Merc with a Mouth is so much better without the restrains of a PG universe. So, instead, we believe that Cable would have been a much better addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - but, as you know, 2018 will bring the mutant's first appearance on the big screen (portrayed by Thanos himself, Josh Brolin) in Deadpool 2.
However, given his backstory, he is one extremely interesting character - furthermore, his time-travelling abilities would have been something new in this shared universe. With his tremendous telepathic and telekinetic abilities, with future technology at his disposal, any MCU movie featuring him would have been great.
Even in a more villainous role, going against the Avengers, Cable would have been a great hero in this shared universe (while adapting a storyline such as X-Sanction).
Phalanx
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have finally expanded beyond the world depicted in the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Thor series, it is without a doubt that enemies such as the Phalanx will be met - they are basically the Borg of the Marvel comic book universe, highly adaptive, with a single collective consciousness. They'd make awesome villains for multiple Marvel movies - if, of course, they weren't owned by Fox.
A movie could have happened with experiments on an alien race of techno-organic beings. And, just like with the creation of Ultron, their creation would have been a simple accident. And with storylines like Annihilation Conquest waiting to be adapted, a Phalanx led by Ultron would be amazing (especially if this means bringing a truly terrific Ultron to life).
In any way, we have no doubt that, at one moment in the MCU's future, a similar race would be introduced. Don't you think so?
