We are in the Golden Age of Superhero cinema. Since
Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has given us an impressive number of unique superheroes to see in action on the big screen. They took the quirkiest team (
Guardians of the Galaxy) in the Universe and turned it into a huge success! Now that Marvel has established their universe and a wide array of heroes, the time has come to play in the sandbox with those classic characters and story-lines to make our heads explode.
Spoiler Alert: For non-comic book readers, this post may contain possible character spoilers. You have been warned!
Note: I haven’t included any team or characters which are currently not owned by Marvel. The movies and their story-lines mentioned below are not strictly based on their original comic book story-line and they partly contain my desired view. You can think of this as a type of fan-fiction or as my dream story-line of Phase 4.
Here's my list of movies that Marvel should do in Phase 4:
PLANET HULK
Image from- scarypet, DeviantArt
We may not see most of our beloved Avengers in Phase 4 because their contracts end with
The Avengers: Infinity War. This is a good thing because it opens doors to some fresh and new characters, in fact the Avengers should retire and leave everything to the Defenders, until the reboot era starts again.
Right off the bat, we need a Hulk movie! We get a few glimpses of his dark side in
The Avengers: Age Of Ultron, but after Infinity War he needs to end up in a situation where he is unable to turn back to Bruce Banner.
According to the comic book story-line, the Illuminati trick him and send him away from the solar system. They intended for him to land on a peaceful planet, but the shuttle passes through a wormhole on its way. Since Marvel cannot make Illuminati happen, we can replace them with Nick Fury and his
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (this would make a great episode).
Hulk then crashes on a planet called Sakaar, he is approached by locals and they immediately fix him with an obedience disk (don't even ask me) and is taken to slavery. He is forced to fight gladiator battles for the planet's emperor, the Red King. Hulk becomes a hero for his actions in the arena and the rest of the story is how he moves forward with the rebellion, falls in love with Caiera (Red King's lieutenant) and the defeat of the Red King. Interestingly, after the King's defeat, Hulk is named as the King, he marries Caiera and she becomes pregnant with Hulk's child.
Meanwhile, the shuttle that brought Hulk to Sakaar is being turned into a monument. As part of its self-destruct sequence, the antimatter warp core engine detonates in a massive explosion. The whole city is destroyed, and Caiera dies. Enraged and blaming the Avengers who built the shuttle for the damage, Hulk and his warbound leave Sakaar and head for Earth.
In order to maintain continuity, I thought it would be great if a Kree member who observed Hulk's wondrous feats in the arena, would sneakingly take Hulk's blood sample and use it for their "experiment".
End credits scene- An alien UFO appears on Earth and abducts a teenager called Teddy Altman. The abductors are later revealed as the Kree and they use Teddy as a test subject for the Hulk experiment. He would later become the Hulkling.
HAWKEYE: WAY OF THE ARROW
Hawkeye is a largely forgotten character in the Avengers, but he played an important role in
Age of Ultron. However, I was left with many questions regarding his past which can be answered with the much deserved Hawkeye movie.
There is a perfect comic book for this adaptation,
Solo Avengers #2- "The Way of the Arrow". The story introduces a new villain- Trickshot, who is an army veteran and an ex FBI Agent but the most interesting twist is that he turns out to be Hawkeye's older brother who was believed to be dead! This may sound similar to
Captain America: Winter Soldier, but this can be way better.
The story also shows the origin of Hawkeye and how Trickshot came to be a villain. To make things interesting, we can always add Ant Man to the mix, knowing they make great partners.
The Way of the Arrow is filled with espionage, betrayal and lots of action. This is a mouth-watering storyline waiting to be adapted for a movie.
Here's what I think should be included in this story- After defeating his brother, he reflects upon his ordeal in the Infinity War and he realizes how important Avengers is to the world. In that moment, he decides to restart the Avengers program.
End credits scene- Hawkeye seeks Vision and he asks his help for recruiting new members for the Avengers.
DOCTOR STRANGE II: THE DARK DIMENSION
Image from- xteveabanto, DeviantArt
Doctor Strange should definitely have a sequel in Phase 4, since many people are dissatisfied with Marvel villains- here we can introduce the Lord of Chaos, the Dread One- Dormammu! One of the most recurring enemy of Doctor Strange and he ranks highly among the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe.
He inhabits the Dark Dimension, which is a wholly-alien, conventional-laws-of-physics-defying realm separate from the regular Marvel Universe, and certain similar beings, such as the Dweller-in-Darkness are known to predate it. He is known to well precede the creation of the current demonic netherworlds.
For the movie, these comics would be perfect-
"The Domain of the Dread Dormammu" and
"Duel with the Dread Dormammu," Strange Tales #126 and #127.The two-part introduction to the villain would make for a mystifying psychedelic movie. In this story, Strange must enter the Dark Dimension and stop Dormammu from entering our world and on his path, he faces some morally complicated choices with each decision having severe consequences. There is also moment where he has to "kill" someone, kinda like Superman in
Man of Steel.
The Dark Dimension is a melding of alternate and abstract realities that were merged together into a single realm. A location like this has never been explored in any movie, this can carry people to new environments, visuals and bring forward a unique style of film-making in the MCU.
End credits scene- An enraged Hulk arrives with his army and lands on Earth.
INHUMANS II: WORLD BREAKER
The Inhumans sequel make a perfect fit in my desired Phase 4 timeline. As per my intended Planet Hulk, the Agents of SHIELD banished Hulk from Earth and the spacecraft they used explodes and kills Hulk's pregnant wife. Blaming them and the Avengers for her death, Hulk returns to Earth for revenge with his army.
According to the original storyline from
World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker, Hulk fights Black Bolt on the Moon and defeats him, but this battle can be portrayed on Earth with much more grandeur. Here is my perspective-
The Hulk returns to Manhattan and battles Inhumans and many superheroes. I'd love to see Captain Marvel, the Defenders, Agents of SHIELD and Ant Man fight alongside the Inhumans in this war. This war will definitely ensure great destruction almost like the destruction porn scene in the Man of Steel. Hulk also faces Thunderbolt Ross and the U.S. Army Force. Nick Fury and other superheroes try to contain Hulk and his army, while the Inhumans take all the action.
Eventually, it all comes down to Hulk and Black Bolt. Black Bolt is the ultimate bad-### and is one of the few people who can handle the Hulk. As the battle goes on, the Agents of SHIELD activate a series of weaponized satellites (created by Tony Stark) to take down the Hulk. After a long and strenuous fight, Hulk defeats Black Bolt. The entire fight takes its toll on Hulk, the satellites open fire, Hulk falls and turns back into Bruce Banner. Black Bolt barely survives the ordeal. SHIELD later imprisons Banner in a facility three miles underground, with the other Warbound members having been taken into U.S. military custody.
End credits scene- It is revealed that the satellites used to revert Hulk back to Banner at the end, siphoned off the gamma radiation from his body. SHIELD collects the cathexis ray later used to create the Red Hulk.
MOON KNIGHT
He is known as the Marvel's Batman in the comic book community, but he is way more ruthless, dangerous and brutal than his DC counterpart- I present to you, the Moon Knight!
Thanks to the easter egg in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we know that Marvel is in works for a Moon Knight solo movie or TV series. I honestly would love to see him get the Netflix treatment, because this bad-###, crazy and over-the-top character cannot be fully fleshed out in a movie.
Mercenary Marc Spector died in Egypt, under a statue of the ancient deity Khonshu. He returned to life in the shadow of the moon god, and wore his aspect to fight crime for his own redemption. Marc Spector is literally a crazy person with lots of issues, he transfers among a number of personas as he works to combat crime, never quite sure of who he is. He loses his grip on reality and treat each of these personae as different people, among other identities crafted to suit his needs.
His stories are very dark, gritty and filled with gory violence, which is exactly what Marvel needs right now. If a hero himself is so crazy, just imagine how his villains would be... I will end this on that note.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY III: THE ENEMY
Concept art by Andy Park
Guardians of the Galaxy's sequel may introduce Adam Warlock or go more in depth with Thanos and it may involve a lot of time traveling (due to the Time Gem). However, for the third part they can introduce two new awesome characters- Nova and Korvac.
Nova Corps have already been established in the first movie, so they may introduce him in the sequel. Richard Rider is a middle-class man from the United States who became a member of the Nova Corps. Calling himself "Nova," Rider is an inter-galactic peace-keeper. He is empowered by the Nova Force. He is the Nova-Prime; the leader of the Nova Corps. If he's not present in the sequel, then he must make an appearance in the third part. Either way, he is very much required to stop Thanos or Korvac.
Korvac was a highly skilled computer technician in a parallel Earth (Earth-691). When the Sol System and its colonies are conquered by the alien Brotherhood of Badoon in the year 3007 AD, Korvac becomes a collaborator and traitor to the human race. The Badoon made Korvac work until he was exhausted and he collapsed one day while on the job. Caught asleep at a machine while working, the Badoon punish Korvac by grafting his upper body to a machine, effectively making him a cyborg. Korvac is then transported through time by the Elder of the Universe the Grandmaster. He discreetly scans and analyzes the Grandmaster's cosmic power. Gaining several new abilities from this analysis, Korvac then kills his Badoon masters and plans to conquer the cosmos. It would certainly take a legion of heroes to bring down this omnipotent space god.
End credits scene- Vision finds Teddy Altman naked in the middle of a crop field. Vision says that he has been waiting for him. He carries him and flies towards the Avengers tower.
SPIDER-WOMAN: ORIGIN
Spider Woman a.k.a Jessica Drew is a tough secret agent who became an Avenger. She’s one of the premiere female superheroes in the Marvel Universe. Her life in and out of comics have been some of the craziest and most reconned of all characters. The best way to bring her into MCU is with
Spider-Woman: Origin #1-5.
The story goes all the way back to before Jessica was even born, we meet her scientist father, who's experiments on Wundagore Mountain plant the seeds for future events that will set in motion Jessica's turn as a super hero. Jessica was later recruited by HYDRA under the false pretense of HYDRA being a force for good in the world. There she was trained by Taskmaster in martial arts and the effective use of her powers to become a deadly assassin.
As a HYDRA agent she battled Nick Fury and SHIELD, until Jessica learned HYDRA's true nature. She sets off to get her own retribution and maybe learn more about herself that she thought possible. She has connections with both the superhero world and the spy world, so if we do eventually see her, we can expect a thrilling, action-packed adventure.
With this storyline, we can introduce an awesome villain too- The Taskmaster. He possesses the ability to absorb knowledge and instantly replicate combat skills of anyone he observes. The intriguing secret history of Jessica Drew and her journey from child experiment to HYDRA agent to SHIELD. agent to super hero to private eye to Avenger with the introduction of Taskmaster makes for one fascinating movie.
End credits scene- The events in
Captain America: The Winter Soldier led to the exposure and defeat of HYDRA. Now, HYDRA has secretly amassed great resources, technology and weaponry, rivaling that of SHIELD. In a giant room, a mysterious man walks onto the stage, facing thousands of HYDRA soldiers and he says, "No more hiding! We are going to strike, we are at WAR!!"
BLACK PANTHER II: RAGE
During the events of Civil War and possibly Infinity War, Black Panther leaves Wakanda a lot. The Wakandan people feel abandoned by their leader who spends better part of his time in America with the Avengers. This feeling of contempt and abandonment in the people is brought up by Erik Killmonger, Black Panther's greatest nemesis.
Erik Killmonger, the villain of
"Panther's Rage" is one of the more complex villains that a super-hero comic can have. Killmonger is a revolutionary leader, well-known to all Wakandans, and even supported by some. He became educated in the United States, earning a PhD in Engineering and an MBA. It is said that he even taught for a time at M.I.T.
His revolutionary charisma, his mastery of politics and economics, his tactical cunning, and his access to the Altar of Resurrection would likely have make him Black Panther's greatest foe even if his physical abilities were not as amazing as they are. He will stop at nothing to have the Kingdom of Wakanda for his own.
In this sequel, Black Panther must win over his people again and defeat Killmonger. This story is so huge, it ranges across the savannah, into the deepest jungles and up to the snow-topped mountains of Wakanda, this would make for an interesting movie.
End credits scene- Black Panther is shocked when the U.S.A declares war on Wakanda.
YOUNG AVENGERS I: THE RED ZONE
There is no Marvel without the Avengers, since we won't be able to see most of the original Avengers in Phase 4, it's time for a new team to shake things up. Meet the Young Avengers, a group of teenage superheroes with powers and abilities mirroring those of the Avengers.
Young Avengers consists of Patriot (Falcon), Iron Lad (can be played by the kid in
Iron Man 3), Stature (Ant Man's daughter), Hulkling, Miss America, Noh Varr and the Vision. Hawkeye is the leader of the team.
There is an excellent story-line for this movie-
Avengers #65-70 Red Zone, however this story arc consists of the original Avengers, but we can replace their characters with the Young Avengers. I've chosen this specific arc because we can bring back Red Skull to the MCU, who is an important villain in the Marvel Universe.
In this arc, a mysterious red cloud devastates the midwest, infecting anyone caught within with a lethal virus, resulting in the death of many innocent people. The Avengers soon arrive and upon investigation, they find out that the virus was created by the United States. The man behind this biological weapon is the Secretary of Defense- Dell Rusk, who is later revealed to be the Red Skull!
He planned to incite a global war by framing Wakanda for the attack, but the plot was uncovered by the Avengers before the situation could escalate. Red Skull was dealt a severe beating by the Black Panther, which resulted in his jaw being broken in half.
Here's what I'd like to add for this movie, the first half deals with Hawkeye bringing the team together and the escalation of the U.S - Wakanda war. The second half can show how the Young Avengers with the help of Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch and Spider Woman manage to stop Red Skull and his HYDRA army. This story contains all the ingredients for a beautiful Avengers movie and is desperately waiting to be made.
End credits scene- In a secret facility, unknown scientists are working on a damaged robotic being. The being's eyes glow and suddenly the robot speaks- "Where am I?" Baron Zemo appears from darkness with a glass of wine in his hand, he replies "Wake up dear Ultron, there's lot of avenging to do..."
That's it folks! I know many people were expecting a Secret Invasion arc or the Runaways, but sadly MCU hasn't developed enough characters or plot lines for that to happen. I badly wanted Kang to be the main villain of Phase 4, but he belongs to Fox... Marvel better get back their characters!