Should Marvel Create A Marvel Cinematic Universe Comic Line?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become one of the biggest entities in entertainment, drawing [...]
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become one of the biggest entities in entertainment, drawing fans and mainstream viewers alike into a world of superheroes and villains that stretch from the movie theater to television to any digital device that carries Netflix (and soon Hulu as well). And yet, this wonderful web of interconnected stories and characters strangely does not extend to the deepest roots of the Marvel Universe: Marvel comic books.
At this point, with so much legal confusion about how Marvel Comics should handle characters like the X-Men or Fantastic Four (whose movie and TV rights are owned by Fox), it's almost impossible for the main Marvel 616 comic book Universe to be redone in MCU form; however, Marvel Comics have a tradition of alternate realities and timelines, and wondering if it's time for one of those spinoff universes to be based on the MCU.
In other words: Should Marvel Create A Marvel Cinematic Universe Comic Line?
It's A Huge Potential Revenue Opportunity
By this point in the MCU's popularity, there are several generations of kids who have all grown up knowing more about the MCU version of Marvel characters than the comic book ones.
For those fans, the jump from the modernized and streamlined MCU mythos to the wild, fantastical, and (often) convoluted mythos of the Marvel Comics Universe can be jarring, and ultimately, unsuccessful. It's probably long overdue for Marvel to gives those fans a line of comics tailored to their specific demographic of fandom.
The upside is the potential: there are millions more people who are into the MCU than there are those into Marvel Comics. If even a small fraction of those viewers are converted into first-time readers, that would be a nice boost to Marvel's comic sales. That doesn't count the amount of already loyal readers who would also dip into the MCU line, as well.
It Helps Move the MCU Along
As much as we all love to think that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a tightly-knit basket of interconnected events and characters, it does have its fair share of inconsistencies and gaps. From Tony Stark's constant personal evolution between films to the nagging disappearances of supporting love interests like Jane Foster, Betty Ross, or Pepper Potts, there are smaller stories of the MCU that movies and TV shows are never going to deal with - but comic books absolutely could.
From more personal explorations of our heroes to storylines and events that help set up events of upcoming movies or TV shows, the MCU comics could play an integral part in helping move the universe along, while also cleaning up any details the films and shows leave unresolved.
It Could Cater to Fan Wishes That Movies and TV Can't
Remember all the many, many, Marvel Comics storylines that fans have asked to see adapted for the MCU? Many of them (like a full Planet Hulk movie) are never going to take shape onscreen - but they definitely could on the comic book page.
The Avengers could head into space every other week, Spider-Man could spend a weekend in Asgard - in the medium of comics the only limit is imagination. With the established canon of the MCU to help temper and guide things, an MCU comic line could be a perfect balance of two different mediums (onscreen vs. page).
There's Already a Big Enough Universe For It
With the MCU now so larger wide-reaching, there are so many characters, in so many places, over so many time periods, that a comic book line based on it would already be furnished and stocked with characters, mythos, and an entire history.
In other words: the comic book creators would have plenty to work with when they first jumped into the MCU line, with no worry at all about running out of material.
It Could Test New Characters and Properties
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe never stop wanting to see more Marvel Comics character adapted for the screen, but the process tends to be slow, as each new MCU character and/or property is a huge investment on the studio's part. The same goes any properties or storylines using existing characters, or any potential changes the studio may want to implement (costumes, romances, etc...)
If Marvel wanted to both give fans what they want and protect its interests, then using an MCU comic book line to test launch new characters and properties is a far less expensive way to do that.
Might we suggest starting with Moon Knight?
It Could Fix Issues From the Movies and TV
The Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't gotten everything right in its impressive run: certain characters have been short-changed; storylines have been executed poorly; too many villains have been thin one-offs killed too soon - we could go on...
The point is that an MCU comic book line could clean up the mistakes of the onscreen MCU - from bad costumes to premature deaths to any continuity errors or gaps. The MCU comics could be the cure to so many lingering criticisms.
It Would Get People Reading More
A final note about why Marvel should introduce a Marvel Cinematic Universe comic book line is that it would be a responsible way to take the interests of young viewers and lead them into the medium of reading.
If half the kids who come to love the MCU (read: millions) jumped into reading the tie-in comic line, that would be millions of kids lured into reading more - which is never a bad thing!
It's Already Happening
Marvel Comics has already started to implement elements of the MCU into the comic books. That includes characters new to the books (like Agent Phil Coulson), or reshaping the creative direction of properties, based on MCU influence (like the upcoming Defenders comic book).
Since the crossovers are already kinda, sorta, happening, why not just push ahead and do a full MCU comic book line?
