Marvel found its way to the top of the superhero movie heap with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU brought the publisher’s characters to the general public in a way that matched the comics in many important respects, creating a shared universe of films and TV shows that enthralled the world for a decade. However, the films have had their challenges since the victory lap that was 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, with a bonafide box office bomb, something that once felt impossible, and numerous disappointments. However, 2024’s Deadpool/Wolverine was an R-rated mega-hit and it may show the direction forward Marvel Studios needs to go to recapture their past successes.
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The MCU could use more dark films, ones that show the breadth of its stories. Luckily for them, Marvel has plenty of characters who would fit amazingly into darker, R-rated films. These seven Marvel characters would give the MCU amazing dark movies, ones that would get audiences filing back into the theaters.
7) Lady Deathstrike
Over the years, Marvel has experimented with making their villains stars, and the MCU could be a great place to do that for the general public. Wolverine has some amazing villains, and there’s one who would be perfect for a dark movie: Lady Deathstrike. The Japanese mercenary became a cyborg to avenge her family’s honor after her father’s adamantium-bonding process was stolen, and has often been portrayed rather sympathetically over the years… when she’s not trying to kill Wolverine, that is. She’s a deep character, and a movie starring her as she moved through the underworld, fighting to restore her honor after years on the dark side, would be quite a time.
6) Damon Hellstrom
Damon Hellstrom is a forgotten Marvel character. He first appeared in the ’70s, when the restrictions on horror comics from the Comics Code Authority calmed down. Known as the Son of Satan, Hellstrom fought his demonic side to do good, but never really caught on as a mystical anti-hero. He’s pretty much disappeared; the House of Ideas dusts him off periodically, brings him out, and usually whiffs with him. However, an R-rated movie, taking place on the darker side of things, could be just what the character has been looking for, bringing him success that he’s never had before. He’s perfect for this kind of story.
5) Blade
Blade was Marvel’s first film success, and it’s honestly mystifying why the MCU hasn’t put out a film starring the character. Original Blade actor Wesley Snipes appeared in Deadpool/Wolverine, and there was a Mahershala Ali starring movie of the character in the works, but Marvel never was able to get it to work or some such and it’s been cancelled. It’s about time the publisher stopped messing around and just wrote an R-rated horror movie starring the vampire hunter. They’ve done it three times before; it’s not like it’s impossible. Marvel needs to let go of whatever is holding them back with the character and give everyone what they want.
4) Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is another Marvel character that has some success in films outside of the MCU and it’s time to change that. There are few characters more perfect for an R-rated MCU spectacular than the Spirit of Vengeance. Nicholas Cage will definitely come back to play Johnny Blaze, or Marvel Studios can go with the Danny Ketch or Robbie Reyes versions of the character. The fiery hero is a perfect visual, and he can take the films to all-new heights. There’s no doubt he could be the next big MCU hero if the studio played their cards right with his movie.
3) Magik
The New Mutants introduced readers to some great characters, one of whom has become a superstar in the last few years: Magik. Thanks to her roles in Midnight Suns and Marvel Rivals, she’s become more popular than ever and would be perfect for a dark R-rated film. The mutant sorcerer has a tortured past, had to learn how to control her own demonic side, and is always ready to take on all comers. A movie that deals with her battling demons both inside of her and in the world without would make for an excellent movie. It would be the perfect way to show just how much can be done with Marvel’s merry mutants, and it would make the character more popular than she is now.
2) Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi has already made his MCU debut, in a movie that fans liked but didn’t really love. The best parts of the movie were the martial arts scenes, and that would be the key to an R-rated Shang-Chi movie. Give viewers violent, over the top martial arts action and watch them swoon. The character has acted as a spy before in the comics, so a dark spy movie could work or something that uses Chinese mythological horrors (which Simu Liu would love; he’s all about putting more Asian ideas into cinema, and could go over well around the world). Marvel Studios just needs to leave behind their superhero formula with the character and take the hero into a darker place. It would work like gangbusters.
1) Wolverine
Much like Shang-Chi, Wolverine has made his MCU debut. The reason I’m not using a picture of Hugh Jackman is simple: we don’t know if he’s going to go on as the character in the MCU and if he is, we don’t know if we’re getting another version of the character as well (because, you know, multiverses). Regardless, Logan was made for R-rated movies and has had great success in these kinds of films. Wolverine is an amazing hero, and his violent life and the darkness of his past fits better in a more mature movie. There are all kinds of amazing stories starring the Canadian mutant that would lend themselves well to an R-rated yarn, and Marvel Studios would do well to remember this when coming up with their next project for the diminutive mutant.
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