What Other Movie Genres Should Marvel Adapt?

Marvel’s recent Ant-Man movie wasn’t only a great comic book flick, it was also a tremendous heist film. As many critics pointed out, much of Ant-Man’s appeal was in its ability to make a comic book property feel like Ocean’s Eleven or The Italian Job. A similar chorus sang during Guardians of the Galaxy‘s debut, where where many called James Gunn’s movie a comedy just as easily as they could brand it a space epic.

That one-two punch of blending super heroics with other familiar movie genres has become one of Marvel Studios’ calling cards throughout Phase Two, as the studios diversifies the flavors within its rapidly expanding universe. (It’s like Baskin-Robins wanting more than 31 styles of vanilla.)

This got us thinking about what other popular film genres Marvel could attach their four-color brand to. While the studios’ slate is pretty stocked until 2020, we have some Hollywood hybrids in mind to help Marvel define itself in the uncharted waters of a Phase Four.

A Black Widow Spy Film

  

If things were right in the world, this movie would have debuted years ago. While Marvel surely had their reasons for not giving Black Widow her proper due, they’re now running out of excuses. Why not nip the problem in the bud in Phase Four and give Black Widow the super spy flick the character clearly deserves? This movie could be comic book-meets-Jason Bourne, with a story as focused on visceral, hard hitting espionage as it would be toward MODOK. Having Natasha get her hands dirty in brutal hand-to-hand action scenes, while also sleuthing through the Marvel Universe’s most nefarious organizations, could perfectly prove that she can anchor her own film.

A Ghost Rider Stunts Movie

  

 We’ve already seen Ghost Rider try to be a comic book western movie…and that didn’t work out so well. But why not try on another hat, and really embrace Johnny Blaze’s inner Evil Knievel? Ghost Rider provides the perfect template for one outrageous automotive set piece after the next, making the Fast and Furious franchise look like a round of Mario Kart. And if Ghost Rider blended its supernatural elements in the right way, it could make some seriously eye-popping stunts. Sure, you’ve seen cars descend out of planes. But what would happen if you saw motorcycles descend from planes…and into Hell? Your face would melt off, that’s what.

A Marvels Human Drama

  

 It’s a long shot, but what if Marvel made a movie where the main hero was…us? A similar approach was taken in the comics with Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ compelling Marvels miniseries. In the comic, readers followed a New York journalist as he saw the Marvel Universe bloom and evolve from a civilian’s vantage-point. The story’s beauty laid in its all-too human perspective, as Marvel’s biggest moments were filtered through the fears and concerns of an average citizen. While such an out-of-the box approach would be a big gamble for movie, the emotional and dramatic payoff could be immense. A human drama looking at the world of superheroes from the outside would make a comic book movie relatable on the most literal of levels.

A Moon Knight Psychological Thriller

  

If you aren’t familiar with the Marvel Comics character Moon Knight, all you really need to know is that he’s like Marvel’s Batman—but is also bat-$#*& crazy. Cue an intense psychological comic book thriller, where reality itself is called into question. As Moon Knight—a.k.a. Marc Spector—struggles through his multiple personality disorder and schizophrenia while also delivering vigilante street justice,  audiences would have the comic book equivalent of, say, Fight Club or Insomnia. Nothing could be as it seemed, and viewers would question what they saw just as often as Moon Knight would.  While a Moon Knight movie could work as a basic urban crime-fighting tale, the real storytelling potential would reside in Moon Knight’s fractured brain.

A Nova Corps. Cop Film

  

Marvel already set the Nova Corps.’ basic foundations in Guardians of The Galaxy, but we want to see how these cosmic cops really operate. A Nova Corps. movie could be Marvel’s ode to the best cop films, like Lethal Weapon or Die hard. If a Nova Corps. movie focused on one or two beat cops—say Rich Rider—navigating through Nova office politics while also sniffing out the galaxy’s biggest crimes in that patented off-the-books manner, Marvel could have one far-out cop movie on its hands. And of course, the movie wouldn’t be complete unless John C. Reilly’s commanding officer character demanded Rich to turn in his badge and gun for not playing by the rules. Heck, you could probably build an entire movie around that scene alone. 

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Are there any other Hollywood favorites in need of the Marvel treatment? Share your ideas in the comments below! And to see when Marvel’s next films will hit theaters, head to ComicBook.com’s official comic book movie database.