The MCU is home to a couple of fantasy-led projects, but from Hercules to Magik there’s room for characters to dive deeper into the genre.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is going into more experimental phases as new characters and concepts are tested both on the big screen and on Disney+. Animated shows like What If…?, Marvel’s Special Presentation formats, and Spotlight series like Echo all demonstrate that Marvel Studios is continuing to push its strategy to encompass a wider range of genres and narrative structures.
The fantasy genre, in particular, is making a comeback, and although franchises like Thor and Doctor Strange have touched upon fantastical elements, they have also been accompanied by sci-fi and superhero components. Marvel Studios could craft the next big fantasy franchise that’s entirely committed to the tropes and expectations of the genre: a sword and sandal-style affair. These characters could lead to such a project, and many of them have already been established in the MCU.
Valkyrie Is the Future of Asgard
The latest outing starring Valkryie in the lead left fans divided asThor: Love & Thunder progressed her narrative but failed to craft a consistent tone that audiences could get behind. Regardless of the discourse, Love & Thunder positioned Valkryie in a role that could help frame her as the next fantasy protagonist.
Asgard has been destroyed, but with a universe full of deities and wider Norse mythology to explore, it feels as if Valkyrie’s narrative isn’t done. A quest to restore Asgard to its former glory might be the right beat to craft a new fantasy film around, with Valkryie taking her people back to prosperity as only a King can.
Starfox’s Journey Is Yet to Be Adapted
Starfox or Eros is linked to Greek mythology and Eternal lore in Marvel Comics. As a deity-like figure linked to matters of the heart, Starfox’s powers and basic character traits make him totally unique in the context of the rest of the MCU. Fans only briefly saw the charismatic devil in a post-credits sequence.
It’s worth noting that Eros was accompanied by Pip the Troll in Eternals, a fantastical creature in his own right that could help to influence a potential Starfox spinoff. It’s hard to ignore that there’s a fantastic road trip-style movie on the table with Pip and Starfox in a D&D-esque scenario, visiting characters and worlds from across mythology. Their chemistry would drive the film and Starfox in a Bard role makes perfect sense.
Hercules Is the Perfect Successor to Thor
Hercules debuted in a post-credits for Thor: Love & Thunder, and it’s unclear if Marvel has plans for the character going forward. There’s a fantastic arc in the comics that sees Hercules lead a team known as the God Squad, made up of mythological characters from across Marvel and ancient history.
While that’s a prime area for Marvel to explore that could prompt a new fantasy franchise, there’s something to be said about Greek myth itself. Right now, Hercules has been introduced as a potential villain, but he could easily take over from Thor in the sword and sandal genre and reenact myths like the famous labors. Marvel has a huge opportunity to ignore the sci-fi edge they gave to the Asgardians and lean into something more mystical with the Olympians.
Star-Lord Can Embrace His Title
Peter Quill’s journey in the MCU hasn’t come to an end quite yet. Although there have been multiversal variants of the character and multiple appearances from the veteran hero, Star-Lord still has a long way to go before his character reflects what fans saw on the page.
In the comics, Quill becomes a literal Star-Lord, a god-like being with the powers to match. There’s a fantasy story in there that may be able to reframe Quill and embrace the space opera elements of franchises like Star Wars that also make the most of fantasy tropes. Quill’s journey to becoming the true Star-Lord might begin on Earth and should be the subject of future films.
Ka-Zar Could Bring the Savage Land to Life
Ka-Zar is a character with a long and complex history. It remains to be seen whether he’ll ever make his way to the MCU, but the Savage Land of which he inhabits has already made a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There’s an ecological fantasy film to explore, unlike anything Marvel has yet produced.
There are plenty of fantastical movies about traveling to the center of the Earth or finding worlds that no one knew existed. It’s fascinating to take such a location and reveal it from the point of view of someone who lives there, specifically Ka-Zar. With a Kong: Skull Island approach to the material, with a couple of mystical twists, a Ka-Zar TV show could be a very popular project for Disney+ to adapt.
Magik Opens Up Limbo
In the comics, Magik is linked to a hellish realm known as Limbo, full of demons and strange magic. It’s an unconventional and harsh location and a perfect fantasy backdrop to delve into the strengths of the character. Magik is both a Mutant and a sorceress, and before Marvel depicts the former, it would be fun to portray the latter.
Clea Provides Dark Dimension Possibilities
The comics depict Clea Strange as a warlord and Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension. Although Strange trusts her with his life, she has a dark history and is both unpredictable and has the potential to be corrupted. Clea is a complex figure whose time in the Dark Dimension is perfect for a television spin-off.
While some may claim the first Doctor Strange film is mere filler and largely skippable, it does crucially introduce the Dark Dimension, of which audiences have still seen so little. There’s a horror fantasy project waiting to be made of Clea Strange conquering Dormammu’s realm, with or without the aid of the Doctor himself.
Ghost Rider Adapts a New Kind of Fantasy
Many of the characters of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. still aren’t technically canon in the MCU, but after the Netflix shows were brought into continuity, fans are hoping the same can happen with this Marvel series. Among the fantastic array of characters, Ghost Rider was introduced: the Robbie Reyes version.
Although Ghost Rider has received two films in the past, this version of the character is perhaps the most compelling. With demonic mythology yet to be touched upon in the MCU beyond the Darkhold and the realm of Hell to visit, a fantasy horror movie with Reyes in the lead would provide a very different tone compared to what fans are used to. There’s so much mythology there from the comics, and this Ghost Rider feels like a relatable way into that.
Captain Britain Can Explore Arthurian Legend
Although there are parallels to be made between Captain Carter and the Captain Britain Corps and an Agent Braddock was name-dropped in Avengers: Endgame, there haven’t been any firm plans put in place just yet for a Captain Britain adaption. The closest Marvel has gotten to Arthurian legend is with the debut of Black Knight.
There’s a wealth of stories to be told with Camelot, Otherworld, and the Knights of the Round Table that could provide a very different fantasy tone to what Marvel had adapted thus far. With the Multiverse Saga unfolding, there’s no better time to bring the corps in, with British mythology as the backdrop to present these heroic personalities.
Scarlet Witch Can Finally Go Back Into Magical History
The Scarlet Witch only claimed that title in WandaVision, which finally fulfilled an arc that was a long time coming as the character embraced her destiny. The witchy fantasy elements of the character were depicted further in Multiverse of Madness, but then the character was supposedly killed off.
The Disney+ show focused on Agatha Harkness will be able to feature some of the other fantasy witchcraft concepts present in MCU lore, but really, fans want the return of the Scarlet Witch herself to finish the journey she started. There’s so much more for the character to learn about her heritage, and a post-corruption arc would give creatives a good array of character conflicts to add dimensions to.
