By JV Tanjuatco
As we find ourselves still reeling from the climax of Avengers: Endgame (go watch it if you haven’t!) and the end of what is being deemed as the Infinity Saga, we can’t help but wonder what the next saga will be all about. Lucky for us, Marvel has a wealth of epic events, found in their comic books, to tap into. Here’s a list of Marvel stories and why they would be a good fit to adapt for the MCU. Note: there are no X-Men-centric events on this list because while Marvel Studios has that franchise back, there have been no official announcements. Disclaimer: This is an Avengers: Endgame spoiler-free article.
Secret Invasion
Story: The shape-changing aliens, the Skrulls plan a clandestine takeover of Earth, replacing key Marvel heroes with their own agents to set up the invasion. When the plan is exposed the Skrulls unleash Super Skrulls, Skrull warriors who possess an amalgam of powers derived from different Marvel heroes to defeat the Avengers.
Why This Event? The Captain Marvel movie introduced the Skrulls into the MCU. While we’ve only seen one group, there always remains the possibility that there may be more hidden on Earth secretly manipulating our heroes. It would be quite the development to discover that some of the heroes we’ve gotten personally invested are not quite who they seem to be!
The Kree-Skrull War/Galactic Storm/War of Kings
Story: These three stories are all intergalactic wars with different variations. The Kree-Skrull War and Galactic Storm has two alien races fighting it out with the Avengers trying to keep Earth out of the crossfire. War of Kings is basically Galactic Storm 2 (the Kree are at war with Shi’Ar in GS while WOK has the Inhumans ruling the Kree, at odds with Vulcan, the new Shi’Ar emperor) with the Guardians of the Galaxy and other cosmic heroes trying to put an end to it.
Why This Event? The MCU have introduced all the key characters that can play roles in this event. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to revamp the Inhumans into characters worth investing in. War of King depicted them as morally ambiguous heroes doing whatever it takes to protect their way of life during wartime. It’s also a good place to introduce the Shi’Ar, one of the mightiest empires in the galaxy. The big question for Marvel Studios would be how to execute an interstellar epic in a new way.
Annihilation
Story: This universe-spanning epic forced both cosmic heroes and villain to join forces against the Annihilation Wave – powerful monsters from the Negative Zone that want nothing more than to destroy everything in their path. Silver Surfer, Star-Lord, Thanos, Drax, Gamora, Super Skrull, Moon Dragon, Nova, Galactus, Ronan, Firelord, Blastaar and a large supporting cast do their best to stem the tide.
Why This Event? When this event was first released, interest in Marvel cosmic heroes was at an all-time low. Annihilation rejuvenated these characters giving them all a real edge, like never before. It would be a great way to expand the cosmic MCU. Some would argue that giant planet destroyer Galactus deserves a saga of his own but compared to Thanos’ plan to wipe out half the universe, he’s really more an antagonist for a single movie (specifically if they do an MCU Fantastic Four flick).
Avengers Forever
Story: A group of Avengers from past, present, and future are chosen to alter events in time and space to prevent mankind from a dark destiny. The team is composed of a disillusioned Captain America, a young Hawkeye, Wasp and Goliath from the present day, Yellow Jacket from the past, and future versions of Captain Marvel and Songbird trying to stop Kang, the time-travelling conqueror.
Why This Event? In the Avengers comic, Kang is considered one of their worst enemies. He’s a time-travelling warlord who can change the course of events that can lead to you being erased from existence. This epic would be an exciting way to bring him into the MCU by having him be a mastermind orchestrating events in different movies. Plus, it would be an exploration that uncovers the secrets of the MCU and hints of the future to come.
Secret Wars
Story: Based on the 2015 event (there have been several comics that have used that title), Earths from different realities start to collide with one another. After our Earth is seemingly obliterated, Doctor Doom somehow creates a patchwork planet composed of the shattered pieces from different alternate Earths. Doom becomes the emperor of this place deemed Battleworld.
Why This Event? The scope of this plot spans universes, not just planets! Each of the characters you know and love would be seen in refreshingly new ways – an army of Thors, a grown-up Spider-Man with a family, and Steve Rogers trapped in a world filled with Hulks. When it was first released, it was an event composed of several events, a formula that can easily replicated into another 22 movies, if need be.
About the author:
JV Tanjuatco, comic book writer/editor/publisher, founded Comic Book Lab that publishes the comic book titles Mythopolis and War of Whispers (co-created and co-written by him). Comic Book Lab’s most recent project was the graphic novel anthology Stay: 21 Comic Stories authored by Palanca Award winner Angelo R. Lacuesta and illustrated by a stellar line-up of artists including Trese’s Kajo Baldisimo. He has also written articles/reviews for Spot.ph and Ain’t It Cool.
