MCU Phase 4:
You think you know pain? Wait till you meet these superheroes. They can hunt, maim and kill you in the most agonizing way imaginable. And these guys are the best at what they do. Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have always been about wholesome, family-friendly entertainment. But with time, everything changes. With the success of Logan, Deadpool, and Venom, it has been made quite evident that R-Rated movies can also make a mark in the Global Box Office. Marvel could also go down the gory path. Presenting – 11 R-Rated Superhero movies Marvel could use in MCU Phase 4!!
11. Moon Knight
We start off the list with the most obvious choice of them all. Moon Knight has always been about crazy and insane action. Marvel could use a guy like him in the MCU. With his Dissociative Identity Disorder, Moon Knight is a loose cannon at best and a very big liability to the Avengers at worst. If he ever comes to the MCU, it must be completely unconnected to the Avengers franchise. You do not want a superhero that literally saws off his enemies faces off their heads hanging around with the Earth’s mightiest heroes. It is just bad PR.
10. Blade
Blade has already made millions for Marvel. The Blade trilogy started out good but lost steam in its last and final installment. Blade is still a very popular character in the comic book circles and remains a fan favorite to this day. As a monster hunter and vampire killer, Blade’s dark persona and history would fit perfectly well with an R-Rating. Oh, and did we mention the fact that Blade has been a Shield agent in many famous comic book arcs? Shield could be the key to introducing Blade in the MCU.
Steve Lightfoot, Director of The Punisher Netflix TV Series, had this to say about Blade:
“I think, again, this is just me, I have zero idea where any of these things are, but I’m a big Blade fan,” Lightfoot says. “I would always be excited to see that one done for TV, I think you could do an amazing television version of that.”
9. Man-Thing
Man-Thing is Marvel’s answer to Swamp Thing. But the similarities end there. Man Thing has a troubled past and he likes to get his hands dirty from time to time. He would even prefer hanging his victims upside down to make a point. Man-Thing got an honorary mention in the first Agents of Shield Episode titled “Nothing Personal” when Agent Maria Hill, played by Cobie Smulders, threw out the name. Considering the fact that Agents of Shield is considered canon to the MCU, Man-Thing is now officially a part of the Marvel Universe. All the guy needs is a little push.
8. Ghost Rider
It takes a lot of time and resources to bring together a superhero movie. Some succeed while some fail. And then there are some that try so hard to be counted in the former but all they get is an A for effort. The Ghost Rider movies fall into the latter category. Ghost Rider is supposed to be the literal spirit of vengeance. You cannot expect the guy to be all hunky dory every time he graces the screen. So it was a relief when the Robbie Reyes version came into the picture in Agents of Shield. That is how Ghost Rider is in the comics – angry, cruel and violent as hell.
7. The Hellstrom Siblings
You wanted dark and bleak? Well, we give you the Hellstrom Siblings. Daimon and Satana Hellstrom are the children of Satan. They have an array of powers and are damn strong when it comes to the occult arts. The Blade movie we talked about earlier was basically a monster movie. That is not something you count as occult. The mystical begins when you take people like the Hellstrom sibling duo into consideration. It would be quite tricky to portray the brother and sister duo within a movie. But we know Marvel could do it.
6. Doom
Doctor Doom, I have said before and I repeat it again, is the best villain that Marvel Universe has within its arsenal. Period! The guy has such a strong moral code and yet counted as one of the most powerful super villains to ever walk the universe. That says a lot about how complicated a character Doom is.
Marvel already had plans to create an R-rated production of Doom, featuring the God Emperor Doom version of the character. Director Noah Hawley was even in talks with Marvel Studios to make that a reality. With the fox-Disney merger soon to happen, we are optimistic regarding the status of this project in the future.
5. Nick Fury
He is a one-eyed man. He is everywhere. He is the glue that keeps the Marvel Cinematic Universe together. Samuel L. Jackson plays Nick Fury aka Director of Shield, world’s most powerful covert intelligence gathering and paramilitary organization. But did you know that Nick Fury also used to be a badass agent during the peak of his days?
He has saved the world a million times from countless threats, both from and out of this world. This guy needs to have his own movie and it needs to show the violent and cruel underworld of espionage. The Fury: MAX run by Garth Ennis could be used as an inspiration.
4. Fool Killer
Fool Killer would be one of the underdogs on this list. I am pretty sure almost no one would have heard of this guy. Fool Killer is just what he sounds like. He kills ‘fools’. But his definition of the word is different. According to his dictionary, Fools are anyone that either annoy him or make others’ lives miserable. So in short, he kills villains whom he considers as fools. But the reason we chose Fool Killer for this list is due to the fact that while other superheroes turn to the Dark Side due to unforeseen circumstances, Fool Killer actually enjoys killing people.
3. The Incredible Hulk
Disney is now the most powerful Hollywood powerhouse in the world. It bent Fox Studios to its will. So what is stopping it from doing the same to Universal Studios? Universal is much smaller in comparison and holds the rights to the Hulk, which is why Disney is not legally permitted to make a Hulk Standalone movie. The hulk has been a part of so many Avengers flicks. The guy is now more than deserving of an origin story at the very least. Come on Marvel! Make it happen.
2. Deathlok
Michael Collins was just an average level programmer. He dedicated his whole life to making cybernetic implants for amputees. When he finds that his inventions are being used by the company to weaponize humanity, he tries to destroy his creations. He soon ends up in an ‘accident’ and becomes Deathlok, his own Frankenstein. As Deathlok, he goes on several murderous rampages. He later gets more control over his body but Deathlok, as a vigilante, has earned a name amongst the masses as a guy who likes to dabble in blood and bone.
1. Skaar
If not Hulk, why not his son? Skaar is the son of Hulk when the latter is exiled to the planet Sakaar by the Illuminati. Skaar’s powers are unique. He has inherited the powers of both his mother and father. His mother’s power is called the Old Power, an ability which gives its user to siphon energy from the planet itself.
Skaar is also super strong thanks to the Gamma irradiated mutation from his father running through his veins. Skaar, since he has been born and brought up in another planet, has a very different approach to justice. He could be a perfect fit for an R-rate superhero movie under the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The last Avengers movie to be released under the MCU banner was Avengers: Infinity War. The official film synopsis for the movie reads:
Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet — the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artefacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.
