10 Wasted Storylines The MCU Reboot Can Finally Get Right

Provided the MCU is indeed en route to a reboot, this provides a golden opportunity for Marvel to get some of its wasted storylines right on a second go-around. While Marvel has been particularly adept at re-imagining some of the comics’ most iconic storylines in cinematic form, there are some that definitely benefit from further exploration. Far from being pure fan-service, however, these storylines are open goals when it comes to making compelling cinema – and they can certainly be worked into a new arc.

While some of the stories in this list were part of some of the MCU’s best movies, the constraints of conveying an entire comic book run in the space of a single movie are all-too stark. A lot of the most seminal comic runs were given screen time – and in many cases done justice – but to see them either revisited or fleshed out further as part of a reboot, perhaps even spanning several films as part of a saga, would be a satisfying testament to the source material. With that in mind, here are some of the best storylines that could be done justice after an MCU reboot.

Related: How To Watch the Marvel Movies In Order (By Release Date & In Order Of MCU Timeline Events)

10 Steve Rogers’ “Hail Hydra” Payoff

One of the best MCU Easter Eggs was the moment in Avengers: Endgame where Steve Rogers uttered “Hail Hydra.” While Rogers’ apparent betrayal was actually a savvy tactic to pull the wool over Jasper Sitwell’s eyes during the Time Heist, the line carries far more weight due to where it originates from. In what is now one of the most iconic comic book panels in history, Steve Rogers utters the same line in the Secret Empire run of comics, except this time with intent, after changes to the universe provided him a villain origin story instead of his usual one.

It would be a dark yet impactful turn of events to see the typically goody-goody Steve Rogers, who has every chance of returning after the reboot, as an antagonist. Given this happens because of timeline changes, it would also be possible to showcase this story without having it be a permanent fixture of the franchise, meaning it wouldn’t need to lock Captain America into being an eternal villain, so long as his personal timeline was changed back.

9 Hulk Can Reach His Potential In Planet Hulk/World War Hulk

The MCU’s most hard done by hero, Hulk, nearly had his moment in Thor: Ragnarok when all the pieces of the Planet Hulk story were set in place. Skaar, Meik, Korg, gladiator Hulk, and more were all integral parts of the original story; but it wasn’t Hulk’s story. Instead, Hulk unsurprisingly played second fiddle to the titular hero of the movie, and the Planet Hulk beats were fleeting components of Thor’s next leg on his journey of self-discovery. Now that an MCU World War Hulk is looking more and more likely, this could be a chance to flesh out the events of Sakaar more fully.

Related: 10 Characters Who Should Survive The MCU Reboot With Their Original Actors

8 The Kree/Skrull War Can Be More Than Backstory

The Kree/Skrull war in the comics was a seminal arc that bridged a lot of heroes’ stories, and was even the context in which Wanda and Vision first began their romance. While Marvel used it as a backdrop to introduce Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel into the MCU, the original story involved just about everybody – including the Avengers. Lauded as one of the best arcs in Marvel Comics history, it is a shame that it never got more attention beyond a background plot point. It also closely tied to the Inhumans, which incidentally are another one of the MCU’s stories that could use a re-hash.

7 The Inhumans Can Exist Again

Owing to the Inhumans TV series’ historic flop, Marvel has gone to great lengths to brush their existence under the rug. Reports from scriptwriters on Eternals, for example, allege that Hawaii had to be completely avoided due to it being the setting for the doomed series; meanwhile, Ms. Marvel’s original Inhuman roots have been switched out for a mutation. Marvel did later reintroduce Black Bolt, a role reprized by Anson Mount, but as part of an alternate universe. The failure of the series was a real shame given the importance of the Inhumans in the comics and other stories on this list – meaning a reboot would be welcome.

6 Civil War Can Be Given Proper Scale

Captain America: Civil War did well to condense the immensity of the comic book original into one movie. Watching the Avengers whale on each other was no less heartbreaking on the big screen – but it could also have been so much more. The original Civil War story comprised a much larger contingent of combatants, and leaned heavily into the political and social commentary, with ample voice being given to the citizens that were affected by the super-powered actions of heroes and villains alike. An entire arc centered around heroes that have been on the same side for years would be as refreshing as it would be heart-wrenching.

It seems like bringing the Dark Phoenix storyline to the big screen is a task that’s easier said than done. Fox have had two stabs at it, and neither were particularly well-received. Fox, however, is not Marvel – and if the MCU can’t do justice to this iconic X-Men story, then there is little hope. The reality of the Phoenix Force is that it is a world-ending threat, but is also not just confined to Jean Grey. If the MCU did reboot this story, of course, they would have to take a pretty wildly different direction to avoid fatiguing audiences with yet another rehash.

4 Doctor Doom And The Fantastic Four’s Origins

Unfortunately for every filmmaker that’s worked with him, Doctor Doom is one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, with an incredibly big hand in the events of some of Marvel’s biggest stories. His cinematic mistreatment has been a notorious main criticism of both attempts at a Fantastic Four movie, which is why an MCU reboot has perhaps the final chance to ensure Doom – and the Fantastic Four themselves – receive the origin story they deserve. That is, of course, if Marvel takes that route – after all, it has been successful in avoiding origin stories altogether and delivering top-tier movies such as with Spider-Man, which could be the wiser move.

3 Ultron Could Be Given The What If…? Treatment

Part of the main issues of the much-maligned Avengers: Age of Ultron was the way in which the titular villain failed to achieve his goals. His comic counterpart in the story of the same name, meanwhile, was able to bring about the dystopian future free of humanity – because Ultron really is that powerful. What If…? is thus far the only MCU property to do the android justice – but there is an in-built benefit to Ultron, in that his comic book counterpart is adept at springing back from supposed death stronger than ever – leaving the door wide open for an MCU re-do.

2 Spider-Man’s Interaction With the Symbiote Can Be Done Justice

It is unfortunate that Spider-Man’s objectively cool all-black costume was part of the bloated mess that was Spider-Man 3. Memes aside, it felt like a wasted opportunity at the time – but one which Marvel can now rectify with its own rendition of the web slinger. Peter Parker was last seen having left the memory of everyone who loved him, and having lost Aunt May – which places him in a pretty precarious situation emotionally, and one that a reboot would be unlikely to alter too drastically given that beginning Peter’s arc with another origin story would risk being repetitive.

Indeed, an MCU reboot would also be able to use its own unique spin on the symbiote, rather than needing to capitalize on Venom’s MCU tease. This would perhaps be for the best, as the current setup forcibly links the cinematic universe closer to Sony’s side of the franchise – a move that makes using the symbiote more complicated, as the Sonyverse has faced some recent turmoil.

1 Secret Invasion Can Be The Paranoid Super Hero Thriller It Deserves To Be

One of the biggest recent tragedies to come out of the MCU was its treatment of the Secret Invasion storyline. The implications of having Skrulls comprise half of the earth’s population are pretty severe, but the series in which it was handled fumbled the narrative pretty badly. It did, however, leave the fact that Skrulls still exist disguised among humans an unresolved plot point – which means there is plenty of room for Marvel to pick it up once more and turn it into the paranoid thriller it could have been, rather than the messy slog it ultimately became.

Key Release Dates

 Time to have another go at these stories.  Read More