Recently, we learned that Hulk would be teaming up with Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, and that’s exciting for a whole bunch of reasons. Dr. Banner has been notoriously under-utilized in the MCU, and he and Thor have a satisfyingly brutal way of fighting together. Besides, it makes sense that Thor would have someone to hang out with in his third movie. When you think about it, Thor: The Dark World was the only true standalone movie in all of Phase 2. Iron Man had Rhodey in Iron Man 3, Cap had Falcon and Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy was a galactic team-up of its own, and even Ant-Man had Hank and Hope to help him out (even if neither of them suited up…yet).
If team-up movies are the new solo movies (and judging by the title of Ant-Man and The Wasp, they are), here are some teams we’d like to see get their own movie in the future.
War Machine and Falcon
Who are they?
Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes: Decorated officer in the US Air Force, former military liaison to Stark Industries, and newly inducted Avenger.
Sam Wilson: Former pararescueman for the US Air Force, PTSD counsellor, and new bestie of Captain America.
Why would they be perfect for each other?
Rhodey and Sam are so much more than just the black friends Tony Stark and Steve Rogers use to prove they aren’t racist. They’re both men who have dedicated their lives to serving their countries through any means possible. They’ve both been backup and support for their more famous friends, but now it’s time to put them in the spotlight. Both pilot specialized suits that allow them to fly around and shoot things, and both are known for having a dry sense of humor. Even more interesting than their similarities, however, are their differences. Both Rhodes and Wilson are extremely loyal to their friends, and which side they choose in Captain America: Civil War reflects this. Falcon will stick with Captain America, and War Machine will fight with Iron Man. Even if the Avengers come together again to unite against a larger threat, it’s safe to say that there will be some trust issues between certain members of both sides. For some, this might be an insurmountable obstacle: after Civil War, Tony and Steve may not be able to be in the same room as each other. Sam and Rhodey, on the other hand, are different. Even if they hate each other, both are men bound by loyalty and duty. They may not like it, but if the government needed them to handle some highly-sensitive mission that could only be trusted to military personnel, they’d have no choice but to work together. The most interesting dynamic between Rhodes and Wilson would be a tense partnership between people who don’t really like each other, but have a grudging respect for each other and will stay together because their duty demands it. And maybe, by the end, old grudges will be buried and an unlikely friendship will blossom. That’s right, War Machine and Falcon would be Lethal Weapon with superheroes. An aura of secrecy and military tension would help set the tone of the movie, and the film would culminate in a dazzling aerial battle.
Who would direct it?
If Marvel wants someone who can handle buddy-cop comedy, military drama, and action that takes place in the sky, there’s no better choice than Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, Point Break). Many fans want Bigelow to take on Captain Marvel, another Marvel movie featuring a hero in the US Air Force, and she’d be a perfect fit for this for the same reasons. Maybe a pre-powers Carol Danvers could make an appearance in the movie, which would give Bigelow a chance to introduce the character to fans before her solo movie.
Hawkeye and Spider-Man
Who are they?
Clint Barton: Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, expert marksman, and world’s greatest dad.
Peter Parker: High-school student, genius, and photographer
Why would they be perfect for each other?
Despite it being his third appearance, Avengers: Age of Ultron was the first movie that actually showcased Hawkeye’s personality. We saw that he’s probably the most mature Avenger, and despite his lack of powers was often the one holding the team together. We also saw what a great father he was–protecting his family from his dangerous life, while still managing to be there and raise his kids. His paternal instincts even extended past his own kids, to the Maximoff twins. The banter-filled rivalry he had with Pietro and the pep-talk he gave Wanda were some of the highlights of the film, and both moments worked because of Barton’s obvious empathy.
While we don’t know exactly what the MCU’s version of Spider-Man will be, we do know a few things about Peter Parker that probably won’t change. First, there’s the fact that he’s young. Assuming he’s fifteen years old in Captain America: Civil War, Peter is only a few years older than Clint’s own son. We also know that Peter will be in need of guidance. Part of the reason the Spider-Man character has always resonated with fans, particularly adolescent fans, is that he’s always lost, and forced to figure out the world by himself. With his parents and uncle out of the picture, Peter could use a father figure to guide him through a tough challenge, and help him figure out what it means to be a superhero, what it means to be an Avenger, and what it means to be a man.
Barton is someone who knows exactly what Peter’s dealing with. Both are at an obvious disadvantage when comparing them to their other teammates. Hawkeye’s a guy with a bow and arrow, and Spider-Man is just a kid. The two teaming up could lead to a friendship and partnership that has tons of heart, not to mention humor. The greatest thing about this team-up is that it has a chance to be small. Hawkeye and Spider-Man are only a step above street level heroes like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, so the team-up between them would be able to operate on a similar scale. The stakes would still be high, but just like in Ant-Man, they would be dealing with people who could destroy a city, not a planet.
Who would direct it?
The Hawkeye/Spidey team-up would require humor, action, and a shoot-out at the end involving guns, arrows, and webs. The director needs to be someone who can direct the fast-paced thrilling scenes just as well as the rooftop stakeout scenes. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (21 & 22 Jump Street, The Lego Movie) would be perfect, and Matt Faction, who wrote some of Hawkeye’s best stories in the comics, would be a great addition here as well.
Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange
Who are they?
Wanda Maximoff: Sokovian orphan, volunteer for Hydra experiments which gave her incredible powers, currently can be found wearing the hell out of her new Avengers outfit.
Stephen Strange: Brilliant surgeon, Sorcerer Supreme, and lover of capes.
Why would they be perfect for each other?
We don’t know all that much about either of these two characters, and that’s part of the reason that they’d actually be perfect together. We’ve already seen some magic in the MCU before–Loki, Frigga, and a handful of other Asgardians have demonstrated magical abilities–but it’s one of the things that’s gone mostly unexplained in the MCU so far. Thor basically explains it to Jane using Clarke’s third law, which states that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. But that can’t be the only explanation. Sure, maybe the bifrost is actually a wormhole, and maybe some of the weirder principals of quantum mechanics come into play with some spells. But the last time a movie franchise over-explained a mystical force using science, we got midichlorians.
So it seems likely that there is a distinction between science and magic, the question is: where does one end and the other begin? We’ll probably start finding out the answers to some of these questions in 2016’s Doctor Strange, but unless the movie is just two hours of explaining how magic works, we’ll presumably still have some questions to be answered. There’s no better team-up to tackle these questions than Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange. Wanda may or may not be using magic, depending on the MCU’s definition of “magic”, and even if she is she’ll almost certainly be using a different type of magic than Strange. The two characters learning about each others’ powers, helping each other hone their skills, and fighting along side each other would provide phenomenal character development for each of them, as well as a chance for the audience to really dig into the specific minutia of magic without turning it into a boring lecture. Not to mention, the visual style of this movie could be more psychedelic and fantastic than anything else the MCU has to offer.
Who would direct it?
For someone with a flair for the magical and colorful, and dark and mysterious, you can’t do much better than Guillermo Del Toro. He has experience making blockbusters (Pacific Rim) and superhero movies (Hellboy), and he’s expressed interest in taking on another comic book property. His movies do have a reputation for getting lost in development hell, but pairing his brilliance with the structure of Marvel Studios could yield great results.
Black Widow and Black Panther
Who are they?
Natasha Romanova: Former KGB agent, Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and super-deadly assassin.
T’Challa: Genius, King of Wakanda, and mighty warrior.
Why would they be perfect for each other?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier showed fans how much ass some highly-trained people with little-to-no superpowers could kick. A Marvel movie doesn’t need a heavy hitter like Thor or Hulk to be action-packed. In fact, the deadly precision of Black Widow taking down a dozen bad guys one-by-one is arguably even more fun to watch than Thor knocking them all out with a single blow. Widow is, with the possible exception of Hawkeye, the highest-trained, deadliest spy in the Avengers roster. If someone needs something done quickly and quietly, she’s the one to call. Like, for example, if there was a potential international incident on the brink of happening in Wakanda, it might be a good idea for the Avengers to send in Black Widow to covertly handle the situation before it got out of hand. Black Panther, meanwhile, is just as physically trained and deadly as Widow, and arguably as stealthy and precise. The two on a mission together could lead to some of the most tension filled action we’ve ever seen in a Marvel movie. Imagine the stealth scene on the battleship from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but for the entire movie. A two-person mission by some of the most competent hand-to-hand fighters, a Black Panther/Widow team-up would truly defy the superhero genre. Instead, it would be like a Bourne or Mission: Impossible movie, with one important difference. Unlike every spy movie franchise today, a Black Panther/Black Widow team-up would star two leads, neither of which were white men.
In 2014, Marvel proved the power of their brand name with Guardians of the Galaxy. People would go see a movie about a talking raccoon and tree just because it had the Marvel name on it. Marvel has an opportunity to use that same brand power to kickstart a spy franchise that no other studio would risk. That’s not to say that this team-up would be all about checking boxes off an imaginary “diversity list”, far from it. But the chance to bring some much-needed diversity to the forefront of blockbusters is something that few studios have right now. The lack of diversity in movies doesn’t necessarily come from studios deciding to be racist or sexist, it comes from market research that tells studios that movies staring white men tend to be safer bets, financially. However, Marvel can ignore that research in a way that most studios can’t. They have a brand name, and established characters, that people will want to watch, regardless of race or gender. Black Panther and Black Widow would be a phenomenal match for each other because of their similar styles and potential for incredible action, but the symbolic power of an action blockbuster without a white male lead shouldn’t be underestimated.
Who would direct it?
If you want a movie to feel like a Bourne movie, why not get Doug Liman, the director of The Bourne Identity ? Liman has also directed action movies such as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Edge of Tomorrow, both of which starred women as kick-ass action stars. The sci-fi bend to the latter also proves that Liman can do more than straight action films, introducing elements from other genres while still maintaining heart-pounding action.
Captain America and Daredevil
Who are they?
Steve Rogers: Super-soldier, leader of the Avengers, and literal embodiment of the American spirit.
Matt Murdock: Vigilante crime-fighter, lawyer, and defender of Hell’s Kitchen.
Why would they be perfect for each other?
At first glance, Captain America and Daredevil seem like they’d be a weird fit. After all, they operate on entirely different levels: Cap is a public hero who’s saved the world more than once, and Daredevil is a vigilante fighting thugs in Hell’s Kitchen. But when you actually look at the abilities of each hero, they’re not so far apart. It’s only the comic book histories of the two characters that keep them from playing in the same circles.
While Captain America was created in the Nazi-punching golden age of 1941 and has always been a larger-than-life character, Daredevil has always been tied to Hell’s Kitchen. However, that doesn’t mean the two characters have to stay in separate worlds. In fact, combining the two heroes would be a perfect way to give Cap a more grounded, realistic story that sees him returning to the streets of New York where he grew up, while also allowing Daredevil to step up his game and play with the big boys (and girls). Many fans have hoped that we’ll see Daredevil and the other Defenders show up in Avengers: Infinity War, but under current circumstances, that would feel out of place. To have Daredevil make the jump from defending his neighborhood to defending the galaxy seems ridiculous, but giving him a movie with Cap would give him the stepping stone he needs to enter that area of the MCU. In the comics, Hydra has collaborated with The Hand plenty of times, and the two evil organizations working together would provide a perfect backdrop for a street-level action movie with ties to something bigger.
Who would direct it?
In the second episode of Daredevil, the hallway fight shot in a single take has been compared countless times to The Raid. Similarly, fight-choreographer James Young’s work in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been highly praised as one of the best elements of the film. Young has worked as a fight choreographer on several Marvel properties, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, so he should obviously return to choreograph a Daredevil/Captain America team-up. As for the director, Gareth Evans himself (The Raid, The Raid 2) has discussed taking on a Marvel movie:
It’s tough. The thing is right now, where I am, the kind of things that I’m doing, I don’t know if I fit the superhero mold yet. It’s something I need to learn at some point but I don’t know if I can deliver a PG-13 movie. I don’t know how to do that yet. I should learn but yeah, I’m not sure. Maybe a darker, superhero [film] from Marvel.
If Evans is unable to tone down his action to a PG-13 level, but still has a desire to move in that direction, a “PG-16” property like Daredevil would be perfect for him. With Evans helming the project, we could get a dark, almost-R-rated movie that brings Daredevil to the big screen and offers us a chance to see the darker side of Captain America.
Whether these team-ups will ever actually happen is a mystery, but it looks certain that as the MCU becomes populated by more and more heroes, the days of heroes doing things by themselves are behind us.
For more Marvel news, features, and reviews, make sure to follow us on Twitter.
