Welcome to another edition of our new series From Comics To Cinema where we discuss the impact comics old, current, or future could have on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We have so far been focused on current and upcoming series that Marvel has, however, this week we’ll be focusing on the characters that already exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but don’t entirely match up with their comic counterparts.
Through its thirteen films and various television shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced dozens of superheroes to audiences since it’s conception in 2008. While there are a plethora of heroes in existence right now, as well as several others on the way, there are a handful of characters in the MCU that have yet to become the super-powered individuals they are in the comics. Here’s a breakdown of some of those characters and the likelihood that we’ll ever see them become a hero.
Hellcat
Netflix introduced an updated version of Patsy Walker (known now as Trish) in it’s Peabody Award-winning Netflix property, Jessica Jones. In the comics, Trish serves as Hellcat, a feline-themed heroine that was once part of The Defenders and The Avengers. Seeing as to how there were several overt hints to her eventually becoming a hero in the first season of Jessica Jones, it’s pretty likely we’ll eventually get to see her take on the moniker of Hellcat. Whether or not that takes place in the first season of The Defenders or the second season of Jessica Jones, it’s still unknown.
Likelihood: 80%
Klaue
Ulysses Klaue (known in the comics as Klaw) made a brief appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he even lost his arm, indicating he’d replace it with his famous claw. The character is known largely as a villain of Black Panther, and although Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger has been confirmed as a villain for the Black Panther solo flick, it stands to reason that Andy Serkis’ Klaue may appear, especially considering his desire to trade vibranium, a material exclusive to Black Panther’s home country of Wakanda.
Likelihood: 70%
Red Hulk
Red Hulk is the alter ego of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who has appeared in the MCU in both The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: Civil War. His abilities are similar to The Hulk’s; turning into an ultra-strong and virtually unstoppable beast albeit one large difference: rather than turning green, Ross turns—get this—Red. While The Hulk hasn’t proved to be complex enough a hero to lead more than one solo film, it’s unlikely that the MCU will find room for another character with the same powers.
Likelihood: 10%
Rescue
Rescue is the superhero alter ego of Pepper Potts in the comics, who is essentially a female version of Iron Man. Seeing as to how her comic book counterpart has yet to be referenced, and there is already a second Iron Man-esque character in War Machine, the likelihood of seeing Pepper become Rescue is slim to none.
Likelihood: 5%
Thor (Jane Foster)
In the comics, Jane Foster eventually becomes worthy of wielding Mjolnir, making her a female version of Thor. While Foster is prominently featured in the first two films of the Thor franchise, I would be more than surprised to see her ever become a superhero. Firstly, Natalie Portman’s reluctance to return to the MCU makes it difficult to develop her character, not to mention, we already have a slew of Asgardians heroes, with a handful more on the way in Thor: Ragnarok.
Likelihood: 1% (I’m a “never say never” kind of guy)
The Owl
Daredevil’s Leland Owlsley acts as the villain The Owl in the comics, but due to the advancing of the character’s age, and the show’s moving deeper and deeper into The Hand territory, seeing Leland become a super villain is probably a no-go. That being said, he did mention having a son, and it has been speculated that he could eventually become The Owl.
Likelihood: 10%
Gladiator
The Gladiator has made his MCU debut in the form of minor Daredevil Character Melvin Potter, who helps Daredevil create his armor and weaponry. The character’s mental instabilities were touched on in the first season, opening the door for him to eventually have a cliche breakdown and become the (also cliche) unstable villain, but Daredevil will likely always need someone to help him stay safe, so it’s more likely that he’ll maintain the role he’s in now.
Likelihood: 20%
Baron Zemo:
While we’ve seen Zemo make a grand debut in Captain America: Civil War, we never saw him dawn the purple suit and wield a sword like he has so often before. Part of this may be due to the reason he wears the suit is because he literally can’t take it off due to a messy glue incident, but in the comics, he served a more physical role rather than simply playing the mastermind, as he did in the MCU. Now that the MCU has found its continuity footing, it’s more likely that we’ll see villains pop up again, and I’d say that we may see purple Zemo yet.
Likelihood: 60%
Let us know who we missed and how likely it is we see them in the comments!
