After more than 20 films and various television series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the largest entertainment franchises in the world, both in scope and financial reasons. This universe has managed to unite both the casual viewer and the comic book fan, getting many of those who had never read a comic in their life now interested in the medium. However, there are still a lot of people who only watch the movies and series, and that makes them miss out on a lot of references that make the experience even better.
The MCU has been in existence for over ten years since the debut of Hombre de Hierro in 2008, but he’s barely scratched the surface of what’s happened in decades of comics. There are many characters, many stories and many events to visit that could end up making the leap to the big or small screen. That is why a first look at the comics will make more than one enjoy.
Many Characters Haven’t Had a Chance Yet
Marvel Comics has a library that includes some 50,000 characters, of which some 7,000 are important pieces of its universe. Taking into account that there are barely 700 characters in the UCM, this means that a fan who only watches the movies and series is missing around 90% of the catalog of characters.
There are still many very interesting Marvel characters in the multiverse with incredible stories that are not yet being considered by Marvel Studios, such as Moon Dragon (moon dragon), Beta Ray Bill (Beta Ray Bill) or Hercules. Plus, there are endless versions of existing characters, like Spider-Punk, War Thor, and Roberta Martinez’s Captain America, which are every bit as interesting as the versions we’ve seen in the MCU.
A Fair Development for All Characters
Taking a look at all the MCU movies and series, it’s inevitable not to notice the lack of development in certain characters, especially when we compare them to the others. For example, until Avengers: EndgameHawkeye’s screen time (hawk eye) in the entire MCU is only 70 minutes, while Iron Man appears over 400 minutes.
Obviously, this makes sense considering the resources and narrative structure of the MCU. However, it is still a problem for fans of Hawkeye. But this is not the case in comics, as they provide space for any character to shine in their own story. Looking at the comics is a great idea for a fan who wants to learn more about certain characters who, for one reason or another, don’t get enough attention in the MCU. For example, Matt Fraction’s stage in Hawk Eye develops this character and her relationship with Kate Bishop much more than the TV series does.
The True Extent of the Marvel Universe
After seeing how the sacred timeline branched out at the end of Lokiand witness how several realities collided in What If…? and in Spider-Man: No Way Home, MCU fans are now much more familiar with the Marvel Multiverse. Everything will go to more with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessbut much remains to be seen.
Originally created in 1971, the Marvel Multiverse contains thousands of different Earths with many different iterations of Marvel’s most iconic characters. Some of those alternate universes are more famous than others or more complex than others, but all of them are waiting to be discovered by the casual fan, even if they never end up being adapted into the MCU.
More LGTBIQ+ Representation
One of the biggest criticisms of the MCU has to do with its lack of representation, especially when it comes to sexual and gender diversity. Marvel Studios has only introduced three gay characters into the MCU, the Eternal Phastos, her husband, and the mourning man from Captain America’s support group in Avengers: Endgame, played by director Joe Russo. This is changing, and each project that arrives bets more on diversity and inclusion, but there is still a lot to do.
But unlike in the MCU, in the comics there are many openly LGTBI + characters. For example, Bobby Drake aka Iceman (Iceman) of the X-Men, is a proud gay man since 2015, or Nico Minoru and Carolina Dean, are a lesbian couple that we have been able to see in Runaways.
The True Size of Certain Events
To this day, the MCU writers have already adapted various plots and events from Marvel Comics, such as The Age of Ultronwhich inspired Avengers: Age of Ultroneither Iron Man: Extremisfrom which iron Man 3 got some ideas. However, since movies are limited by things like space, time, or budget, it’s impossible to replicate exactly what happens on the pages of the comics, which has caused some of the events to be underwhelming at times. appearance.
For example, some fans found that Captain America: Civil War, with a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, did not meet their expectations. In the comics, the final battle pits hundreds of characters against each other, while the movie only includes fewer than 20 characters in the conflict. In order to live the full experience, it is advisable to visit the comics that inspire the movies and series, as they are stories that will not disappoint readers.
The Real Importance of Certain MCU Characters
Contrary to what many may believe, the MCU doesn’t always pay due respect to certain characters when they adapt them to film or television. Many times in recent years, we have seen iconic figures from comics degraded, turned into mere supporting characters. One of the best examples of this is Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas.
Although in the movies Pym’s glory days are nothing more than an anecdote, in the comics he is a valuable member of the Avengers from day one with his wife, Janet Van Dyne, also known as the Wasp (Wasp). They were both founding members of the Avengers and had a major role in shaping the group in the comics. However, in the movies, they are secondary in favor of Hope Pym and Scott Lang, who are the Wasp and Ant-Man (Ant Man), respectively.
More Adult Marvel Material
Given the explicit nature of some of Marc Spector’s adventures in the comics, when Marvel Studios announced a Moon Knight television series (Moon Knight), many fans thought a darker, more adult MCU was possible. However, this has not been like that. The series premiered with an age rating of PG-13, in line with the rest of the MCU. To date, the only exception is the Marvel TV series for Netflix, which have now become part of the Disney + content, although it remains to be seen if they will finally be canon or not.
Taking this into account, the MCU is not a good reflection of the Marvel Multiverse in the comics. Marvel has many series for adults that a priori would never be adapted by Marvel Studios. Whether it’s because of its sexual content or its graphic depictions of violence, there are plenty of stories that fans can only find in comics. For example, the entire MAX line, which has series starring the Punisher (punisher), Wolverine (Wolverines) Jessica Jones or Massacre (dead pool), has been criticized for its explicit content. Fans looking for darker, more disturbing but quality stories should check out these comics.
The X-Men and Other Super Groups
Although the MCU has been around for over ten years, it has only focused on the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. However, there are many other groups of superheroes that deserve the same attention, such as the Fantastic Four, the Midnight Sons or the X-Men. In any case, it is worth remembering that some of these groups have already had their chance in the cinema in recent years, such as the X-Men with their multiple sagas and spin offsor the Fantastic Four with their various attempts.
However, his time in the MCU is yet to come. It’s been confirmed that there will be a Fantastic Four movie in the next few years, and Marvel Studios is keeping an eye on the X-Men. In fact, Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Until then, fans can turn to the comics to find out all about these superteams, including events where they’ve had to work side-by-side, or clashed in a massive battle.