7 Marvel Superheroes Who Must Come to Netflix

Elektra: Assassin, by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz
Look, Elektra may already be poised to kick butt in Daredevil season 2, but let’s get one thing straight: she’s due for a spinoff before the opening credits roll. Giving one of the Marvel Universe’s most deadly assassins her own series is well-established as a Good Idea—after all, Elektra began as a supporting member in Matt Murdock’s story, just as she will on Netflix, but she quickly captured readers’ hearts and has since starred in 13 different limited or ongoing series (not counting one-shots and reprint miniseries), starting with this stunning book from two critically acclaimed creators. There’s no way the MCU can keep a lid on this literal femme fatale for long.

Moon Knight, Vol 1: From the Dead, by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey
Moon Knight has had a awfully weird history. As an oddly-costumed vigilante with racially dubous ties to ancient Egypt and an ever-growing list of multiple personalities, writers don’t always know what to do with him. Enter Ellis, whose penchant for (and mastery of) slightly unhinged protagonists is unparalleled. His refreshing take on the character turned heads when it premiered in 2014, but it was the book’s aesthetic that sent critics into a tizzy. Shalvey’s brooding, neo-noir pencils and brilliant use of negative space are a perfect complement to the look of Daredevil. Plus, it’d be a great chance for the MCU’s grimmer side to explore mental illness, like it shone a light on addiction and sexual abuse in Jessica Jones.

Cloak & Dagger: Crime and Punishment, by Bill Mantlo, Ed Hannigan, Ron Frenz, and Kerry Gammill
Also highly relevant to the Netflix-MCU’s interests: Cloak and Dagger, the crimefighting duo whose origin is borne from human trafficking, economic violence, and drug abuse. Gaining their powers from a forcibly-administered batch of synthetic heroin, Tyrone and Tandy set out for revenge on the drug lords responsible. With their visually fascinating abilities, Cloak and Dagger are already great choices for small-screen treatment—but it’s their thematic content that’s most valuable, as their relationship would allow the MCU to address issues of race and class warfare that have thus far been mostly relegated to subtext. This collection, featuring this year’s MCU newcomers Punisher and Spider-Man, is a great entry point.

She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Single Green Female, by Dan Slott, Juan Bobillo, and Greg Horn
The one thing that the Netflix side of the MCU is lacking is a little humor. Don’t get us wrong: we love how well the existing shows have addressed mature themes and crafted dark, tormented characters, but there’s room for a small injection of the larger MCU’s brightness—the better with which to cast shadows, right? Slott & Co.’s vision of Bruce Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters concentrated not on her superheroic pursuits, but on her metahuman-focused legal practice, a plot point which could easily throw her into direct competition with the law offices of Nelson & Murdock. Jen’s also demonstrated a willingness to break the fourth wall, which could add a Deadpool-esque flair to the MCU—and given Wade Wilson’s current mainstream popularity, that might be a very good move.

Black Widow, Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread, by Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto
Oh hey, did we already have a deadly female assassin on this list? Well, that’s one thing we like about Marvel—there’s no shortage of powerful, fascinating women on their roster. While Black Widow definitely deserves her own movie, there’s something to be said about a Netflix series that could tell Natasha Romanoff’s backstory without cutting out the gory details. Depending on her status after Captain America: Civil War, Natasha may be better served by going to ground and rebuilding than by remaining an Avenger; perhaps she could go hunting for Bruce Banner again, the story of her search intercut with flashbacks to her childhood in Russia, her time as a ruthless gun-for-hire, and of course, that legendary Budapest job with Hawkeye. Edmondson has not only acquitted himself beautifully on this ongoing series, but raised the internet’s collective eyebrows when he offered up his 6-page treatment for a Black Widow movie—one that could easily serve as a Netflix cold open…

Darkhawk Classic, Vol. 1, by Danny Fingeroth and Mike Manley
Okay, hear us out on this one. Darkhawk gets mentioned a lot when comics fans joke about silly ideas of the ’90s—thanks for including him in the League of Losers, Robert Kirkman!—but Chris Powell’s origin would fit neatly into the MCU. In the same night, teenaged Chris discovers his dad’s a crooked cop and a weird artifact that lets him switch bodies with a superpowered android. Whether the amulet is a leftover from the Chitauri invasion, or a brand-new alien relic that could link Darkhawk to the Guardians of the Galaxy, adding this young superhero to the mix would allow the Netflix MCU to expand their scope while telling a gripping loss-of-innocence tale. Plus, that costume was rad as hell.

Ms. Marvel, Vol 1: No Normal, by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
Kamala Khan has quickly become one of Marvel’s hottest properties, and although we’d need to wait until after Carol “Captain Marvel” Danvers’ movie comes out in 2019 (Thanos willing), we’re willing to hold out for what would be a sweet, teen-focused action show that treats Muslim characters with respect. By the time the MCU is set up to allow Kamala her proper origin, the time may be right for an injection of hope into the Netflix queue—and Ms. Marvel is the one girl who can stretch all the way from Jersey City to give it that shot in the arm. (Claire Temple, superhero nurse extraordinaire, can oversee the procedure.)
What Marvel Comics characters belong on your “Watch Again” list?