The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special proves that the Guardians are not just a ragtag bunch of galactic heroes, but a found family, as it shares a festive tale about how important they are to each other. It is the second Marvel Special Presentation, coming shortly after Werewolf By Night only a month earlier, and while there is no official confirmation of others in development, fans are eager for more.
While the two so far have been holiday-centric specials – and there are other characters and stories who could continue that trend – these specials need not be tethered to such tropes. There are several great candidates worthy of their own Special Presentation, whether for their inherent potential for innovative storytelling and/or role they could play in the MCU’s future.
Silver Surfer
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special brings the team back to Earth as Drax and Mantis hunt down the perfect Christmas present for Peter – his hero, Kevin Bacon. The vast cosmos of the MCU are ripe with potential for a space-faring Special Presentation, and there’s no better option for a protagonist than Silver Surfer. He’s one of the most important and popular cosmic heroes, and fans are counting down the days till his arrival in the MCU.
Silver Surfer is a great candidate for a Special Presentation as his first introduction because it could provide a concise and detailed download of his origins before he became the herald of Galactus. This would eventually evolve into a larger role as the planet-eating entity also makes his way into the MCU.
Legion Of Monsters
Building off what Werewolf by Night established, Man-Thing and/or Elsa Bloodstone would both be worthy of their own installments, but eventually there should be one for the Legion of Monsters. This could act as the culmination of multiple Halloween specials and incorporate other monsters like Manphibian, N’Kantu the Living Mummy, and Vampire by Night.
It’s likely that Werewolf, Elsa, and Man-Thing will all also end up on the MCU’s Midnight Sons team if that occurs as many fans are foreseeing. However, they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to use the Legion of Monsters.
Strange Academy
Another good option for a Halloween special – and one that could incorporate far more modern elements of horror films – is Strange Academy. This is the storyline in which Doctor Strange establishes his own school for magic like Hogwarts where other prominent supernatural heroes like Scarlet Witch and Nico Minoru serve as teachers. In the MCU, however, given his spike in popularity and promotion to Sorcerer Supreme, it should be called Wong Academy.
This could pick up after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with America Chavez beginning to train at Kamer-Taj, and it could incorporate other students like Zelma Stanton, Kid Loki, and Doyle Dormammu.
Howard The Duck
If they’re looking for an unexpected character to headline a special in the MCU, Marvel needn’t look further than their anthropomorphic PI, Howard the Duck. He was already introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy – among the Collector’s treasures – and then reappeared in What If…?, marrying Darcy. As such, audiences are primed to see Howard do what he does best.
It could act as a whodunit as he investigates a crime, whether serious or goofy, allowing for something personal, so audiences can really get to know Howard the Duck. They could even make it animated, and play with the noir aesthetic differently than Werewolf by Night had.
Ka-Zar
Unexpectedly, while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever clearly set up storylines for a threequel and even Thunderbolts, it also laid the foundation for the introduction of Ka-Zar of the Savage Land. The world’s governments are desperate to get their hands on Vibranium and in the comics, besides Wakanda, the next best place to acquire some is in the Savage Land, an ancient nature preserve hidden in Antarctica – which was also teased in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
A Ka-Zar special would be something quite unlike anything else in the MCU thus far and could be the right format to delve into the hero and the Savage Land – giving them the focus, so their later incorporation elsewhere isn’t so jarring. Ka-Zar wouldn’t be alone as he’d also be joined by his trusty sabertooth cat companion, Zabu, and other characters like Shanna and Sauron could also feature.
Tigra
The MCU is already jam-packed with superheroes, but there are still some longtime Avengers missing, including Tigra. If there is a chance, she is a hero worth introducing sooner rather than later. Furthermore, whether it serves as her introduction or follows it, Tigra would also deserve her own Special Presentation.
Tigra’s special would delve into her backstory, exploring her transformation from street-level crime fighter known as the Cat to the mystical champion of the Cat People, Tigra. Perhaps, they’d want to connect those origins to the creation of werewolves and other demonic beings, linking her to dark magic like the Darkhold. She could then go on to work with characters like Wonder Man and Hawkeye as she does in the comics.
Rawhide Kid
Many fans are eager for more exploration of film genres and TV tropes in the MCU as was shown in Werewolf by Night. A popular option is to do a classic Western, and thankfully, Marvel has some good characters to helm such a project, such as Kid Colt, Arizona Annie, and Red Wolf. However, the best option is really Rawhide Kid – though they could do an adaptation of the Sensational Seven incorporating them all.
Rawhide Kid’s special could take place completely in the Old West, remaining an insular story, but there is potential then for him and other Western characters to be transported through time to the present – aptly in Avengers: Secret Wars. Importantly, Rawhide Kid is openly gay and his inclusion in the MCU would mean a lot to many viewers, and it could rectify his offensively stereotypical portrayal throughout the comics.
Squirrel Girl
Fans have been biding their time, waiting for Squirrel Girl to finally come to the MCU. She is a popular but often misunderstood character, and she’d benefit from the format of a Special Presentation as her introduction. Squirrel Girl is a very powerful hero, having defeated Thanos even, yet many discredit her as strange simply for the fact that she’s a squirrel-based hero.
However, if given the chance, her bubbly and inspiring personality can surely win over the hearts of MCU fans. This could also incorporate the Great Lakes Avengers, the offshoot of the Avengers she joined with characters like Big Bertha, Flatman, and Mister Immortal, as played by David Pasquesi in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Brother Voodoo
So far fans have become familiar with the magical styling of characters like Doctor Strange, Wong, and Scarlet Witch. There’s still a great supernatural hero waiting to be introduced who’d their own variety of magic – Jericho Drumm AKA Brother Voodoo. He already has a link into the MCU as his brother, Daniel Drumm, featured in Doctor Strange.
Daniel’s death at the hands of Kaecilius is just what Jericho needs to join the MCU, as that is what sets him on his journey to learn voodoo magic in the comics. This story is a great option for a Special Presentation, as it would showcase alternate forms and uses of magic. Then he could have a continued role in projects like Doctor Strange 3 and/or Scarlet Witch.
Alpha Flight
Besides Legion of Monsters, there is another team that could be well suited for a Special Presentation – Alpha Flight. They are the Canadian equivalent of the Avengers. However, interestingly, they could function more like the Thunderbolts are set to in the MCU – operating for their government. They are also connected to Wolverine’s origins, and since he’s finally arriving in the MCU in Deadpool 3, there’s even more merit to their inclusion down the road.
Alpha Flight is comprised some very interesting heroes – Guardian, a Canadian Captain America composite; Northstar & Aurora, twin mutants; Sasquatch, a gamma mutate like Hulk; Shaman, a sorcerer; Snowbird, a demigod; Marrina, an amphibious alien; and Puck, a dwarf. If not a Special presentation, Alpha Flight would be equally deserving of their own Disney+ series.