The MCU Should Include a Marvel MAX Imprint

The news that Disney was planning to buy 20th Century Fox may have come out of nowhere, but discussions about the implications quickly began amongst fans and critics. One major topic was the idea that, under Disney's purview, singular and R-Rated films like Deadpool and Logan would never get made. We cautioned that Disney wouldn't ruin Deadpool given their track record of non-family content (The Punisher being a fitting recent example) and the character's continued reign in Marvel Comics. Sure enough, the recent finalization of the deal between Disney and Fox brought with it word from Bob Iger that Deadpool will remain R-Rated.As we speculated, the Disney CEO hinted that a new banner might be created to house the Merc with a Mouth and other content outside of the House of Mouse's typical tone. Luckily, there's precedent for such a move in the comics world as Marvel has created multiple offshoots for books outside of their standard model. When it comes to R-Rated films, however, the Marvel MAX imprint is the perfect blueprint for darker and more violent superhero movies.RELATED: Could Avengers 4 Set Up A Young Avengers TV Show?

R-Rated Marvel Movies

Without repeating our defense of an R-Rated Deadpool under Disney, it's worth noting that the studio already has an imprint for PG-13 and above films. Touchstone Pictures has been putting out content on Disney's dime for decades, with a number of R-Rated films and plenty that are PG-13. If nothing else, this could be the future home of the Deadpool franchise and things like X-Force that are bound to share a similar tone.

It's also worth repeating that violence alone doesn't make for an R-Rated film and Deadpool's tone in the comics is much closer to something like Guardians of the Galaxy than what's in Fox's film. But with Iger stating Deadpool's R-Rating will remain as long as audiences are aware of what's going on, it seems safe to assume a new banner will be created for more mature superhero content.

In 1982, Marvel created their Epic Comics imprint to explore more adult-oriented content. It continued through the '90s until 2001 saw the birth of MAX. The new imprint debuted with Alias by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos which introduced Jessica Jones to the Marvel Universe. The book dealt with issues of rape, trauma, and violence but also had strong ties to the rest of the Marvel world. In this way, it mirrored DC's Vertigo imprint, which also seems to be getting a film analog with films like Justice League Dark and Sandman.

So far, the Netflix corner of the MCU has been the home to stories like those in the MAX imprint, though the main Marvel Comics lines has certainly featured plenty of mature content in Punisher, Wolverine, and Deadpool books. But the TV side of the MCU can't contain all the characters Marvel will want to use, especially now that the X-Men and Deadpool are coming home.

While the Marvel Comics universe is varied in its output, Marvel Studios has established a much more family-friendly vibe that it's unlikely to tarnish. There's still a chance R-Rated movies could come to the main MCU and just be marketed differently. But the smartest move would be for Disney to create a new Marvel banner where R-Rated films could live outside of the Avengers universe.

Blade, Moon Knight, Black Widow, and More

Disney creating a MAX imprint for Marvel films has an obvious benefit when it comes to established X-Men film characters, but there are plenty of other Marvel anti-heroes fans have longed to see on the big screen. Punisher and Ghost Rider have already debuted on TV, and Netflix, Hulu, or even ABC could easily be the home to characters like Blade, Moon Knight, and more. But with a MAX imprint, Marvel could introduce vampires to the MCU and give Black Widow her due.

It's clear that Marvel will need to ramp up output to work on all the new characters it's gained, and doing so under a different production banner and with a new team of creatives would be the most efficient way to accomplish this. It wouldn't just all+ow new characters and Fox heroes to be brought to life though. Marvel and fans have long discussed the idea of a Black Widow solo film, and there's always the chance something on Netflix could happen. Under a MAX banner, however, we could see a dark and violent spy story focusing on Black Widow. Like many of the other characters we've discussed, she had her own MAX title. And while questions of continuity may seem like a barrier, Black Widow deserves a film that isn't burdened by cosmic capers and the weight of the other Avengers.

The Marvel Cinematic Multiverse

Marvel's Daredevil, Punisher and Elektra

We've made the case for why DC should make an Elseworlds imprint, and Marvel MAX could function in much the same way. The idea of a shared cinematic universe was groundbreaking when Marvel introduced it, and it's a great way to recreate the connectivity of comics on the big (and small) screen. But it can be a limiting concept. The TV characters are mostly in their own world, while the films need to address big events and other characters constantly.

With a MAX imprint, a new continuity could be introduced that could pull in Fox characters, TV heroes, and more. In fact, the banner could do away with a shared continuity altogether and just be a place where new and unconnected comic book films could be brought to life. Established Netflix heroes could get the big screen treatment, characters like Hawkeye, Wolverine, and more could be rebooted, and the Deadpool franchise could continue to spin out new films without worrying about the main Marvel or X-Men universe. A Marvel MAX imprint would be a great way for Disney to make R-Rated superhero films, but it would also be a fantastic way to bring more superheroes and villains to life without the burden of continuity.

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