For the most part, the Marvel Cinematic Universe saves its solo movies for flagship heroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. But it’s not unheard of for supporting characters to get their own movies if they’re popular enough. T’Challa, Natasha Romanoff, and Sam Wilson were all introduced as supporting players before getting their own movies.
If Redditors were running Marvel Studios, then supporting characters ranging from Bucky Barnes to Valkyrie to Howard the Duck to the original Guardians of the Galaxy would get their own movies.
Hank Pym & Janet Van Dyne
Marvel Studios has given fans plenty of adventures with the current Ant-Man, Scott Lang, and the current Wasp, Hope van Dyne. Their next movie will kick off Phase Five in 2023. But u/Hungrypeach44 wants to see a prequel starring the original Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne.
The Redditor adds, “I’d recast younger actors though, as the de-aging tech is good but as seen with Nick Fury in Captain Marvel, even if the actors look young, they don’t move like it. You could have Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfieffer provide voiceover narration or something at times.”
Bucky Barnes
Following his redemption arc in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Redditor u/cbekel3618 wants to see a solo movie starring Bucky Barnes. Bucky needs to go on a standalone adventure in full White Wolf mode to become a true superhero.
The Redditor’s pitch involves a team-up: “Team him up with someone like Yelena or Ayo, bring in characters like Kobik or the return of Zola, and it could make for a fun action film.”
Wong
Wong has been given a much larger role in Phase Four of the MCU. He became the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-616, he introduced Shang-Chi to the other Avengers, and helped Doctor Strange in his quest to save America Chavez from the Scarlet Witch.
According to Redditor u/Leopard854, after playing a supporting role in so many other superheroes’ adventures, Wong deserves a solo movie of his own.
The Warriors Three
The Warriors Three were always massively underserved by Thor’s solo movies and they were eventually killed off very unceremoniously. Redditor u/cbekel3618 has a neat pitch for a Warriors Three movie that wouldn’t be a prequel or retcon their deaths.
The Redditor writes, “It would be about their adventures in Valhalla as we see the three journey across the Asgardian afterlife as we learn more about each member. The villain can be Cul, who is the deceased brother of Odin as well as the Serpent. The Three are on a journey to find Odin and get him to lead his people again, but they learn that Odin has moved on and now, they must learn to ride up without him.” This narrative could explore Valhalla in more depth following its tantalizing introduction in Love and Thunder.
Howard The Duck
Howard the Duck was introduced to the MCU eight years ago in the post-credits scene of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He seemed primed for some kind of spin-off with the casting of Seth Green. But the character has been relegated to cameos so far.
According to Redditor u/DB10389, Howard should get his own solo movie in the MCU. After the disastrous attempt to give him a movie in the 1980s, he deserves a more faithful adaptation with the sly self-awareness and the fun take on genre fiction that his comic book does so well.
Valkyrie
Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie got sidelined in Thor: Love and Thunder. Her superpowers, her search for love, and her responsibilities as the King of New Asgard were all touched on, but never explored in any real depth.
According to Redditor u/cbekel3618, she deserves her own movie: “Imagine a fantasy/cosmic adventure with her defending New Asgard or voyaging the Nine Realms.”
Nick Fury
Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is set to finally take center stage in the upcoming Secret Invasion miniseries on Disney+, but there’s a lot about his past that the MCU has yet to cover. Redditor u/seedfiend thinks Fury needs a solo movie to fill in the gaps in his origin story.
Since the de-aging effects in Captain Marvel were a little shaky, Marvel Studios might have to cast a younger actor to play Fury in the earliest days of his espionage career, working with his Howling Commandos.
Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man & Tom Hardy’s Venom
The multiversal shenanigans of Spider-Man: No Way Home introduced both Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, who has unfinished business following the cancellation of his solo franchise, and Tom Hardy’s Venom, whose own solo franchise desperately needs a Spider-Man, into the MCU’s sprawling ensemble.
Redditor u/SuchSense thinks Marvel could kill two birds with one stone: “They need Tom Hardy’s Venom squaring up against someone, don’t they? They should just do a Venom vs. Spidey movie with Garfield and then maybe a team-up between the two.”
Hercules
One of the credits scenes at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder introduced MCU fans to Hercules, played by none other than Roy Kent himself, Brett Goldstein. Redditor u/BxtoroxB believes that Marvel’s version of the Hercules legend is “a good fit for the movie format” and should get his own MCU solo film.
The credits scene in Love and Thunder set up a storyline in which Hercules would hunt down Thor to exact revenge for his attempt on Zeus’ life. But a solo movie could fill in his origin story.
The Original Guardians Of The Galaxy
Stakar Ogord and the original Guardians team were teased for a future adventure in one of the many credits scenes at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. According to u/cbekel3618, they should get their own movie: “It would cut back and forth between the past and the present with this crew of thieves and thugs going up against an old foe, the Badoon.”
The Redditor elaborates, “We’d get to see this crew’s dynamic as well as Stakar reminiscing about his friendship with Yondu. Tone-wise, it’d be about the same tone as the GOTG films, with more emphasis on the theme of the past and aging, with all the same fun you’d expect from this type of story.”