The Marvel Cinematic Universe is taking a weird but exciting turn with its upcoming Halloween Special, Werewolf by Night. Directed by Michael Giacchino and hitting Disney+ on October 7th, Werewolf by Night is paying sincere homage to the legendary horror films of early Hollywood. This is on top of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law mixing a law procedural with classic sitcoms and Secret Invasion being stylized as a psychological thriller.
It’s an exciting time in the MCU as they continue to explore different methods for superhero storytelling by varying genres and employing film and television tropes. Hopefully, this trend will continue throughout the Multiverse Saga and beyond, and some fans have even taken to Reddit to share their ideas for what they’d like to see in the future.
Romantic Comedy
While romance and love stories have always been a consistent part of the MCU, there’s yet to be a true romantic comedy. The closest there’s been is She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, as both Jenn and She-Hulk have explored online dating, but that was just one episode. It would be an exciting entry either in a film or a Disney+ show, especially since it would need to still match the rest of the MCU in action and spectacle.
u/StylishSloth suggests “A ‘Nicholas Sparks’ style film introducing Rogue as she meets Gambit.” They would really be the perfect couple for a romantic comedy series thanks to their charismatic personalities and the added drama of her not being able to touch him without draining his energy and powers.
Musical
There were once rumors that The Marvels was actually going to be a musical, which has been dispelled by recent footage shown at D23. The MCU could do well with a full-blown musical film or series beyond the one song from Rogers! The Musical in Hawkeye. As to the main character, they needn’t look farther than their resident pop star superhero, Dazzler.
u/Garanseho writes, “I’m still hoping for a Dazzler musical – we didn’t get it in the 80s, so we’re overdue,” mentioning the hopes for a film starring Bo Derek. Those plans could finally come to fruition in part in the MCU after the X-Men are introduced. A Dazzler film or show could be a true musical and could explore different genres of music, and it would even be a fun thing to watch thanks to her light powers.
Prehistoric Action
When asked what they’d like to see, u/Block-Busted puts forth, “a ‘prehistoric’ action film about the first Black Panther with absolutely no English used and having Robert Eggers as the director.” There are comics to adapt for such a storyline including the Avengers of 1000000 BC during the dawn of man. At that time the team consisted of Sorcerer Supreme Agamotto, the first Black Panther, Odin, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, and two people granted power by the Phoenix Force and the Star Brand, respectively.
While this kind of story would be interesting, it wouldn’t likely have a consequential impact on the MCU – so it would make for a better animated series or film on its own. Alternatively, there is the Savage Land and its denizens to look at for a “prehistoric action” project. In fact, Ka-Zar and his trusty smilodon, Zabu, would make for a great Disney+ show.
Whodunit
Mystery has long been part of the MCU, and it will continue to play a role, but some fans would like to see a murder mystery unfold. The great thing about such a premise is that it could lend itself to comedy or drama easily, depending on the protagonist. u/vinilttummala wants “an investigative thriller. Like a whodunit."
A murder mystery whodunit would be a great fit for characters like Howard the Duck, Jessica Jones, or Spider-Man Noir. The former has the better prospects since he’s already part of the MCU, being voiced by Seth Green, so perhaps this could be a way to give him the spotlight again.
Slice Of Life
Along with being a “lawyer show” as Jenn says to the audience, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law follows a more episodic format than any other MCU-Disney+ show yet. While they always connect back to the main narrative and the larger scope, things like the wedding episode are delightfully insular. That approach and energy could easily translate elsewhere.
u/The5Virtues says, “I would love a Slice of Life sitcom aka Community involving life at the Avengers Academy or Xavier Institute, someplace to just watch super-powered hijinks unfold.” That type of show would work well in a school-like setting for the X-Men or Strange Academy. However, the big caveat is that this type of show would need more than the nine episodes that even She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is getting.
Mockumentary
Another fun sitcom style that could be incorporated into the MCU is the mockumentary format. That would lend itself well to team-up situations, and it could be very funny to see how the Avengers or X-Men would act in such a situation. Of course, otherwise, the format works best in a workplace situation.
As such, u/KostisPatt257 presents a great idea with a “20-minute mockumentary episode in the Daily Bugle offices every time a show or film comes out that will show how everyday people react to the superhero events…and what kind of weird conspiracy theories JJJ comes up with.”
Xianxia
Marvel has prospects to do their own high fantasy content with characters like Black Knight, Thor, and Captain Britain. However, there is more than Westernized fantasy to play with and thanks to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there’s a way to incorporate styles like xianxia into the MCU.
u/deathstrrukk writes, “I’d love a fully embraced high fantasy series showing the backstory of Ta-Lo.” That story could come into play in Shang-Chi 2, and especially if that film is still part of the Multiverse Saga, it could explore grander and even more spiritual elements in line with a xianxia-style story.
Western
It would be very surprising if the MCU never delved into western style storytelling given the genre’s prevalence throughout cinema and franchise history. Just as Star Wars has modernized the genre into space westerns, the MCU could play with it to make a superhero western. Thankfully there are plenty of great characters to go with like Two-Gun Kid, Red Wolf, Arizona Annie, and Kid Colt.
u/scribblerzombie suggests putting them together for something in “a kind of Guardians of the Galaxy with Wild West characters, and one time traveler.” The time traveler could be an interesting premise that would essentially allow any character to join up with this team, but it could just be about these Wild West characters – perhaps alternatively having to deal with a time traveler and/or the TVA from Loki.
Stop-Motion
With What If…?, I am Groot, and other upcoming animated shows the MCU no longer solely residing in live-action. There are plenty of other characters who’d do well with an animated series in the franchise, but some fans have suggested a new idea beyond normal animation. u/Scales_of_Injustice would like to see stop-motion.
They specifically stated, “a stop-motion film where the Avengers piss off Scarlet Witch, so she turns them all into puppets in a pocket dimension.” The possibility for that exact scenario might’ve passed following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it could’ve been one of the universes Doctor Strange and America Chavez fell through. Nevertheless, something like this could still happen with a different mystical villain.
Dystopia
Another prominent genre that the MCU hasn’t touched on yet is that of the dystopian future. It could go in the vein of The Hunger Games or be more in line with the podcast, Marvel’s Wastelanders, by following various heroes after they’ve survived a world calamity. u/TheWaylandCycle posits that “Captain Britain could be a good vehicle for this, such as the famous ‘Crooked World’ arc, where he’s sent to a dystopian dictatorship ruled by a reality-warping villain.”
That alone would make for a great way to introduce Captain Britain into the MCU and quickly incorporate him and/or his sister, Betsy, as central figures in the Multiverse Saga. Importantly, this storyline is remembered for the first designation of Earth-616 defining the main comics' continuity, so maybe that could help with its chances of being adapted in the MCU.