The marvel cinematic universe (MCU) has one direction to go: up. Literally, there is much of the MCU’s cosmic space that is left unexplored. Yes, there have been two Guardians of the Galaxy films and another is on the way in 2023. Loki’s resurgence has brought the multiverse to light, and endless possibilities along with it. It is also true that Thor is a cosmic character, and has his fourth upcoming film due out in 2022. Captain Marvel is the most Earth-bound cosmic character, being from Earth but possessing otherworldly powers. Lastly, The Eternals expanded the mythos and time span of the MCU’s cosmic realm.
However, much is left unexplored in the vast expanse of the cosmic marvel universe. The X-Men have yet to come into the MCU’s fold in the aftermath of the Disney-Fox Studios merger. They have their share of space adventures, especially when it comes to The Phoenix Saga.
The Fantastic Four are about to enter the MCU in the next couple of years, and they famously earn their powers through exposure to cosmic substances. They also have adventures to the far ends of space, including the ‘space beyond space’ that is the Negative Zone. Nova and the Nova Corps would also be a welcomed addition to the MCU. The Nova Corps are essentially an intergalactic police force that protect vulnerable populations from significant cosmic threats.
There are a plethora of other space-bound superheroes and supervillains characters that Marvel will hopefully introduce as the decade matures. The world-eater, Galactus, will likely make an entrance alongside the Fantastic Four. As will his herald, the cosmic Silver Surfer. The Fantastic Four will also bring along what could be Marvel’s end-all-be-all supervillain in Annihilus, the chief bad guy from the Negative Zone.
As one can see, the cosmic realm of the MCU can do a lot to figuratively and literally expand Marvel’s cinematic works and lore. With that said, space operas are not always relatable tales. Marvel’s cosmic cinematic exploits have been hit or miss in this regard, and the recent debut of The Eternals and its lukewarm reception is Exhibit A.
The more grounded the future Marvel cosmic films are, the better they will be received by the public. Furthermore, there are no shortage of such stories in Marvel comic book lore. The playbook is already there, Marvel Studios merely needs to read it and run with it.
KEEPING THE MARVEL COSMIC EARTH-CENTRIC
The best way to make the Marvel cosmic relatable and grounded is to have the movies take place on Earth’s very soil. This should be relatively easy to do. Asgard now exists on Earth, the Fantastic Four are human scientists, and Captain Marvel is now a member of an Avengers team that needs to beef up its ranks.
Furthermore, take the supervillain Galactus. He is not terrifying because he is the destroyer of worlds, he is terrifying because he sets his gaze and hunger upon Earth.
COMIC BOOK EVENTS AS SOURCE MATERIAL
Marvel has endless cosmic stories it can pull from for future movies. The studio is already pulling from Jason Aaron’s legendary tale Thor: The God Butcher for Thor: Love and Thunder. It might be difficult to keep this one grounded, since the villain’s entire premise is that he scours the universe eliminating gods. However, with Asgard now on Earth, Gorr the God Butcher has a concentrated field to pluck from.
Secret Wars is on the horizon now that Loki opened the multiverse can of worms at the conclusion of its first season. The premise behind this fabled Jonathan Hickman event is that various Earths are set to collide with ours in what are called ‘incursions’ and our Earth is quite literally running out of time. Although it’s not a grounded story, it takes place on our Earth, and the introduction of new Earths would make for a riveting on-screen tale.
When the Fantastic Four eventually hit the silver screen, it should be no surprise if a tale about Dan Abnett’s Annihilation is not far behind. When Annihulus and his hoard penetrate through the Negative Zone and into our universe, it takes a wide collection of cosmic superheroes to stop his conquest. Though much of the story takes place in space, as long as Marvel utilizes familiar superheroes like the Guardians of the Galaxy, this event-turned-movie could be a great success.
KEEP THE CHARACTERS RELATABLE
The Eternals did a lot to make its characters relatable in many ways. It features by far the most diverse cast of Marvel heroes of any MCU film. There is representation of LGBTQ characters, characters with disabilities, and characters of various national and ethnic backgrounds. This is all a fantastic step in the right direction for movies writ large, let alone superhero blockbusters.
There is one great flaw with this movie’s characters, however. Even though the movie takes place on Earth, the characters themselves are not relatable. They are essentially immortal, having lived for thousands of years on Earth. Characters that have lived through virtually every Earthly empire’s rise and fall are not relatable. The most relatable character is Kingo’s valet, who largely is used as a comedic relief tool. The heroes themselves have more in common with gods than humans.
LEAVE THE CELESTIALS FOR MASSIVE, AVENGERS-LEVEL MOVIES
Introducing the Eternals and the Celestials in the same film was confusing for viewers. The odds of not encountering either seemingly timeless entity over the course of the MCU did not come across as realistic.
The Celestials are space gods who are physically larger than our planet. Such entities should have been introduced in a Captain Marvel or a Guardians of the Galaxy film to prime viewers for future events.
It took Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet to pose a serious threat to Earth, while beings such as the Celestials are unto themselves planetary threats. It makes sense to introduce them after Thanos, but they were simply used in the wrong film. There were too many new things happening at the same time for the casual viewer.
Stan Lee famously said that Marvel is the “world outside your window.” Kevin Feige and company would be wise to remember this and take it to heart. Making stories Earth-centric and set in the present will make them relatable, and this will translate to box-office success and critical acclaim.