Move over, Falcon: there’s a whole slew of other fantastic Marvel characters waiting in the wings to have their own show.
Disney has lots of material for its shows thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Marvel Comics’ 80-year back library, and we have plenty of ideas for Marvel characters who deserve their own show.
They’re also eager to exploit the Marvel Television Universe, as evidenced by a handful of recent “guest” appearances, though don’t expect a new Daredevil series anytime soon. You can see how we ranked all of the Marvel TV shows from worst to best in our guide, but with a slew of new shows on the way, like Moon Knight and She-Hulk, Marvel fans may soon be spoiled for choice.
But Marvel’s top to medium tier characters aren’t the only ones that deserve their own program. Some of the most intriguing Marvel characters are C-listers, those who are frequently confined to rare guest appearances. And, while it’s safe to assume that Hawkeye’s series won’t conclude with his head separated from his shoulders, when you’re not an Avenger, survival becomes a bit less guaranteed.
So, with that in mind, here are five Marvel characters who, possibly more than some of the major names, deserve their own show.
Oh, and before we begin, if you want to see even more fantastic Marvel material, Space.com has you covered. Our list of the finest Marvel movies will help you locate the best of what Marvel has to offer, while our list of the Marvel movies in order will help you navigate the massive MCU.
1. Monica Rambeau (Wandavision)
Monica Rambeau’s version of Captain Marvel is a seasoned superhero, having previously worn the masks of Photon, Spectrum, Pulsar, and, at one point, Photon. Her live-action incarnation, who was last seen in Wandavision unintentionally gaining superpowers, is new to the game.
Her journey from S.W.O.R.D. agent to superhuman is worthy of a Disney Plus series, whatever superhero moniker she chooses when she appears in the future The Marvels TV show. She’d have to come to terms with her new talents in addition to living up to her mother’s heritage (she created S.W.O.R.D.). Furthermore, Wandavision’s S.W.O.R.D. has a history of dissecting and mind-wiping their prize subject, so she shouldn’t expect them to play fair when they have a real-life superhuman on their hands.
2. Squirrel Girl (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl)
Doreen Green, as Squirrel Girl, is most known for using her squirrel-based talents and her devoted army of tree-dwelling rodents to combat Doctor Doom and Thanos. Yes, this really happen, and if someone had called her, the entire Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame drama would have been much shorter. Squirrel Girl owes Disney a series merely for being overlooked (she was supposed to feature in the New Warriors series, but it was canceled).
While a Squirrel Girl series would surely be amusing, writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson demonstrated that she could be more than a one-off. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, which lasted for 58 issues, examined the Marvel universe, granting redemption to supervillains who had previously functioned as punching bags for the big-leaguers. The MCU is in need of scrutiny as well, and a Squirrel Girl series might provide it.
3. Machine Man (Nextwave)
Aaron Stack, or Machine Man, is the MCU’s desire for a sardonic, self-absorbed robot. He first appeared in the Marvel adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and then reappeared every so often for the next 25 years or so. He was a standard, albeit fictitious, superhero.
Nextwave, written by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen and released in 2006, changed everything. Machine Man was turned into a microbrew-loving, sweary badass who was done trying to gain acceptance from “the fleshy ones” in this deliciously over-the-top series (questionable as its canon status is).
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This is the version of Machine Man that made it into the “main” Marvel universe and deserves to be revived. This is largely due to the fact that he’s the antidote to Vision’s noble, level-headed nature (without going full Ultron). However, as the MCU grows, someone will have to stand up for all of the Life Model Decoys, robots, and A.I.s. J.A.R.V.I.S. may have had his own body, but what happened to F.R.I.D.A.Y. when she was no longer needed?
4. Elsa Bloodstone (Nextwave)
Elsa Bloodstone has been compared to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but Sarah Michelle Gellar wouldn’t be able to handle half of this absurdly British monster hunter’s zoo. There have been rumors that she will appear in the MCU, and we would gladly see her dispatch slimy creature after slimy creature.
But there are two qualities about Elsa Bloodstone that make her deserving of a full series. To begin with, in both the Marvel Comic Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the term “monster” is a very subjective one. She’d have her work cut out for her if she wanted to tell the difference between creatures who just appeared different and those who actually hated humanity.
Second, she carries a terrible amount of mental baggage as the daughter of the near-immortal Ulysses Bloodstone. Ulysses Bloodstone was nearly as horrible as the monsters he sought, if Nextwave and Marvel Zombies: Battleworld are considered as canon.
Advertisement In the name of ensuring she was worthy of the Bloodstone name, he robbed his daughter of a normal existence by forcing her to a terrifying, horrific training schedule. Abuse isn’t even close to describing it. As a result, the question arises: whose life is she actually living? Is it hers or his?
5. The Grandmaster (Thor: Ragnarok)
We’ll never say no to more Jeff Goldblum, but his performance as the Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok gives the entire film a big boost. The Team Daryl short, which is sadly missing from Disney Plus, demonstrates that a character who can’t accept that he’s not in command has plenty of potential.
While Team Daryl isn’t canon, it’s a great starting point for a Grandmaster series. The Grandmaster, still perplexed as to why people don’t hang on his every word, strives to gain any degree of authority in such a series, which would, of course, be played for laughs.
We’d gladly pay big money to watch him fail spectacularly while creating “schemes” that any sane person would discard but which make perfect sense to him. On his “Grandmaster is Great” platform, why wouldn’t people vote for him?
