6 Marvel Comics Far Too Dark For the MCU to Handle

[[{“value”:”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t afraid to explore darker themes, but some Marvel stories dive so deep into horror and despair that they may never make it to the big screen. While comic readers are no strangers to Marvel’s most chilling and intense storylines, the MCU is bound by the expectations of a broader, family-friendly audience, which means some of Marvel’s darkest tales might be too terrifying to ever adapt.

Since the MCU needs to appeal to children and their parents, the franchise can’t go as dark as the comics tend to go. Even when the movie franchise adapts a dark arc from the comics, it’s usually a more sanitized, loose adaptation if anything. Some characters, storylines, heroes, and villains are too disturbing to fully adapt for the big screen. It’s almost a shame because, oftentimes, the darkest of stories from the comics also happen to be the most compelling and entertaining. Still, though, they tackle topics that are too mature for MCU audiences to handle.

6

Spider-Man’s Death of Jean DeWolff Is Too Real for the MCU to Handle

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 by Peter David and Rich Buckler

Spider-Man’s adventures in the Marvel Universe typically range from whimsical action to high-stakes melodrama. While the drama has led to some of the best Spider-Man comics in history, that hasn’t stopped Marvel from experimenting with new twists on the character and his stories when the moment calls for it. In doing so, Marvel often tests the waters by placing Spidey in entirely different genres. One of the most compelling examples came in the “Death of Jean DeWolff” storyline, which took the form of a murder mystery.

At this point in the comics, NYPD Captain Jean DeWolff is one of Spider-Man’s regular supporting characters. She also happens to harbor a quiet crush on him, a feeling she never gets the chance to confess before she is killed by a local serial killer known as the Sin-Eater.This is not a maniacal scientist with mechanical arms or an elderly man in a vulture costume. This is a realistic threat, someone audiences could imagine encountering on an ordinary street. That makes him a villain who feels far more unsettling than most of Spidey’s classic enemies. Unlike the rest of his rogue’s gallery, this killer is terrifying because of how real he seems.

5

Ultimatum Would Need a Parental Advisory Warning in the MCU

Ultimatum #1-5 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch

Some of the darkest Marvel stories do not take place in the official Marvel continuity of Earth-616. Sometimes, the publisher offers readers an alternative without disrupting the main canon. That’s where the Ultimate Universe comes into play, a variant world where the stories are darker and the stakes are higher. Unlike the main continuity, where resurrection is common, characters who die in the Ultimate Universe usually stay dead. That’s what made Ultimatum such a shocking storyline, centered on Magneto taking blind vengeance on New York for the deaths of his children.

To make the world feel his pain, he orchestrates the murders of several major Marvel heroes in a single catastrophic night. It’s not just the number of deaths that makes Ultimatum hard to adapt. As Infinity War and Endgame show, Marvel Studios has no issue with large-scale hero losses. What makes this story unfilmable is the sheer brutality of the deaths. The Blob cannibalizes the Wasp. Ant-Man bites off the Blob’s head. Magneto snaps Xavier’s neck. And those are just a few examples. Marvel couldn’t depict this level of violence without significant parental backlash.

4

Ruins Would Take the Fun Out of the MCU

Ruins #1-2 by Warren Ellisa, Terese Nielsen, Cliff Nielsen, and Chris Moeller

The two-part Ruins miniseries is another utterly dark take on the Marvel Universe, and arguably, after 30 years, it’s yet to be dethroned as Marvel’s bleakest tale. The story follows Phil Sheldon, an ex-reporter for the Daily Bugle, who reminisces on different subjects and heroes whose powers don’t lead to glamorous results compared to those on Earth-616. On Earth-9591, there are consequences for nearly every hero’s classic origin story, turning cool superpowers into disturbing ailments. Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton causes his skin to slowly melt away, while Peter Parker, instead of becoming Spider-Man, suffers from a deadly rash and mutant virus.

On that account, Ruins is a little more grounded than the average Marvel story. By proxy, it takes the fun out of the superhero experience. While such a bold approach makes for gripping storytelling, it doesn’t work in the box office setting when the MCU sells its audience on their movies being a fun time for the whole family. Not only does adapting Ruins risk warding potential ticket buyers away from the theater, but those fortunate enough to buy tickets don’t want to leave an MCU movie feeling depressed. This story would be too much of a Debbie Downer in live-action.

3

Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe Is Controversial for All the Wrong Reasons

Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe #1 by Garth Ennis and Doug Braithwaite

1995 introduced audiences to a dimension within Marvel’s Multiverse where Frank Castle’s family doesn’t die via a mob hit. Instead, their deaths come as a result of getting caught in the line of fire during an Avengers battle. Frank becomes the Punisher to enforce a one-man war on the superhero community for their negligence. Surprisingly, despite how much most of these superheroes overpower him, he succeeds in slaying every single vigilante in the world. The one-shot comic inspired controversy for a number of reasons, among them being readers not finding it plausible for one human to slaughter Marvel’s most powerful characters.

There is a good chance that in a big-screen scenario, or even a Disney+ exclusive TV show starring Jon Bernthal reprising the title role, MCU viewers will be turned off for the same reasons. Additionally, an MCU adaptation of The Punisher blowing the brains out of every fan-favorite superhero within arm’s reach won’t sit well with most audiences. On top of seeing their beloved heroes getting picked off like a horror movie, parents won’t be taking their kids to see such a violent affair. There are just too many risks involved from a business perspective for MCU to consider adapting.

2

Spider-Man: Reign Is Way Darker Than Its Shocking Reputation

Spider-Man: Reign #1-4 by Kaare Andrews and Jose Villarrubia

If this title sounds familiar, it’s because Spider-Man: Reign claimsa reputation for housing perhaps the most questionable moment in the character’s history. It’s when readers discover that in another timeline, Peter kills Mary-Jane Watson in the grossest way possible: with his radioactive sperm. That detail is guaranteed not to be adapted into MCU form for obvious reasons, and the less said about it, the better. Believe it or not, the story itself at large is even darker than that. The narrative takes place several decades into a dystopian future overrun by an Orwellian mayor of New York.

Peter is an old man who has long given up on being Spider-Man. The dark shades of this hopeless society bleed out from page to page until it reaches a surprisingly optimistic climax. That being said, even if Marvel Studios erased the grosser aspects of the story to adapt it to the MCU, this would still prove easier said than done due to Peter’s age in this story. There’s a reason why every big-screen adaptation of Spider-Man has focused on a youthful Peter. Marvel is hesitant to let Spider-Man grow up in the comics, and there’s similar trepidation regarding his movies.

1

One Spider-Man x Black Cat Team-Up is Too Risqué for the MCU

Spider-Man and the Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do #1-6 by Kevin Smith, Jerry Dodson, and Rachel Dodson

Felicia Hardy’s Black Cat is a character who fans have wanted to see the MCU adapt for years. When the day comes, it’s unlikely that Marvel will opt to choose this six-part miniseries as a source of material. Released over the course of four years between 2002 and 2006, the story’s first half centers around two mutants who can teleport drugs directly into someone’s system. The drug abuse and addiction aspect is already a tough sell to MCU viewers, but it is the second half that gets far more grisly.

One mutant tries to force himself onto Felicia, and although the twist reveals he fails, she’s framed for his murder unless she can prove that she was not assaulted by her attacker. In an additional twist, Felicia reveals the big reason why she became a cat burglar was due to trauma suffered from being sexually assaulted in college. The miniseries features an all-star line-up of cameos from the likes of Daredevil and Nightcrawler, but the topics covered in this story are heavy for any movie, much less the MCU. Given the franchise’s preference for a more light-hearted tone, it’s unlikely the MCU would ever adapt this storyline.

“}]] These storylines are too dark for the MCU.  Read More