You can’t outfox Disney’s new Marvel Characters
Deadpool: [dialing] “Okay, hold on a second.”
Deadpool Vol. 1: Dead Presidents
Ghost of Benjamin Franklin: “Who are you calling? The Avengers? The Fantastic Four?”
Deadpool: “Pfft, those guys hate me.”
The X-Men and Fantastic Four are home.
Marvel created Marvel Studios in 1996 to produce movies based on their characters. Marvel Studios licensed several characters to other studios, creating a quagmire about which studio could make what films. For example, Fox has held the film rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four for over a decade.
Disney has bought Fox’s entertainment assets and now owns those film rights and can bring Fox’s Marvel characters into the MCU. So who are the biggest characters Disney acquired? Let’s find out.
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#5 Marvel Characters: Galactus
Galactus: “Though I ravage worlds to live, I bear no malice toward any living thing. I simply do what I must to survive. And why must Galactus survive? For no matter how many worlds I devour… How many civilizations I destroy… It is my destiny to one day give back to the Universe – Infinitely more than I have ever taken from it. So speaks Galactus!”
Fantastic Four #49
Galactus is one of Marvel’s biggest characters in both senses. He is a giant who travels the universe, devouring planets along the way. Galactus has stripped galaxies bare and destroyed countless armies that tried to stop him. Only Earth’s superheroes stopped him after they stole a weapon called the Ultimate Nullifier and threatened to destroy him.
Galactus might sound like a heartless monster, but he is a force of balance. By devouring worlds, he releases energy that eventually creates new stars. The stars eventually create new worlds, maintaining balance in the universe. Galactus is also prophesied to cause the next Big Bang when the universe ends.
Galactus appeared in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer but studio execs planned to use him in a spinoff and hid his appearance. The spinoff never happened. It’s time to bring Galactus to the screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
#4 The Fantastic Four
Reed Richards: “A few days in space. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Fantastic Four (2005)
The Fantastic Four was Marvel’s first superhero team. Scientists Reed Richards and Susan Storm, her brother Johnny, and pilot Ben Grimm stole a spaceship to beat the Soviet Union into space. The crew gained superpowers loosely based on the classical elements after being exposed to cosmic radiation.
Reed Richards’ body became elastic, and he started calling himself Mr. Fantastic. And people think Dr. Doom has ego problems. Susan Storm can turn invisible and create force fields, hence the name Invisible Woman. Johnny Storm can set himself on fire and fly, earning the name Human Torch. Ben Grimm became a super strong Golem the public called The Thing.
Fox made three Fantastic Four movies that ranged from forgettable to awful. Hopefully, the MCU will do right by Marvel’s original superhero team.
#3 Marvel Characters: Wolverine
[Fighting a shapeshifter]
X-Men (2000)
Wolverine: “Hey! It’s me.”
Cyclops: “Prove it!”
Wolverine: “You’re a dick.”
Cyclops: [beat] “Okay.”
Wolverine is the most famous member of the X-Men. You probably know his gimmicks, the healing factor, his Adamantium claws, the whole shebang. Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine in all the X-Men movies until now.
Jackman hung up his claws following 2017’s Logan, but has expressed interest in reprising his role if there was a crossover with The Avengers. Now that Disney owns Fox’s characters, this dream crossover might happen.
#2 Deadpool
Deadpool: “Okay, let’s pro/con this superhero thing. Pro: they pull down a gaggle of ass, local dry cleaning discounts, lucrative film deals, both origin stories and larger ensemble team movies. Con: they’re all lame-ass teacher’s pets!”
Deadpool
Colossus: “You know I can hear you?”
Deadpool: “Wasn’t talking to you! [points at the camera] I was talking to them!”
Not many superheroes can pull off an R-rating with class, dignity, and fart jokes. Luckily we have Deadpool, the fourth-wall shattering Merc with a Mouth. Deadpool went from a minor character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine to star in a top 10 grossing film in 2016.
Fans of the Regenerating Degenerate feared Disney would pull the plug on Deadpool 2 to maintain their family-friendly image. Thankfully, Disney has promised that Deadpool will keep its R-rating and has expressed interest in making more R-Rated superhero movies.
#1 Marvel Characters: Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom: “Imagine – I now possess the power to end hunger, to abolish disease, to eliminate crime, to establish a perfectly content, perfectly ordered world – all under the benevolence of my iron will!”
Fantastic Four, “Doomsday” (Season 2, Episode 13)
The greatest character coming to Disney is Doctor Doom: the Lord of Latveria.
Victor von Doom’s mother sold her soul to Mephisto to help her village and genius son escape an evil feudal lord, but killed herself after she was tricked into also killing children. Victor studied magic and science and was able to travel to America to attend college. There, he invented a machine that opened a portal to hell, but failed to save his mother. The machine exploded, injured Victor, and caused him to be expelled. Victor blamed classmate Reed Richards for the failure and swore revenge.
Doom traveled the world before returning to Latveria. He conquered the country and used its resources to create armor on par with Iron Man’s. Doctor Doom then began a crusade to destroy the Fantastic Four and conquer the world.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will need a new villain when the Avengers defeat Thanos. With magic equal to Doctor Strange, Iron Man-esque armor, and a diabolical yet honorable personality, Doctor Doom is the perfect choice.
Keep your head low, Mickey and Donald.
What Marvel characters are you glad the MCU got? Leave a comment.
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
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