Avengers: Endgame proves that bigger isn’t necessarily better. I was more entertained by the Netflix Marvel shows than any of the recent movies with the exception of Antman. I’m a fan of the Hulk and have been collecting Hulk comics since I was 11 years old. The Hulk movies have been just terrible and I feel like both failed to capture the essence of the green goliath. The first Avengers movie gave me a few quality Hulk moments, but I have not felt the love again. The reason is clear: the stories get too big with too many heroes. Each character only capturing a few minutes of screen time. My solution is to go to lower-powered heroes with more involved plots. Also, have villains that are well thought out and as interesting as the heroes. Here is my list of six surefire superhero movies that could reset Marvel movies, allowing gritter tales to be told.
1. Doc Savage. Dr. Clark Savage,“The Man of Bronze,” was a pulp-era hero and is painfully waiting for a quality depiction in a Marvel movie. Doc Savage was a genius with superhuman physical abilities, including a mastery of many martial arts. His photographic memory, his mastery of the art of disguise, and his unlimited resources made him a formidable crime fighter. Aided by his unit from the war, his five comrades, all experts in various fields, help Doc in his crusade to make the world a better place. Doc Savage is the original superhero and is where the term was coined.
2. The Master of Kung Fu. Shang Chi is the son of the mysterious Dr. Foo Manchu, the head of an international crime syndicate. Shang is trained by his father and other martial arts masters for some great humanitarian goal. When the true nature of his father is revealed, Shang vows to fight against his evil. I’m told this movie is in production, we’ll see!
3. Moon Knight . Marc Spector, Moon Knight’s alter ego (and the kid I had my Bar Mitzvah with), is an expert detective. He is also proficient in martial arts and armed combat, and he has increased strength based on the lunar calendar. The main difference between Moon Knight and the Dark Knight is religion: Marc Spector is of the Jewish faith. Tribe Power!!!
4. She Hulk. Jennifer Walters is Bruce Banner’s cousin and the recipient of a gamma-powered transfusion. Armed with the same powers as the original Hulk, Jennifer is a super-powered lawyer that can throw down with the most powerful Asgardian god. She is quick-witted, a champion of the weak, and for those who can’t speak up for themselves. This is a no-brainer!. Besides, she is a Stan Lee creation originally drawn by my favorite artist, John Buscema.
5. Deathlok the Demolisher. This Marvel future-shock comic shows a post-cataclysmic NYC. There, a cyborg’s computer is reprogrammed by the host brain, and Deathlok was born. In my mind it’s the coolest idea ever created at Marvel. The character has been brought to the current Marvel age, but the comics just don’t work. This cyborg is an anti-hero of a violent world and he needs to be there. This movie would out terminate the Terminator and out cyborg Cyborg! This movie needs to be made!
6. The Thing. I only like The Thing when he is alone, or teamed up with another hero, not when he’s with the Fantastic Four. Ben Grimm could be the funniest, most lovable, house-wrecking hero at the house of ideas. Old Blue Eyes has it all and, when left to his lonesome, it is a state of grace and basically the only Marvel movie that must be made! MUST!