According to last weekend’s box office reports, you were one of many people to see Marvel’s latest flick ‘Captain America: The winter Soldier.’ Part game-changing superhero flick and part really good spy thriller, ‘The Winter Soldier’ was also responsible for introducing Anthony Mackie as winged hero The Falcon and some much needed diversity into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s even more ground that Marvel could break here, and here’s a list of heroes/heroines who I think would fit the bill.
Little disclaimer before we get started: I won’t be including mutants, like Storm or Bishop, on this list because the film rights to ‘X-Men’ are owned by 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios is not allowed to even mention the word mutant in their films. Also, no heroes who have already been introduced into the universe, like War Machine or The Falcon will be on this list, either.
Luke Cage
This is technically cheating since Cage will be joining the Cinematic Universe soon, but his stature can’t be ignored. Wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, Carl Lucas was subjected to experiments that gave him super-strength and bulletproof skin. Originally a “Hero for Hire” (a freelance superhero, basically) who eventually joins The New Avengers, Cage has established himself as a popular heavy hitter with fans. Terry Crews has expressed interest in playing Cage, though no deals have been confirmed yet.
Black Panther
Leader of the African nation of Wakanda, the Black Panther, real name T’Challa, is essentially Marvel’s answer to Batman. He’s got all the skills, gadgets, and intelligence but without the baggage of dead parents. His homeland of Wakanda, which masquerades as a “primitive” land but is actually one of the most technologically advanced civilizations on the planet, is also home to the mineral vibranium, which is what Captain America’s shield is made of, tying him to the MCU.
Blade
Made popular by a trilogy of movies from the early 2000s, Eric Brooks is a half-human half-vampire day-walker whose mother is killed by Dracula, sending him on the path to become a vampire hunter. Marvel just got the rights for this guy back from New Line Cinemas last year and his presence automatically comes with a supernatural element that the MCU could use right about now.
Isaiah Bradley
The result of a government experiment done on 300 African American soldiers in a attempt to re-create the Super Soldier Serum that created Captain America (inspired by actual events that you can read about here), Bradley donned a replacement suit and shield for a suicide mission in WWII Germany. He managed to assassinate German leaders and help the war effort, but was arrested and court-martialed by the US government in thanks. Quite literally the Black Captain America, he’s a folk hero of sorts for the Black Marvel community. A story involving Bradley either during or after Steve Roger‘s initial time as Cap would make for a fresh new perspective. Bradley also has a son, Josiah X, a street hero turned Muslim minister, and grandson Elijah Bradley aka The Patriot.
Misty Knight
Representing the even smaller number of Black female heroes in the Marvel Universe, Misty Knight is an ex-cop who lost her arm in a car bombing and was given a bionic arm by none other than Tony Stark. She’s also linked to Luke Cage/Heroes For Hire and romantically linked to Iron Fist, yet another hero who will be joining the Cinematic Universe via Netflix, so it’s a safe bet we’ll be seeing her stylishly kick some ass in the near future.
Blue Marvel
Retroactively added into the Marvel canon about five years ago, Adam Brashear aka the Blue Marvel was arguably the most powerful Marvel hero of the 50s and 60s. When his face-concealing mask came off during a fight and his race was exposed to the world, the pre-Civil Rights United States was…uncomfortable with a super powered African-American, so he was quietly forced into retirement. Brashear’s presence as a physically and mentally adept hero (he has a degree in physics from Cornell University) and a legacy hero would shake up the MCU something fierce.
Brother Voodoo
A Haitian psychologist turned voodoo practitioner, Jerico Drumm is a powerful mystical force in the Marvel Universe. So powerful, in fact, that he was made the most recent Sorcerer Supreme after Doctor Strange in the current run of comics. Marvel Studios is planning to introduce Strange into the MCU, so maybe there’s a chance we’ll see Drumm kicking around fairly soon, too?
The Patriot
The grandson of Isaiah Bradley, Eli Bradley is a founding member of the Young Avengers. Granted his abilities from a blood transfusion from his grandfather, Eli is a leader of the team. If Marvel Studios doesn’t want to bother with a full-fledged Bradley-centric movie (which I think they should regardless), they could have Eli be the contemporary hero for his time.
