Werewolf by Night may not have released a flashy big screen release, but the 50-minute Marvel Studios Special Presentation is still a very important chapter in the MCU mythos.
While there have been mentions of vampires and werewolves in the past, the introduction of Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, and Elsa Bloodstone has cemented their place in this shared world. It also sets the stage for an eventual Legion of Monsters project or, failing that, Midnight Suns (remember, a Blade movie is on the horizon).
There has already been talk of more Special Presentations and it's clear fans loved what they saw in the first one. With that in mind, we've now rounded up some of our favourite Marvel Universe monsters, explaining why we'd love to see them on screen and what they could bring to the MCU.
To find out which monsters we want to see in Phase 5 and beyond, simply click on the "Next" button below!
8. Franken-Castle
During the Dark Reign era, The Punisher was brutally killed by Wolverine's son, Daken. The villainous clawed mutant sliced Frank Castle to pieces, leaving him dead and buried...well, so the Dark Avenger thought.
Instead, the Legion of Monsters found Frank's remains and managed to bring the vigilante back to life as "Franken-Castle." Vowing to protect innocent monsters, The Punisher continued his mission, albeit in a much different way from what comic book fans had seen before.
This would be a crazy, inventive use of Jon Bernthal in the MCU and a great way to do something new with the character. Those movies, and even his TV show, didn't really work. However, making him a member of the Legion of Monsters is an idea with real potential.
7. Dracula
Dracula is a character who has appeared in all forms of media, but outside of the awful Blade: Trinity, we've never seen him in a comic book movie or TV show.
The main focus of the classic Tomb of Dracula comic book series, the cinema legend has been an anti-hero, villain, and mastermind in many corners of the Marvel Universe. Blade is obviously someone who has clashed with this sinister vampire on countless occasions, though the master bloodsucker even targeted the X-Men once upon a time.
We'd like Marvel Studios to take its time with Dracula, establishing him as a true big bad of this shared world who is up there with the likes of Thanos and Ultron as a true world-ending threat. This is who the Midnight Suns should assemble to take down.
6. Satana
The daughter of Satan, Satana is very much a product of the 1970s and a character who pays homage to the busty femme fetales of the Hammer Horror era. A devourer of souls, she's evolved a lot in the years since and is very much akin to a character like Vampirella.
Like Werewolf by Night, we'd kill to see what Marvel Studios could do with Satana. Common sense says the MCU's version should be tied to Mephisto, though that all depends on whether there are plans to introduce him.
In recent years, Satana has become a member of the Thunderbolts and a well-loved anti-hero. She'd be a real fish out of water in the MCU, and someone Marvel Studios could bounce back and forth between friend and foe depending on the stories they're telling.
5. The Living Mummy
We can't help but wish Marvel Studios had taken Moon Knight down a far more supernatural route, particularly as it might have then been an ideal place to introduce The Living Mummy.
Another riff on the classic Universal monsters, Marvel Comics' take on this creature initially moved away from Ancient Egypt and made its Mummy a man called N'Kantu, the son of T'Chombi, a chief of a Northern African tribe. Taken to Egypt as a slave, N'Kanty revolts and ends up being transformed into a Mummy against his will.
He'd rise from his sarcophagus thousands of years later, and eventually became a heroic member of the Legion of Monsters. We're sure Marvel Studios could deliver a modern take on this story, potentially even tying the character to Wakanda.
4. Frankenstein's Monster
We've discussed Franken-Castle, but if Marvel Studios is looking to focus on classic monsters, then this would be the way to go. In the Marvel Universe, Frankenstein's monster is a mix of Mary Shelley's literary creation and the terrifying monster we saw in Universal's movies.
He's crossed paths with all manner of heroes and villains and is pretty much exactly what you'd expect.
The MCU could undoubtedly have fun with this creature, injecting some personality into him and subverting expectations in the process. After all, he could look like a terrifying monster from your nightmares, but actually be highly intelligent and gentle, showing that these creatures are far from all bad. And yes, we'd cast an A-List actor!
3. Swarm
We have a feeling that Swarm won't be as familiar to you as many of the other characters listed here, but he's someone we're confident the MCU could do something exciting (and terrifying) with.
Debuting in the pages of The Champions, Fritz von Meyer was one of Hitler's favourite scientists and every bit as sick and twisted as you can probably imagine. After fleeing to South America, he grew obsessed with hive minds and ended up being devoured by a queen bee and her swarm. However, his consciousness overpowered them and he became the Swarm.
If Marvel Studios isn't looking to rush into introducing the likes of Dracula or the next villain in this feature, then why not do something unique with this Nazi SOB?
2. Mephisto
The Marvel Universe's version of the devil, Mephisto is a master manipulator who has made his presence felt in the lives of many heroes and villains (including Spider-Man and Thanos).
Fans were disappointed when he didn't show up in WandaVision and it's become apparent that they want to see this devilish bad guy in live-action. If Marvel Studios does have serious plans for the Legion of Monsters and Midnight Suns, perhaps they could eventually come together to fight this guy after he's established as being as big a threat as Thanos and Kang.
Either way, he's too great of a character to leave on the shelf. There's so much the MCU could do with Mephisto, we're downright baffled he still hasn't shown up. Well, unless this next guy is to blame...
1. Ghost Rider
Say what you will about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but the ABC series did a great job with the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider. The show strongly hinted that Johnny Blaze exists, but plans for a Ghost Rider TV series were scrapped when Marvel Television was folded into Marvel Studios.
Several big-name actors have expressed an interest in playing this anti-hero, and we have a feeling he'll show up in the MCU sooner rather than later.
When that happens, his origin story can be tied to Mephisto, and we anticipate him being as important to this shared world as Blade. Johnny is a character with the ability to show us a whole new side to the supernatural corner of the MCU, and he definitely needs to become a true horror-themed hero after those underwhelming Nic Cage movies.