Avengers who aren’t quite ready for prime time
The revelation that the title of the “Avengers” sequel will be “Age of Ultron” not only offers a pretty good clue as to who the big bad will be (Ultron, for those of you not picking up) but also fuels speculation that the Vision will join the already announced Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in the film.
The next logical question is “Who’s next?”
I’m trying something different (read: easier). Despite how many movies Marvel is cranking out, they still can only feature so many characters. Because more won’t make the cut than will, I’m listing the 10 characters least likely to appear in an upcoming Marvel/Avengers film. Some would duplicate the role of another character. Others just wouldn’t translate to film because of their story, costume or even their name.
10. Sandman – He was in “Spider-Man 3,” but that’s not part of the Marvel Movieverse proper. The film rights for Spidey, the X-Men and Fantastic Four belong to different studios. While Wolverine or Spidey might eventually join up, given the popularity of the characters and the absurd box office it could bring, I doubt this villain who served as a reserve Avenger will be playing in that sandbox.
9. Hyperion – A skewed Superman, Hyperion could work if Marvel wants to tweak the Man of Steel, but they’ve got a more intriguing option in the Sentry, a deranged powerhouse who’s literally his own worst enemy.
8. Hellcat – I love Hellcat’s enthusiasm and humor, but she would get bumped out of the feline Avenger slot by Tigra, a more visually compelling character who seems like Catwoman in yellow.
7. Silverclaw – Although she actually changes into animals, Silverclaw still falls way behind Tigra in terms of recognizability. Plus, she joined the Avengers because of Jarvis, who in the comics is a human butler, not a computer program.
6. Thunderstrike – Eventually, someone may succeed Chris Hemsworth as Thor, but Marvel will probably go the reboot route rather than bring in Eric Masterson, a human who stood in for Thor for a while then got a lovely parting gift: his own enchanted weapon with Thor-like powers. The mullet and vest were all his.
5. Jack of Hearts – Even the most obscure superhero has loyal fans. But I don’t think there are enough for Jack of Hearts to move the needle. That he got his powers from an alternative energy source his father wanted to give away for free may give him a chance at relevance but the costume looks like a playing card. Cartoon? Maybe. Live action? No.
4. Dr. Druid – A Dr. Strange movie is in the pipeline, and he joined the Avengers during Bendis’ run. That means they’ll have their mystical bases covered and everybody will forget even more about this Anthony Druid (yup).
3. Marrina -Sent to Earth by an alien race to help conquer the planet, things went pear-shaped and Marrina wound up joining Alpha Flight (Canada’s Avengers) and marrying Namor the Sub-Mariner. I doubt she would even appear in a Sub-Mariner movie; she’s more a footnote than part of his mythology.
2. Triathlon (pictured, right) – Also known as 3-D Man, Triathlon’s initial powers were that he was three times as strong, fast, etc., as the peak human. While he had a reason to exist in the comics, that power set’s not going to stand out among the current roster.
1. The Whizzer – Even if Quicksilver didn’t have the speedster category locked down, this guy’s name is the Whizzer. The character dates back to 1941, when that didn’t mean what you’re thinking right now. But you’re still snickering, aren’t you?
Evan Bevins is the writer of the webcomic Support Group.