Across the hundreds of hours of MCU movies and TV shows, all kinds of fantastic storylines from Marvel Comics have been adapted. However, the MCU completely butchered these five. Many of the best and most popular Marvel stories have already made it to the MCU, even if fans aren’t wild about how some of these stories are translated.
While the MCU initially started off with heavily modified origin stories of Marvel’s most popular characters, the franchise went on to make more faithful comic adaptations as time went on. Now, most Marvel movies or TV shows are direct adaptations of specific runs or arcs, which is incredibly exciting for fans of the source material. However, things become a lot less exciting when the MCU ruins comic storylines, as was the case with these five.
5) Dark Art
Daredevil‘s Dark Art arc comes from Charles Soule’s run, and it is one of the most popular Daredevil stories in recent years. In it, strange pieces of graffiti begin popping up around Hell’s Kitchen, corresponding with several missing persons cases. These murals are typically made out of human blood, making them even more terrifying. Daredevil hops on the case, deducing that the art is coming from a serial killer performance artist named Muse. Eventually, it is revealed that Muse is an Inhuman, and he is finally defeated.
When it was announced that Daredevil: Born Again‘s first season would be adapting the Dark Art arc, fans of Muse were incredibly excited. Although Born Again famously had production troubles that led to a creative overhaul, Muse was left in the final version of season 1.
Unfortunately, Muse’s inclusion was incredibly disappointing. Unlike the comics, Muse isn’t an Inhuman in the Disney+ show. Muse’s ability to absorb sensory information and prevent Daredevil from tracking him is why he was such an interesting foe. In the show, however, he is just a guy good at martial arts. The absence of Blindspot also robbed the Dark Arc adaptation of much of its substance, with it instead being overshadowed by other Born Again storylines.
4) Merged Hulk
Bruce Banner is currently Professor Hulk in the MCU, with this change being made in Avengers: Endgame. In the comics, Doc Samson believes that Bruce is too unstable, leading him to merge Banner, Gray Hulk, and Savage Hulk into one body. This leads to the birth of Merged Hulk, a stable version of the character with Banner’s intelligence, Gray Hulk’s attitude, and Savage Hulk’s strength.
Unfortunately, the MCU barely used any of this when introducing Professor Hulk. In Avengers: Endgame, Banner figured out how to merge his identities himself. This merge was made before Gray Hulk was ever even introduced, meaning that the MCU missed out on an entire phase of Hulk. On top of that, Savage Hulk was criminally underused throughout the first three phases of the MCU, meaning that many fans weren’t yet ready for him to go.
3) Extremis
Image Courtesy of Marvel
Iron Man 3 famously adapted the Extremis comic arc to the MCU, but it also famously made a ton of changes to the source material. Extremis is often considered to be one of the best Iron Man stories, with it reigniting Iron Man as a character. The story follows Iron Man as he investigates the titular virus that gives its subjects new powers, with him attempting to build a suit that neutralizes these powers and puts an end to it.
The biggest problem with Iron Man 3‘s adaptation of Extremis is its involvement of The Mandarin. Not only is his addition unnecessary, but the reveal that the Mandarin is an actor named Trevor Slattery completely butchers the character. While Trevor has become a fun character in his own right, he was a poor substitute for one of Iron Man’s greatest foes.
2) Planet Hulk
Thor: Ragnarok is a great film, but it isn’t the best adaptation of Planet Hulk. In the comics, Planet Hulk follows Hulk as he travels to Sakaar after being sent away from Earth. There, Hulk is forced to fight as a gladiator as he attempts to make his way home and take revenge.
In Thor: Ragnarok, the Planet Hulk storyline heavily deemphasizes Hulk, instead focusing on Thor. Hulk is a fun side character rather than a serious, dramatic star in the film, which is a shame due to how great Planet Hulk is. Thor: Ragnarok is really only a Planet Hulk adaptation in its aesthetic, with it using the names and elements without any of the substance.
1) The God Killer
Image Courtesy of Marvel Entertainment
Thor: Love and Thunder is often considered to be one of the worst MCU movies, which is why it’s such a shame that it is what adapted The God Killer. In The God Killer, a villain named Gorr the God Butcher obtains the Necrosword and begins murdering gods for their failure to protect his people. Thor must put a stop to Gorr’s rampage while he reckons with his role as a god.
Thor: Love and Thunder mixes The God Butcher with several other stories, and does none of them service. The constant attempts at comedy completely undercut the weight of Gorr’s story, and Gorr’s correct position on the gods’ greediness never causes Thor to question himself. Christian Bale gives a great performance, but Thor: Love and Thunder is a massive disappointment.
Which Marvel story do you think that the MCU has failed? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!