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There was a lot of potential for Marvel movies long before the days of theMarvel Cinematic Universe , with many photographic film lamentably not getting the light-green light despite promising intriguing concepts . Ever sinceIron Man , themovies of the MCUhave turn the Marvel Comics into a pop culture titan , redefine the metrics of success in modern movie theater . But there have been a few interesting attempts at Marvel movie version before the MCU that never quite have off the ground , despite the best efforts of their attached names .
It ’s backbreaking to imagine now , but there was a fourth dimension when Marvel Studios shinny to maintain relevance , having already sold of their heaviest - strike IPs to Sony with theSpider - Mantrilogy and Fox with theFoxX - Menmovies . Left with less pop case , it was often unmanageable for filmmakers to batten funding , talent , or concrete ideas before the discharge ofIron Man . In truth , the Marvel Cinematic Universe was attempted many times before it ultimately saw a second of factual footage .
10James Cameron’s Spider-Man
Almost gave Spider-Man a bombastic 90s movie
Before Marvel betray the movie right for Spider - Man to Sony , the comic giants made a pass at adapting the favorable neighborhood hero into bouncy - action on their own . Thanks to the success oftheTerminatorseriesandAliens , James Cameron must have seemed like a shoo - in for a worthful megahit using the comic book graphic symbol . finally , a James Cameron - calculate Spider - Man labor began gestation at Marvel Studios as far back as 1990 .
Cameron ’s vision for Spider - Man was more like a horror movie than a superhero story , with one draft allegedly include a chronological sequence in which Peter Parker hypnotise Mary Jane with a sort of arachnid dance .
Writers Barry Cohen and Ten Newsom penned a hand boast a college - aged Spider - Man going up against Doc Ock before Cameron total on instrument panel , bringing with him some flaky changes . Cameron ’s vision for Spider - Man was more like a horror flick than a superhero chronicle , with one draft allegedly including a chronological succession in which Peter Parker mesmerise Mary Jane with a sorting of arachnid saltation . Needless to say , Cameron ’s idea bear witness too extreme to greenlight , and the labor languished in obscureness before eventually falling to the roadside .
9Wolverine & The X-Men
Almost brought mutants to the big screen a decade sooner
Between the popularity of the comics and the Greco-Roman ninety cartoon , X - Men : The Animated Series , the nineties seemed like the hottest the dealership ever was , right for a bouncy - action movie . Sensing the opportunity , Marvel attempted to forge a live - activity X - Men film a decade before Fox was able-bodied to get their hands on the IP , working with Stan Lee himself alongside Chris Claremont and Carolco Pictures . The pic was to be titledWolverine & The X - man , predictably take up the same nidus on the claw - wielding Canadian that the 2000s cinema would by and by manifest .
Despite what it must look like , dozens of Marvel flick have been envisioned that never make it to film . Some might get a 2nd chance , though .
surprisingly , Bob Hoskins was in talks to dally Wolverine , while Angela Basset was tentatively sign on as Storm . Once again , James Cameron was bring into the folding as a producer , actually work on the development of the 10 - Men film before his involvement with Spider - Man , only for Stan Lee to get him distracted by Peter Parker . Eventually , the idea was left to yearn in evolution hell before the movie rights to the character were at last trade to Fox Studios .
8Tom Cruise’s Iron Man
Almost began the MCU far earlier
Robert Downey Jr. was n’t Hollywood ’s first endeavor at bringing Tony Stark to life , despite Iron Man ’s past status as a comparatively degree centigrade - inclination hero . Among theactors to intimately play Iron Manwas none other than Tom Cruise , still hot off the success of the originalTop Gun , an appropriate selling level for the high - fly paladin . Tom was handed a script for Iron Man write by Stan Lee himself , almost producing some fascinating outcome .
In the original draft of the write up in 1997 altered Tony Stark ’s tale by changing his kidnapping to be an assassination attempt following a unfriendly takeover of his fellowship by the terrorist group A.I.M.
Cruise ’s Iron Man was to re - work his Stark Industries hunting - and - rescue suit into the first Iron Man armor in a fight against M.O.D.O.K. present such a far - fetched baddie early on would ’ve been a fascinating departure for the MCU ’s former history to take . However , Cruise ultimately dropped out of the project , not being impressed by the finished script .
7Sam Raimi’s Thor
The short-sightedness of studio executives missed a big opportunity
Having long been an ikon in the world of horror comedy , the fabled Sam Raimi was allegedly reached out to by Stan Lee himself in the 90s after seeing his movieDarkman . Lee was eager to work with Raimi on a Thor script , with the two have together to develop and pitch the mind to some Fox Studios executives . Hilariously , the Fox executive director allegedly turned down Raimi and Lee ’s pitch on the basis that superhero moving picture were n’t profitable , a instruction that has endlessly been proven awry in the innovative age of cinema .
It would ’ve been amazing to see what melodic theme the creative Sam Raimi had in idea for Thor , in all likelihood inject his earmark grim sensibilities and macabre humour into the Asgardian ’s story . finally , Sam Raimi did get the prospect to direct a Marvel movie thanks toDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , one of the few films of the dealership to allow its director ’s signature elan to truly shine through . After see his take on Doctor Strange , Sam Raimi ’s Thor seems like a bitingly lack opportunity .
6Wesley Snipes' Black Panther
Snipes was almost another classic Marvel superhero
Wesley Snipes has already earned no end of respect in the amusing book movie circuit for his sentence as Eric Brooks intheBladefranchise , provide one of the most memorable Marvel character performance long before the MCU ’s cultural dominance . However , Stan Lee also approached snipe at one peak with the melodic theme of making a Black Panther moving picture long before the 2018 version was ever modernize . Allegedly , Wesley Snipes was a huge fan of the character acquire up , connect with him in a way he never did with Blade .
Sadly , the two struggled to market their idea for a Black Panther movie to studios that were still unfamiliar with laughable lore . Many executives reportedly confused the hero ’s name with the political crusade of the same name in the 60s , and indicate plot changes that unify the two . It ’s fascinating to imagine a world in which Wesley Snipes play not just one , but two of Marvel ’s most iconic Black characters in a live action motion picture franchise .
5Wes Craven’s Doctor Strange
Might’ve been an interesting horror twist on the Sorcerer Supreme
While Sam Raimi may have been the horror director that supervise to imprint his signature elan on Doctor Strange , Wes Craven nearly beat him to the punch years earlier . Once again commission Stan Lee to blueprint a script , Marvel team the comic caption up withFear & execration in Las Vegasscribe Alex Cox in 1990 with the intent of defecate Doctor Strange a supernatural horror movie . The motion-picture show was very near made , but a petty corporate dispute with Marvel on behalf of Warner Bros. forced the task onto the backburner for two more year .
finally , Wes Craven ofNightmare on Elm Streetfame pick the concept back up , go with Savoy Pictures on a young musical theme for a horror Doctor Strange script . Considering how keen Sam Raimi ’s horror take on Doctor Strange was , it ’s clear that the two parties had worthful potential , even if they did n’t quite realize it . Unfortunately , nothing ever come of this script either , and a flighty take on the Sorcerer Supreme would n’t manifest in field for 30 more years .
4Quentin Tarantino’s Luke Cage
Tarantino nearly got his chance to make a dream comic book movie
The accomplishedfilmography of Quentin Tarantinoneeds little introduction , speaking for itself on the timbre of the creative visionary ’s dash and flare for direction . Bill ’s risible book rant inKill Bill Vol . 2didn’t come from nowhere , with Tarantino being an avid fan of comical books for a long time . Tarantino has described his favourite as Luke Cage , a.k.a . Power Man , and later Shang - Chi , which makes sense considering his moving-picture show ' exonerated court to the Blaxploitation and martial artistic creation genres .
woefully , this casting decision had enough vocal detractors that the idea fall apart , and audience were strip of one of the most perfect managing director and star mating for a funny book movie adjustment ever .
Tarantino very nearly got his chance to adjust Luke Cage for film long before the Netflix series as far back as 1991.His top pick to play Cage was none other than Matrix star Laurence Fishburne , who was then just issue forth off the success ofBoyz n the Hood . Sadly , this casting decisiveness had enough vocal detractors that the idea come down apart , and audiences were divest of one of the most perfect theatre director and headliner pairings for a funny volume movie adaptation ever .
Custom Image by Alex Valentino
3David S. Goyer’s Venom
Venom almost got a solo movie before Spider-Man did
Sony ’s decision to giveVenoma solo motion-picture show may have initially seemed strange to those unfamiliar with the comics , seeing Venom as more of a Spider - Man villain than an interesting character in his own rightfield . Yet ideas for a Venom solo pic have circulated for far longer than one might think , with a concept very nearly filming as far back as 1997 , before even the first Spider - valet de chambre motion-picture show could get off the ground . David S. Goyer ’s 1997Venomscript had some interesting idea , not the least of which being casting Dolph Lundgren as Venom himself .
The book would ’ve insure the Venom symbiote clangour - country on Earth from a planet of alien spider , bond to Eddy Brock , sneakily outstrip himself from the funny fibre by spelling his first name other than . From there , the two would go on to look off against Carnage , with the stipulation that Cletus Kasady and Brock had cognize each other since childhood . For all its bizarre changes , the go bad Venom movie sounds like essentially a XC version ofVenom : get There Be butchery , which would ’ve been a treat to see adapted earlier .
2The Namor Solo Movie
The Sub-Mariner was once a big enough name to get his own film
Not every canceled Marvel movie revolve around a theatrical role that finally fuck off their own solo project . If there ’s one Marvel anti - fighter that somewhat faded in relevance since the ninety , it ’s Namor the Submariner . When he was more democratic , Marvel attempted to trade theproduction rights to a Namor moviealongside Spider - Man and the go - human beings when the companionship found themselves in desperate fiscal sound .
Marvel blessed director Phillip Kaufman , known for the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers refashion andThe Right Stuff , with the rights to a Namor movie . However , Kaufman himself wanted Tim Burotn’sBatmanwriter , Sam Hamm , on board for the script . unhappily , the labor never managed to get off the primer coat , though it would ’ve been interesting to see a more funny - close story featuring the Atlantean character prior to both theAquamanmovies and Namor ’s modify backstory in Black Panther : Wakanda Forever .
1The Indie Silver Surfer Solo Movie
A true passion project that Marvel turned down
Despite being Stan Lee ’s favourite submarine , the Silver Surfer is n’t an easy sell for prospective filmmakers , being an esoteric outlander with strange visuals and a vague set of powers . Yet Marvel really get along pretty close to invest a dedicated Silver Surfer solo film to screen thanks to the efforts of a passionate fan . In 1989 , a film student approached Marvel with the idea of making an entirely CGI Silver Surfer movie , even craft a five - minute short as a proof of conception .
It ’s painfully nostalgic to imagine a time in which Marvel was even unforced to hear out a lonely film educatee ’s estimation in today ’s abrasive demand for existing IP and proven talent . In the last , the Silver Surfer motion picture never happened , and the type only had one piteous blockbuster appearance inFantastic Four : ascent of the Silver Surfer . Who knows how different theMarvel Cinematic Universemight flavour today if the funny al-Qur’an companionship entered the XC with a CGI Silver Surfer pic .
Upcoming MCU Movies
