The Marvel Cinematic Universe takes a lot of inspiration from the source material it's based upon. The hundreds upon thousands of comics that have been produced have plenty of ideas and directions for the movies to go in.
There are a number of changes that the MCU have made to various characters, stories, locations and other elements of the Marvel Universe, however, that could work well in the comics. Here are 10 of those changes we'd like to see implemented in some way.
10 KILLMONGER'S ORIGINS
Killmonger is a character from the comics, but he's not written in the way film fans are familiar with him. The version in the comic books is an exiled Wakandan, but not a member of the royal family. He simply wants revenge for how he has been treated.
The personal element that was added in the MCU, which has Killmonger and Black Panther as cousins, ups the stakes of this conflict and increases the emotional storytelling on display. This origin change might work really well in the comics.
9 THE THANOS PLAN
In the comics, Thanos' primary plan is to appease the literal god of death. He's obsessed with her, and believes that by slaughtering millions he will win her approval. However, the MCU version of the character takes quite a different approach.
The movie version of the villainous Thanos has a savior complex, where he believes he must kill off half the population of the universe in order for planets and civilizations to thrive. This is a much more compelling plan, and one that could work in the comics.
8 DRAGON UNDER NEW YORK
One of the strangest plot twists for the Netflix series The Defenders was that the heroes had to face the fact there was a dragon under New York city. While this story never really paid off, there might be a few interesting ideas to explore here.
Having something magical hidden under New York, like the bones of a dragon, would explain why it's such a hot spot of superhero activity. A whole narrative could be built around this underused concept — one which doesn't disappoint this time.
7 THE FRAMEWORK
The Framework is a concept created for the MCU, and one that the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a lot of trouble dealing with. Despite being one of the premium teams in the MCU, even they find themselves stuck in its complicated coding.
The Framework can make any scenario feel completely real, even though it's all designed through technology. It could work really well in the comics to try to trick different heroes, and can be manipulated in a number of ways to suit the narrative.
6 ZEMO'S PAST
In the comics, Baron Zemo is a villain who finds his roots with Hyrda and the Nazis. However, the MCU version of the character is a little more nuanced, avenging his family after their deaths came as a direct result of the Avengers conflicts.
It's a big departure from what we know, but aside from the mask being currently AWOL from the movie version, there's a lot more to work with in this iteration of the character. We believe writing the comics version like this could provide new avenues to explore.
5 THE IMPORTANCE OF S.H.I.E.L.D. AGENTS
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that we've come to know in the MCU are quite different to those in the comics. Some, like Mack, originated in the comics in a very different way, whereas others such as Coulson have since been added in order to update these stories.
The type of team that the MCU has created is really useful for sending on side missions, and could be great to use as a crack team of experts throughout the comics. Indeed, the current format with FitzSimmons, Agent May, and even Yo-Yo might really work well on paper.
4 KORG
The Korg we know in the comics is so different to what Taika Waititi has created in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While in the comics Korg is an ally of the Hulk and used during events such as World War Hulk, in the movies he's far funnier.
He's used throughout as comic relief, and has a very different personality. The Korg in the movies is an extremely popular character, and it would be wise of Marvel to try to adapt him in some way.
3 NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans is a location used in the MCU in a very different way to that of the comics. Most of the action takes place in New York in the comics, but the heroes Cloak and Dagger have put New Orleans on the map.
The location has been used as an area of magic, with brand new voodoo-based characters added to the roster of Marvel heroes. NOLA could play a really pivotal role in the comics if writers moved the action out of New York.
2 UPDATED MYSTERIO
Mysterio has been updated for a modern audience, and it totally works. The MCU has created a character that's hellbent on getting revenge on Tony Stark for being overlooked throughout his career.
Not only this, but Mysterio's suit has been designed to be like a motion capture outfit. This virtual reality that's being created with drones is the perfect way to bring the character into the future, and we believe this should be used in the comics.
1 ANT-MAN AND THE WASP'S LEGACY
The comics have Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne as the original Ant-Man and Wasp for some time. The MCU shifts this, though, creating the character of Hope Van Dyne as the Wasp, and bringing in Scott Lang.
This kind of passing of the torch hasn't quite happened the same way in the comics, but we believe that this is a vital piece of storytelling that could improve the character of Hank Pym.