Comics and animation are a natural fit – the two mediums fit together even better than comics and live-action films, and DC Comics has taken full advantage of this since 2006. Their company's animation division puts out at least one film a year, either adapting or melding famous comic storylines.
Marvel briefly tried their hand at the same and released a series of eight animated films through Lionsgate, but ceased after Thor: Tales Of Asgard in 2011. It's a shame, especially considering how there are plenty of Marvel stories that are unlikely to receive a live-action adaptation but could nevertheless be great films.
10 JLA/Avengers Is Too Ambitious For Live-Action
There have been intermittent crossovers between the big two comic companies, but one of the most famous was JLA/Avengers, written by then-current Avengers team Kurt Busiek and George Pérez (a writer and artist just as famous for their contributions to DC). The series depicts the two teams pitted against one another by Krona and the Grandmaster. The obvious copyright complications have kept the series out of print, and a live-action film adaptation would be far too much of a legal and production headache to attempt. But an animated film? That could be a different story.
9 The Demon In A Bottle Could Tackle Serious Subject Matter The MCU Is Afraid Of
Iron Man may have been the face of the MCU, but the films refrained from adapting one of his most famous comic storylines: The Demon In A Bottle. Told across Iron Man #120-128 by many authors (writers David Michelinie and Bob Layton, art by Layton, Carmine Infantino, and John Romita, Jr), the series sees Tony Stark spiral into alcoholism. The story wasn't adapted into the MCU out of concerns it would be too dark, despite both Jon Favreau and Shane Black's desire to adapt it. However, an animated adaptation geared towards adult comic fans wouldn't have that problem.
8 The Age Of Apocalypse Is An Event That Could Sustain A Trilogy
One of the most famous post-Chris Claremont X-Men stories is The Age Of Apocalypse. Between 1995-1996, the X-Men books were set in an alternate universe where Charles Xavier had died before founding the X-Men. This led to a world where Apocalypse ruled, Magneto led the X-Men, and several familiar characters were quite different (Cyclops was a servant of Apocalypse, for one). The storyline was teased for adaptation in Wolverine & The X-Men, but the series was canceled before its second season could tell the tale. Since the X-Men films made under Marvel Studios can't just jump into an alternate universe tale off the bat, an animated film is the way to go.
7 1602 Is A High-Concept Mini-Series Primed For Adaptation
Plenty of Neil Gaiman's work has been adapted to film or TV: Stardust, American Gods, Good Omens, or Netflix's forthcoming Sandman series. Comics-wise, Gaiman's work for Marvel isn't as renowned as his DC/Vertigo books, but Marvel 1602, a mini-series depicting a Marvel universe set in the Elizabethan era, remains a fan-favorite. Gaiman pitched a live-action TV adaptation of the series but was rejected, while Kevin Feige was concerned about the lack of a "built-in audience" for a 1602 live-action film. However, an animated film targeting comic books fans for its audience would have exactly that.
6 House Of M Is Unlikely To Be Directly Adapted In The MCU
For better or worse, the comic storyline that most readers associate Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch with is House Of M (Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel). Wanda is an important player in the MCU, and 2022's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness promises to give her one of her biggest roles yet. However, a direct House Of M adaptation seems unlikely.
For one, the story's most famous moments, especially "No More Mutants," are contingent upon Wanda's connection to the X-Men, which her MCU counterpart lacks. WandaVision also already covered her reality-warping powers. Thus, the best place to tackle House Of M is an unrelated animated film.
5 Annihilation And Annihilation: Conquest Are Space Epics Worthy Of Star Wars
Keith Giffen's Annihilation revitalized the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, while Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning's sequel Annihilation: Conquest was the groundwork for the modern Guardians Of The Galaxy. Both stories, which see the galaxy besieged by Annihilus, then Ultron, and then the Phalanx, are epic space operas comparable to Star Wars or Mass Effect. The apocalyptic stakes aren't suited for the comedic tone of James Gunn's Guardians Of The Galaxy films, but both Annihilation stories could make great animated movies.
4 The Death Of Captain America Is A Sprawling, Mature Political Thriller
Ed Brubaker's Captain America run may have been hampered by Civil War, but he made the most of it. Cap's death was tragic and one of the more convincing fake-out superhero deaths of recent memory, but Bucky's turn as Captain America was an incredible character arc to see play out. While Brubaker's run has definitely influenced the MCU, the movies have chosen a different ending for Steve Rogers' story and a different successor (Sam Wilson rather than Bucky). Adapting the story as a two-part animated film, in the vein of DC's The Death Of Superman and Reign Of The Superman, would be the best way to do it justice.
3 Infinity Is An Epic Which Deserves Direct Adaptation
Spinning out of Jonathan Hickman's runs on Avengers / New Avengers, Infinity is easily one of the best-received crossover events in recent Marvel memory. During Infinity, the Avengers head to space to head off the threat of an alien race called the Builders. This leaves Earth vulnerable to an attack by Thanos, who has come to kill his Inhuman son Thane. The storyline introduced Thanos' minions, the Black Order, who appeared in the MCU during Infinity War & Endgame. Those films' general storylines took inspiration from Infinity, and it's unlikely the MCU will be featuring Thanos again anytime soon. So, animation is the way to go.
2 Spider-Man: Life Story Would Make The Most Sense In Animation
One of the best recent Marvel stories – and the best recent Spider-Man story – was Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley's Spider-Man: Life Story. The six-issue mini-series spans decades and tells the saga of Spider-Man if Peter Parker had aged in real time since his 1962 debut. Each issue corresponds for a successive decade, positioning the iconic Spider-Man stories as happening in the decades they were published (e.g. the death of Gwen Stacy in Issue #2, chronicling the 1970s, while Miles Morales comes in during finale issue #6, depicting the 2010s).
The story spans decades but is also compact. Despite allusions to the wider Marvel Universe, the book stays focused on Peter and gives his journey an emotional throughline. Since Spider-Man has often been the character most hampered by comics' sliding timescale, seeing his story progress and conclude is so refreshing. Considering how the characters all age, the best way to adapt Life Story would be through animation.
1 The Dark Ages' High Concept Is Perfect For Animation
Tom Taylor is a master of high concept AU stories. His smash hit mini-series DCeased saw a zombie apocalypse hit the DC Universe, while the currently running Dark Knights Of Steel reimagines DC's heroes and villains as players in a fantasy universe. The Dark Ages brings a similar set-up to the Marvel Universe. In the story's universe, a day unlike any other left the world without power, and the heroes were forced to pick up the pieces and create a new world.
Taylor's AU books have the same enjoyment of a great event. They also brim with the imagination of putting familiar characters in new contexts. The Dark Ages has two issues to go, and unless the series seriously stumbles towards the finish line, it'd make a fine movie.