Like the rest of us, Netflix has been really digging the Marvel Universe lately. With such a huge universe, the streaming service has seen the value in taking lesser-known superheroes and giving them their own shows, all of which intertwine in a digestible, bingeable fashion. They’ve got Daredevil premiering in just a couple of days, Jessica Jones renewed, two more on the way — Luke Cage and Iron Fist — and then rounding them all back up for The Defenders. Surely, it can’t stop there, though. As long as the MCU entities are making all of the money, there will be more content coming, whether we like it or not. So who’s going to be next? Which Marvel character will get the next Netflix series treatment? The possibilities are nearly endless.
Despite the rumors, Marvel TV Exec Jeph Loeb has put the kibosh on any potential Punisher spin-off, so we’ll have to accept his Daredevil presence as the extent of the character… for now.
Another easy choice for Netflix is to give Elektra her own series. She’ll also be in the upcoming season, and her romantic connection with Daredevil could make for an interesting simultaneous run. Think Buffy and Angel, only with a lot less cancellations. Plus, she’d fit in well with the gritty approach of Netflix, and her acrobatic martial arts skills wouldn’t break their special effects budget and still look pretty cool.
Since Netflix is in the habit of saving TV shows, why can’t they do the same for Peggy Carter? The ratings for Agent Carter don’t seem like they’re enough to save the most important character in the MCU, so she seems ripe for the streaming. Her style might gel better on a smaller scale that we can watch in a single weekend anyway.
Beyond the characters we’re already familiar with, the next Netflix series could go to the first incarnation of Black Knight, a superhero that lived during (you guessed it) medieval times. The different era would do away with the crossovers between protagonists for the time being, but it would be interesting to show the life of a hero during a non-New York City timeline. Then you could bring him into the fold later on with his descendants, which sounds like a classic Marvel move.
But why does the next Marvel story have to be about a hero? Netflix could chase that Breaking Bad/Boardwalk Empire trend and center on a villain. It could either be about descent into evil or an antagonist at the top of his game, like Kingpin. The drawn-out superhero angle could use some switching up with a nefarious point of view.
Whichever route Netflix takes with their next go at a Marvel character, all we can say is: keep ’em coming.
