Marvel Television was meant to expand the MCU, but as the years passed, it became increasingly clear that the projects released under that banner—Inhumans and Helstrom, for example—were largely standalone.
Recent years have seen Netflix TV shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones made official MCU "canon," opening the door to them being joined by more familiar faces from an admittedly hit-and-miss era of storytelling. The whole canon debate is a dicey subject, something that's evident from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Clark Gregg's recent comments on the matter.
In this feature, we're singling out a handful of characters from the Marvel Television shows who deserve another chance. Whether that's on the big or small screens doesn't matter; these heroes, and the actors who played them, are worthy of an MCU return.
You can find out which characters we've singled out by hitting the "Next"/"View List" buttons below...
6. Cloak & Dagger
Cloak & Dagger ran for two seasons on Freeform, with Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph both delivering solid work as the title characters. The show never really got the love it deserved, but it was well-reviewed and largely did right by its leads.
With Marvel Studios now exploring the street-level corner of the MCU, now would be a good time to give Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson a second chance in the MCU.
It would be a blast to see these two show up in Daredevil: Born Again, though we'd argue that they'd be just as good a fit for a future Spider-Man movie. While Cloak and Dagger could be recast, we'd much prefer that Holt and Joseph reprise their respective roles for a fresh start.
5. Quake
Daisy Johnson had a convoluted journey to becoming Quake in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She went from being from hacker Daisy Johnson to a spy to an Inhuman, and eventually a superhero. It was quite the ride, but Chloe Bennet excelled from day one.
The ABC series has a lot of history, but it would be easy enough to move on from that when Quake shows up in another project. All we'd need to know is that she's a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with superpowers; Marvel Studios can fill in the rest of the gaps.
It's hard to say when and where Quake could appear, but VisionQuest wouldn't be the worst idea, particularly if she's now working for S.W.O.R.D. or the Department of Damage Control. Fans want this, so it's down to Marvel Studios to make it happen.
4. Black Bolt
Inhumans was Marvel Television's biggest disaster. A partnership with IMAX led to the first two episodes being released in theaters, but Ike Perlmutter cut corners and delivered a series that was decidedly low budget despite being played on the biggest of screens.
The VFX, costumes, and story all sucked, but Anson Mount was a highlight as Black Bolt. Marvel Studios already gave him a second chance with a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but we need more than just that "mind-blowing" cameo.
Simply put, the Inhumans franchise as a whole is worthy of being revisited, albeit with a full-blown reboot. Still, keeping Mount as the silent ruler of Attilan would be welcomed, and this feels like something we could and should see in the next Saga of MCU storytelling.
3. Ghost Rider
Rumour has it that a new Ghost Rider will debut in Avengers: Doomsday. We'd bet on that being Johnny Blaze, but as the Spirit of Vengeance's story continues in the MCU, we need to see Robbie Reyes make his return.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. already teased Robbie's connection with Johnny, and with Gabriel Luna's star on the rise thanks to a stellar turn in The Last of Us, why wouldn't Marvel Studios bring him into the fold? One Ghost Rider is badass, but two of them fighting side-by-side would be epic.
Midnight Sons would be the place to make this happen, even if it's just in a cameo role. Avengers: Secret Wars is another compelling possibility, though it will be the next Saga that likely takes a deep dive into the MCU's supernatural side.
2. Agent Coulson
Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson had become an MCU mainstay in Phase 1, meaning his death at the hands of Loki in The Avengers really stung. However, he rose from the dead the following year when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. launched on ABC.
Things got complicated with that (he was an LMD by the time the series ended), but in a post-Avengers: Secret Wars, Coulson can be part of the MCU again...with no explanation necessary.
Some of you won't be happy with potentially ignoring what happened in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but that wouldn't have to be the case. In a new MCU, we'd have a Coulson who simply never died, undoing one of Loki's most evil deeds and giving a great character the chance to shine again.
1. Elektra
When we look back at Marvel Television's biggest failings, Elektra and The Hand will be somewhere at the top of the list. A great deal about Elodie Yung's take on the assassin worked, but there was a lot of nonsense and convoluted storytelling mixed in with it.
On the plus side, Defenders left her story in a place where it would be easy for Elektra to return to Matt Murdock's life without dealing with any of the "Black Sky" drivel. She could simply return to Daredevil's life, with their complicated relationship resuming from there.
If the new Marvel Television handles this right, then Elektra can be one of Daredevil: Born Again Season 3's leads. The potential is there for a spin-off, and if you're a fan of the comics, we're sure you're also eager to see her suit up as the Woman Without Fear...