With the Marvel Cinematic Universe dropping a new personality into the canon every other month these days, it’s not just the story possibilities that continue to grow, but also the disheartening realization that not all of those stories will get to be told.
Indeed, beyond What If…? and a myriad of fan fiction websites, the passage of time simply won’t allow for all the Marvel team-ups we may desire, which admittedly may happily lead fans to the comics in hopes of scratching that particular itch, but we digress. Inspired by all the heroes that never got to meet Tony Stark, the denizens of r/marvelstudios have gathered to pay tribute to the characters that will never cross paths.
The death of Chadwick Boseman far eclipses anything that T’Challa will miss out on from here on out, but especially after Wakanda Forever, one can’t help but wonder how the original Black Panther may have gelled with Tenoch Huerta’s Namor.
One user longed for a world where Tony Stark went toe-to-toe with the yet-to-appear Doctor Doom, in what would no doubt be an ego showdown for the ages.
Others wished that Wolverine got in on the action prior to Cap’s retirement in Avengers: Endgame, although such a meeting remains prime real estate for a What If…? episode if Marvel decides to gift us a gerrymandered Invaders lineup.
It just goes to show that you can have all the characters, but not all the dynamics, as Marvel may no doubt continue to learn as it aims for bigger and bigger stories as time goes on. It’s a necessary evil at this point, but with Marvel set to redefine their roadmap in a big way, we can only hope that the MCU becomes a hotbed of good decisions; the world of comic book films certainly needs it right now.
