Alert, alert! Do NOT read this article if you still haven’t watched Spider-Man: No Way Home or finished Hawkeye yet. I repeat, stop reading this article if you still haven’t watched Spider-Man: No Way Home or Hawkeye!
Okay. So, you’ve seen both of them? Great, because I really want to talk about some of the Marvel characters from the Netflix TV shows who have appeared in both those aforementioned projects, because hoo boy, they’re a doozy. Plus, I’m sure everybody’s happy to see both Matt Murdock and Kingpin back, and in the MCU, no less.
But wait, hold the phone now, because you know what? I’m actually not too keen on the Netflix Marvel characters entering the MCU. And like, I mean, not at all. I understand why people would be excited, as yeah, who doesn’t want to see The Punisher hunting down Spider-Man like he did in the comics?
But that’s one reason right there why I wouldn’t be interested in seeing the Marvel Netflix characters entering the MCU. The Punisher from the Marvel Netflix shows, tonally, doesn’t even fit in the PG-13, Disney+ MCU (I’m actually a little worried for the very Rated-R Moon Knight, entering the MCU for that very reason). I have four other reasons as well why I’m not super pumped for the Marvel Netflix characters entering the MCU. Care to hear them?
I Feel Bad For Iron Fist
Now look, I think we can all mostly agree that Iron Fist was the weakest link of the Marvel Netflix cast of characters. Sure, the MCU has shown in the past that they are willing to take one of their weaker entries, and bring it back into the continuity like they did with Thor: The Dark World in Avengers: Endgame. But they would have to do a lot of work if they were to bring Danny Rand into the MCU, because people pretty much unanimously didn’t like that one.
But here’s the thing. Why WOULD they bring him back? Now that Shang-Chi is a big hit, the MCU already has its expert martial artist, and people love him. In this way, not only can I not see a place for Danny Rand in the MCU if they were to possibly bring him back, but I also think the audience wouldn’t even give him a fair shot, since the MCU already has its fighter, and it’s Shang-Chi. In that way, I pity Iron Fist, and no new relationship should be built upon pity.
The Gritty, Rated-R Tone Would Be Watered Down Substantially
I mentioned in the intro how I’m worried about Moon Knight, who would have been PERFECT on Netflix, but I think we’ve already seen how even Kingpin was toned down when he made his transition onto Hawkeye. The Kingpin I know will smash a dude’s head in with a car door. And while it’s implied that the Kingpin who appeared in Hawkeye had a dark and violent past, you could tell that the writers were making sure to toe the line and not go too overboard with how they presented him.
But that sucks! I mean, it really, truly sucks. The Punisher worked on Netflix since they were allowed to go into some pretty dark territory. The first season really tackled PTSD, but if he came to the MCU, I’m sure they would dial that down quite a bit. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be there, as it would likely be implied. But these were grown-up shows for grown-ups, and putting them in the MCU is neutering them, if I’m being completely honest. It’s like Han Solo killing a man in cold blood in the original Star Wars trilogy, only for George Lucas to digitally make it so that Han Solo dodges a blast so that he didn’t have to shoot first. And who the hell wants that? Not me, that’s for sure.
It Provides A Conflict Now With The Other Marvel Properties Not From Netflix, Like Runaways And Legion
And what about Runaways? What about Cloak & Dagger? Legion? Can we assume that Legion is also a part of the MCU now? No, of course we can’t, but do you see why adding these Marvel Netflix characters to the MCU might be an issue now? It leaves us wondering what other past characters NOT from Netflix might make an appearance in the MCU, since anything seems possible now.
Obviously, unless Kevin Feige confirms anything, it will all just be speculation, but the sky is now the limit when it comes to any past Marvel TV characters. For instance, we know that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was loosely connected with the MCU, and that made sense given that ABC is a Disney company. But Runaways is on Disney+, so why COULDN’T those characters also appear in the MCU? They very well might, but if they don’t, it might keep fans wondering for a possibility that might never occur.
It Is Making The MCU Bigger, But Too Quickly
Lastly, adding characters like Daredevil and Kingpin is expanding the MCU, as it’s introducing more of the street level characters to the continuation, but it’s also expanding it way too quickly. Here’s what I mean. If the Kingpin from Daredevil is the same one who appears in Hawkeye (And Vincent D’Onofrio confirms that it is) then that means it’s safe to assume that The Punisher, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and yes, even Iron Fist also all exist in this world. As do The Hand.
That’s a lot of new characters! But it’s way too fast. The seedy underbelly of New York now all exists in the MCU, but this probably shouldn’t have begun before Moon Knight is introduced. Now that Daredevil’s here, we have a new frame of reference for the MCU before Moon Knight even arrives. And yes, while it’s implied that Kingpin was shot to death by Echo in the finale of Hawkeye, this is a guy who can also get up from being struck by a car, so fans will likely be wondering if he’ll reappear in Moon Knight. Or Daredevil. I mean, why not? You would think they would bump into each other, right? He exists in this world now, after all.
And those are my reasons. But what do you think? Have I convinced you that having Marvel Netflix characters in the MCU might NOT be such a great idea? For news on upcoming Marvel movies, the best Marvel movies, or the Marvel movies in order, make sure to swing by here often.
