10 MCU Movies That Would Have Been Better As TV Shows

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have mostly thrived, some of them could have been made better or even more exciting had they been developed as TV shows instead. Throughout the long timeline of the MCU, there have been 32 movies — with The Marvels‘ upcoming release set to make that 33 — and for different factors, some of them did not work as well as intended, or rather were great but could have reached their full potential if they had a longer time to flesh out characters and stories.

Following the end of the Infinity Saga, which consisted solely of movies, the franchise started expanding in different ways, and Phase 4 added TV series to the MCU. Like the movies, some MCU series have not worked as well as expected; however, projects like the universally beloved WandaVision and Loki show that MCU TV shows can thrive with the right teams behind them. The medium allowed Marvel Studios to add depth to several characters, old and new, and some movies could have definitely done with that treatment. Here are 10 MCU movies whose stories, characters, settings, and more could have been made better as a TV series.

10 Eternals Could Have Been A Prestige Miniseries

Released In 2021

Eternals is one of the most controversial movies from Marvel Studios, and several of the issues with the film could have been fixed had Marvel chosen to develop it as a limited series. Eight to 10 hour-long episodes could have allowed Marvel to slowly delve into the 10 members of the Eternals, giving each member their time to shine, thus building a connection with the audience. Eternals‘ story was better suited for a series, as that format would have allowed the MCU to not have to rush the long period of time that the team has been active for, presenting more events from the past and enriching the project.

9 Black Widow’s Past Was Perfect For A Series

Released In 2021

If Black Widow had been released during Phase 1 or 2, then a movie would have made sense, but given the film came after the Infinity Saga ended, with Scarlett Johansson’s character dead, it made little sense. Instead of a prequel film, a series could have focused more on Nat and Yelena’s childhood, showing Red Guardian in his glory days. Black Widow could then have had a time jump to show some of the character’s missions as a member of the Red Room and her early SHIELD days before ending in the present. Like Black Widow‘s ending, the series could then have seen Yelena honoring the late Natasha.

8 Iron Man 2 Could Have Been More Engaging As A TV Show

Released In 2010

Of the three Iron Man movies, Robert Downey Jr.’s second solo turn is easily his weakest. Iron Man 2 had some strong visuals and creative choices, such as the Monaco Grand Prix fight and the introduction of Black Widow. However, the movie was a mess. As a series, Iron Man 2‘s biggest problem, its bad villain, could have been solved. Ivan Vanko’s arc could have been done midway through the series, with the show slowly developing Justin Hammer to be a more formidable foe to end Iron Man 2‘s story. That switch would have made Iron Man 2 more engaging and unpredictable.

7 Thor: The Dark World’s Characters Needed More Time To Be Fleshed Out

Released In 2013

As was the case for Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth’s second solo film is the worst of the Thor movies. Marvel Studios has been fixing Thor: The Dark World for years, trying to make up for what was ultimately a dull affair. As a series, the movie’s villain, Malekith, could have had his motives better explored, turning him from a boring villain to a compelling character. Thor: The Dark World did not give characters like Odin, Sif, and the Warriors Three much to do, but a series would have allowed the MCU more time to further develop Thor’s supporting cast, which later Thor movies have also failed to do.

6 Avengers: Age Of Ultron Had Too Many Storylines For A Movie

Released In 2015

Avengers: Age of Ultron set up major storylines for the MCU. A series would have been the perfect way to allow the film to retain its expansive ideas for the MCU’s future, such as teases for Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Endgame, being directly responsible for Captain America: Civil War, and more. The movie format had the several storylines compete for time, which made the film the least loved of the Avengers’ MCU entries. A series could have allowed the many storylines to flourish, showed more of Ultron’s path of destruction, and gone deeper into the Avengers’ team dynamics, perhaps with an entire episode of the beloved Avengers Tower party.

5 Ant-Man And The Wasp Could Have Been More Than Just Fun

Released In 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp was a fun MCU entry, but the Paul Rudd movie could have been so much more as a series. Ant-Man and the Wasp started by showing the past, with Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne going on what would be Janet’s last mission when they were the MCU’s Ant-Man and Wasp. A series could have reshaped the movie to take place across two different timelines, with the main story in the present while flashbacks would slowly piece together the events of the past and how Janet disappeared. That storytelling device could also have included a bigger role for Laurence Fishburne’s Bill Foster, showing Goliath in action.

4 Kang The Conqueror’s Defeat In Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania Needed Proper Build-Up

Released In 2023

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was a disappointment at the box office, with the movie receiving criticism for its VFX, story, and more. One of the biggest story criticisms about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was related to how the film saw Kang defeated so easily, taking heavy damage from intelligent ants and then seemingly dying in his first MCU movie appearance. Kang’s defeat would have worked much better after a season-long arc, as the villain and the heroes’ plan to stop him could have been more fleshed out. A TV show could also have spent more time on Earth in early episodes, bringing back the fan-favorite Luis.

3 A Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Series Could Have Done The Most With The Multiverse

Released In 2022

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured several universes, however, only a few of them were really explored. Had the Doctor Strange sequel been a series, the project could have used the format to its full potential. Each episode of the limited series could have focused on Scarlet Witch going to a different universe after Doctor Strange and America Chavez, opening doors for new characters and variants of fan-favorite heroes and allowing the MCU to make the different universes matter and feel lived-in. The Illuminati could have gotten an entire episode dedicated to fleshing out the team and its history before Wanda came and killed the heroes.

2 Thor: Love And Thunder Was Missing Actual God Butchering

Released In 2022

Thor: Love and Thunder suffered from a tonal whiplash, with Jane Foster and Gorr the God Butcher’s dark stories not meshing well with the constant use of over-the-top humor. The movie’s short runtime also hindered its success, as it gave little room for its biggest storylines to develop properly. Tragically, Christian Bale’s Gorr disappeared from large portions of the film, with the character’s killing of gods happening almost exclusively offscreen. A series could have fixed the movie’s problems, with Gorr murdering a different god in each episode and the story better balancing its dark tones with director Taika Waititi’s humor, as there would be time to let the characters breathe.

1 Black Panther Could Have Been Even Better As A Series

Released In 2018

While Black Panther found great success — it was the MCU’s first Best Picture Oscar nominee, after all — the film could have worked even better as a TV series. Wakanda is an extremely rich setting, and had Black Panther been a show, the different groups that make up the country could have been better explored. As Black Panther dealt with a lot of the politics behind the Wakandan throne, a Game of Thrones-esque series could have slowly revealed that not everyone in Wakanda was backing T’Challa, with the show exploring the machinations happening as Killmonger entered the picture, which could have led to one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe series ever.