Are big team movies the future of theMarvel Cinematic Universe? WithDeadpool & Wolverinestarting the trend again afterEndgame,Thunderbolts*drawing more positive reviews than negative,Fantastic Four: First Stepsdue next month, and the two newAvengersmovies chugging on with momentum, it sure seems that way. According to superhero movie scooper Daniel Richtman (better known asDaniel RPK), a new title is supposedly set to join this fray. With a mission to stop a galactic war from breaking out (in the comics, that is) and a name likeThe Annihilatorsto boot, these characters are certainly nothing to mess with, even though they might just be a little familiar if you’ve been keeping up with the tiny details of the MCU.
Originally brought together by Cosmo the Spacedog at the end of a 2010 Marvel miniseries calledThe Thanos Imperative, the easiest way to convey the sheer power of this team is by comparing it to a movie released the same year:The Expendables. Just as the action film is an ensemble of action film stars,The Annihilatorsis an all-star lineup of Marvel’s strongest characters from space. We’ve got Quasar, a cosmic hero comparable to Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; Ronan the Accuser, fromGOTGlore; Gladiator, whose strength grows with his mental devotion; Beta Ray Bill, a Thor-like figure who can wield Mjölnir; and Silver Surfer, Galactus' personal herald. If that’s not an elite team, it’s hard to say what is. But will these same names be present on the big screen if the MCU version ofThe Annihilatorscomes to fruition? Let’s talk about it.
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First things first — we should talk about the hints thatpast Marvel movieshave already given us regarding this god tier alliance. As badly as 2023’sThe Marvelswas received by both audiences and critics,Captain Marvel herself was called an Annihilator by a Kree soldier. While she dislikes the comment, does this mean she’ll ultimately join the team? It suits her, given her abilities (she single-handedly destroyed Thanos' ship inEndgameafter all), but we will have to wait and see the potential team inclusion.
Another theatrical release with anAnnihilatorstease was seen inThor: Ragnarok. One of the humongous busts featured on the Grandmaster’s Tower is Beta Ray Bill, a member of The Annihilators in the print version. It’s really a coin flip if this means anything, as Man-Thing is shown too, and he has a place in the MCU while the other faces (Ares, Bi-Beast, and Dark-Crawler) have not made their debut yet.
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Let’s go back to the actual members, though.Cosmo the Space Dog is still an easy given since she is a part of Rocket and Groot’s new lineup. She played acrucial role inGuardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3, helping children get to Knowhere (which is also a pivotal setting inThe Thanos Imperative). While we’re on the topic ofGOTG, let’s talk aboutRonan the Accuser’s role in the supposed movie adaptation ofThe Annihilators. Make no mistake, Peter Quill destroyed him in the first movie, but we cannot forget that the character is killed and brought back to life numerous times in the comics.
Some Characters on the Annihilators Team Are Already Here
Even though the MCU has not given Quasar a formal introduction yet,Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3gives us a younger version of the character in Phyla-Vell (played by Kai Zen). Phyla takes up the mantle of the cosmic hero duringAnnihilation: Conquest, a 2007 comic event where a cybernetic species tries to take over the universewith the help of Ultron. There’s also the fact that the MCU shows Kamala’s bangle inThe Marvelsto be the Quantum Band (which is the source of Quasar’s power), so Phyla inevitably stepping into the Quasar role is highly likely if this movie does happen.
Only time will revealThe Annihilators' main antagonist, though. Fans will certainly be happy if Ultron makes an appearance. Fingers crossed. Then there are three: Silver Surfer, Gladiator, and Ikon. As we all know,TheFantastic Four: FirstStepswill feature an alternate universe,female version of the Silver Surfer.Will actress Julia Garner’s version (Shalla-Bal) be the same one that comes into play inThe Annihilators? Again, only time will tell, but there should be some gender balancing in the team, just like any other MCU group.
A Few Changes to the Annihilators Would Do Good
Some say that Norrin Radd (Earth 616’s male counterpart) will come into play at some point, which will certainly be a nice addition. Maybe there will be a lineup change onceFirst Stepsplays out. As for Gladiator and Ikon, these are wild cards. Ikon is a female spaceknight from the planet Galador. There should be an actual humanoid robot (perhaps the old-school version, such as Rom the Space Knight) on the team, which will bring some variety to the character chemistry,akin to Groot or RocketinGuardians of the Galaxy.
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As for Gladiator, he should be switched out forSkaar (Hulk’s son), whom we haven’t seen sinceShe-Hulk.The need for a space theme would still be fitting, as his mother was a native of the planet called Sakaar, and the Avenger lineage helps lend some weight to the movie itself. Whatever the case may be with the characters themselves, a team that can rip through wave after wave of enemies would certainly be a nice change of pace for the MCU. Hopefully, some actual confirmation about the allegedAnnihilatorsmovie comes sooner rather than later.For now, catchThe Fantastic Four: First Stepswhen it lands in theaters on July 25.
