5 Characters & Stories That Deserve The Marvel Special Presentation Treatment

Amidst reviving classic animated series, introducing new young heroes, and offering fan-favorites a chance to lead their own series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s expansion into Disney+ has also led to unique productions being brought to life under the Marvel’s Special Presentations banner. The banner was envisioned as an opportunity for new concepts to be brought to the screen, explore new genres, and focus on lesser-known characters. From black-and-white horror to holiday hijinks, Marvel’s Special Presentations are a highly underrated subsection of the franchise.

And with Frank Castle receiving his own one-shot adventure with The Punisher: Last Kill, many fans may be left wondering what could come next for the banner. There are plenty of concepts and characters who could be perfect for the Marvel’s Special Presentations brand, from introducing fan-favorite characters, tackling unconventional formats, or addressing lingering or upcoming challenges for the franchise.

5

Luna Snow is a Prime Candidate For a Special Presentation

In 2026, Wonder Man dived into the impact that existing superheroes would have on the movie industry, and one of Marvel’s most notable recent breakout characters could offer the opportunity to replicate its success. Initially created for the Marvel Future Fight mobile game before her 2019 comic debut, Luna Snow is a K-Pop idol who is given mastery over ice when A.I.M attacks one of her concerts, leading to her becoming a superhero. While still a new addition to Marvel’s comic mythos, her appearance as a playable character in Marvel Rivals has shot her into mainstream recognition, making her a prime candidate to make her MCU debut.

Between the success of 2025’s KPop Demon Hunters and the upcoming The Vampire Lestat in June, audiences are enjoying an influx of narratives imagining pop stars with a secret, supernatural side, and Luna Snow could provide Marvel with their own answer to this. Furthermore, as a stylistic choice, the series could take a mockumentary-inspired format within the vein of What We Do In The Shadows and This Is Spinal Tap, similar to how The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Werewolf By Night embraced their own genre-specific tropes. Luna Snow’s potential Special Presentation could not only allow a hit breakout character to make her MCU debut, but also expand the franchise both in terms of the universe’s scope and stylistic potential.

4

Mystique’s Special Presentation Would Be a Unique Opportunity For the MCU

A character incredibly familiar to audiences thanks to portrayals by Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence throughout the FOX X-Men franchise, Mystique is already confirmed to make her MCU debut in Avengers: Doomsday, with Romijn reprising her role. However, in the wake of Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU will likely have a new generation of actors play Marvel’s mutants, as the series delves into the rising mutant population. And within the comics, Mystique has lived for a long time and witnessed the rise of Homo Superior.

Rather than leaving the MCU’s X-Men reboot to do the heavy-lifting when it comes to explaining the X-Gene, a Mystique Special Presentation could not only establish a new take and actor as the villain, but it could also explore how the gene developed by taking inspiration from her early dealings with Nathaniel Essex, AKA Mr Sinister, under her guise of Sherlock Holmes in Victorian England. From a stylistic standpoint, the special presentation could embrace a blend of period drama and detective story to give it a unique stylistic approach, differentiating it from the wider MCU and offering a unique take on the character. With past movies already having established her among general audiences, Mystique is a prime candidate to receive her own project.

3

Captain Britain Stories Could Lay a Foundation For the X-Men

One unexplored branch of lore connected to the X-Men that has yet to be put to screen is Captain Britain, a mantle that has been held by several major characters since its debut in 1976. Drawing his powers from the mystical Amulet of Right gifted by Merlyn, Brian Braddock not only became a hero of Earth, but a multiversal guardian as part of the Captain Britain Corps. While early publications firmly established him as a defender of the British Isles, the character would gradually join the ranks of Marvel’s more recognizable heroes, becoming a founding member of the X-Men spin-off team Excalibur.

Despite these ties to one of Marvel’s most popular teams, Captain Britain might be too niche a character to lead their own feature-length production. However, his role as a multiversal guardian could provide an opportunity post-Secret Wars to not only lay the foundations for future X-Men characters, but also define how the concept of the multiverse will work following the 2027 movie without being a retread of the TVA. Furthermore, if the special presentation is well-received, the character could easily be further explored in future projects.

2

Nova Could Be the MCU’s Answer to the DCU’s Green Lanterns Series

One of the most notorious dangling MCU storylines is the fate of the Nova Corps. Despite having debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy, the organization was decimated alongside the rest of Xandar by Thanos (Josh Brolin) before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, and has yet to be seen within the cosmic side of the franchise since. However, in the early phases of Avengers: Infinity War’s development, writer Chris McFeely revealed they had toyed with the idea of introducing Richard Rider into the MCU as a sole survivor, and that concept could be worth expanding on.

In the comics, Rider emerges as the new Nova in the wake of the Corps’ destruction, so the MCU already has established the groundwork for the character to make his debut and address the lingering question of what happened. Furthermore, if handled correctly, a Nova project could firmly establish its own identity, distinct from the MCU’s other cosmic heroes that came before by making Rider a more traditionally heroic space-bound hero, as opposed to the Guardians’ more outlawish natures. As such, Nova could provide a new angle for the MCU’s cosmic frontier, while offering competition to the DCU’s upcoming Lanterns series.

1

The MCU Can Celebrate Its Stories By Releasing a Marvels-Inspired Presentation

By the time Avengers: Secret Wars releases in 2027, the MCU will be 19 years old and consist of over 40 movies and 33 television productions. For newcomers entering the franchise at this point, the prospect of catching up to the entire MCU is a daunting task, even when you narrow it down to the most consequential productions to the overall narrative. As such, in the post-Secret Wars MCU, Marvel could use its Special Presentation format to create a production that narrows down the franchise to its major developments by drawing on one of Marvel Comics’ most celebrated miniseries.

Written by Kurt Busiek with art by Alex Ross, Marvels explored the development of Earth-616 through the eyes of photographer Phil Sheldon, as he witnessed the births of several heroes and teams, key events, and other major milestones. In order to create a newcomer-friendly summarization of the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga, the MCU could create a production focused on its own version of Sheldon as they witness those key events. Furthermore, with the MCU celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2028, Marvels could be developed as a project set to coincide with the occasion and celebrate two decades of stories while leaving fans prepared for its next chapter.