[spoilers ahead from Spider-Man: Homecoming]


In one of the first scenes of Sony’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, we see a flashback to the Battle of Midtown[1] from the first Avengers movie. Adrian Toomes runs a crew engaged in disaster recovery, and is quickly put out of business as the U.S. Department of Damage Control exercises authority over the entire site, and its alien technology.

What happened to the people in those cars?

This, of course, is to set up a future Damage Control television show, which seems to be stuck in development limbo.

It also fills in a major plot hole, via a classic comicbook retcon: What happened to all that alien tech from the battle, and who is in charge?

Myself, I pointed this out back in 2012, noticing that Marvel had missed a golden opportunity to place a Damage Control Easter egg at the end of Marvel’s Avengers:

Marvel missed an excellent opportunity to have a Damage Control cameo, and even launch a television series.

Start each episode with a superhero and supervillain causing destruction (like the deaths in Six Feet Under). The rest of the episode is about Damage Control.

The second season, you introduce the law firm of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway.

The third season, you spin off GLK$H into its own series.[2]

Each season would have a continuing dramatic arc. Each episode would have a brief hero/villain cameo at the beginning, allowing Marvel to test new characters, and to give fans something to post on social media.

Now, we don’t know if there will be a Damage Control television series, nor do we know the tone. The original miniseries from Marvel Comics, created by Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colón, was more of a situational comedy, featuring a corporation which repairs damage caused by super-powered individuals. In this movie, they are briefly seen, and there’s no comedy depicted. Given the general tone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and the disappointment of Powerless), I suspect any future depictions to conform to the not-quite-serious tonality of the other movies. (Spider-Man: Homecoming was less serious, dealing with the usual teen dramas, like, what do you do when your homecoming date’s father is your arch-enemy?)

I’m not claiming omniscience, or even a “Thank You” at the end of the credits.[3] I do wonder why no one in Marvel Studios’ brain trust didn’t raise the same point during filming (or afterwards). I am hopeful for both a Damage Control television series, and a “superhero law” spinoff.

I’m also hopeful that Ant-Man will introduce the Marvel Microverse, perhaps via the sword-and-sorcery genre.

Perhaps Marvel adds the Savage Land to the Black Panther movie?

AND, if anyone at Marvel Studios is reading this, more than anything else?

I want to see Marvel capitalize on the success of Big Hero 6 ($658 Million worldwide box office, 89% RT, Best Animated Feature) by producing more kid-friendly Marvel movies via Walt Disney Animation Studios. (The MCU is PG-13.) While Peter Parker is firmly in the MCU, I’d like to see their other teen characters safely sequestered elsewhere.[4] With the resulting tie-in TV series, they can even be more influential, encouraging fans to read graphic novels, buy the merchandise, maybe even start a franchise to rival Disney Princesses.[5]

Time will tell, I guess. There’s a lot of potential in the MCU, and Marvel is currently developing many new series and movies.

What would you like to see Marvel sneak into future movies? What should they have added to previous movies? 


Footnotes:

[1] Marvel calls it the “Battle of New York”, even selling t-shirts. 1) The battle, and most of the damage, occurred near Grand Central Terminal. Nowhere else. 2) Seriously? You’re selling t-shirts “in-universe” for a disaster which cost $160 Billion (twice 9/11) and killed and maimed thousands of people. (One Chitauri ship crashed into Grand Central.) Have you no shame?

[2] I immediately noticed another plot hole, regarding the sudden epiphany to everyone watching the live network feed of the Battle, that extraterrestrial life exists in the universe.

[3] We are legion.

[4] Suggestions:

  • Ms. Marvel
  • Mile Morales, Spider-Man
  • Ultragirl
  • Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
  • Champions
  • Spider-Girl, Spider-Gwen
  • Avengers Academy
  • Squirrel Girl

[5] Proto-cosplay

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