The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most popular film franchises of all time, and when you stop and look at the amount of potential for the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Broadway or the West End, it really is an opportunity waiting to happen.
The movies span from all decades of music dating back to the 1940s and beyond. These films boast glorious settings and character gags that are just made for a show performance, not to mention the ever growing list of Hollywood cast and soundtracks that are iconic.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.1
Needless to say this movie would look glorious in musical form, the soundtrack is smothered with 60s and 70s classics like "Hooked on a Feeling" and "Spirit in the Sky" due to the film's storyline being centred around Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) mixtape that he carries around everywhere. In of an on-stage performance, the comedic aspect that the film has would complement the music in a way that would sure see people wanting to come back to Broadway for the second volume.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2
Just like the first volume, the second one centres itself around Quill's mixtape which is loaded with more classics, this time more from the 70s and 80s, it seems a common theme in Guardians movies mix-tapes to listen to and approve when he was producing the films. The second instalment of this crazy intergalactic tune-fest would suit Broadway or the West End so much, particularly because the second film leads directly on from the first, so it could be done in one big production.
Thor: Ragnarok
When you think of this film, you think of the iconic final battle where Led Zeppelin - The Immigrant Song is playing as Thor unleashes his powers upon the hellish sister of his, Hela. Now imagine that on stage, it would look stunning if done well.
Thor: Ragnarok would gain a lot of attention if it was played out as a musical too, as The Hulk plays a major part in the film, the on screen version also has cameos from Matt Damon and Jeff Goldblum, both of which have been known to take part in musicals before.
Iron Man
The opening scene from the first ever film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a naïve Tony Stark (Iron Man) coursing through the desert with AC/DC - Back In Black playing. That whole scene sets the tone for not just the movie, but Robert Downey Jr. being Iron Man for over 10 years. As a musical, the movie would draw in die hard rock and roll lovers as well as the Marvel army, whilst Iron Man is seen as one of the best films in the entire MCU so would definitely be a popular one to go and see.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger is set in 1942, during The Second World War and is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's earlier movies. Unlike others, this film holds a solid love story throughout, with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Peggy Carter finding each other in the unlikeliest of circumstances, and this would really resonate with musical theatre lovers. With the nostalgic feel to the film, as well as the multiple references to 1940s Brooklyn, there is no reason why a live performance of this movie shouldn't happen.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home sticks out as a film that would look great as a musical, for the simple reason that the movie is extremely light hearted and doesn't take itself too seriously. This can be said for Tom Holland's Spider-Man in general, which is what makes him so unique and arguably the most enjoyable out of the three that have been on the modern day big screen. Far From Home also takes place in multiple capital cities around Europe and obviously New York, which suits the nature of a musical moving from setting to setting frequently.
Captain Marvel
Set in the 90s, Pulp Fiction feel to it. This isn't just because Samuel L. Jackson is in the film and has de-ageing technology imposed on him to make him look almost identical to his character Jules Winnfield back when Pulp Fiction was released in the 90s. Captain Marvel has a pure 90s soundtrack to it, and loads of pop-culture references that helped make the film a roaring success at the box office. If Captain Marvel was a musical, Brie Larson should definitely continue her role as Carole Danvers in it, and maybe she could persuade Samuel Jackson to make an appearance too.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame was released in Spring 2019 and is to this day the highest grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office. Fans broke all sorts of cinema-going records when the film was released, with most watching the film at least twice.
This demand means any sort of re-make as a musical would go down a treat with the MCU loyal, the characters involved include every possible Marvel character you could think of too. In typical musical fashion, Endgame would definitely need an interval, even when it was on the big screen there was talks of there being an interval for it, as the film lasts for over 3 hours.
Ant Man
Another Marvel Cinematic Universe lead actor that has been known to do shows on Broadway is legend Paul Rudd. Paul's time on stage started in 1997 and he has been credited in shows as recent as 2016. Given the fact that his role as Ant Man in the MCU is loved so much, it would be a shame not to see this made into a musical. Paul has actually been very vocal about a potential third Ant Man film in the series, so maybe the third instalment could be a musical instead!
Black Panther
The Lion King in the way the storyline mirrors that of the Disney classic. The Lion King is one of the most successful musicals that stage production has ever seen, so it would only seem right if Disney would take a chance with a similar film in Black Panther.
