With Ghost Rider showing up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Doctor Strange only two months away, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems ready to embrace the mystical, magical and supernatural corners of the comics. That sounds mighty fine to me! Robert Downey Jr. quips are only going to last so long. If Marvel hopes to keep their Cinematic Universe going, they need to branch out and try new things.

Stare into his eyes

So who else can they use? Ghost Rider and Doctor Strange are both big names and great places to start, but they need to go deeper. Iron Fist is coming along on the Netflix Defenders shows. Scarlet Witch is already in the Avengers, though she’s not really treated as magical or supernatural. There are plenty of characters to choose from, and I have a few ideas. I can’t exactly promise that each one could support their own big budget movie or Netflix show, but if you’ve got to round out the cast and throw in some fun cameos, I’ve got some solid ideas!

Join me after the jump for 6 mystical characters that could easily join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

6. Excalibur

Why has nobody made King Arthur into a modern superhero?

While researching magic-based characters in Marvel, part of me wanted to put the Arabian Knight on this list. I definitely want to see a Muslim character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe…but the Arabian Knight is a little heavy on the stereotypes. Fortunately, we’ve got someone like Faiza Hussain to lead the charge (or follow after Kamala Kahn)! A British Muslim with the power to dissect things, Faiza is also the wielder of the legendary sword Excalibur. Someone like Captain Britain might be a little too on the nose to show up at Marvel, but if they ever visit Jolly Old England, I think audiences could understand that Excalibur exists in the Marvel Universe, and that its modern day wielder is a badass woman of the Islamic faith.

5. Blade

Wesley Snipes needs money, right?

As much as those Wesley Snipes movies helped pave the way for superhero films in general, I think it would be OK if Marvel wanted to reboot those films and bring Blade into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I don’t exactly know how they would do it, though. A new movie series? A new TV show? Blade has already had those things. Maybe some kind of cameo in a future movie? I’m not sure, but a badass, supernatural vampire hunter is definitely a concept that can work a lot of different wants. If Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ever does a vampire episode, he could totally be their guy.

4. The Hood

It’s all in the name

The Hood is a low-level street thug who stumbles upon a magical cloak that grants him various demon powers, like flight and invisibility. In his original story, he used this low-level stuff to cause some basic trouble in the criminal underworld, but he was later reworked into a mystical mini-Kingpin of crime. Either take would work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially on one of those Netflix shows. If Doctor Strange introduces the concept of mystical artifacts, then the Hood could definitely prove to be a tough nut for Daredevil or Jessica Jones to crack.

3. Shuma-Gorath

Don’t look directly in his eye!

I think we can all guess that Dormammu is going to show up in the Doctor Strange movie. The great Mads Mikkelsen is playing the villain, but so far he’s listed as some dude named Kaecilius.  That was some minor nobody character in the comics. Is Marvel really gonna waste Mads Mikkelsen on a guy like that? How much you wanna bet Dormammu arrives and possesses Kaecilius before the end of the film? Because if you’ve got a guy like Dormammu waiting in the wings, with his incredible visual, you’re going to use him!

Which is exactly why Marvel should bring Shuma-Gorath into the mix one of these days. Here is a legitimate Lovecraftian horror that exists in the Marvel Universe, the sort of insane, out-of-this-world threat that Doctor Strange needs to fight. If Benedict Cumberbatch gets a sequel down the line, a battle with this giant, ungodly monster should be a definite.

2. Brother Voodoo

Doctor Strange 3

If you’re looking for a good mystical dude to round out your cast, Brother Voodoo is a solid choice. He’s got an interesting cultural perspective, a unique set of magical origins, and he’s a pretty cool cat on top of that. Obviously one must be careful when appropriating another culture, but Marvel can handle it, just like they’ve handled Brother Voodoo in the comics, turning him from a nobody to a pretty important magical powerhouse over the past few years. He even replaced Doctor Strange for a brief period of time!

1. Sister Grimm

Goth can be cool again

Nico Minoru is the magical member of the Runaways who deserves a bigger spotlight. I know that Marvel is working on a Runaways show for Hulu, and more power to them, but until we actually see a series, I’m going to push for Sister Grimm to show up somewhere bigger and better. She’s young, she’s cool, she’s got neat powers and she can stand on her own, apart from the Runaways, if need be (though I am wholly in favor of a legit Runaways show/movie). Maybe Doctor Strange could use a young sidekick, or she might make for a solid cameo somewhere. Point is, Nico is cool, popular and perfect for today’s superhero market.

And in even better news, her magical mother has already appeared in an official, canon Doctor Strange tie-in comic from Marvel. That’s a pretty great sign! I think that comic also includes Brother Voodoo’s brother. Glad to know Marvel is solid at dropping a good cameo here and there.

Almost like…magic!

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