8 Alternate Versions Of Comic Book Characters That Would Be Perfect On-Screen

The Ultimate Universe already inspired the MCU before. Who's to say it won't do so again?

Joker Batman Who Laughs
DC Comics

The multiverse has been used to explore comic book characters for a long time. These alternate universes generally alter the circumstances of popular characters until they're forced to change into a different person than what the fans are used to. Sometimes their world is drastically changed and they're forced to adapt. And sometimes their origins are changed substantially, causing them to develop different personalities and worldviews.

This has already worked out well in film on more than one occasion. The MCU borrows numerous elements from the Ultimate universe; Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is widely regarded as one of the best Spider-Man stories ever; Logan is based loosely off of the Old Man Logan universe and is one of the most beloved X-Men movies.

The more material a creator has to draw from, the easier it is to make a compelling narrative. Adapting elements of the Ultimate Venom origin into a Spider-Man movie or making a standalone movie about The Batman Who Laughs could provide audiences with some of the most interesting interpretations of those characters to be portrayed in film.

The alternate worlds of DC and Marvel have already inspired so much cinematic material, but they could form the basis for even more...

8. Ultimate Venom

Joker Batman Who Laughs
Marvel Comics

The Ultimate Universe is essentially the main Marvel continuity's more brutal cousin. It's the alternate universe that's the most similar to Earth-616, but the stories and characters generally have a darker take.

In the Ultimate universe, Venom was born not from an alien symbiote, but from a suit designed to fight cancer. However, Ultimate Venom is inextricably linked with the Parker legacy. Richard Parker and Eddie Brock Sr. created the suit together, which led to Peter and Eddie Brock Jr. becoming best friends as children. They reconvene years later to work on their fathers' experiment again when things inevitably go wrong.

A movie involving this version of Venom would force Spider-Man to reconcile with the fact that his worst enemy is the result of his father's creation bonding with one of his closest friends. This has all the pieces for a very emotional and personal movie.

Contributor
Contributor

Victor Grubbs hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.