10 Important Milestones The Marvel Cinematic Universe Must Pass

7. Introducing A New Team

You might think this point's already outdated because of Marvel's upcoming Defenders miniseries on Netflix, which will bring together Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist in a crossover unlike any that has been attempted by a studio or network (fitting, then, that none of the shows will actually be appearing on any network). But you'd be wrong, because any Marvelite will know that, historically, The Defenders isn't really a team; it's a non-team. and it seems unlikely that the aforementioned characters will be getting together in quite such a spectacular and organised fashion for some time after. It seems a strange concern to have, considering the insane popularity and success of The Avengers, but Marvel really need to be careful not to play the same hand twice in translating other superteams to the big screen. The Guardians of the Galaxy have the benefit of being rooted in sci-fi and placed millions of miles from the Avengers, but any other Earth-based teams - like the New Warriors Thunderbolts or perhaps even (oh please yes) Nextwave - will have to be distinct enough to stand apart from Earth's Mightiest Heroes, not to mention all the other Marvel team-based films every other studio have licenses to, in order for audiences to still want to pay up and not just expect another Avengers movie.