4. War Has Started
Now we get to my regular plea to Marvel that has appeared before in my superhero features here at What Culture and likely will do so again in the not-too-distant future. That plea? Find a way to turn the Civil War storyline into a reality. You see, if this Avengers television show does become as a reality as so many of us are hoping it will, then amongst all of the more low-key S.H.I.E.L.D adventures Ive proposed already, it will definitely need some headlining acts, or events as it were, to really get us interested. If NBC want a sure-fire way to boost ratings for either the mid-season slump or the finale, the only real option is to get at least two or three of the major stars of the film series back on board for a big return. Just think of the sheer excitement that would be generated if Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans or any of the other members of the titular superhero team made a one- or two-week appearance on the show to display their kick-ass powers in an epic conflict. Again, Ill refer fans of Doctor Who to its spin-off show The Sarah Jane Adventures, where one-story appearances from current Doctors David Tennant and Matt Smith in Series Three and Four respectively boosted ratings significantly, a boost that could be amplified dramatically in a similar vein over the States and indeed worldwide. The cameos or full-episode appearances could quite easily be built up over the course of a few seasons, and although Im not suggesting a full-scale version of the Civil War arc would be possible on the small screen, my S.H.I.E.L.D Disassembled point of tension could certainly be used here to split the Avengers team in half and for a small period of time have them battling one another over the governments decisions regarding superheroes on Earth. This kind of multi-season crossover and plot development would once again prove a great pay-off for both comic fans and newcomer fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe alone. If a minor Civil War-esque tale could be told here and resolved, then perhaps some foundations could even be laid down for a full version on the big screen one day