1) Avengers V Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel Studios may not possess the rights to the X-Men, arguably the publisher’s most popular superhero team, but that doesn’t even matter anymore. The Guardians of the Galaxy have jumped from relative obscurity right up to the A-list recently with the release of their first movie. The reviews are looking incredibly positive right now, and Marvel is so confident in this property that they have already announced a sequel.
For years now, each of Marvel’s movies has contained clues that indicate the end of Phase 3 will culminate in a film based on the Infinity Gauntlet storyline. Cosmic villain Thanos is currently in Guardians of the Galaxy, but his previous cameo in The Avengers suggests that he will be a key player in Avengers 3 as well, which means that it’s likely both teams will share screen time at some point in the near future.
The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy may share the same goal of taking Thanos down, but the two teams couldn’t be more different. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes occasionally bicker amongst themselves, but the team as a whole have noble aims and work effectively as a unit. In contrast, the Guardians of the Galaxy are an oddball group comprised of misfits and criminals who were thrown together by chance. It’s not hard to imagine a conflict of interests between the two teams…
A confrontation between the studios premiere groups would combine the best that Marvel has to offer. Imagine the iconic characters of the Avengers facing off against the kooky personalities of the Guardians. Iron Man V Rocket. Black Widow V Gamora. Thor V Drax. Captain America V Star-Lord. Hulk V Groot. Hawkeye V Cosmo the Space Dog…?
Ensemble movies are notoriously tricky to handle, but X-Men: Days of Future Past did a surprisingly good job of balancing its huge cast, so this match-up certainly has the potential to work. If the right people took this project on, it’s almost guaranteed that Avengers V Guardians of the Galaxy would become Marvel’s most successful movie yet. I’m not saying it would be easy, but I couldn’t imagine a more thrilling confrontation that has a chance of actually making it to the big screen one day.
Tell us, which one of these superhero duels would you like to see most? Which ideas actually have a chance of being made? Can you think of any more confrontations that could be added to this list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!