Cinematic Repair: Remake the Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four have had a REALLY rough time when it comes to to movies. They may be Marvel's first super-powered team and super-powered family, but every attempt to make a good movie with them fell into shit. The first attempt in 1994 was a schlock-fest by Roger Corman that wasn't even released. The 2005 film was a a whole lot of nothing but be silly and make an insult of Doctor Doom, as its sequel would repeat. The 2015 iteration was a mess of arguing between production and direction that accumulated into a dark and dreary movie of superheroes doing a whole lot of nothing. How is it that we can't get a worth while film of the most influence super-hero team of Marvel Comics history? With Marvel Studios on the verge of regaining the rights to the Fantastic Four, and with them, we can possibly get a worthy film of the Fantastic Four. For this, we're taking a case of...

Cinematic Repair: Remaking the Fantastic Four

Before we can repair the dignity and renown of the most misused superheroes, we need to look at where it all went wrong.

The Broken Parts

Origin Story Been Done To Death

All of the Fantastic Four movies spend much of their run time showing how the team got their powers and how they get use to using them. Unfortunately, when it's combined with them doing nothing of worth, we end up not having enough time to dedicate to them being heroes. This a superhero movie we're taking about, so we need them to do cool stuff. In general, origin stories have been done to death, to a point that we need to stop.

The Fantastic Four Doing Nothing

If you haven't seen the released Fantastic Four movies, we can see one of the biggest problems of the film: our heroes do NOTHING! They waist the viewer's time with them trying to figure out how their powers work and either being silly or glum. I recognize that a story delving into the origin story of a group of superheroes should put time into how they got their powers and how they work, but the fact that the films ultimately have far too much nothing going on is a no fun.

Doctor Dumb-Ass

These insults to greatness are brought to you by Fox Studios

It's no denying by any Marvel comics fan that Doctor Doom is possibly the greatest and most influence super villain in the Marvel universe. He's a master of both science and magic, is possibly the smartest man on Earth, has countless plans and preparations to take over the world, he's the ruler of an entire country, and he's proven himself to be a force to be feared in battle. He's also a deep and complex character in his motives and actions, making him a legendary villain. He is a bad-ass with depth and detail.

Too bad the movies turn him into a one-note idiot with super powers. Rather than studying science and magic to create himself into the ruler of Latvaria and most feared conqueror in history, the movies turn him into another member of the Fantastic Four's voyage that was effected by the same mutagen effect and given a stupid-appearance that's a lifeless mockery of the original and some stupid lighting powers. GOD!

No Balance

The primary issue with the films is its imbalance of comedy and seriousness; The 2005 film and its sequel were extremely silly, from a bit where Reed Richards uses his stretching powers to grab some toilet paper to Johnny Storm being horny and dushy all the time. The 2015 flick was the exact opposite; it was dreary and overly serious, with no sense of life or fun. What a Fantastic Four movie needs is to have a balance of both, having light-hearted fun that's willing to get serious when it needs to be. We can't have one extreme, but a balance.

The Reusable Pieces

While the movies had their issues, which were far more than what they can overcome, there's some things that can kept.

The Fantastic Four Themselves

Of course, the one thing we have to keep is the Fantastic Four team themselves. I mean, how can we have a Fantastic Four movie without the Fantastic Four? I can adept and agree that some extra diversity might be needed to make the team less "all white," (perhaps Ben Grimm as another race, or Johnny as an adopted brother to Susan and thus another ethnicity) but we don't need to change their core characters: Reed is a genius but blames himself for what happened to his friends (namely Ben), Susan is caring but strong and more dangerous than the rest, Johnny is cocky as hell but of good intent, and Ben is big but gentile yet glum. Simply put, we need the team in its core.

Origins In The Negative Zone

"Do you know what the f*ck is going on? Cause I sure as hell don't."

By all intents and purposes, the original origins of the Fantastic Four was pretty stupid: the team were exposed to cosmic radiation that gave them their powers. Also, Susan and Johnny weren't even actual scientists and were just pulled along for the ride. Yeah, it's lazy and uncomfortable.

Thankfully, the Ultimate universe created an alternative origin to their powers, which even the 2015 film would utilize: their powers stem from their entering and return from the Negative Zone. In the comics, the Negative Zone is a place composed of anti-matter. For a person of our universe to traverse there, they would have to reverse its polarity on a molecular level. Perhaps in an MCU Fantastic Four movie, the team traveled to the Negative Zone through a dimension-ship as part of an exploration in inter-dimensional travel, but possibly due to an attack by hostiles, they were forced to travel back; their ship may then malfunction, causing them to be shot back into our universe and suffer great molecular change, granting them their unique abilities. This can also give question about the fate of others that were part of this exploration; it can't simply be four people going into an unknown dimension. They're going to need more people, and it'll show 

The Repair Job

Now, with what we know we can keep and what we have to scrap, we can look at the means of fixing it all:

Origin Revealed Through the Story

As I've mentioned above, origin stories have been done to death, especially as they're really just the same stuff over an over. In contrast, with Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy and all of the Marvel Netflix shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage), we don't need to spend over a third explaining how they got their powers. Just go with "they have superpowers and we can explain how they got their abilities as they're doing stuff."

For the Fantastic Four, my idea is to have an investigator for Shield attempting to get in touch with Reed Richards about a unique cosmic phenomenon that he may be familiar with. After Reed and his companions are forced to reveal themselves, he and Susan then spill the beans on their origins and why they've been hiding for so long.

A New Beginning Villain

A major issue with ALL of the Fantastic Four movies is it s mishandling of Doctor Doom. Not only do they make him far from the master villain that the comics have created him to be, but they've also made the mistake of making him their first villain. He's treated as a one-off villain that the Fantastic Four need to overcome to save the day, rather than the universal threat he truly possesses. Instead of starting with Doctor Doom, we need a villain that's much smaller but one that's close to the Fantastic Four. Like, maybe their first villain ever in the comics: THE MOLE MAN!

FEAR THE MOLE MAN! ALL 4'10" OF HIM!

What? Are you not intimidated? Well, that's pretty normal, actually. Harvey Elder, better known as the Mole Man has never been a major-name villain in Marvel Comics. However, he's no push-over. The Mole Man is the prime king of the Moloids, has access to the ancient but advance technology of the Deviants, and has created an army of giant monsters to serve him. To make him even more close, we can modify his origins to make him more interesting. Perhaps Reed and his companions were not the first people to enter the Negative Zone. Now, what would happen to a man who was trapped there for years?

Dedicate Time To Being Heroes

No More Di*king Around! The 2005 and 2015 movies have done nothing but waist the viewer's time. This team was quintessential in shaping the Marvel Universe as we know them now, and to have their movies featuring them not being heroes is unacceptable. With the team's origin story explained through the film rather than begin it, we can delve more into the heroes doing great deeds and forming their identities as heroes.

The Mole Man can easily work into this; as a guy who commands an army of monsters, he can easily have these monsters attack parts of the world, forcing the Fantastic Four to reveal their presence to the world by defeating the monster, saving lives and being heroes.

Deeper Issue In The Skin

All of the major Marvel movies tend to focus on real-world issues. In Infinity War, the topic of overpopulation and belief that it will inevitably bring extinction is the overlaying reason for Thanos' actions. Now, what topic could the Fantastic Four tap upon?

Well, there's one that's unusual but interesting: immigration. Didn't see that coming, did ya? To set up the idea of immigration in the plot-line, I see this through the moloids.

The moloids are a subterranean race that the Mole Man leads. In the comics, they're the product of the Deviants and are native to earth, but I believe that we can move their origins to the Negative Zone, where Harvey Elder was trapped for several years. The moloids were never anything impressive but were family to Harvey for their aid to him. Perhaps they're a race that'd been hunted to near death and are stuck on a planet that's itself dying. Rather than his motivation being revenge on the world or a desire to conquer, Harvey desires to return to Earth so as to create a safer home for the moloids. Once he's been led to ancient alien technology, Harvey is able to create a new portal machine, allowing him to return. Unfortunately, every-time he tries to come back, he's met by hostility from the world, costing the lives of innocent moloids and forcing him back to the Negative Zone. After years of failed attempts to get through peacefully (note, time the Negative Zone is weird, so everything is off time-wise), even getting attacked by (Hydra-controlled) SHIELD, he's concluded that he must have an army of his own to take a home for themselves.

To add to the concept of immigration, perhaps Harvey's past attempts of peace were covered by the Hydra-controlled SHIELD. To top it off, people identify Harvey and his moloids as criminals and terrorists, delving into the common trend of demonizing immigrants. In the end, the resolution comes through understanding: The people of Earth were wrong to think of these aliens as purely hostile, while Harvey and the moloids were wrong to think humanity was purely against them.

The Right Crew

Now, a good Fantastic Four movie needs the right actors. This can be tricky as we've seen obscure people give mind-blowing performances. Still, I feel some good acting capability is needed. Now, I already have an opinion for an actress perfect for Susan Storm: Charlize Theron. Charlize is a veteran actress who can pull off the look, personality and maturity of Susan and easily bring the heroin to the Screen. Still, there's many actresses that can do the role; Charlize was just the first one that comes to my mind.

Alternatively, there's a frequent fan interest in having real-life married couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. Both are skilled and have experience in both serious and light-hearted stuff. I can see John and Emily as the heads of Marvel comic's first super-family.

For the villain, I can see the Mole Man being portrayed by Danny DeVito. The Mole Man has always been portrayed as short, old and not the most appealing. Danny has experience playing rather ugly, gross characters, like the Penguin in Batman Returns and Frank Reynolds in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, so having DeVito as the Mole Man would work. As a bonus, DeVito and the Mole Man are both 4'10". However, there's many other actors that could portray the Mole Man, so we must keep our horizon open.

For direction, the first to come to mind is Peyton Reed. Not only is he a skilled director and knows how to make things both funny and serious while still grounded, he himself displayed interest in making a Fantastic Four movie. As such, I would give him helm on making the Fantastic Four, well, fantastic again.

Doom is Coming

Got a case of Thanos? Let the good Doctor take care of that for ya.

Now, I know that most production people will demand that Doctor Doom must appear in a Fantastic Four movie. It's like having a Batman movie without the Joker, or at least hinting at him. Now, I do agree that we should at least hint at Doctor Doom's presence in the MCU. For me, we do it in a way akin to how Darth Vader was at the end of Rogue One, where the Sith Lord reminded the fans of his greatness by showing his power, martial prowess and shear intimidation in slaughtering several armed men shooting at him and those men realizing how screwed they really are. In a similar vain, in introducing Doom, we should have him display his prowess by effortlessly decimating a team of superheroes (Avengers?) to collect an item in their possession (an artifact containing a Cosmic Cube?). Through this, not only would we feature Doctor Doom in the MCU and establishing his presence, we would also be returning his honor and reminding people that the previous movies gave us no true Doom. We will know that the Doctor is in, and he's ready to win.

The Work

After looking at what worked and didn't work for the Fantastic Four movies, and how we could fix it, let me give you a "synopsis" of how I believe a MCU Fantastic Four movie could/should/would go:

A young investigator for SHIELD has been sent by the new SHIELD to investigate a series of phenomenons related to a unique energy signature. He goes to several scientific experts that may help but none of them can give him an exact answer. In his research, he comes across a past project under SHIELD's funding that had numbers fitting to the phenomenon but extensive information was redacted. He was forced to dig further and found some individuals who worked on the program; Researchers Reed Richard and Susan Storm, driver Jonathan "Johnny" Storm and pilot Benjamin J. Grimm. After some searching, the investigator is able to find Reed at the Baxtor Building, where he and Ben live in seclusion while Susan and Johnny work to provide money. When the investigator came to Reed for answers, Reed refused to assist him and demanded him to leave to his work (primarily in fixing his friends). The investigator refused to to leave until Ben forced him out through intimidation and force.

Despite this, the investigator continues his works and decided to talk to Susan and Johnny for answers, as the two siblings want to get out from hiding. At a cafe, they attempt to give him information when one of the cosmic phenomonon's occurs and a colossal monster appears right outside the cafe. As the monster goes on a rampage, Susan uses her force-field powers to prevent it from harming innocent people, while Johnny uses his fire abilities to damage the monster. At that point, Reed and Ben are called in for extra assistance, leading to the two devising a quick sling-shot using Reed as the rubber and Ben as the ball, launching themselves towards the fight. Through their efforts, the four are able to take down the monster and save several lives in the process, leading to people celebrating them as heroes, christening their name as the Fantastic Four.

With their nature revealed, Reed is convinced by Susan to tell the investigator everything: Back in the 2000's, Reed and Susan were part of a research program under SHIELD's supervision, as they delved into inter-dimensional travel. Along with a larger research team, they were able to develop an inter-dimensional teleportation ship. A team was developed, consisting of Reed and Susan and lead supervisors and researchers, Johnny and Ben as pilots, and a few other researchers, pilots and soldiers. After teleporting into another dimension (the Negative Zone), they began researching the terrain and ecosystem when they were eventually attacked by a number of alien creatures (similar to the monster that attacked New York), being led by a short humanoid with a staff and wearing some older equipment. Several of the team were killed, leading to Reed, Susan, Johnny, Ben and a few others to flee back to the ship. As they attempted to teleport back, a malfunction occured, as a number of important parts were removed from the ship, and they were shot back a ways away from their origin. When SHIELD found them, Reed, Susan, Johnny and Ben were the only survivors and had suffered sever molecular alteration; Reed became extremely stretchy and malleable; Susan was invisible and subconcously producing force-fields; Johnny was producing intensive heat, forcing the rescue team to utilize special equipment to transport him; and Ben was entrapped in a giant rock, which he eventually broke out of, revealing to have a rock-like body. SHIELD had then imprisoned them in a secrete complex and erased the information of the program (during this time, SHIELD was secretly under Hydra control). Despite this, Reed was able to escape his confinement, reach the security room and hack into the system, causing the security systems to work against the guards while allowing him to break his friends out. After that, the team fled the compound and found sanctuary at the Baxter building, where Reed and Susan use to work extensively. There, Reed would work to find a way to fix his companions, while Susan and Johnny would work to support everyone and Ben could hide out.

In the Negative Zone, the man who attacked Reed and his companions is finishing up on a massive inter-dimensional portal. Through translated communication with the moloids, he intends to use the portal to allow his himself and his army to make a new home for them. Back on Earth, the team are adapting to being known superhumans. Susan adapts well and Johnny takes the new popularity in strives, while Reed proved to be socially awkward and Ben's rock-man nature makes him uncomfortable around people. In a sequence where Johnny and Sue are trying to help Ben return to reality by taking him to a club, the club is attacked by another phenomenon that causes a strange bug-man to appear and attack the patrons until the three are able to take it down.

Reed eventually comes to help the new SHIELD in figuring out these phenomenons, which produces energy signatures similar to the dimension his team teleported to years ago. Further research uncovers that Reed wasn't the first to work with SHIELD in inter dimensional travel; Harvey Elder had been working for SHIELD years before, where he developed an inter-dimensional portal that lead to the Negative Zone. However, the portal malfunctioned, isolating Harvey and his team on the other side. The program was scrapped and the information redacted as well.

During this, one massive signature is occurs at the same base that Harvey's machine was built, leading to a number of superheroes and SHIELD agents to investigate. There, they're met by the man from the Negative Zone, who reveals himself as Harvey, and a number of his small alien companions. As the heroes attempted to confront them, they revealed their alliance with SHIELD, leading to Harvy to declare them his enemy and called forth his army of alien monsters to attack. They're able to defeat the heroes and take them prisoner before moving towards a city location. To make things worst, the portal deactivates and reactive within several major cities across the US, leading to more monsters to appear. This forces the Avengers and Armed Forces to take action but their unable to get the upper hand, as their efforts are stretched thin.

Reed and his companions, now wearing the suits they wore in their travel to the Negative Zone (which has adapted to each one's powers), go out to confront Havey and his army. Meanwhile, the investigator works on getting more information to relay to the team. Information he's able to find is that these phenomenons aren't recent; years ago, during Hydra's control of SHIELD, there's similar events of alien organisms appearing from random portals. These aliens, similar to Harvey's moloids, appeared to be non-hostile but ultimately killed on sight. There was even an event where a man (whom the investigator confirms is Harvey) and a number of moloids attempted to make peace but were met by hostility and forced to flee back.

As the team work to stop the monsters and save lives, Reed attempts to confront Harvey, leading to Harvey to believe Reed to be working for SHIELD, whom he has only disdain for. The investigator is able to relay information to Reed about Harvey, notably his paranoia and possible mental illness. He believes that Harvey is attacking SHIELD because it betrayed him and wants him dead. After further fighting, Harvey reveals his actual intents: create a habitable home for his moloids, whose population is minuscule due to being near-eradicated by other alien invaders. Reed is able to convince the Avengers and armed forces to cease fire and Harvey agrees to command his monsters to stop. This leads to negotiation between Harvey and higher ups of SHIELD (including Nick Fury), and the two agree to equal terms: SHIELD will assist Harvey and his moloids in relocating to an uninhabited but habitable location (which would later be called Monster Island), and Harvey will release his prisoners (revealing that he had no intent on killing people) and dismantle his portal machine after his aliens are through. When asked about the bug-man that attacked, Harvey states that it wasn't one of his creatures, that it was "something else" from the Negative Zone. After everything is done, Reed and his companions are further celebrated, cementing their status as new heroes.

In a post-credit sequence, we have some scientific members of the Avengers studying a piece of Harvey's teleportation machine, particularly the device that gives it the power needed to create a lasting portal (possibly containing a true Cosmic Cube within it). During this time, the Avengers compound is attacked as a mysterious individual appears and utterly defeats the entire team with absolute ease. He then takes the device and warps out. The assailant is Doctor Doom.

The Total

So, what does all of this give us? Well, it's no wonder that several people working for Marvel Studios would be happy to have the Fantastic Four in their rights, especially as they're possibly the single most important individuals in Marvel comics. What I gave is just an idea of how this could work, but there's dozens of others that could work. What I want from Marvel Studios to do is give justice to the first super-family, as well as expand the horizan of the MCU and show that they can do the Fantastic Four and even  Doctor Doom justice.

What Come Next

As with everything that's part of the MCU, there's always the question of "what comes next." Well, for the Fantastic Four, there's plenty of comic book history that we can follow from. There's dozens of events and villains that we can utilize, from earthly villains like Diablo and the Mad Tinkerer, to more cosmic forces like Blasstar and Devo the Destroyer.

What is most certain that some villains need A LOT more prepping to implement. There is Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, and his many heralds. There is Annihilus of the Negative Zone and conqueror of worlds, along with his devastating Annihilation Wave. For forces like these guys, we need to utilize them on a bigger scale; rather than one-time villains for the Fantastic Four, these are individuals who create galaxy-wide events that require the combined efforts of all parties involved.

Lastly, and more importantly, there's Doctor Doom. To be honest, this guy should be built up even more than Thanos; Doctor Doom stands as the single greatest villain in Marvel Comics and should be treated as such. He's also a unique and interesting character in the question of personality and motivation, making for a great character when done loyal to his comics.

Cinematic Engineering: Taskmaster in the MCU

The MCU has provided a variety of villains. Some of them are lame, like Whiplash and Crossbones. Others are done extremely well, like Zemo and Thanos. As we're moving upon Phase 4 and become more personal, I feel we should bring in a villain with extensive depth and skill great enough to take down even superhuman heroes. In my opinion, we should bring in the man who can watch you do anything and repeat it better:

Taskmaster

"Evenin' Slick. 'Member me? I'm the Taskmaster!"

Taskmaster, goes by the alias Tony Masters, is a unique case of a man of human limits capable of matching and even surpassing those who're far more powerful than himself. When it comes to skill, he may be one of the greatest martial artists in existence, passed only by those who know styles no human can comprehend or are ridiculously unpredictable (e.g. Deadpool).  In my opinion, Taskmaster would be an awesome character to have and show how dangerous an otherwise normal human-being can be with only their skills and the right tools. But how, you ask, do we bring him into the MCU?

How Close To The Comics Can We Get?

The MCU has shown how certain villains can translate to the screen quite well, like Killgrave, while others need a lot of reworking in their personality to create a compelling villain, like the Vulture and Zemo. Some of them are able to blend the classic with new ideas, like Thanos. Some people just don't work, like Whiplash. So, how would Taskmaster be done? I feel he can easily translate into the MCU without too-much difficulty:

Tony Masters (as he refers to himself) was a former member of S.H.I.E.L.D. During his time with them in the 2000's, who partook in an experimental testing of the Super Soldier Serum, which bolstered his mental processing and granted him his signature "photographic reflexes." After some time of testing his abilities (including testing his skills with fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Hawkeye and Black Widow), he began to suffer memory loss from excessive use of his photographic reflexes, resulting him to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. Despite his leave, he's still connected as his handler (and wife) Mercedes Merced keeps his activities known to Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D., who sometimes influence his job selection. Despite this, he frequently works for a number of criminal groups and performs cause some serious damage to the good guys.

When it comes or revealing his backstory, I feel it should be done so through hints and clues, keeping much of his life a mystery and up for speculation. For his first appearances, like in fighting the Avengers, we're given no information other than his name. Once he gets his own stand-alone film, we can start to get more information, such as finding out his employment by Org (who is Mercedes under an alias) and his past criminal activities, like working with the Batroc Brigade and training soldiers of several criminal/terrorist organizations. In another film we find out more of his history, like his marriage with Mercedes, being an agent of S.H.I.E.D., how he got his abilities, his past relationship with Nick Fury. Even further down the road, we could implement Jeanne Foucault, who may be his daughter and shares his "photographic reflexes," adding yet another layer to his every mysterious past.

How Badass Should Taskmaster Be?

In Marvel comics, Taskmaster is one of the most dangerous non-superhumanly powerful characters around. His skills make him a threat to the likes of Captain America, Spiderman and even Iron Man. Obviously, he's not going in with just his bare fists and he utilizes a vast plethora of weapons to aid him.

To start a movie staring Taskmaster, I would first focus on him going into the Avengers facility and WRECK them. With a plethora of epic-equipment provided by a patron of his work (perhaps Doctor Doom?), he's able to make quick work of the many heroes, even those who should outright outclass him, like Spiderman, Scarlet Witch and even Captain Marvel. I can see it going like this:

After detonating some explosives on the outside of the Avenger's base, so as to disorient both the team itself, he enters the base and tears through the security with little effort (though not going for the kill). He eventually gets to some of the more human Avengers (such as Black Widow and Falcon), which he outclasses quickly without excessive use of his weapons, simply using his bare hands and far superior skills. He gets to some of the more dangerous opponents (Spiderman and Scarlet Witch) and utilizes his tactics, equipment and understanding of their abilities to take advantage of openings in their deference and exploitable weaknesses. He even fights and defeats War-Machine by cutting out his power core, trapping him in a powerless suit. As he gets deeper (towards the security room) he's finally intercepted by Captain Marvel herself. Despite her power, he proves to be far deadlier than she could have ever anticipated, as he uses the right equipment to cut various weak points (arteries and tendons) while avoiding her predictable attacks. He's able to incapacitated her with a swift but shallow stab to her upper spinal cord, paralyzing her (though with her powers, she can recover from this after some time) and is able to get to its security room. There, he downloads the footage and leaves, after which he sells the footage to a person of interest (perhaps the Power Broker).

How Should Taskmaster Look?

An obvious question to ask; how would the MCU handle a character that looks like Taskmaster? Most of the time in the comics, Taskmaster runs around in a spandex suit with a skull mask, a cape and a bunch of weapons, including a Black Knight-style sword, a Daredevil-stile billyclub, a Captain America-style shield, a Hawkeye-style bow and trick arrows, and a bundle of guns and knives. It's obvious that we can't go completely with that. In his UDON run, his equipment was changed to be more practical, as his outfit is much more combat-orientated and utilizes an device that allows him to manifest a variety of weapons in energy form, including an energy shield, energy web-shooters and energy claws. In the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, his outfit combines aspects of his primary outfit (white hood and more defined skull mask) with his UDON outfit (no cape or tights, more like actual combat armor)

So, how would Taskmaster look like in the MCU? Well, I feel that they could combine some aspects of his comic designs with more practical military outfits. Perhaps he wears a ballistic mask designed to appear as a skull, being practical but also loyal to the source. In place of his cape, he could wear a long-coat crafted from ballistic fibers. Other than that, we would utilize aspects of his UDON or Ultimate Spider-Man outfit. As for equipment, I can see him having some weapons developed by more advanced individuals (perhaps Doctor Doom or Kang), including but not limited to:

• A sword crafted using a super-strong/light weight metal (adamantium or vibranium) with a massive frame, then uses Pym Particles to reduce the sword to a more hand-able size while also increasing the sharpness of the blade, enough to take down heavily armored or superhumanly durable opponents
• A vibranium shield that's designed after Captain America's shield, but been enhanced to allow for more lethal use and to return to owner on "command"
• A light-weight hammer/mace weapon that utilizes tech so as to enhance its mass on the user's command, allowing the user to make it hit with incredible force before returning to its proper density, as well as a means to call it back to hand; Taskmaster can utilize this similar to Thor, especially as a thrown weapon
• A modern combat bow with a selection of trick arrows, similar to Hawkeye
• A pair of pistols, used similar to Black Widow
• An energy disrupter device to force someone like Ant-Man to return to full size (easier to beat someone up when they're not ant-sized)
• A pair of gloves that enhance his striking force/grip strength to use against superhuman opponents, as well as feature a number of built in weapons, like the various functions of Black Widow's gauntlets, Spiderman's web shooter (possibly using energy in place of webbing) and other stuff.

As Taskmaster would be a normal human competing with superhumans, he's going to need to have the right equipment to take down the Avengers on his own.

How Would We Use Taskmaster In The MCU?

This is an obvious question to think about. What would Taskmaster do in the MCU? Is he the main character and hero of his story, or is he the villain that the heroes must overcome?

For me, I'd have him make an impact in the MCU before we even get his name. To start, I'd have Tony Masters start with a different identity: Ronin. In the comics, there's been several people who've gone by the name Ronin, so having Tony use the identity for a bit woudn't be too crazy. Through this, we can have Ronin as a character that appears throughout the Marvel Netflix shows as an occational threat, namely to Daredevil and Punisher (and Moon Knight if they give him a show), before having a more neutral/helpful presence to the Defenders. Perhaps he can help them in taking down a threat but secretly using this to implement his attack on the Avengers.

For his first major appearance in the movies, I see him being an enemy of the Avengers, as he breaks into the Avenger's facility and effortlessly defeats and humiliates them. When the footage of his attack is released, it leads to question if the Avengers are adequate anymore and a new program is implemented to create a fully government-developed team of superhumans, known as the Thunderbolts. In fact, Taskmaster was hired by outside sources to ruin the Avenger's reputation and lead to the development of the Thunderbolts. However, the Avengers discover that the Thunderbolts are made up of criminals and have alternative motives (I can see the Power Broker being the one who gave the team their powers). To almost everyone's surprise, Taskmaster returns, now fighting with the Thunderbolts and taking down their backup, inevitably helping the Avengers in revealing the Thunderbolts' activities. Towards the end, possibly a mid-credit sequence, we're shown that Nick Fury had been aware of Taskmaster's activities, knowing that he was going to attack the Avengers and later the Thunderbolts.

After his introduction as a man that's a mercenary through-and-through, we can then delve into a Taskmaster solo film (preferably R) or a series (TV-MA), giving us hints at his personal life and see his interaction with other heroes and villains. Perhaps he's forced to face off against Batroc's Brigade, which features some of the most skilled non-superhuman fighters in the Marvel universe, including Batroc the Leaper (yes, he's pretty silly looking but his kicks are crazy deadly), Swordsman, Zaran, Machete and others. Altnerativly, if the MCU develops a couple more criminal/terrorist organizations, we can develop the Minions International Liberation Front (yes, I know that the initials literally spell M.I.L.F.; That's the joke) and reveal that Taskmaster had been a trainer for several organizations, who would develop MILF.

Who Would Play Him?

What actor is capable of providing an epic performance while also capable of doing much of his own stunts? He needs to be of a good, athletic frame that's not too thin (don't want him to snap) but not too beefy (can't reasonably kick that high).

• Clive Standen: Clive is an actor who's lived his life as a stunt man. He has learned martial arts, fencing, horseback riding, and stunt work before he was 13, and has acted in several shows that play to his swordsmanship skills, especially in Vikings. If any actor could pull off the expert combatant that's Taskmaster, Clive is a prime choice. Another good character that Clive Standen could easily portray would be Dane Whitman/Black Knight, another Marvel character who uses a sword.
• Viggo Mortensen: Best known for his performance as Aragorn in the Lord of the Ring trilogy, Viggo is a veteran actor and has done some of his own stunts in past movies. He even knows how to use a sword (in a scripted fight, that is). When it comes to shear acting abilities, Viggo is the best choice.
• Ray Park: Ray is best known for his performance as Darth Maul from Star Wars and easily the best part of Phantom Menace. He also portrays Snake Eyes in the live action G.I. Joe movies. Though he tends to have little in the area of speaking lines, his stunt work is ever awesome and epic, and he could easily do many of the things Taskmaster could do.
• Scott Adkins: Though he has little renown, Scott is a skilled martial artist and can pull off the expert combatant that's an adept in various forms of armed and unarmed combat. Though his acting skills aren't neccisarily the best, his skills in martial arts and stunt work would certainly make for some epic fights. If not as Taskmaster himself, Adkins can easily portray a villain for Taskmaster.
• Rob McElhenney. An unusual choice, I know. Rob isn't that big a guy (he's 5'10) but he can bulk out to fit the role. I feel that it would be interesting to have Rob portray Tony Masters, making it more unexpected to discover that Tony and Taskmaster are the same person. Plus, he is genuinely funny.

                                                                                                       

Anything I missed to include? Any other actors that could be the Taskmaster? Leave a comment for anyone

Cinematic Engineering: Hercules in the MCU

We've seen a variety of Marvel Comic's characters brought into the MCU. It all started with Iron Man and Robert Downy Jr.'s ever amazing performance as the playboy weapon's developer turned power-armored superhero. Now we've had nearly 10 years of expansion and we're continuing on with new faces and new stories to tell. In my opinion, we should look upon a hero that's been a long-standing member of the Avengers but is more renown for the myths and legends that inspired his creation. I'm talking of the most iconic hero of Greek mythology:

Hercules

Yes, Marvel's own take on the demigod son of Zeus, I believe, would make for an interesting path for the MCU to take. As we've been tapping much from the stories of Thor and Asgard, we're inevitably going to need to give it a rest. There's dozens of other stories for us to look upon, and I feel that Olympus and its gods have several stories to tell. Now, let's answer the essential questions:

What Does Hercules Bring To The MCU?

An obvious question. What does Hercules bring to the MCU? There are dozens of other Marvel characters to bring to the big screen, so why bring in Hercules? Well, it's more than just the core character we'd be bringing. We'd also be introducing the Olympians, the Gods of Greek Mythology! Zeus, Hera, Athena, Ares, Hades, and many more would be part of an already expansive universe. Not only those, but we'd also see the many enemies of Hercules, from the golden son of Ares Kyknos and the Minotaur to the monstrous Typhon and the titan Cronos. We've seen what the mythologies of Thor and the Asgardians can provide, and though another Thor movie is planned towards the end of the next Phase, there's only so much we can take from a land that's just lost it's homeland.

Even bigger than the introduction of the Olympians would be the introduction of other gods beyond Greek and Norse mythology. Though no group has ever been more prominent the Olympians and the Asgardians, there is still many pantheons we can glimps upon. More importantly, we can look at the more unusual entities out there. There is the Elder Gods, consisting of the pure Oshtur and Gaea and the corrupted Chthon and Set. There're the various Lord of Hell, from the iconic Mephisto to the more biblical Satan and Lucifer. There are gods of various alien races, including the Skrulls. There's the ever powerful Celestials, who's powers far exceed the combined might of all the pantheons. Lastly, there's the vicious Amatsu-Mikaboshi, better known as the Chaos King. Simply put, there's a WHOLE lot of stuff that we can introduce to the MCU. Not everything at once, of coarse, but we can introduce people to a taste of what the universe is really housing.

Would Hercules Be Just Another White Dude?

Ah, equality. The superhero-movie industry has largely been supportive of white males heroes. Sure, we get our occasional Wonder Woman and Black Panther movies, as well as Blade and Captain Marvel, but most of these flicks feature white dudes; Superman, Batman, Spider-man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the list goes on. Now, how can Hercules come out without being just another white dude?

Well, to start, Hercules is typically associated with Greece, but there's little information on what Hercules' race or ethnicity really is. As the 2014 Hercules film showed, we can get a good Hercules from a man that's not himself white (not saying the film was anything great, but Dwayne Johnson did a pretty damn good job as Hercules). A man of mixed race would be fine. Still, I believe that Marvel Studios isn't going to go extreme with their actor's race, so we may still have yet another white guy.

However, there's one that can make Hercules different from almost every other superhero in the MCU: Hercules can easily be bisexual. You heard me right. Looking through mythology, we can see Hercules as a bisexual entity, having relationships with various individuals of both sexes. In the 2010 "Hercules: Fall of an Avenger" #1, it's implied that the male superhero Northstar may have been a past lover of Hercules, making a major mark on Marvel comic's. In addition, in the X-Treme X-Men series, Hercules and James Howllet (basically Wolverine) shared a homosexual romance.

Now, Marvel Comic's editor-in-chief Axel Alonso had implied that that Hercules is predominantly strait in responds to a question of Hercules' bisexuality and of X-Tream X-Men's presentation of Hercules and Howllet (which, honestly, was a mistake). However, I feel this is something that can be changed; if Marvel Studios has the choice of the matter, they should take the progressive route and give us a queer character.

How Strong Should Hercules Be?

It makes sense that people want to know how strong Hercules should be in the scope of the MCU. We have Thor and the Hulk, and according to Marvel Studios, Captain Marvel is being introduced as "the strongest superhero they've ever introduced." So, how strong should Hercules be in comparison?

Well, the one thing to remind people is that Hercules is, in fact, the God of Strength. He is the deity of raw strength and is unmatched by anyone, not even by his father Zeus. In truth, Hercules should be unmatched when it comes to shear strength. No amount of lighting, gamma radiation, or alien DNA can allow you to match the literal God of Strength in a match of muscle.

Now, he's the strongest, but that doesn't make everyone else unimportant. Thor has power over natural storms, the Hulk's power grows with his anger, and Captain Marvel has the power of flight and energy absorption. As such, Hercules doesn't make people any less significant, Besides, I don't think his story should end with him saving the day completely on his own.

Who Would Play Him?

An extremely good question. Much like Thor, the idea of finding an actor that could even remotely like Hercules seems impossible to my imagination; the man is a powerful specimen of a man, whose very presence can swoon women, and possibly other men. The actor would need to be big, muscular, good looking, and have a great beard.

Well, some people on the internet have already thought of who could play Hercules, and many of them say Joe Manganiello. At 6'5" and a hunk of man meat, Joe has the appearance to pull off Hercules. Currently, he's licensed with Warner Brother's to portray Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, but if they're able to snag him away for a bit, he could portray a great Hercules.

Another good actor to portray Hercules would be Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He's portrayed Hercules in the 2014 Hercules movie, and despite the films hefty flaws, he gave a memorable performance for the mythical hero. Besides, he's a hulking man of muscle and charisma; he can easily portray the mythic hero.

Who Would The Badguy Be?

With every new character introduced to the MCU typically have a villain that has a connection to the hero; nobody is ever a random villain. So, for Hercules, who'd be his first movie villain? Well, there's a bundle of options:

Cronos: The Lead Villain

The Titan Cronos is the father of the Olympian Gods we know of them now. He was overthrown by his own children, lead by his youngest son Zeus, and was imprisoned in Tartarus, a region of Hades fit for real nasty individuals.

I feel Cronos could make for a good starting villain. He, as a character, can represent a past power attempting to hold control through force, whether they're competent or not. This can relate to various modern governments, including ours. For the most part, I see him not being known being the villain, as he's disguised himself as Zeus through magic. Though he's not known for this power, it's possible that he's aided by another villain with such powers.

Ares: The Rival

Ares, the God of War, has been an enemy and rival of Hercules. Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera, and thus the half-brother of Hercules. In addition, he lives to create war and violence. Unlike his good hearted and sophisticated sister Athena, Ares cares little for peace or honor, just bloodshed. He's cocky, he loves to fight, and he can be both funny and scary at times.

While I don't think he should be the big bad, I do feel he should be an antagonistic character. Perhaps He's contacted by some individuals after Hercules, who comes down to where Herc's at and give him a "Welcome Back" beating... or at least attempt to. To make him more interesting, perhaps he's forced to assist his brother and their brethren in battling the real bad guy.

Some interesting aspects to note would be his history of starting wars, especually for an older time period. If set in the 60's, he may have swayed militiary minds to develop the Vietnam War. Why? Because he's Ares! He lives for war!

Eris: The Bad Girl

Eris is the Goddess of Discord and Strife. While a minor character in the comics, she is the companion and lover (and sister) of Ares and is known to cause havoc upon the world along side him. She is best known for throwing down the apple to be given to "the fairest one," which lead to the the Judgement of Paris, which itself started the Trojan War.

I can see Eris as the lover and partner-in-crime of Ares, tagging along with him when he's enlisted to help capture Hercules. She can also be presented as a dangerous combatant on her own, casting bad luck and chaos upon her enemies. It would also be interesting to make her may hardly the most reliable; discord isn't predictable.

Cephalus, the Huntsman: The Lead Henchman

Cephalus is name that appears a couple times in mythology and just as few in the comics. Cephalus, also known as the Huntsman, is Zeus' personal huntsman an has been sent down by Zeus to track down and retrieve Hercules on a number of occations. While he's gifted by Zeus with superhuman tracking skills, the majority of his power stems from his magical staff, most recognized is the power to summon monsters of Greek mythology to serve him as minions.

Though he's not interesting enough to hold his own as a major villain, I can see him as a minor villain, serving the real villain in capturing Hercules. He can create a bundle of creatures to provide a quick but cool fight for the heroes.

Kratos and Bia: The Super-Thugs

Kratos (Not this guy) and Bia are two minor gods that had brief appearances in the comics. Both are personifications; Kratos is "Power" and Bia is "Force". The two have served under the Olympians throughout their appearances and participate in various conflicts relating to Hercules. They are most loyal to Zeus, meaning that they're enemies when Zeus is your enemy but allies when Zeus is your ally.

As minor as these two are, having these two as powerhouses would really show how dangerous the Olympians are. In the comics, the two were able to restrain Typhon (after taking a beating but still dangerous) and were successful in capturing Hercules from the Avengers. In a movie, the two could be sent by Zeus, or Chronos in disguise, to retrieve Hercules from Earth, proving to be a dangerous combo. Perhaps when the two work together, such as restraining a single target or doing a combo attack, they create a near-unstoppable force or unbreakable hold that nobody could break through, save for Hercules (he's the God of Strength, after all).

A side note, in the original myth, Bia is actually female, so in a movie, they could have Kratos portrayed as a male and Bia as a female. The fact that the two are equal to each other and almost unstoppable together really says something.

Titans: The Army

The Titans are the children of Elder Earth Goddess Gaea and Primordial-Sky God Ouranos and predecessors of the Olympian gods. After Cronos killed Ouranos and became the new Skyfather, the Titans were the surpreme rulers until Zeus and the Olympian gods rose up, leading to the Titanmancy. There was a fission in loyalty among the titans, with some supporting Cronos' rule while others sided with the Olympians. Those who sided with Cronos either fled into hiding or were imprisoned in Tartarus. Those who sided with the Olympians enjoyed life on Olympus or Earth and stayed in friendly relations with the gods.

As an group of hostile beings that could match the Olympians in brute strength, it's fitting to have them as the villain's army, especually if Cronos is the main villain. I can see them surpassing several of the younger gods while they're unarmed, but struggle to stop the combined efforts of more combative gods, such as Hercules, Athena and Ares.

Amora the Enchantress: The Real Mastermind

Amora is not an Olympian goddess, but rather, an Asgardian goddess. She has been a major foe for Thor and the Avengers for years. With an approach more like Loki, the Enchantress prefers to be non-physical and manipulate those who oppose her, using her wit and charm. Oh, and her sexuality. NEVER forget her sexuality!

Now, the question you're asking is "Why am I including an Asgardain as a possible villain?" Well, the Enchantress was the reason why Hercules came down to Earth in the comics; she charmed him and sent him down to battle the Avengers, which ended when the team was able to end the enchantment placed upon him. As such, it's quite fitting to have the Enchantress the reason why Hercules fell from Olympus in the first place. Likewise, she may be the secret drive with the discord occurring on Mount Olympus, using Cronos to garnish power for herself. She may not be entirely identified until the post credits, but she can be hinted across the film.

What Other Characters Are There?

This surely can't purely be a story between Hercules and his enemy! There's got to be other characters, with the potential of being worth-while characters. Well, here's a quick listing of a few characters connected to the God of Strength himself:

Athena

Athena is the Olympian goddess of Wisdom and Tactics, a beautiful and honorable contrast to her brother Ares. Fitting to her mythological counterpart, Athena is one of the few gods on Olympus that isn't a complete asshole. She's wise and respectful but is strong and steadfast when she needs to be. In the comics, she tends to be a mighty partner to Hercules in great conflicts, whether it's against invading pantheons or battling among their fellow Olympians. However, when you go deeper, you can see that she isn't so pure...

Having a female goddess that's a baddass would be a great for a Hercules movie. As Wonder Woman and Black Panther had shown, strong female characters are great to have. Athena would be a major ally to Hercules and even come to save him at a point.

Hebe

Hebe is the Goddess of Youth and the primary provider of Ambrosia. Though a relatively minor goddess in mythology, she is unique as she's the wife of Hercules after his ascension to Olympus. She is extremely loyal and loving to Hercules, despite his philandering . Even after the two separated, she still loves the hero and would happily let him back into her life. If only Hercules knew he was missing out... Oh, and she can kick ass, too.

For a movie, having Hebe would be interesting if done right. She can be done as both soft and strong, having a side of her that loves Hercules throughout his lustful times, but will fight hard to protect what she cares for.

If she were to appear in future films, I would love if they implement her Beanie Baby collection. It would be cute and funny.

Hera

Hera is the wife and sister (yes, more Olympian incest) of Zeus and the queen of the Olympian gods. On her own, Hera is a powerful being, to be feared by many. She isn't always villainous, but she has frequently been antagonistic towards Hercules, especially as he's a product of Zeus' promiscuity.

Though I don't see her as a beginning villain, I can see her as an initially antagonistic one; she's always hated Hercules and desired him dead since the day he was born. However, she also recognizes that there's greater threats than him and is more likely to cooperate with him if the situation needs them to. Afterwards, she can happily return to hating him.

Zeus

How can we have a Hercules movie and not have Zeus? He's not only the demigod's father, but he's also the lead deity and Sky Father of the Olympians! He's been running Olympus since he and his brethren took it away from Cronos and the Titans. Unlike Odin, who was wise and honorable, Zeus can be a bit of a dick with a lust for women and a nasty temper. Whether a good leader or not, Zeus is a powerful being not to be trifled with; in the comics, he was able to give the Hulk a swift, humiliating defeat like it was nothing.

Interestingly, my idea is to use him in the background for the most part as a prisoner; if Cronos were to return to Olympus, he would most certainly have Zeus removed. However, he may want to keep Zeus alive so as to keep divination magic from sensing Zeus' demise, while using his own magic (or the magic of another) to disguise himself as Zeus and not be discovered. In the final fight, we can have Zeus be released and join his fellow gods in battling Cronos.

Prometheus

Prometheus is a Titan that sided with Zeus during the Titanmancy, and was tasked with creating mankind. He created them (or helped them evolve into humanity) but desired them to survive, so he stole the sacred flame of Olympus and gave it to humanity. Zeus punished him for this and had him chained to the mountainside and have his liver eaten continuously. Despite this, Prometheus' efforts allowed humanity to survive and worship the gods. His torture would end when Hercules came to him for advice, and seeing the torment Prometheus has been enduring, freed the titan from his bonds.

Prometheus, though a little less than exciting, would work well as a means to help Hercules become accustomed to the modern world, especially to a world that will deny him many things despite his godly status. Otherwise, realistically, Hercules would simply cause a grand amount of chaos in New York. It makes sense for Prometheus to help Hercules, as Hercules had freed him long ago from his punishment.

Perhaps he resides on Earth as a professor, possibly teaching evolutionary science. I can also see him as a possible socialist (non public, that is), as his ideals of life are about supporting people as a whole.

Pluto

Hades, better known as Pluto, is the Olympian God of the Underworld and the supreme master of Hades, his domain within Hell. He is one of the three primary deities of Greek Mythology, along side his brothers Zeus and Poseidon. Though he's more concern about his domain than Olympus or Earth, Hades is still a very sinister being. He displays a disdain for several of his brethren, especially Hercules.

Despite this, I feel Pluto should be treated as his own individual rather than as the antagonist. Perhaps he can provide a presence as a being outside the main conflict, perhaps an individual who can influence the outcome.

Like many powerful Hell Lords, Pluto is typically most powerful within his own domain. Powerful beings like Zeus, Hercules and Cronos hold little power against Pluto while in Hades. This can be used as a means to defeat the big-bad; Hercules might have to make a deal with Pluto to release him long enough for Herc to grab a hold of the villain and have Pluto pull both of them down to Hades, where Pluto imprisons the villain in Tartardes and keep as a trophy.

Apollo & Artemis

Apollo and Artemis are twin gods. Apollo is the God of Light and the Sun, while Artemis is Goddess of Hunting and the Moon. Both are known for their master skills with the bow, but Artemis' mastery with the bow makes Hawkeye look like a chump. Apollo rides around on his sun chariot and can manipulate solar energies in various ways, while Artemis has a magical bow and a selection of enchanted arrows and can manipulate lunar energies to fit her needs.

I see these two as close allies to Athena and Hercules, helping the former in finding the latter. I can see some unique sibling interactions between the two and have them be fun and badass at the same time.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus is the God of fire and metal, and the armor and weapon smith of the Olympians. His craftsmanship with metal is virtually unmatched, capable of creating nearly anything, including automatons. He primarily works with Adamantine, the metal of the gods.

Though Hephaestus may not be a major individual on the screen, he can be an important individual for the plot; Perhaps the main villain, while under the guise of Zeus, is forcing Hephaestus to craft an army of automaton soldiers, crafted from adamantine, to use in conquest. For a clever twist, perhaps Hephaestus is wary of following fake Zeus and willing to create his own means of controlling the automaton army.

Other Olympians and Titans

If we're featuring Hercules and the presence of Olympus, it's resonable that we're going to feature some of the other Olympians that reside on earth. There's Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty (also REALLY hot); Demeter, Goddess of Seasons; Dionysus, God of Wine (and PARTY! WOO!); Hephaestus, God of Fire and Metal; Hermes, Messenger of the Gods; Persephone, Goddess of Spring and wife of Pluto; Poseidon, God of the Sea; Rhea, mother of the Gods; and several titans and titanesses that sided with the Olympians. We may not have room for ALL of them, but we could squeeze in a few.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the God of Water and The Sea and one of the three primary gods of Greek Mythology. His power over the waters is unmatched and the power he wields can put almost any Sorcerer Supreme to shame. In the comics, he's most recognized as the patron deity of Atlantis, as well as guiding Namor himself to collect Poseidon's own Trident, as proof of Namor's right to rule.

As powerful as Poseidon is, I don't know if he'd fit into the film itself. He's not at all a villain but his concerns are of the seas and oceans of the universe, which is a major responsibility for him. However, accounting his presence in the MCU would create an opening to present the Atlantians, and give way to the introduction of Namor.

Taylor Madison

In the comics, Taylor Madison isn't a real woman; she is an artificial being that Zeus manifested so as to unfold a plot by Hera against Hercules. Not only was she a woman that Hercules had the hots for, but was one who Hercules actually swore off other woman for. When Zeus revealed her to not be real, it really devastated Hercules.

For a Hercules movie, I would want to use the name of Taylor Madison for a more human character and serve as one of Hercules' first and closest mortal friends. Though I can see Hercules trying to flirt with her, I'd also she her as one to resist his advancements, staying as friends for the most part.

The Ancient One and the Masters of the Mystic Arts

As we've seen in Doctor Strange, the Masters of the Mystic Arts are an order of sorcerers dedicated to combating mystic threats, while keeping the mystic world hidden from the world. The leader of this group is The Sorceress Supreme known only as The Ancient One. No one knows how old she is, but she has been guiding the many sorcerers to becoming masters.

I would like to have mysticism be kept with the Olympian gods rather than simply labeling them as "aliens," like they did with Thor. With that, it makes sense that the Ancient One and the order would put effort into keeping Hercules and other Olympians in check.

Where Would The Movie Be Set?

Like other films revolving around inter-dimensional entities, we're going to have to have several locations to be acted upon. Some places are obvious and neccisary, while others are not as neccisary but could be interesting if used right. Here are the primary locations:

Olympus

Home to the Olympians themselves, Olympus is a realm ruled by Zeus. It was originally the home of the titans but after the great Titanmancy, the Olympian gods became its new owners. In the comics, it's a small "pocket" dimension adjacent to Earth, but I can see it much like the MCU's take on Asgard, as "planet" that's more like a planetary island/city. It has several Halls dedicated to the various gods, including the forges of Hephaestus. It also has its own portal chamber that allows for interstellar travel, similar to the Bifrost of Asgard, with it's primary gateway on Earth atop Mount Olympus.

It's obvious that Olympus has to appear at some point in the film. It IS the domain of the Gods. Much like in Thor, we have to see the motions of Olympus and how they can affect our hero.

Brooklyn, New York City

Brooklyn, New York City, wasn't always associated with the character of Hercules. It's more so the fact when he lost his powers after the Chaos Wars, where he moved to Brooklyn to work as a bartender and continue his hero work through the us of various magical items. In the MCU, Brooklyn is largely utilized for Peggy Carter in Marvel's Agent Carter and is the home of Captain America. Other than that, I feel having Hercules' movie be primarily set in Brooklyn would work, especually as we can see some Captain America imagery and form parallels between mythological heroes and modern superheroes.

Hades

Hades is Pluto's domain in the Underworld. There, he's master and watches over the souls of the damned. The primary locations of Hades is Elysium and Tartarus. Elysium is the "heaven" of Greek mythology, an endless place where souls are free and at peace. Tartarus is more akin to Hell and home to the enemies of the gods, including several of the Titans that fought the gods, as well as a few gods and demigods damned by Zeus and other gods.

It would be interesting to have Hercules be dragged down to Hades by Pluto when Herc is the closest to the domain (such as within the Mirror Dimension). From this, Hercules is forced to make a deal with Pluto.

Mirror Dimension

If we're to introduce the Ancient One, then we can implement the Mirror Dimension. The Mirror Dimension can easily be used to keep a thrash-down between Ares and Hercules to a minimum. In addition, it's possible that the Mirror Dimension is closer to the realm of Hades, allowing Pluto to pull Hercules down to Hades to get some payback against the son of Zeus.

When Would The Movie Take Place?

For most characters, we set them in modern times. It makes it easier for the timeline and for the production. Only a few work within the past. For Captain America, it had to be during WWII as it was the era of his creation, as a hero that beats the crap out of Nazis. For Wonder Woman, having her movie set in WWI worked as it gave us a morally gray war that contrasted Diana's romanticized view on war and her black-and-white view on good and evil. Having Captain Marvel set in the 90's... is so that we can explain why some random-ass character that's apparently doing nothing for over 20-some years is important and we should care about her. Yeah, I have no interest in her.

So, when should a Hercules movie be set in? We can set in in the modern day and tell of how Hercules is being introduced to the modern world, but that starts to run a path similar to Thor. We can set his movie in the age of mythology, but we'd be falling into the path of retelling his mythological exploits. I desire a time that's not now but not the ancient past. So, where do we set him in?

Well, in my opinion, we set him in... the 1960's. Hear me out: The 60's was a MASSIVE time for Hercules. It was the era when his Marvel comic's iteration of Hercules was first introduced. The mythological character was also huge in the 60's, as there was several Italian films telling of the demigod's exploits. To me, the 60's was identifying for the hero.

In addition, the 60's was a major era for comics, especially for Marvel. It was the era that created Spiderman,Thor, The Hulk, the Avengers,  the Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and countless other heroes that we know and love from Marvel. The 60's was also an major time for events, from the second feminist movement and civil rights movement under Martin Luther King Jr., as well as being the primary time of the Vietnam War.

Lastly, the 60's is an exceptionally unused era for the MCU. Other than the births for certain characters, very little is utilized for this era, making it open for a character like Hercules to do stuff. It's rather sad such an influence era for Marvel is skipped over by a film franchise derived from the comics.

Now, the bigger question people have is "If Hercules is such a powerful being, would people know of him in the 1960's?" Well, the same way he's only a myth in ancient times; it could be explained that, in ancient times, Hercules' presence on Earth was wiped from the memories of mankind by Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memory, but the Muses, goddess of art and literature, still immortalize his influence through inspiring story tellers to tell of his exploits. This is why Hercules was such an important figure in Greek Mythology but never seen as a real figure. The same can happen when Hercules must return to Olympus, leading to Mnemosyne to wipe away the memory of him but the Muses continue his impact. If asked, Mnemosyne may explain that "Men of history are controversial. Men of myth are inspirational." When one looks at the true history of the American Revolution, we find that the men and women of liberty were not so great and righteous as they really are, but the myths and stories of them were created to inspire future generations. By this ideal, man won't remember the hero but will be inspired.

How Does The Story Go?

I do have an idea on how to do this story, though I can see it be done in another way. This is the way I see it being told:

The film starts with a narration on the history of the Olympians, telling of Zeus and his godly brethren overthrowing their father Cronos, establishing their own pantheon and their exploits upon the Earth. It then moves to the story of Hercules, the demigod son of Zeus and most renown hero of history. After some telling of his life and his assention to godhood, we get to the main story.

Hercules awakens in a craters, on the outskirts of Brooklyn in New York City, NY, in the 1960's. He has no memory of how he got to Earth or why he's here at all. Traversing through the city, he isfound by Prometheus, who guides Hercules away from violent confrontations (for the safety of people are try to fight Hercules). Through that, they are able to get a better understanding of the situation. Meanwhile, on Olympus, Zeus is taking a more totalitarian control over the gods, to the point of imprisoning many of the gods, sealing off the portal to other worlds and commanding Hephaestus to craft an army of automatons. Athena's powers of divination are being blocked, keeping her from finding answers.

While on Earth, Hercules makes a number of new mortal friends, including a young woman named Taylor Madison, who Hercules attempts to flirt with. He has a number of "fish out of water" interactions with the world, particularly in understanding the politics of the 1960's (Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement).

On Olympus, the Gateways of Olympus have been disabled, isolating Olympus from the rest of the world. Athena decides to go down to Earth with a couple ally gods to find Hercules, including Apollo, Artemis and Hebe. At the same time, Zeus has sent down some individuals to track down and retrieve Hercules by force: Cephalus, Kratos and Bia. Hercules later performs a feat of superhuman strength and resilience that saved many innocent lives (such as holding up a collapsing building so that innocent people can escape, or beating down a monstrous enemy, like or his old enemy Achelous), leading to Athena and the others to find him.

Cephalus is able to locate Hercules but finds that he's with other gods, forcing him and his compatriots to find aid in a god who'd been banished from Earth for a long time: Ares, along with his lover Eris. It's implied that Ares has been working on Earth, causing a variety of conflicts and wars; he's getting one heck of a kick with the Vietnam War. When informed by the Huntsman that Hercules is on Earth and is wanted by the Gods, Ares agrees to help them, just so that can beat the sh*t out of Hercules.

For a bit, we get backstory on the relationships of Hercules and the various other gods, especially his relationship with Hebe and find out that Hebe is Hercules' wife.

Hercules, Athena and company are guided to an old friend of hers: The Ancient One. The Ancient One is hesitant at first in entering the affairs of the Olympians, but recognizes that the situation is dire for both Olympus AND Earth. Through magical divination, they discover that Zeus himself is not in charge, instead another being is parading as the King of the Olympians.

At that moment, Ares, Eris, Cephalus, Kratos, and Bia have arrived, with full intent on apprehending Hercules and bringing him back to Olympus. The Gods and sorcerers fight, with the Huntsman conjuring monsters to aid him, Ares rushes through many of the gods, and the combo maneuvers of Kratos and Bia are practically unstoppable. The two soon get Hercules in a double-arm-lock, as energy radiates from them as their hold becomes unbreakable. Despite their power, Hercules is able to break the hold with his limitless strength. Ares sees this as his opportunity to best his rival in mortal combat. The battle ever destructively breaks into the streets, leaving Ares to pull out a weapon he's been dying to try out: a Davy-Crockett Tactical Nuke Launcher, which he fires into Hercules at point blank. Thankfully, The Ancient One is able to pull them into the Mirror Dimension before he fired, stopping an excessive amount of damage and allowing Hercules to get his second wind and overtake Ares.

After Ares' defeat, Hercules is pulled by an unknown force out of the Mirror Dimension, into the pits of Hades. He is soon face to face with Hades/Pluto, who has finally gotten his hands on Hercules and judge him for his crimes against Hades; Breaking into his domain, stealing his helm and his guard-dog Cerberus, freeing Theseus from his bounds, and worst of them all, leaving without repercussions. With this, Hades has decided that he will be his prisoner in Tartarus for all of eternity. However, Hercules gives warning that someone is parading as Zeus and they must stop him... which Pluto begins to probe Hercules' mind, uncovering that Hercules was compelled a mysterious force to begin smashing on a point in the center of Olympus, which Zeus attempted to stop but was too late. The location was where Zeus and the gods imprisoned Cronos, as they lacked the power to force him into Tartarus. With that, Hercules requests of Pluto to give him freedom to reach Olympus and fix the damage he caused, pointing out that Persephone, Pluto's wife, is among gods imprisoned by Cronos. If Pluto allows him to return to the Earth, he will return Pluto's helmet, free Persephone and bring Cronos down to Hades as a new prisoner. Pluto accepts his request and gives him a limited amount of time to complete what he needs to complete.

While on Earth, Athena, the Ancient One and the remaining gods leave the Mirror Dimension and are concerning what to do when they're interrupted by the arrival of Hera. She informs them what Cronos had been released and had been parading as Zeus; she discovered this when she found Hercules' mace in the spot that Cronos was imprisoned within Olympus, and she fled before the Titan could imprison her. She has Ares, Eris, the Huntsman, Kratos, and Bia released, as she invokes command over them. Athena tells Hera of Hercules being captured by Pluto, which the Queen states that it's none of her concern; they are to retreat to a new home away from the Titan's activity. She will only allow them to go out and fight if Hercules were to return to Earth and request to help them in bringing down Cronos. At that point, Hercules is thrown from the Underworld and back upon Earth, requesting that he join them in bringing down Cronos.

Before taking to Olympus, Hercules notes that they need some extra gear and suggests they go to Ares' collection of enchanted armor and weapons he collected over the millennia. These items include the Shield of Perseus, the Sword of Peleus, the Namean Lion's pelt, and the Helm of Hades. Hera then gives Hercules his mace, which was found in Cronos' crypt. Frome there, the gods (minus Hera, who won't participate in fighting) then travel to Olympus to confront Cronos and the Titans. On Olympus, Cronos mocks his son and gloats with his return to power, while an unknown individual whispers in his ear.

Soon after, the gates of Olympus are broken down by Hercules, as his fellow gods, come forth to fight the Titans, while Hebe (with the helm of Hades) sneaks by to collect weapons, free the imprisoned gods, and arm them to aid in the fight. Hercules, Athena and Ares are able to reach the throne room, where Cronos attempts to activate the automoton army. To his surprise, Hephestus had implemented his own fail safe (as he suspected that he was working for a false Zeus) and the army instead fights the titans. Cronos refuses to surrender and battles all of the gods, including a weakened Zeus that Hebe was able to free, and an projection of Hera's will in the form of a spectral peacock. The Gods are unable to fully stop the full power of Cronos until Hercules collects the helm of Hades from Hebe. She recognizes a marking on his arm, signifying that he has limit time and will be pulled back into Hades. Hercules knows this, and putting Cronos in a hold, lets his time run out, leading to him and Cronos being dragged down by Pluto's will to Hades.

In Pluto's thrown room, Cronos is chained by Pluto and imprisoned in Tartarus. Hercules is just as quickly chained by Pluto as well, declaring that he will imprison the hero as they agreed. While the titans are being marched down to Hades through the portals of Olympus, Persephone returns to her husband as he judges upon Hercules. Persephone begs him to reconsider, at least allow Hercules to instead reside on the fields of Elysium, the more peaceful part of Hades. Though resistance, Pluto allows this and sends Hercules to spend the rest of his immortal life in Elysium.

On Earth, the memory of Hercules has been wiped from the memories of mankind save for a minuscule few, just like after his first leaving, but the inspiration he left remains in their minds; there comes a rise in fascination in Hercules and an interest in heroes of the superhuman kind. There is also a rise in protests for freedom and rights. Taylor is one of the few who remember Hercules, immortalizing him through a "fantasy" novel recalling her time with an ancient god in the modern age. Likewise, Hercules' act of amendment and defeating Cronos for good is commended by several of the gods, leading to Athena and Hebe to work on a means to help in releasing Hercules.

In a mid-credit, we're shown Athena and Hera arguing in front of Zeus about what to do about Hercules' imprisonment, with Athena believing that they must work to release him while Hera believes Hercules must remain for releasing Cronos. When requesting Zeus' guidance, he noted that, when he confronted Hercules in his smashing of Cronos' crypt, Zeus sense that Hercules was under some kind of spell, an enchantment; he also saw the same enchantment in the eyes of Cronos. At the same time, we're shown a woman going to a signing of Taylor's novel, telling that she loved the story, asking how she came up with the story: When Taylor asks for a name to sign it to, the woman gives her name as Amora and leaves with her signed book.

As a possible post-credit sequence, we can return to modern times with some scuba-divers, exploring a hefty bundle of sunken German subs from WWII. While looking at them, they notice imprints on the subs fitting to that of human hands, as if a human being had punched and ripped these subs apart with his or her bare hands. This would be build up to another hero from olden times: Namor.

What Does It All Mean?

All stories have an ultimate message in them, even in the silliest ones. Some can be easily explained. Others are far more difficult to discern. For a character like Hercules, it shouldn't be something great an in depth, yet something that works underlying it all. For me, a Marvel Hercules movie should do the same as the stories and myths of old: Inspire.

Hercules' time on Earth had an inspirational effect on many people, creating a new interest in the character and in superheros in general. Likewise, his influence has promoted people to become more courageous in their stances (though not necessarily in their actions; things would get more violent).

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What are your thoughts in all of this? Comment below on what you think.