While the Avengers are on hiatus — at least until the commencement of Secret Wars — the MCU is busy setting the stage for various other superhero teams to assemble on our screens. The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Young Avengers… You name it, there a-coming. And that includes the Marvel universe’s premiere protectors of the world from supernatural threats, the Midnight Sons.
The MCU’s Phase Four has been notable for its wholehearted embrace of the purely mystical side of the franchise’s lore, beginning with the rise of Scarlet Witch in WandaVision and most recently reaching a peak with the overtly horror-influenced Special Presentation Werewolf by Night. What this means is there will soon be enough Marvel heroes with monstrous appetites around to form a version of the aforementioned Midnight Sons, an eventuality that has been none-so-subtly teased at by those in the know.
But which characters could find themselves signing up to be a Midnight Son? Ranging from educated guesses to just plain wish fulfillment, here are 10 of the best options out there.
Blade
Naturally, the first name that springs to mind when imagining the MCU’s Midnight Sons lineup is Marvel’s OG supernatural superhero, the Daywalker himself, Blade. Coming almost 20 years after Wesley Snipes last donned his leather duster, Mahershala Ali is set to star in a reboot movie in 2024 (assuming it ever climbs out of development hell). Maybe sometime after that, this dhampir vampire hunter will lead his own team of allies.
Werewolf by Night
After Blade, the next obvious contender for Midnight Sons’ membership is Werewolf by Night, who actually beat Ali’s anti-hero to the punch in terms of making his MCU debut. Gael Garcia Bernal’s reluctant lycanthrope was just introduced in his very own Halloween special, which left the door open for more adventures from Jack Russell (no, really, that’s his name). Wolfie is usually affiliated with the Legion of Monsters on the page but he could be easily shifted over to the MS squad for the MCU.
Moon Knight
Seeing as Oscar Isaac is a major reason why we’re so convinced that the Midnight Sons are coming, it only stands to reason that Moon Knight would land himself a spot on the squad. There’s still the small problem of Marc and Steven’s third alter, the murderous Jake, to contend with, but assuming that plotline is dealt with in a Moon Knight season 2, then the Fist of Khonshu should be free to find himself some new friends in a team-up project.
Ghost Rider
It’s wild that we’ve got relatively obscure characters like Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night in the MCU but Ghost Rider has still yet to appear in a Marvel Studios production. Fans have been patiently waiting on Johnny Blaze to make his debut and, if it still hasn’t happened by the time the Midnight Sons form, then the fans will likely have some strong words for Kevin Feige. Oh, and have him be played by Norman Reedus. K, thanks.
Elsa Bloodstone
Name a supernaturally flavored super-team from the comics and Elsa Bloodstone has been on it at one time or other, so Laura Donnelly’s monster hunter would be an obvious choice for the MCU’s Midnight Sons. Werewolf by Night ended with her inheriting her father’s estate and riches, so she could even be the Tony Stark figure who funds the team. Thanks to her possession of the mystical Bloodstone, she would be a powerhouse member of the group.
Man-Thing
Similarly, another Werewolf by Night character who deserves to find himself some friends is Man-Thing. Jack and Ted, as he’s known, are shown to be as thick as thieves in the aforementioned special so it only makes sense to have the Man-Thing serve on the Midnight Suns alongside his good pal. Given his less-than-loquacious nature and his big, green stature, Ted would essentially serve as the roster’s equivalent to the Hulk.
Daredevil
Here’s the thing, Daredevil doesn’t actually have any history with the Midnight Sons in the source material, but if the MCU’s version of the squad is set to be a collection of the franchise’s night-dwelling heroes then he would still be a natural fit for membership. While not literally a supernatural character, Daredevil’s whole demonic shtick should make him feel right at home alongside the likes of werewolves and vampires.
Punisher
Interestingly, the Punisher — despite not possessing any powers at all — does have a history with the Midnight Suns in the comics. Mostly due to his stint as FrankenCastle, when he was resurrected after being killed. The MCU’s unlikely to adapt that notorious arc, but Jon Bernthal’s hero could still make for a great addition to the team, as it would be a lot of fun to see his grounded anti-hero react to having such crazy colleagues.
Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo, aka Jericho Drumm, is a character fans have been expecting to see in the MCU for six years now, ever since his sibling Daniel Drumm — the original Master of the New York Sanctum — was killed in Doctor Strange. In the comics, Daniel’s death is a key part of this mystical hero’s origins, so it only makes sense for Brother Voodoo to show up somewhere. And having him as a part of the Midnight Sons would be the perfect place.
Wong
Let’s round out our prospective roster with something of a left-field choice. Doctor Strange is the one usually associated with the Midnight Sons in the comics, but considering that he’s a card-carrying Avenger in the MCU, it might make more sense for Wong — who is the current Sorcerer Supreme, after all — to be the resident Mystic Arts Master on the team on screen. Phase Four might be ending, but we need Phase Wong to last forever.