11 Laughably Bad Pre-MCU Marvel Films and Shows You Never Knew Existed
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There were many Marvel films and shows in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s that had false starts pre-MCU trying to adapt their characters into live action.
Benedict Cumberbatch was not the first actor to portray Dr. Strange. Marvel made their first Punisher film in 1989. Did you know that Samuel L. Jackson was not the first actor to play Nick Fury? Chris Hemsworth was not the first actor to portray Thor. These pre-MCU Marvel films and shows were made cheaply in an era where cinematic universes and CGI didn’t exist. Comic books were considered solely as children’s entertainment.
Most of these films and shows are mediocre or laughably bad. Still, they should be remembered as being ambitiously ahead of their time. They were the first stumbling steps in a long journey to the MCU. Here are 11 pre-MCU films and shows you never knew existed.
Dr. Strange (1978)
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The Incredible Hulk was a TV sensation in 1977. Marvel tried to strike lighting twice with this failed made-for-TV film pilot for a Dr. Strange TV series. Peter Hooten was cast as Strange and Jessica Walter portrayed his nemesis, Morgan Le Fay. Le Fay is controlled by an evil entity who wants to unleash evil on the world. Le Fay wants to tempt Strange to help. The action was minimal. Strange’s costume is ’70s groovy but not in a good way. Worse, Strange was a smug, able-bodied playboy psychiatrist without the pathos of being a crippled surgeon in need of redemption. Most of the film plays out like a soap opera hospital drama.
Spider-Man TV Series (1977)
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The 1977 Spider-Man was the first iteration made for a primetime TV show. Nicholas Hammond starred as Peter Parker, Daily Bugle reporter and superhero vigilante. There was none of the personal Parker drama that defines the character like financial problems or love life issues. Spider-Man was always silent with no quipping, the stunts were 1970s TV-show level, and badly dated disco music was the action soundtrack. After a pilot TV film and one season, the show was canceled.
The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988)
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After a TV run from 1977 to 1982, several made-for-TV films featuring the Hulk were produced in the late 1980s. Bill Bixby’s Dr. David Banner (as he was called in the era) reunites with former student Donald Blake. Blake has become mystically attached to an ancient Norwegian hammer and can now summon Thor, portrayed by Eric Kramer, almost like a genie. Thor is dressed like a bad heavy metal artist of the era, deflects bullets with his hammer, and fights like a 1980s TV stuntman. Watchable if you like “so bad it’s good,” Marvel films and shows type content.
The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989)
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This film was produced as a trial pilot for a 1990s Daredevil TV show that never happened. Rex Smith plays Matt Murdock and John Rhys-Davies chews scenery portraying Kingpin Wilson Fisk as a menacingly oddball crime boss. After being wrongly arrested, David Banner is ensnared in the criminal plots of the Kingpin and is assisted by Murdock and his alter ego, Daredevil. Limited by budget, Daredevil wears all-black spandex and fights like a TV stuntman of the era. Horribly dated now, the film is commendable for being ambitiously ahead of its time in trying to adapt Daredevil for TV.
Fantastic Four (1994)
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This film is notorious to pre-internet comic fans of the era. Bootleg copies were sold at comic conventions then but you can watch it online for free now. Low-budget filmmaker Roger Corman and his producers made the film for less than $1 million to retain the licensing rights. It was never meant to be theatrically released. The costumes are Party City quality. The Thing is a goofy rubber suit and Dr. Doom looks like a budget cosplayer. The action is goofy. In one scene, Mr. Fantastic extends his leg to trip bad guys. The acting is community theater quality. Worse, the cast allegedly had no idea the film would never be released. It’s a chore to finish in one viewing.
The Punisher (1989)
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This film is a cult favorite with hardcore comic fans of the era, but it’s really a sub-mediocre 1980s-era action film with The Punisher IP stamped on it. Dolph Lundgren portrays Frank Castle. He’s a cop whose family is killed after he is targeted by the mafia and becomes a vigilante. Castle uses the sewers as an HQ and never wears the skull logo – it is embossed on the hilt of the knives he uses. Shake assists him – he is a snitch/ally who is always drunk and only speaks in rhyme. Castle is hunted by the police, mafia, and Yakuza. Enjoyable if you like 80s action films, but this film never reinforces an identity as a true Punisher adaptation.
Captain America (1979)
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Actor Reb Brown portrayed Steve Rogers in two made-for-TV films back in the late 1970s. Brown’s Roger is a former marine, works as an artist, and lives out of his van. After being injured, Rogers is given the FLAG formula, gains super abilities, and becomes Captain America. The costume is comics accurate, but made of spandex. His helmet is a motorcycle helmet with wings painted on the sides. The shield is plastic and looks cheap. It’s a curio of its era that is badly dated but fun to watch in a cheesy way.
Captain America (1992)
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This film was planned to be released theatrically but ended up on the direct-to-video market. Matt Salinger, son of author J.D. Salinger, stars as Steve Rogers while the Red Skull, a German supervillain in the comics, is played by an Italian actor in a cheap rubber mask. Salinger’s shield is an upgrade from Reb Brown’s shield, but his costume is rubbery and looks cheaper. The ears on his mask are made of rubber for some reason. The plot involves a kidnapped president and a nuclear bomb. The production’s cheapness and lethargic acting make it a rough watch.
Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998)
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David Hasselhoff portrayed Nick Fury long before Samuel L. Jackson got the role. This is one of the many Marvel films and shows of the era that was designed to spawn a series and failed. Viper, the daughter of a HYDRA leader, wants $1 billion or will infect Manhattan with a virus. Fury is aided by Lisa Rinna as Val, the character now played by Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in the MCU. Hasselhoff plays Fury as a retired military vet pulled back into action complete with cheesy one-liners and typical Hasselhoff-style TV action stunts. You’ll get to witness the first live-action version of the Helicarrier in cheap CGI, but this film does not have much going for it.
Generation X (1996)
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Generation X is a 1990s comic meant to usher in a new era of teen X-Men at Marvel. This TV film was made to jumpstart a series but failed. Still, it’s technically the first X-Men film. It features the first live-action versions of Jubilee, who can shoot fireworks from her fingers, Skin, who can stretch his skin, and Refrax, a variant of Cyclops who shoots optic blasts. Finola Hughes portrayed Emma Frost in a goofy blonde wig. Max Frewer is the highlight of the film, portraying a villain who wants to control dreams. Like many Marvel films and shows of the era, it was cheaply made and is now badly dated visually.
Unmade Black Widow Film (1975)
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This is one of those Marvel films and shows that may exist somewhere in the multiverse. Angela Bowie was a model in the 1970s and then married to David Bowie. She received a one-year licensing deal to create and star in her own Black Widow and Daredevil-themed TV movie pilot and hoped to make a TV series. Actor Ben Carruthers was cast as Matt Murdock. Bowie commissioned David Bowie’s costume designer to make odd, spandex variants of the character’s costumes. Beyond posing in the costumes, production never occurred. Her ideas were way ahead of their time and deemed financially impractical to produce.
Marvel Films and Shows of Yesterday Deserve Some Respect
The Marvel films and shows predating the MCU were laughably bad, but they were way ahead of their time. In fact, the Spider-Man, Captain America, and Hulk of the 1970s and 1980s were supposed to star together in a TV film, like a proto-MCU, but were restricted by the budgets and technology of the era.
While these films are hard to watch now, they should be commended for trying to launch a proto-MCU at a time when it just wasn’t possible. The MCU has grossed over $29 billion since 2008, but it was no easy road. We might not have the MCU today if these Marvel films and shows hadn’t tried and failed long ago.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
