7 best Marvel movies outside the MCU

Marvel's Cinematic Universe has expanded over the years. The franchise now has over 40 titles under it, including feature films, series, short films, and more.

However, Marvel's features were not always CGI-ridden films with heavy special effects and an extensively connected universe. Marvel comic adaptations have been around for over 70 years, with the earliest dating back to the 1940s Republic's Captain America adaptation.

Over the years, Marvel's characters have featured in multiple films. While they were not part of an extensive connected universe, each has found its own iconic spots in pop culture history.

Ghost-Rider, Deadpool, and 5 other Marvel movies that were not meant for the MCU

Here are some of the most prominent Marvel titles that have not been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the years:

1) Lou Ferrigno's The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk was an American TV series from the house of CBS. The series premiered in 1978 and released five seasons till 1982. Initially set to be TV shows, two standalone two-hour-long movies were made, titled The Incredible Hulk (1977) and The Return of the Incredible Hulk (1977). However, after an initial release, they were repurposed into two hour-long pilot episodes for the series in 1982, after the series entered syndication.

When the series was canceled in 1982, New World Television bought the rights to the film. Three films were then released in 1988, 1989, and 1990, titled The Incredible Hulk Returns, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and The Death of the Incredible Hulk, respectively. Nicholas J. Corea directed the first movie, while the later ones were directed by Bill Bixby, who reprised his role as Dr. Banner.

The films were set to conclude the storyline of the series. Although the first film of the late 80s trilogy was a major success, the sequels did not fair as much. However, paired with the iconic series, it plastered Lou Ferrigno's no-CGI green monster among one of the most popular icons of the 80s pop culture. In a way, this was Marvel's first flagbearer for their on-screen adaptations.

2) Blade trilogy

The Blade trilogy is a superhero vampire movie series from the house of New Line Cinema, released between 1998 and 2004. However, Blade II, an installation by Guillermo Del Toro, has been widely praised as the greatest of the bunch. Written by David S. Goyer, the film was released in 2002.

The film had Wesley Snipes and Kris Kristofferson reprise their roles from the first installment, while Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Thomas Kretschmann, Donnie Yen, and other prominent actors joined the cast. Blade II was hailed as a better version of the first film, perfecting and adding to what made the first film work.

The official synopsis for the film reads as follows—

"Half man, half vampire ... and consumed by a desire to avenge the curse of his birth and save the human race from a blood-drenched Armageddon! The sword-wielding warrior Blade returns to fight the Reapers, a new race of super vampires hell-bent on annihilating all other vampires before destroying the entire human race. Blade aligns himself with a high-powered team of vampires to defeat an evil greater than either has ever battled."

Now, Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up with its version of Blade, with Mahershala Ali taking the lead spot.

3) Sam Raimi's Spider-Man

Toby Maguire's Spider-Man was undoubtedly the franchise that got the hype for superhero movies up and running in the 21st century. Directed by Sam Raimi, the franchise released three films between 2002 and 2007. Although there was a fourth film in the talks and even in development in 2009, it did not happen.

The films starred Toby Maguire in the titular role alongside Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, J. K. Simmons, and Rosemary Harris in recurring roles alongside other prominent actors in pivotal roles. When it premiered in 2002, Spider-Man became the highest-grossing superhero movie ever and set the stage for the genre in the coming years.

The Toby Maguire trilogy was rebooted in 2012, with Andrew Garfield taking on the mantle of the web-slinging hero. They were set in different universes and were initially not meant to be linked to each other anyhow. However, in 2021, MCU's Spider-Man: No Way Home connected all three franchises using Marvel's multiverse theory.

4) Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four was another superhero franchise from the house of 20th Century Fox that came up in the mid-2000s following the success of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. Directed by Tim Story with a screenplay from Mark Frost and Michael France, Fantastic Four was released in theaters in 2005. A sequel titled Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer came out in theaters in 2007.

The cast featured Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, and Michael Chilbis in the film's titular roles. Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Beau Garrett, Andre Baugher, and others played pivotal roles in the franchise. Although the films were not particularly critics' favorites, they did reasonably well among the general audience.

The official synopsis for Fantastic Four reads as follows—

"A group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom."

5) Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider is a superhero action movie directed and written by Mark Steven Johnson. Released in theaters in 2007, it was a box office success and grossed over $200 million worldwide despite the film's failure among the critics' circle.

The film's commercial success even spawned a sequel released in 2012, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. The film starred Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott, Peter Fonda, and others in pivotal roles.

The official synopsis for the film reads as follows—

"Johnny Blaze was only a teenaged stunt biker when he sold his soul to the devil. Years later, Johnny is a world renowned daredevil by day, but at night, he becomes the Ghost Rider of Marvel Comics legend. The devil's bounty hunter, he is charged with finding evil souls on earth and bringing them to hell."

6) Deadpool

Deadpool is undoubtedly one of the most popular R-rated superhero comedy franchises from the house of 20th Century Fox. The series released its first film, Deadpool, in 2016, followed by Deadpool 2 in 2018. A third film is set to release in theaters on July 26, 2024, titled Deadpool & Wolverine. This would be the first film in the series coming from Marvel Studios directly after Fox's acquisition by Disney.

The cast features Ryan Reynolds in the titular role, with Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and others in recurring supporting roles. Deadpool has been a significant success among the audience and critics, who have loved its adult humor, placing it apart from regular superhero movies.

7) The Spider-Verse film series

Spider-Man has been among the most adapted superheroes from Marvel's roster. However, the animated Spider-Verse franchise focused on a different Spider-Man than the one we were all familiar with, Miles Morales, and not Peter Parker.

The voice cast features Shameik Moore in the titular role alongside Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Daniel Kalua, Oscar Isaac, Karan Soni, and other prominent actors in pivotal roles throughout the film series.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was listed among the American Film Institute's top ten films of the year 2023. The film received multiple prestigious accolades, with the animation and storytelling receiving universal acclaim. A third and final installment in the series, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, although behind schedule because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, is currently in development.

These are our picks of some of the best Marvel movies outside the MCU. These titles may not be part of Kevin Feige's grand plan for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they were the adaptations that made the foundation for today's MCU.

Edited by Ivanna Lalsangzuali