Marvel has gone really crazy with the selection of the upcoming Guardians Of The Galaxy film. Yes Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Fantastic Four are off limits, but there are still some more obvious groups that would make good movies. The ideas are still limitless thanks to this giant universe that the executives have to play with. This is a property that initially launched in the early 1960’s with the first family of superheroes. So many different storylines and decades have morphed the comics into something entirely new during Marvel Now! and the other pieces of the publishing. So far the movies taken a system of picking and choosing the best parts of the universe. This is the smartest approach to take in the films, and here some of the different teams in the Marvel Universe that are ripe for a movie.

1) Spinning Off The Avengers

Spinning off the Avengers franchise into something else is a great idea for the smart studio. Instead of launching a third film in the franchise immediately after the second, there are many different ways the studio could go. Marvel Now! has relaunched with a ton of new books just a few of them include Uncanny Avengers, Secret Avengers, New Avengers, and plain old Avengers. There have been a ton of spin-offs in the titles throughout the years that are not listed here as well. Rejuvenating the core team with a different spin and a new cast of characters could serve the movie incredible well. A huge twist on the property that could be incredibly successful are The West Coast Avengers. This team could be a simple way simple way to showcase some up and coming characters in the mix, and also could have a different tone in terms of the movies. The first film where the supergroup initially got together was a sillier action movie. With Thanos there is the potential for the second movie to be darker than the first film. Which would leave the West Coast Avengers movie to have a lighter tone.

 2) The Defenders

The Defenders have always been in a strange corner of the Marvel Universe. Utilizing the property that has been around almost as long as that other superteam could bode well for the studio. When something is described as different or weird, chances are that Dr. Strange has touched the object in question at some point. All kinds of rumours are circulating around the character popping up in phase three. If people like the film enough giving the good doctor a team of superpowered misfits could prove highly successful. Silver Surfer, Hulk, and Namor are an odd cast of characters that features one hero from the former team. This mix could be one of the most powerful films in the cannon of the universe.

 3) Heroes For Hire

Some of these suggestions are digging deep, but one that is obvious is Heroes For Hire. This would do better on television do the way it is structured. If you are wondering why exactly it is so simple think the A-Team with superheroes. The only set members of this brigade have to be Danny Rand and Luke Cage, who the tale would essentially focus on more or less. The most important part about the leads is that Cage does not need a costume. Putting him back in the tiara is the worse thing that anyone could do to the awesome character. Under the pen of Brian Michael Bendis he has grown strong again. Including Jessica Jones at some point should also not be optional. Too many superheroes are single or have normal two dimensional girlfriends. Jessica has a beating heart and personality that lets her stand up to Cage at his best. This show is a no brainer because of the vast potential it could have. No characters are locked into the team except for the two leads and other than that anything could happen.

 4) Illuminati / New Avengers

The Illuminati is not just a weird organization made up a bunch of celebrity worshippers. It is really just as broad as a secret society. The mini-series from 2006 was incredibly influential and is still being riffed on today in the current New Avengers series. It would essentially be the darkest film that the studio would ever make. Five of the smartest minds of the planet get together to stop the worst threats of the universe. A few members that are necessary for the cabal include The Black Panther, Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, Professor X, and Captain America. Recent events would make Captain America a very interesting part of the team. The biggest problem facing the existence of this movie is the inclusion of Professor X and Richards who are currently owned by Sony. As soon as they have gotten the characters back this dire movie could be the crown jewel amongst the entire movie line-up.

5) Young Avengers / Runaways

Both the Young Avengers and the Runaways are begging for a silver screen revamp. The teams have both dealt with complete roster changes and have shifted directions numerous times. The teams include some of the younger folk within the galaxy. Great characters have spawned out of both titles, as they explore what it means to be younger and existing in the same world of Captain America and Iron Man. Several of them also vary in age as the current Young Avengers skew from 15 to 18. These teams would have great potential to function amongst some of the bigger guys in the universe. Imagine Robert Downey talking to a little version of himself.

Those are just five of the hundreds of teams established in the the past 40 years of Marvel. Imagine what else could spawn from all of these movies and now the first few forays into television. Stand Tall True Believers.