I will never forgive theMCUfor turning one of Marvel’s greatest teams into a laughingstock. The MCU has launched teams like theAvengers and the Guardians of the Galaxyinto the public consciousness, making them a permanent part of the pop culture landscape. However, not every MCU team has been a hit, and the franchise sorely failed one of Marvel’s best teams ever: the Runaways.
Marvel has a long history of teenage superhero teams, including the first incarnation of the X-Men, andRunawayswas one of the publisher’s biggest successes in this genre.
Marvel has a long history of teenage superhero teams, including the first incarnation of the X-Men, andRunawayswas one of the publisher’s biggest successes in this genre.Runawaysfollows the adventures of six teenagers who discover their parents are super-villains. The parents, who collectively called themselves “the Pride,” ran a vast criminal empire on the West Coast. Members of the Pride include world-class thieves, mutants, sorcerers and mad scientists. Once the kids learned of their parents’ true nature, they went on the run. The kids dodged both the authorities and their own families, before bringing the Pride down.
The Runways, Marvel’s Best Team of the 2000s, Explained
Various Creators Have Taken a Crack at the Runaways, But Only A Few Have Made it Shine
The Runaways had a humble beginning at Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona,Runawaysdebuted in July 2003.Runawayswere part of a larger publishing initiative, calledTsunami.This imprint, designed to cash in on the growing appeal of manga, lasted only a few short years, and of all the concepts and titles it debuted,Runawayshas proven to have the longest shelf life.Runawayshas drawn acclaim from fans, critics and creators alike, yet when it came time for the team to join the MCU, it fumbled badly.
Other books in Marvel’sTsunamiimprint includedHuman Torch, NamorandVenom.
Runawaysis rightfully regarded as one of Marvel’s best books of the 2000s. After its modest debut, word of mouth kicked in. Buzz began to grow around the book, leading Marvel to cancel the first volume, and relaunch it with a new number one a few months later, in a bid to boost sales. The creative team of Vaughan and Alphona remained intact during the transition as well. The new series elevated the team even further in the Marvel Universe, and sales of the collected editions helped ensure the book’s survival.
Vaughan and Alphona concluded their run with issue 24 ofRunaways’second volume. Vaughan hoped that other creators would take the franchise over when he was done. Vaughan chose Joss Whedon, fresh off his run onAstonishing X-Men, to be his successor onRunaways.After Whedon’s arc wrapped up, a revolving door of creators, including Terry Moore and Kathryn Immomen, took a crack at chronicling the team’s adventures, but no one was able to duplicate the magic that Vaughan and Alphona created just a few years prior. Fans began to speculate on whether the Runaways would be seen again.
None, genius-level intellect
Light manipulation
Magic user
None, uses high-tech gadgets
Psychic connection with a dinosaur
Molly Hayes
Super strength
Individual members of the Runaways would appear in other Marvel titles, including Sister Grimm in the all-women Avengers bookA-Force, but it would not be until the 2010s that fans would get a full-on reunion. In 2017, writer Rainbow Rowell and artist Kris Anka revivedRunaways. Rowell and Anka’s run was highly acclaimed by fans and critics, with many comparing it with Vaughan and Alphona’s original tenure. Rowell and Anka tied up loose ends from previous runs, while charting a bold new course for the Runaways. The duo revisited old characters, such as Alex Wilder, as well as created new ones.
The Runaways Were All Set to Join the MCU in 2017
It Looked Like the Runaways Would Take Their Place Next to the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy
The Runaways' return to comics in 2017 was time to coincide with the team’s live-action debut. Rumors of aRunawaysfilm began circulating just a few years after the property debuted, an indication of the buzz surrounding the comic. Marvel Studios keptRunawayson the back burner, but still teased the team might be on their way to the MCU. Finally, Marvel decided to makeRunawaysinto a television series, which premiered on Hulu the same year the team made their grand return to comics. The show would run for three seasons, ending in 2019 after 33 episodes.
Hulu’sRunawaysshow was critically acclaimed, and was largely faithful to the source material. Each member of theRunawayscast nailed their respective character, and it was as if they had actually stepped off the comics page. The adults chosen to play the Pride, which included James Marsters and Julian McMahon, breathed menacing life into their characters as well. When the show was announced, it was revealed it would tie into the MCU. Certain characters, such as the Minorus, had been seeded in other MCU projects. It seemed as if the Runaways were finally ready for the big time.
What Went Wrong with the Runaways MCU Debut?
Marvel’s Television and Movie Divisions Did Not Talk to Each Other, and Runaways Suffered
Today, however, it is as if the Runaways were never part of the MCU, so what went wrong? Why did the Runaways not join the fight against Thanos inAvengers: Endgame? The answer may lie in the structure of Marvel Studios at the timeRunawayswas produced. At that point, Marvel’s movies and television projects were handled by separate arms, and were not integrated like they are now. As a result, Marvel’s TV projects, such asRunaways, Agents of SHIELDandAgent Carter, were never able to take full advantage of being a part of the MCU.
Today, however, it is as if the Runaways were never part of the MCU, so what went wrong?
Now that Marvel has integrated its various production divisions, characters from the television shows can finally make their way to the MCU. At the same time thatRunawayswas in production, Marvel’s television arm was also overseeing theDefendersSaga at Netflix. TheDefenderswere made up of various “street level” Marvel heroes, including Daredevil. After years of lobbying, Daredevil is now a full-fledged member of the MCU, having interacted with She-Hulk and Spider-Man. Likewise, Jessica Jones, who also had her ownDefendersSaga show, will return inDaredevil: Born Againseason two.
The MCU Can Still Make the Runaways Work
Runaways Can Take Advantage of Many Corners of the MCU
Daredevil’s return to the MCU inBorn Againwas met with acclaim, demonstrating that being more tethered to it was not a detriment, and Marvelshould take the same approach to theRunaways.However, it would force the studio into an awkward position: the originalRunawaysactors have long since aged out of playing their characters. Marvel would have to recast the individual members of the team. This is unfortunate, as the original actors did right by their characters, and it may seem as if Marvel is erasing them from the MCU.
TheRunawayscomic was firmly set in the Marvel Universe, but by and large kept the big players out of its overall story, and such an approach could easily work for a television revival. There would beno need for Doctor Strange or Spider-Manto appear on the show, but an acknowledgment of other MCU events, such as the Snap, would be enough to remind viewers theRunawaysare part of something bigger. Linking the Runaways to the MCU could enable other characters, such as the Skrull Xavin, to join the team too.
Time is Running Out for a New MCU Version of Runaways
The Runaways Will JoinAgent CarterandInhumansAs Forgotten MCU Projects
Yet Marvel does not seem interested in reviving theRunawaysfor another MCU run, and thus the show, and the concept, has been relegated to the dust bin, alongsideAgents of SHIELDorThe Inhumans. This is a grave disservice to the team, as they are one of Marvel’s best. Some critics refer to theRunawaysas one of the best Marvel titles of the 2000s. I agree, and it is for this reason it will be hard for me to forgive theMCUfor making this once great team into a laughingstock.
