Summary
AsAgatha All Alongcast a spell on its fans, a darker side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is hopefully on the way. As the MCU gets caught in accusations of franchise fatigue,Agatha All Alongis a breath of fetid air that’s teased everything from zombies to ghosts. The MCU has dabbled in the occult with the likes ofDoctor StrangeandWerewolf by Night, but that’s nothing compared to a nine-episode series with magic at its core.
With Jac Schaeffer’sWandaVisionbeing held as one of the best things the MCU has ever done, there were similarly high hopes when she returned forAgatha All Along. More than just introducing Aubrey Plaza’s revamped Lady Death and teasing the potentialreturn of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, the bewitching ensemble could be teasing another team to give the Avengers a run for their money. There’s been a lot of chatter about the Midnight Sons, but isAgatha All Alongtaking one step closer to their introduction?
Who are the Midnight Sons in Marvel Comics?
The original team of the Midnight Sons formed during Marvel’s “Rise of the Midnight Sons” arc, which led to their official debut in 1992’sGhost Rider Vol. 3#3. Formed as a crossover between several titles, the success of the Midnight Sons led to other titles in the Midnight Sons line, includingMorbius,Darkhold: Pages from the Book of Sins, andNightstalker. The OG Midnight Sons included Ghost Riders Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze, Blade, Morbius, Frank Drake, Vicki Montesi, Louise Hastings, Sam Buchanan, and Hannibal King.
The Midnight Sons were brought together when Ketch (in his Ghost Rider form) and Blaze (in his human form) had a vision that Lilith, Mother of All Demons, was being resurrected and planned to take over the mortal realm with her children. Doctor Strange secretly assembled the team from behind the scenes, although he wouldn’t officially join the Midnight Sons until 1994’s “Siege of Darkness” storyline. Sadly, “Siege of Darkness” also marked the end of the original run as things soon wound down.
Following the cancelation of the Midnight Sons print, the team has undergone several revamps over the years.Marvel Zombies 4’s roster added big names like Man-Thing and Jennifer Kale to the mix. The latter is a name that will sound familiar to some, thanks to Sasheer Zamata playing her inAgatha All Along. Despite not being the most iconic member of the Midnight Sons, Kale’s legacy as the cousin of Johnny Blaze means her connections could bringGhost Rider into the MCU– assuming she survives the Witches' Road.
Moon Knightartist Greg Smallwood attempted a reboot in 2017, while a 2022Midnight Sunslimited series wasn’t officially connected toFiraxis' underrated gameof the same name but bore striking similarities by including Wolverine and Nico Magik. Most recently, Marvel announcedMidnight Sons: Blood Huntfrom writer Bryan Hill and artist Germán Peralta. This latest iteration is expected to bring together most of the original team for the first time since 1994. The miniseries has so far locked in Blade Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, and Victoria Montesi.
Who Could be in the MCU’s Midnight Sons?
When it comes to bringing the comic book lineup of the Midnight Sons to the MCU, major players like Doctor Strange are already in play, although there’s no sign of Johnny Blaze afterDeadpool & Wolverineconcept art featuring Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Riderdidn’t turn into a cameo. Later additions to the team include Wong, with Benedict Wong’s MCU version of the character already being pitched as something of a magical Nick Fury to explore this darker branch of the franchise.
Many thoughtWerewolf by Nightwould lead to the Midnight Sons, but two years after the one-off special and with asequel ‘on the way’, there’s been little movement on the team’s formation. Man-Thing made his debut inWerewolf by Nightalongside other Midnight Sons alumni Elsa Bloodstone and the titular Werewolf by Night. Jennifer Kale’s ties to Man-Thing in the comics could be a way to bring this full circle, although it should be noted that her MCU counterpart seems to be a potions master instead of a full-blown sorceress like in the comics. If Jennifer makes it to the end of the Witches' Road and gets her magic unbound, she could be a powerful presence moving forward.
More likely, the MCU will offer its own take on the Midnight Sons like it did with the Avengers lineup being a far cry from the original team in the comics. The commercial and critical panning of 2022’sMorbiusmeans it’s unlikely that Jared Leto will be reprising his role as the Living Vampire to play the Midnight Sons staple in the MCU. Mahershala Ali is waiting in the shadows as Blade, but after his solo movie has lost its release date, his future with the role is unclear. Following June 2024 rumors thatWerewolf by Night’sMichael Giacchino could be helming aMidnight Sonsmovie, noted leaker DanielRPK claimed that theBladenews has led Disney to fast-track the project as a way to keep Ali attached to the role.
Another tantalizing tease of the Midnight Sons comes in the form of Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight. Despite the glowing reception toward the 2022’s live-actionMoon Knightand a cliffhanger ending, Marc Spector is another character left in MCU limbo withoutany sign ofMoon Knightseason 2. The ending ofEternalsincluded a similar stinger of Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman/Black Knight finding Excalibur and hearing the voice of Ali’s Blade, suggesting there were plans for these characters to move forward together.
Picture the scene where Wong brings together the Midnight Sons, consisting of Moon Knight, Blade, Black Knight, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, and Elsa Bloodstone. Throw in a supporting role for Zamata’s Kale meeting with her cousin in the post-credits, and aMidnight Sonsmovie practically writes itself. Still, in a time when Kevin Feige has promisedthe MCU will be prioritizing quality over quantity, is there really room for the Midnight Sons alongside the Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, Young Avengers, New Avengers, and whatever is going on with the X-Men? If the fan response to the MCU’s darker outings is anything to go by, it should be an easy sell.
