Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 is well underway, and with it, has come a slew of new characters pulled from Marvel comics. We’ve had the Eternals, Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, Red Guardian, Task Master, Kate Bishop, and many more. Plus, we have all the pending new characters such as Blade, Werewolf by Night, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk. Then, of course, there are all the rumored, but unconfirmed heroes that we enjoy musing about.
One character whose arrival to the MCU we are still waiting on is Darkhawk. This superhero, whose alter ego is Chris Powell, makes up one of Marvel’s younger heroes. Powell became the superhero Darkhawk when he was still just a teenager, and he later even joined a self-help group of former teen heroes. He’s battled alongside the likes of Spider-Man, the Punisher, Nova, and the New Warriors. While he wasn’t officially a member of the New Warriors, he fought with them frequently enough that many viewers anticipated he would make an appearance in the Marvel TV show, New Warriors.
New Warriors was intended to premiere on Freeform, but the network ultimately decided they would not air the show. This led to attempts to get New Warriors picked up by Disney+ or Hulu, but these efforts fell through, as well, and New Warriors never became a reality. While this would’ve been the biggest avenue to introduce Darkhawk, there are certainly more opportunities. For example, with a Nova project in the works by Marvel, Darkhawk could easily make an appearance due to his friendship with Nova.
Who is Darkhawk in Marvel Comics?
Darkhawk first appeared in a self-titled comic series that was published beginning in the 1990s. In the comics, Powell is just a teenager when he and his brothers witness their policeman father being bribed by a crime boss. While fleeing the scene, Powell finds a mysterious amulet that allows him to transpose into the Darkhawk armor. After his father’s disappearance, he vows to use his armor to fight evil.
The first villain that Darkhawk comes up against is the Hobgoblin, whom he fights alongside Spider-Man. This would kick off a long line of team-ups between Darkhawk and other heroes. Two teams that he worked with occasionally were the New Warriors and West Coast Avengers. Darkhawk fit in quite well with the New Warriors, which was a team of teen and young adult superheroes. He befriended fellow New Warrior team members Speedball, Nova, and Turbo. During the Secret Invasion, Darkhawk would team up with his pal Nova to fight the Skrulls.
Darkhawk’s body is an alien android that derives its powers from the extraterrestrial amulet that he wears embedded in his chest. The amulet is a seed from the Tree of Shadows in Null Space. His abilities include superhuman strength, agility, and reflexes, as well as speed and flight and the ability to transform between his human body and Darkhawk. When he transforms into Darkhawk, he essentially trades places with the armor. His consciousness is transferred into the android and his human body switches places with his android one. When not inhabited, the Darkhawk body rests by the Tree of Shadows in Null Space.
Will Darkhawk be in the MCU?
Darkhawk would make a great addition to the MCU. Not only are his powers very unique, but he is a pretty nuanced character. His heroism was born after seeing his father’s failure to fight crime. However, as a member of the Loners (the self-help support group), Darkhawk acknowledges his addiction to his power and his difficulty in controlling his anger. He realistically portrays the hardships and trauma of having become a superhero at such a vulnerable age. Yet, he still manages to be a hero through and through. This is shown in a 2021 comic book storyline in which he sacrifices himself to save the galaxy.
So far, Darkhawk has not been confirmed to be appearing in the MCU any time soon. Still, as said before, Marvel’s Nova project would be a great entry point for Darkhawk. Similarly, with Marvel’s Secret Invasion TV series coming up, Darkhawk could very well be a part of it, as well. Darkhawk could even show up in the Guardians of the Galaxy 3. After all, he did notably cross paths with them while attending Thanos’ funeral hosted by Starfox, which was interrupted by the Black Order. James Gunn even admitted that Darkhawk was nearly a part of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Needless to say, Darkhawk has crossed paths with numerous heroes, meaning he could turn up in the MCU almost anywhere. Given his history with the Secret Invasion and his ties to Nova, having him enter the MCU through one of those avenues would be perfect timing. A lot of Marvel heroes are also passing down their mantles to younger heroes, too. Darkhawk would fit in well with the crew of younger heroes that the MCU has been steadily amassing.
(featured image: Iban Coello)
