PARKS AND RECREATION Star Nick Offerman Open To Joining The MCU...If Taika Waititi Is Directing

Most actors would jump at the chance to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Parks and Recreation alum Nick Offerman has a specific request...he wants to work with Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi!

By JoshWilding - Apr 14, 2020 02:04 AM EST

Filed Under: Thor: Love and Thunder

Nick Offerman frequently stole the show in Parks and Recreation, and while he doesn't necessarily seem like a natural fit for a superhero movie, it's something the actor is indeed open to. However, he has a condition, and it's to work alongside one of his favourite filmmakers.

"I think there are those big franchises - Marvel or Star Wars or whatever - I think those all hold within them examples of wonderful, great creativity, and also examples of less good material," he explained in an interview with Men's Health. "Depending on what they brought to me, and where I was, and what I had available? If Taika Waititi’s name is involved, then I will come running."

Offerman voiced MetalBeard in The LEGO Movie and its sequel, so he's no stranger to genre fare.

As for Waititi, he helmed 2017's Thor: Ragnarok to great success, and is currently working on Thor: Love and Thunder (which was pushed to 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic).

There's certainly no reason to think Offerman couldn't be offered a role in that film, and it's easy enough to picture him as an Asgardian living on New Asgard in the highly anticipated sequel. Whether that will happen remains to be seen, of course, but Offerman has now put it out there!

Who do you guys think he could play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

To check out some concept art which would have changed
the MCU forever, click on the "Next" button below!

Valkyrie In Thor: The Dark World

We were first introduced to the MCU's version of Valkyrie when Tessa Thompson took on the role in Thor: Ragnarok. However, we could have seen the character much sooner in The Dark World!

Details about how she was going to factor into the sequel were never revealed, but Josh Nizzi's version of the character was definitely more in line with her comic book counterpart. Taika Waititi and Tessa Thompson's re-invention of the Asgardian was no bad thing, however, but it's still hard not to wonder about what might have been.

The God of Thunder could have done with some backup when he took on Malekith, but it was an already very busy movie without adding yet another major comic book character to the mix.

Arnim Zola's Ant-Man Return

Ant-Man kicked off with a flashback to Hank Pym's decision to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. behind him, and it was during that sequence we got to see past versions of characters like Howard Stark and Peggy Carter. However, there was very nearly another founding member of the spy organisation there.

Arnim Zola died shortly after the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, but as The Winter Soldier confirmed, he uploaded his consciousness into a sophisticated computer system.

As a result, we would have seen that comic book accurate version of Zola in Ant-Man sitting alongside the likes of Howard and Peggy (still manipulating S.H.I.E.L.D. on behalf of HYDRA). This would have been very cool to see, but perhaps Marvel Studios decided it was just too weird?

The Hulk Busts Out

In an earlier version of Avengers: Infinity War, Bruce Banner was finally going to come to an agreement with The Hulk and that was set to lead to the emergence of Smart Hulk in Wakanda.

It wasn't until the last-minute that reshoots changed this as the Russo Brothers decided that a victory for the Jade Giant like this just didn't feel right when Earth's Mightiest Heroes were about to suffer their worst loss to date. As a result, we were robbed of the awesome sight of The Hulk literally busting his way out of the Hulkbuster armour!

Still, there's no denying that Smart Hulk's introduction in Avengers: Endgame worked really well.

Ant-Man And The Vision Switch Sides

During the early stages of development on Captain America: Civil War, Marvel Studios hadn't fully decided who was going to be on each side of the divide between Captain America and Iron Man.

Interestingly, an earlier version of the movie would have seen Ant-Man fighting alongside Iron Man, while The Vision was set to be part of Captain America's Secret Avengers. Ultimately, it was decided that it wouldn't make sense for Scott Lang to join Tony Stark given everything his mentor Hank Pym had said about him and his father.

As for The Vision, there was obviously more drama to be mined from him being on a different side to the Scarlet Witch given their romantic relationship. What might have been, though, eh?

Scarlet Spider

When Marvel Studios was tasked with introducing Spider-Man in the MCU, they were faced with the difficult job of redesigning the web-slinger's costume. Sam Raimi's movies stuck closely to the source material, while The Amazing Spider-Man 2's suit looked like it had been lifted straight from the comics.

Well, before going with the version created by Tony Stark, Marvel Studios very nearly went with both of the Scarlet Spider's costumes (a drastic new look for the web-slinger).

As you can see above, Peter Parker's homemade costume would have been based on the clone's classic hoodie look, while his final suit was going to be what he wore while serving as the Marvel Universe's new Spider-Man. This doesn't mean we were going to see Ben Reilly in the MCU, but using that character as inspiration would have been a clever way to differentiate their version of Spidey.

Thor Vs. The Midgard Serpent(s)

Thor's subplot in Avengers: Infinity War was a little weird, and Peter Dinklage's disappointing turn as Eitri really didn't help matters! However, Stormbreaker's origin could have been way more exciting. In an earlier version of the film, the God of Thuner was going to be joined by Rocket and Groot in an epic battle with the Midgard Serpent's children.

According to Marvel Studios Senior Visual Development Artist Rodney Fuentebella, the axe/hammer would have been buried in the head of the fallen monster, and after the God of Thunder retrieved it, he and the Guardians would have had to battle the World Serpent's children in what sounds like a pretty barmy (and must-see) action sequence.

We don't know why this didn't make the final cut, but it's a damn shame, that's for sure.

Black Widow Becomes Ronin

Very little context was revealed regarding this particular piece of concept art, but Hawkeye clearly wasn't going to be the only one suiting up as "Ronin" in Avengers: Endgame. Whether she did this to track him down or because he was planning to join his mission is sadly hard to say.

Either scenario would have been fun to see, of course, and Natasha Romanoff heading down a similarly dark path had the potential to be an exciting direction to take her down in this sequel.

Ultimately, it's hard to complain about the story arc Black Widow ended up getting in the movie, but Marvel Studios definitely missed a trick by not further exploring Clint Barton's time as Ronin. With any luck, that will be something the planned Hawkeye series on Disney+ ends up addressing.

The Wasp's Scrapped Role In Captain America: Civil War

A big part of Ant-Man and The Wasp's story was the fact Scott Lang had gone to Germany to fight alongside Captain America without talking to Hank Pym or Hope Van Dyne beforehand.

The latter was particularly disappointed that Scott overlooked her, but there was a version of Captain America: Civil War which would have seen her join the battle against...Steve Rogers? Unless Hawkeye was going to side with Tony Stark, both Ant-Man and The Wasp were clearly going to join Iron Man to fight for the enforcement of the Sokovia Accords.

It's a real shame that The Wasp was overlooked here, but Marvel Studios clearly decided that her transformation into a superhero was better off being save for the Ant-Man sequel.

Mega Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron came under fire from some fans for its snarky take on the titular android, but the villain was a worthy addition to the MCU, and someone we'd like to see more of.

When that does happen, it would be great to see this gigantic version of the villain made up of literally thousands of drones. As fun as it was to watch Earth's Mightiest Heroes take on his expendable robotic army, watching them take on this gigantic version of him would have no doubt been even more exciting (and like watching the comic books come to life).

Dubbed "Mega Ultron" by concept artist Phil Saunders, it's hard to say for sure whether this would actually work in live-action, but it might have gone some way in helping Age of Ultron's final act feel like less of a retread by pitting another faceless army against the team of superheroes.

Nebula Unleashes The Power Of The Infinity Gauntlet

Nebula played a crucial role in Avengers: Endgame, but fans hoping to see the Guardian of the Galaxy be the one to take down Thanos were disappointed. In the Infinity Gauntlet comic book series, she unleashed the power of that titular weapon to restore her original appearance and get revenge on the Mad Titan, but that simply wasn't something we saw here.

However, this early piece of concept art reveals that the Russo Brothers did briefly consider having Nebula finally get her hands on the Gauntlet to unleash the power of the Infinity Stones.

Given how they were portrayed in the MCU, using them would have likely resulted in Nebula's death, so it makes sense that this was a moment ultimately scrapped from the movie. In some ways, though, Thanos' daughter making the ultimate sacrifice to stop him might have made more sense than Iron Man being the one to do so in the final battle.

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Comic-Accurate Version Of Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher

Recommended For You:

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Awesome AVENGERS: ENDGAME-Inspired Take On Thor's Armor

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

24 Comments

BritishMonkey - 4/14/2020, 2:48 AM

Ulik please.

LadiesmanBumble - 4/14/2020, 3:00 AM

@BritishMonkey - Oooh, that is a great piece of fan-casting there.

L0RDbuckethead - 4/14/2020, 2:57 AM

Ron knows.

Feralwookiee - 4/14/2020, 3:19 AM

Totally unrelated, but another example of unnecessary censorship imo. https://variety.com/2020/artisans/news/disney-plus-splash-edits-mermaid-butt-1234579039/

ChangAlang - 4/14/2020, 3:42 AM

@Feralwookiee - Almost like the movies that are edited for flights

Feralwookiee - 4/14/2020, 3:55 AM

@ChangAlang - Yeah. It's a little ridiculous. Some pg rated boobs and an ass presented in a non-sexual manner would make that flick pg-13 nowadays, but still. Plus Daryl Hannah was pretty hot back in the day! 😍

MosquitoFarmer - 4/14/2020, 6:37 AM

@Feralwookiee - Stupid ways of ruining classics for no reason. Little scenes like those are ones often treasured in a movie.

Repian - 4/14/2020, 3:29 AM

SpaceAgent - 4/14/2020, 3:34 AM

@Repian - THIS

AC1 - 4/14/2020, 4:07 AM

@Repian - oh my god yes!!!

Odin - 4/14/2020, 8:28 AM

@Repian -

WeaponXCII - 4/14/2020, 5:09 AM

Would have done a good J. Jonah Jameson if Marvel went in a different direction... maybe the Thing if he was younger.

Kumkani - 4/14/2020, 5:19 AM

Mole Man. Though I do like the idea of him as Beast.

MartinTanley - 4/14/2020, 6:03 AM

I think he could have been a great Volstagg

Victorg1983 - 4/14/2020, 6:34 AM

based from his run on deadwood i would say THE THING fits him perfectly

sKeemAn - 4/14/2020, 8:27 AM

@Victorg1983 - I like this idea!

Reeds2Much - 4/14/2020, 6:44 AM

Ron Swanson out of Beta Ray Bill's mouth.

sKeemAn - 4/14/2020, 8:26 AM

Hercules?

Dredd97 - 4/14/2020, 8:42 AM

The Thing or Beast as stated previously. I'd love for Kelsey Grammer to be the Beast again, but I doubt it haha. He'd be a great Thing

NinnesMBC - 4/14/2020, 12:15 PM

I suppose it wouldn't hurt Taika Waititi to make one actor and also fan's dreams come true while he continues to work on the script.

Related Headlines

Deadpool

10 Romantic Superhero Movies You Can Watch With Your Significant Other This Valentine's Day

MarkCassidy

Feb 14, 2024 03:02 PM

Sci-Fi

Taika Waititi's KLARA AND THE SUN Adaptation Reportedly Eyeing Jenna Ortega For Lead Role

MarkCassidy

Jan 05, 2024 07:01 AM

Thor: Love and Thunder

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Comic-Accurate Version Of Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher

JoshWilding

Jan 03, 2024 09:01 AM

Related Headlines

Deadpool

10 Romantic Superhero Movies You Can Watch With Your Significant Other This Valentine's Day

MarkCassidy

Feb 14, 2024 03:02 PM

Sci-Fi

Taika Waititi's KLARA AND THE SUN Adaptation Reportedly Eyeing Jenna Ortega For Lead Role

MarkCassidy

Jan 05, 2024 07:01 AM

Thor: Love and Thunder

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Comic-Accurate Version Of Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher

JoshWilding

Jan 03, 2024 09:01 AM

Thor: Love and Thunder

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Awesome AVENGERS: ENDGAME-Inspired Take On Thor's Armor

JoshWilding

Dec 24, 2023 05:12 AM

Thor: Love and Thunder

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER's Natalie Portman Would Love To Return To The MCU As Jane Foster

MarkJulian

Dec 17, 2023 12:12 PM

THOR 5: Gareth Edwards Responds To Rumors He's Being Eyed To Helm MCU Sequel

Thor: Love and Thunder

Spider-Man 2

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

MarkCassidy

1 hour ago

Latest Headlines

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: What Happened That Led To Logan "[Letting] Down His Entire World"?

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Spider-Man 2

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

MarkCassidy

1 hour ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Trailer Appears To Include An Obscure Variant Of A Classic PUNISHER Villain

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Rumor Reveals How The Movie References The Events Of LOGAN - SPOILERS

JoshWilding

3 hours ago

The Flash

THE FLASH: Hot Toys Has Canceled Its Upcoming Young Barry Allen Figure (But Not For The Reason You'd Expect)

JoshWilding

3 hours ago

Hot Headlines

247 comments

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Official Trailer Features Ultimate Team-Up & Promises The Wildest MCU Movie Of All-Time!

RohanPatel

1 day ago EST

157 comments

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Trailer Arrives Tomorrow! Check Out A New Teaser And Poster

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

100 comments

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New "S" Logo - But What Could It Mean?

MarkCassidy

2 days ago EST

90 comments

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

81 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Is Likely To Disappoint Fans Of BATMAN BEYOND - SPOILERS

More Cartoons & Animated ►

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Based On EL PASO, ELSEWHERE Vampire Video Game

More Anime & Manga ►

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To Pussy Island In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

More Action Movies & TV ►

Finn Balor Has Reportedly Signed Big Money Deal To Remain In WWE Despite Interest From AEW

More Pro Wrestling ►

Jennifer Lopez Battle An A.I. Simu Liu In New Trailer For Netflix's ATLAS

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

PARKS AND RECREATION Star Nick Offerman Open To Joining The MCU...If Taika Waititi Is Directing

Most actors would jump at the chance to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Parks and Recreation alum Nick Offerman has a specific request...he wants to work with Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi!

Valkyrie In Thor: The Dark World

Arnim Zola's Ant-Man Return

The Hulk Busts Out

Ant-Man And The Vision Switch Sides

Scarlet Spider

Thor Vs. The Midgard Serpent(s)

Black Widow Becomes Ronin

The Wasp's Scrapped Role In Captain America: Civil War

Mega Ultron

Nebula Unleashes The Power Of The Infinity Gauntlet

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Comic-Accurate Version Of Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Awesome AVENGERS: ENDGAME-Inspired Take On Thor's Armor

10 Romantic Superhero Movies You Can Watch With Your Significant Other This Valentine's Day

Taika Waititi's KLARA AND THE SUN Adaptation Reportedly Eyeing Jenna Ortega For Lead Role

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Comic-Accurate Version Of Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher

10 Romantic Superhero Movies You Can Watch With Your Significant Other This Valentine's Day

Taika Waititi's KLARA AND THE SUN Adaptation Reportedly Eyeing Jenna Ortega For Lead Role

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Comic-Accurate Version Of Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Concept Art Reveals Awesome AVENGERS: ENDGAME-Inspired Take On Thor's Armor

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER's Natalie Portman Would Love To Return To The MCU As Jane Foster

THOR 5: Gareth Edwards Responds To Rumors He's Being Eyed To Helm MCU Sequel

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Every Major Marvel Cameo In The New Trailer - Possible SPOILERS

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: 7 Biggest Easter Eggs, Reveals, And Spoilers In The New Trailer

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumor Points To Larger Roles For Two Particular Characters - SPOILERS

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Official Trailer Features Ultimate Team-Up & Promises The Wildest MCU Movie Of All-Time!

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rob Liefeld Responds To Trailer's Shot At His Apparent Inability To Draw Feet

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: What Happened That Led To Logan "[Letting] Down His Entire World"?

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: What Happened That Led To Logan "[Letting] Down His Entire World"?

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Trailer Appears To Include An Obscure Variant Of A Classic PUNISHER Villain

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Rumor Reveals How The Movie References The Events Of LOGAN - SPOILERS

THE FLASH: Hot Toys Has Canceled Its Upcoming Young Barry Allen Figure (But Not For The Reason You'd Expect)

Hot Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Official Trailer Features Ultimate Team-Up & Promises The Wildest MCU Movie Of All-Time!

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Trailer Arrives Tomorrow! Check Out A New Teaser And Poster

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New "S" Logo - But What Could It Mean?

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Every Major Marvel Cameo In The New Trailer - Possible SPOILERS

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Jennifer Lopez Battle An A.I. Simu Liu In New Trailer For Netflix's ATLAS

REBEL MOON: Zack Snyder Says Director's Cuts Are "More Like A Parallel Universe Than An Extended Version"

Daisy Ridley Teases The Different STAR WARS Film That Will Hopefully Be A "New Adventure"

Zack Snyder's Animated Norse Mythology Series TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Will Be Released This Fall

DUNE: PART TWO Star Rebecca Ferguson On DUNE: MESSIAH - "I'd Love To See Timothée Turn Into A Worm"

As GODZILLA X KONG Closes In On $500M Worldwide, How Does It Compare To Previous MonsterVerse Films?

Cartoons & Animated Features

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Is Likely To Disappoint Fans Of BATMAN BEYOND - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: Former Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Series Will "Touch On" Mr. Sinister's Racism

BIG HERO 6 Producer Reveals Why We STILL Haven't Got A Sequel To Disney Animation's Marvel Movie

KNUCKLES Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed Along With New Clip Featuring Sonic And Tails

Ella Purnell Says ARCANE Season 2 Will Be Incredibly Tragic As Netflix Preps The Series For Annecy Reveal

Netflix Reveals Premiere Window For Zack Snyder's TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

Gaming

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Based On EL PASO, ELSEWHERE Vampire Video Game

Comedy Central Orders 10-Episode GOLDEN AXE Animated Series From Mike McMahan And Joe Chandler

FALLOUT Season 2 Will Feature One Of The Game's Most Iconic Monsters

FORTNITE Will Now Let You Block "Confrontational Emotes"

KNUCKLES: Paramount+ SONIC Spin-Off Hits Rotten Tomatoes With An Impressive 88%

Fan Project Estimates GTA 6 Map Size Could Be 2.5 Times Larger Than GTA 5

Anime & Manga

DRAGON BALL SUPER Interval Special Announced By Jump While Manga Remains On Indefinite Hiatus

New Teaser And Key Art For Live-Action TRILLION GAME Movie

Netflix's PARASYTE: THE GREY Is Now Streaming; Here's What The Critics Are Saying

MY HERO ACADEMIA Tops X-MEN '97, INVINCIBLE And More In Social Media Engagement

Netmarble Announces Release Date For New Game SOLO LEVELING: ARISE

KAIJU NO. 8 Reveals Opening And Ending Theme Animations

Horror

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To "Pussy Island" In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

THE WATCHERS New Trailer Sees Dakota Fanning Terrorised In Ishana Night Shyamalan's Directorial Debut

EVIL DEAD RISE Director Lee Cronin Shares Gruesome New BTS Photos To Mark Movie's One-Year Anniversary

Happy 4/20! Check Out The Red Band Trailer For New Stoner Horror Movie TRIM SEASON

ABIGAIL Spoilers: Find Out What Happens - And Who Shows Up - In New Horror Comedy

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

Action Movies & TV