These four WWE powerhouses could portray the MCU’s Wrecking Crew.
For a lot of people, the best part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been its villains. MCU antagonists Thanos, Killmonger, and Loki are a few of the best in any movie genre. Marvel Studios made them relatable, causing a lot of viewers to feel for them in spite of their vile actions.
While this has become a staple in the MCU, not every villain has to have a deep and meaningful story to be a hit. Sometimes they can just be someone that can be big, powerful and tough. And before we get into these big, powerful and tough characters, the WWE has a plethora of superstars that fit that description.
World Wrestling Entertainment is the most popular professional wrestling brand in this world. That’s not hyperbole. They’ve been number one for over a decade and it doesn’t look like anyone will be taking their spot any time soon. Besides the action, the characters have made the company profitable and popular. Stars like Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, and John Cena have been household names for decades. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson started in the WWF (now WWE) and is one of Hollywood’s most profitable actors.
With all of that in mind, casting WWE Superstars as Marvel Comics villains could be a real smart idea. And if this were to happen, the big, tough and powerful characters they play should be the Wrecking Crew.
Who are the Wrecking Crew?
The Wrecking Crew consists of four members. Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, and their leader the Wrecker. They were just four guys until Girth Garthwaite (the Wrecker) was given the powers of a god. He eventually ended up in prison where he met Dr. Eliot Franklin (Thunderball), Brian Philip Calusky (Piledriver) and Henry Camp (Bulldozer). After they escaped, Garth had them touch his enchanted crowbar and they all became strong on a Thor-like level.
The guys have been causing havoc throughout the Marvel Comics universe for years. Wrecker alone has beaten Thor. As a team, they’ve taken on multiple incarnations of the Avengers. Psychically, the Wrecking Crew is a match for almost any Marvel superhero team, and with that in mind, they could make for incredible villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Other than Thanos, Black Dwarf and Abomination, we haven’t had many massive villains in the MCU. We’ve had physically strong antagonists, but very few huge villains. Maybe now is the time to make it happen. Bring in something that we haven’t seen a lot of in recent years. The Wrecking Crew can be those villains and these four WWE Superstars could play them perfectly.
Let’s start with the leader of the group, the Wrecker.
Paul “Big Show” Wight as the MCU’s Wrecker
The Big Show started in the WCW in the 1990s and is easily one of the top five big wrestlers of all time. He continued to get better and always made his opponents look good.
On top of his massive size and in-ring skill, the Big Show is hilarious. He’s been able to play multiple funny characters throughout his career and he knows how to make fun of himself. This has gotten the attention of Hollywood. He’s been a guest star on multiple TV shows and appeared in quite a few movies over the years. He now has his own show on Netflix show too – appropriately named The Big Show.
At the age of 48, he may be in the best physical shape of his professional wrestling career. If there’s going to be a leader, it should be the Big Show. Out of everyone on this list, he’s a veteran – both in the ring and as an actor. Big Show has the personality and physically looks intimidating. If someone is going to be the guy who takes on Thor or any Asgardian, it should be him. He would also look great in Wrecker’s ridiculous mask. Seeing him swinging a giant crowbar would be worth it alone.
Ettore “Big E” Ewenas as the MCU’s Powerball
Big E may be one of the most underappreciated wrestlers in the WWE today. He’s not just a big guy; he’s a lot more skilled than most people give him credit for. Furthermore, he moves around the ring better than a man his size has any business doing.
Being part of one of the greatest tag teams of all time (the New Day) has helped getting his name out to the masses. Along with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, he’s been able to showcase his personality as well.
The problem with casting Powerball is that he’s not just a big guy. He’s a genius. That means that whoever plays him has to have the ability to pull off sounding like a genius. Big E can do that easily. He has a commanding voice and just sounds like a genius (have you heard The New Day’s mic work?). Now, when Powerball is explaining something scientific, it’ll come off believable.
Recently, Powerball has been working with T’Challa and Wakanda. If this were to make it to the big-screen, it could lead to Big E getting a cameo in a future Black Panther project. He’s absolutely good enough to do it. Plus, wrestling fans love Big E. He’s a genuinely good guy who loves his job and his fans. Anything that keeps him successful is a good idea.
Adam “Braun Strowman” Scherr as the MCU’s Bulldozer
Braun Strowman wasn’t always someone people loved. His promos weren’t that good and his matches initially left something to be desired. However, he continued to improve as an in-ring performer and as a personality.
His feud with Roman Reigns can be attributed to the beginning of Braun’s ascension to being a top WWE Superstar. After obliterating Roman, he ran at Roman and yelled, “I’m not finished with you!” That made fans take notice. Later, he started saying, “You’re gonna getthese hands” and the audience ate that up too. Now he’s SmackDown‘s Universal Champion and continues to get better.
Bulldozer is very much like his namesake. Fast, unstoppable when he’s in motion, and destroys everything in his way. Braun Strownman is six foot eight inches and over 380 pounds. When he moves, he’s a high-speed freight train. You’re not stopping him because he’s surprisingly fast.
Strowman has a spot where he runs around the ring and runs through everyone he’s fighting – exactly like Bulldozer would. Except Strowman certainly has more personality than Bulldozer. A trait that Marvel Studios would be able to utilize in order to make Bulldozer a much better character.
Braun Strowman is a WWE character that’s going to be popular for a long time, so it would be a good idea to bring him on board.
Savelina “Nia Jax” Fanene as the MCU’s Piledriver
Nia Jax hasn’t been in the WWE that long. She kicked off her career in NXT in 2015. Her power made her a dominant force then and it continued after she left for Monday Night Raw.
At WrestleMania 34, Nia defeated her former friend Alexa Bliss to win her first WWE Women’s Championship. And after being sidelined by injuries, she has finally made her return to the squared circle. Her next opponent will be against the dominant and dangerous Asuka.
As time has gone on, Nia has become more than just a wrestler. Her appearances on E!’s Total Divas have catapulted her to stardom in the TV world. And she used this platform speak about things that mean a lot to her, among them body positivity. She’s made a point to speak up and let everyone know to love themselves no matter what other people may say, and she has also been one of the plus-sized models to walk down a runway during NY Fashion Week.
Why not add a woman to the Wrecking Crew? Oh don’t get this writer wrong; this wouldn’t be changing things up just for the sake of it… quite the opposite in fact. Nia Jax is a recognized face who’s played the villain for most of her short career. She could easily capture the personality of Piledriver.
Piledriver can be a bit of a jerk, even more so than the rest of the Wrecking Crew. Nia is more than capable of pulling this off because she’s been playing a character that has behaved exactly like that for years. Furthermore, she calls herself Irresistible Force for a reason. Superheroes or not, throwing the Avengers around like rag dolls would be nothing new to her.
What do you think of these picks? Would you like to see Marvel’s Wrecking Crew show up in the MCU? Let us know in the comments below.