Why MCU Fans Need a Magneto and Killmonger ‘Buddy Cop’ Movie
From Loki to Thanos, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with villains that fans can’t help but love. There are two, in particular, Magneto and Killmonger, who share similar ideas and are driven by the same motivations. This is why some fans think a Magneto and Killmonger buddy cop story would make for a terrific MCU movie.
Killmonger’s backstory in the MCU
Erik Stevens, aka Killmonger, aka N’Jadaka (Michael B. Jordan), was first introduced in the MCU in Black Panther. He is T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) cousin, whose father, N’Jobu (Sterling K. Brown) is killed by T’Chaka (John Kani).
But throughout Killmonger’s childhood, N’Jobu is driven to bring Wakanda’s Vibranium weapons to the underprivileged. He wants to give them a chance to fight back and overpower their oppressors.
After his father is killed, Killmonger makes it his goal to return to Wakanda to continue with his father’s plan to liberate the world. He tries to claim T’Challa’s throne with hopes of delivering Wakanda’s technology to the oppressed. And he ends up killing anyone that gets in his way.
“There’s about two billion people around the world who look like us and their lives are a lot harder,” Killmonger says in Black Panther. “Wakanda has the tools to liberate them all.”
Magneto has a similar drive
In the X-Men movies and comic books, Erik M. Lehnsherr, aka Magneto (played by Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender in the films) is driven by his love for his species. He sees how horribly humans treat mutants and is willing to do anything to protect his kind.
His closest friend, Charles Xavier (played by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy in the movies), is also is driven to save and protect mutant kind. But while Professor X takes a gentler approach to his activism, Magneto is willing to destroy everything to save his kind.
MCU fans would love to see the two villains together
One of the best things about villains like Killmonger and Magneto is that on some level, they are relatable. They each have a meaningful backstory, and in their own way, are trying to make the world a better place. And in the MCU, villains like Loki (Tom Hiddleston) are dynamic and can go from bad to good depending on the situation.
There are rumors that the X-Men will join the MCU for a reboot and feature a different version of Magneto. Some fans think, that if Magneto and Killmonger are shown in a positive light, similar to Loki, their pairing would make for a great stand-alone film.
“I know Killmonger is dead, but, would a team up with him and magneto work?” one Reddit fan asked. “I feel like they have somewhat similar reasons for what they do/did. I feel like they would agree on a lot of things.”
“Yeah and he fact that they both are trying to do what’s right for there people,” another fan replied on Reddit, “even if it means taking extreme measures.”
One fan wrote they are now convinced the MCU needs “a buddy cop style movie” with the two villains. And others joked about Killmonger and Magneto bonding over their real names — Erik/Eric.
“I’m just interested in how that dynamic would work, maybe they would bond over having the same name,” one Redditor wrote, with another fan suggesting, “Let’s call it ‘Marvel’s the adventures of Eric’s.'”
At this point, Marvel hasn’t confirmed the cinematic return of Magneto or Killmonger. But if fans throw enough hype out into the universe, who knows, they may just get a Bad Boys-style MCU movie sometime in the future.
