Ryan Reynolds is reportedly working on an Alpha Flight film for Marvel Studios, with rumors circulating that the project could feature the MCU’s Wolverine. But Marvel shouldn’t rush into introducing Sabretooth alongside him. Wolverine’s greatest adversary was once an Iron Fist villain, and Marvel could return Victor Creed to his origins with an Iron Fist Special Presentation, similar to The Punisher: One Last Kill.
Sabretooth has appeared in three X-Men movies, but has never really been an important part of the franchise. He’s been someone else’s muscle or a part of Wolverine’s backstory. Finn Jones is confirmed to return as Danny Rand in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, which gives Marvel a chance to air an Iron Fist special. The comic that introduced Sabretooth nearly 50 years ago is actually a surprisingly good blueprint for a stand-alone adventure that could see Creed become a recurring threat throughout the MCU.
Sabretooth was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne in Iron Fist #14, a 17-page action thriller called “Snowfire.” Danny Rand and Colleen Wing travel to the Canadian Rockies to guard attorney Jeryn Hogarth, Carrie Anne-Moss in the Netflix series, who is looking into the disappearance of money from the Rand-Meachum Corporation. They find Hogarth and her staff being held hostage by mercenaries led by Sabretooth. Danny and Colleen escape but are pursued by men with guns on snowmobiles through the mountains, and Colleen is injured. Before he returns to rescue Hogarth, he has to keep them alive through a freezing night. The story has a hostage crisis, a wilderness survival adventure, and a martial arts showdown in one issue. It’s the kind of tight, self-contained action story that could easily work as a one-off MCU special.
Sabretooth is vicious, yet smart enough to use the environment against his opponent. In their final confrontation, Creed uses sunlight reflecting off the snow to blind Iron Fist. Danny must call on all his training to defeat a physically superior opponent. It’s a great contrast between disciplined martial arts and brute force, and it makes Sabretooth look like a dangerous villain without mentioning Wolverine at all. Later, Sabretooth returned to fight both Iron Fist and Luke Cage. Eventually Claremont brought him into the X-Men’s world, and Mutant Massacre made him a particularly ruthless killer. He then became a rival of Wolverine, but his earlier appearances represent a much bigger opportunity to Marvel. Sabretooth can be a recurring threat in both Heroes for Hire and X-Men, bridging two corners of the MCU. With Marvel reportedly casting a new Gambit for its upcoming X-Men film, and Mister Sinister rumored to be the villain, an adaptation of the Mutant Massacre could very well happen. Sabretooth was one of the Marauders who slaughtered the Morlocks, so he fit naturally into that storyline.
Sabretooth’s film appearances have only scratched the surface of one of Marvel’s most complex villains. Tyler Mane’s version in 2000’s X-Men was essentially Magneto’s muscle, whereas Liev Schreiber added much-needed depth to the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Mane’s brief appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine provided some closure, but neither version realized the full potential of a villain whose history goes far beyond Wolverine.
Now that Finn Jones is preparing to reprise his role as Danny Rand in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, alongside Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, it seems like the ideal time for Marvel to spotlight Iron Fist in his own solo adventure. Plus, with Luke Cage becoming mayor of New York in the comics, we could expect some exciting drama, including a classic Heroes for Hire reunion. Fans shouldn’t have to say goodbye to these characters following Born Again. Iron Fist season one was a disappointment, but the show’s second season was a massive improvement that led to many fans wanting more. An Iron Fist Special Presentation could give Danny another chance to shine while introducing Sabretooth as a significant threat to both street-level heroes and the X-Men.
Fan casts across the internet have called for Ray Nicholson to take the role, especially after his creepy performance in Smile 2, which showed he can play truly terrifying characters. He also looks like his dad, Jack Nicholson, whose role in Wolf showed how well charm mixed with animalistic violence could work. He could make a dynamic counter to Wolverine frontrunner Jeremy Allen White.
With their extensive history, Wolverine and Sabretooth are bound to have another on-screen encounter. But their rivalry doesn’t have to get started by making their first appearances in the MCU. Claremont and Byrne gave him a memorable villain in a gripping survival thriller against Iron Fist. Marvel needs to remember Sabretooth was a serious threat long before he met Wolverine.
