The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown: The Future of Superhero Movies

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I wonder if you’ve ever seen RandomGuy’s I’m a Marvel… and I’m a DC series on YouTube. There’s one you’d probably like where Spidey freaks out about all his reboots. He says “At this rate, we’ll be getting an adaptation of Spider-Man 2099… in 2099!

Nah, I prefer certain parodies like HISHE or Honest Trailers or CinemaSins, otherwise I just like news shows about upcoming comic book movies.

[SapphireStar]

There was an article popping up about the possibility of a Spider-man cinematic universe being created. If they bring Sam Raimi back, I'm all for it. When he directed, it felt like a comic book adventure on screen. Despite some hiccups, they were enjoyable if just for the performances of some of the supporting cast like J. K. Simmons who was spot on for J. Jonah Jameson.

If they are going to bring in Black Cat, they should get Rachel Taylor to play her.

[Zelta Runa]

The one way they could guarantee my ass in a seat on opening night would be to bring back J.K. Simmons.

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There was an article popping up about the possibility of a Spider-man cinematic universe being created. If they bring Sam Raimi back, I'm all for it. When he directed, it felt like a comic book adventure on screen. Despite some hiccups, they were enjoyable if just for the performances of some of the supporting cast like J. K. Simmons who was spot on for J. Jonah Jameson.

If they are going to bring in Black Cat, they should get Rachel Taylor to play her.

What do you mean by a Spider-Man Cinematic Universe? You mean something that's intended to continue beyond just a trilogy or something, or where there are multiple spin-offs and crap? They already crapped their pants in front of everybody by scrapping Amazing part III, so do they really not know how bad they suck? I even heard an Aunt May movie was being planned, this is how ineptly Sony is handling this whole thing.

[CaptainNexus616]

So their were rumors of Deadpool being rated PG-13. Ryan addresses the rumor here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUEkqZxLyrg

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LMAO, "Fuck you, Slater." Priceless.

[TheGlyphstone]

That was beautiful.

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That was beautiful.

Yeah. Well, it looks like Fox has balls after all. Let's hope it pays off for everybody. If anyone has proven that taking big risks is worth it, it's Marvel. So even if these bastardized versions from other companies aren't interconnected, they can still learn from each other.

[SapphireStar]

Apparently due to upcoming DC movies, the TV shows, like Arrow will have to drop certain villains from their roster of bad guys to use. Deadshot is being yanked due to the Suicide Squad movie. So it looks like any villain used in the movies can't be used in the tv shows. That is just gonna kill the tv shows.

[CaptainNexus616]

Just constant DC shooting itself in the foot scenarios

[TheGlyphstone]

Yeah. Well, it looks like Fox has balls after all. Let's hope it pays off for everybody. If anyone has proven that taking big risks is worth it, it's Marvel. So even if these bastardized versions from other companies aren't interconnected, they can still learn from each other.

Of course, the fans are taking a risk with this as well. If Deadpool is R, and doesn't make a ton of money, that'll be the kiss of death for R-rated superhero movies.

[SapphireStar]

DC didn't have a problem with Smallville using Clark Kent at the same time they released Superman Returns with Brandon Routh. I thought they stated that the tv universe was considered separate from what happens in the movie universe? So, if Supergirl appears in one of the movies, are they going to yank the tv show that is in the works?

[CaptainNexus616]

They will probably only pull the plug with certain characters. More than likely they will just have two for everyone else just to confuse you who is who. Cause you know....logic -_-

[SapphireStar]

And, leave the lesser known villains to fill the slots. I'm not surprised. What logic? Which leaves me to wonder, then since they are having the Joker appear in the Suicide Squad movie, then are they pulling him from the rumored appeareance on Gotham, or are they going ahead with that? Dunno, just seems they pick and choose. And, now the comics are doing a new reboot called Convergence where they are pulling characters from different times/universes and tossing them into these domes and following their adventures within.

[CaptainNexus616]

I really hate to say it but whoever is making these decisions for the DC Cinematic Universe whether it is one person or a whole board, department, or whatever are really incapable of understanding the whole point of bothering.

Yes there is a ton of money to be made from this enterprise.

But only if you put actual effort into it and not throw a bunch of superheroes together in a movie with the team name stamped on the front. Or put famous actors and actresses in the roles. Or fill it with CGI up to their eyeballs.

Back in the day all DC ever churned out was Supes and Bat films unless you were like me and watched Justice League, The Batman, and Teen Titans...that was the only heroes who were ever seen and probably the only ones besides Wonder Woman anyone had heard of. If you asked a man who Green Arrow was ten years ago he would have a big question mark over his head.

Granted Marvel was not much different either starting out but they have proven superior organization and actually take a moment to make sure their is not only quantity but QUALITY. Look at Guardians of the Galaxy a lot of people were skeptical about it but enjoyed the film regardless and besides Thanos held no other connection back to the current Marvel storyline.

DC and Warner Bros. are still of the mindset this is just for cash and nothing else. Movies are supposed to make money but they are meant to actually be good.

[Mathim]

I've said the exact same thing. They can smell the money Marvel/Disney is making and their attempts to replicate them absolutely reek of crass attitudes about the product and the fan base. At least Marvel is more sympathetic to the fans for the most part. DC's transparent pandering is shameful and will end up costing them. I just hope Marvel keeps all the GOOD talent on their side.

[Zelta Runa]

Apparently due to upcoming DC movies, the TV shows, like Arrow will have to drop certain villains from their roster of bad guys to use. Deadshot is being yanked due to the Suicide Squad movie. So it looks like any villain used in the movies can't be used in the tv shows. That is just gonna kill the tv shows.

I hope this is a rumour. This would utterly destroy The Flash series. They’re crazy if they think they can do that and not enrage the fans.

I want BvS:DoJ to be good. I really do. But take a look at the track records. Every MCU movie made a tidy profit and got positive reviews (with the possible exception of The Incredible Hulk). The Avengers is one of the most successful movies of all time. Guardians of the Galaxy proved Marvel could turn just about anything into a hit.

Aside from the massive success of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, DC/WB don’t have much to brag about. Man of Steel may have earned over $600 million worldwide, but reviews were seriously conflicted. Jonah Hex was a flop, Catwoman was a flop, Superman Returns almost flopped, and Green Lantern failed even after they spent 200 million bucks on it. Watchmen barely broke even and nobody can agree on whether it sucks or is amazing. If DC could get someone like Kevin Feige on their team, with a cohesive vision, then this whole endeavour might go really well.

[SapphireStar]

Marc Guggenheim pretty much confirmed it in an interview. For a while, they were going around saying that the TV show universe was totally separate from what was happening in the movies. Till now. Which begs the question, are they going to pull Deathstroke out too since there is a rumor about his appearance in the Suicide Squad movie rumored to be played by the guy from True Blood/Magic Mike? That would pretty much torpedo another villain from Arrow. Not to mention their up coming Flashpoint storyline/spinoff. As a fan, I'm feeling a bit uneasy.

At Marvel tied in the cinematic universe with the tv shows. Daredevil is rumored to make an appearance in Captain America 3. Marvel is playing it smart. They got Joss Whedon to direct Avengers, and produce Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with the added bonus he worked on the X-Men comics for a while. And, events of Age of Ultron tie into the Black Panther movie. They just revealed Andy Serkis's character is a rival of Stark's with ties to Vibranium.  I agree Marvel has the better track record at the moment with consistence within their movies. DC has a better track record with their animated movies and tv shows, though Marvel is gaining a bit of ground in the tv show department.

[TheGlyphstone]

Andy Serkis is playing Klaw? I wonder what he's like when he's not just mocapping?

[Beorning]

You could see him in King Kong as the cook that got eaten by a giant worm...

[CaptainNexus616]

The fact Marvel is presenting Daredevil and other future shows on Netflix is a very smart move. With the general decline in TV these days most people have Netflix, Hulu and other services to compensate. Plus Netflix like HBO is free from FCC regulations so they can go as far as they please with a target audience wants and needs. I agree with Wong and Star, Marvel has a far more clear agenda planned out right now and it shows.

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The fact Marvel is presenting Daredevil and other future shows on Netflix is a very smart move. With the general decline in TV these days most people have Netflix, Hulu and other services to compensate. Plus Netflix like HBO is free from FCC regulations so they can go as far as they please with a target audience wants and needs. I agree with Wong and Star, Marvel has a far more clear agenda planned out right now and it shows.

So it's not only conceited of WB/DC to think they can mimic this pattern, but also naive. Announcing ten films or whatever, when it's possible many of them will fall short of projections as did the first Green Lantern, will be hugely embarrassing for them and possibly make them unable to recover from that until Marvel's heyday is over, by which time it's possible people will have gotten sick of the superhero genre altogether and make it impossible for the Justice League to ever happen on the big screen in any viable way. Just a worst-case scenario if these folks don't wise up.

Like I said though, they are taking a few risks and are going to beat Marvel (presumably) in at least a few ways. Suicide Squad will be the first novelty film about a team of supervillains that either major universe has employed. Marvel has yet to do something like that (Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't count since they were always intended to be heroes even if they were initially outlaws and convicts.) Also the release date of Aquaman is likely to get it made before a Namor film so they'll also have the first underwater superhero movie on the screen. Not that it might take place in the water for a great deal of its length but still, they'll have done that first and that will make it harder for Marvel to ever do a Namor film, if that is ever something they intended. So in that sense, I hope DC flounders only because I want Marvel to do Namor because I think they'll be the ones to do an underwater hero movie better. I'm not sure what DC is thinking but Aquaman is always portrayed as an Aryan-looking dude, not some dark-haired native warrior like Jason Momoa is doing. He also doesn't always have the long hair, so there's that too. It would probably look a tad girly in the water all floating around, don't you think? Maybe they didn't think that far ahead...no big shock there.

[Zelta Runa]

I'm not sure what DC is thinking but Aquaman is always portrayed as an Aryan-looking dude, not some dark-haired native warrior like Jason Momoa is doing. He also doesn't always have the long hair, so there's that too.

Let’s be honest, superhero movies don’t exactly need yet another white dude running around.

It would probably look a tad girly in the water all floating around, don't you think?

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Let’s be honest, superhero movies don’t exactly need yet another white dude running around.

Case in point (about the second part). What the frak is with all this political correctness not dying down? I want the characters to look as much like their comic book counterparts as possible. If these studios want diversity, they can bring in the superheroes of different ethnic backgrounds who already exist in them, not change the ones that are white. Black Panther is already getting a movie which is hugely loaded with race conflict, and Luke Cage/Power Man is getting his own show too. DC can't claim they're helping this along in any meaningfully similar way. And I already explained the reason I'm fine with Nick Fury being black even though he was originally a white guy in the comics so it's not like Marvel was just pandering.

It's really odd because I hear these other arguments on boards like IMDB where people are suggesting non-Asian actors to portray the Ancient One in Doctor Strange and I am vehemently opposed to that because it would be inaccurate to the comics.  So it's not like I'm just pushing for everything to be white-washed, it's simply a matter of accuracy for me.

[Zelta Runa]

It’s not political correctness. Race is mostly about appearance, and has little to no effect on a character. It’s a minor quibble, same as when filmmakers change a character’s costume for the big screen. There’s absolutely zero reason Hal Jordan needs to be white. Superman could just as easily be Native American or black. So what if Jason Momoa’s Aquaman looks like a Pacific Islander? Momoa is from Hawaii. There’s literally no reason Aquaman needs to be a blonde dude. Aryans historically come from Scandinavia and central Europe, which is as far from Aquaman’s stomping grounds as you can geographically get. Spider-Man could be Hispanic (Miles Morales, cough) or even Asian. Although given that Peter Parker is a huge nerd, I can see why they’d want to avoid that tired stereotype.

Every time there’s a reboot, they could easily assign different races to the characters. But they don’t because people freak out over what is a cosmetic change. It doesn’t affect their characters in any way, for the most part. Why the hell does Wonder Woman have to be white? She was made out of goddamn clay. Bruce Wayne being white is the only race that impacts his character, because you’d be hard-pressed to find a non-white American family of such obscene wealth going back that far.

I don’t see this “political correctness” you’re talking about. As far as I can tell, Superman, The Flash, Cyborg and Batman are all the same colour they were in the comics. I think people who panic about comic book characters’ ethnicities being different have a bigger fixation on race than they’d like to admit.