The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown: The Future of Superhero Movies

[Mathim]

The now-dead Marvel Vs. DC on the Big Screen thread was just the tip of the iceberg for discussions: Recent announcements have been made on both sides and it looks like the next half-decade of cinematic box office smashes (or epic failures) is going to be dominated by superhero films. The DC-side has finally shown their hand and is following in Marvel's record-breaking footsteps with a slew of stand-alone films, 10 in total, and, surprise, surprise, the main crossover event therein is going to be split up into two parts (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, what have you unleashed?!). On the Marvel Cinematic Universe end, eight, count them, EIGHT movies have been announced for their Phase 3, and that's not including Ant-Man which was, perhaps for the best, moved to the conclusion of Phase 2, breaking the planned pattern of ending each phase with an Avengers title. Speaking of which, the Avengers' 3rd outing will also be divided into two parts, with a pair of other movies to introduce some new characters before the conclusion, which also appears to be DC's plan with the Justice League parts 1 and 2.

Here's the breakdown w/ some pics, and some links if you want to see more. Here's Marvel:

http://marvel.com/news/movies/23547/marvel_studios_announces_full_phase_3_slate_at_special_event



And here's DC (they weren't forthcoming with title images, so it's just an article):

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/warner-bros-dc-justice-league-harry-potter-spinoff-lego-sequel-1201330734/

SO! Let's talk about it. Excited? Hyperventilating? I know I am! Doctor Strange in particular is, in my opinion, long overdue and I hope Scott Derrickson does it justice. I also hope the casting gives us not only a fantastic actor but one who can pull off the look of Doc Strange without creeping the shit out of me (Benedict Cumberbatch, I'm never going to look at you the same way again!) I have to say I'm not that excited about DC's lineup just because, frankly, they should have done this ages ago. And they should have done better on Green Lantern and Man of Steel. Feel free to disagree! I would like them to do better, really, I just don't have faith in them.

[DominantPoet]

I am excited as can be for all the Marvel movies. Even Iron Man 3, which I disliked what they did with Mandarin, was great. That's the only sour note of all of them so far IMO since Incredible Hulk.

DC is just in general incapable of getting their characters onto the big screen properly. The Man of Steel movie was just blah and drab and completely screwed with what made the character great to everyone. Superman. Doesn't. Kill. It's like having Batman off the Joker or something.

I just don't see it going very well for them.

The only thing with Marvel I'm leery about is that Joss Whedon is rumored to NOT be doing the Infinity War, which....please god no, let that be false as all hell, Joss HAS to do the Avengers movies dammit!! Although the rumored alternative isn't exactly horrible by any means.

Plus I am EVER so happy that Downey is going to be in Cap 3 and what not. I'm also LOVING the SHIELD show and curious how that is going to go with Civil War coming. I'm also eagerly awaiting the return of Coulson into the movie franchise They have to know he's still alive, it has to happen in Ultron gosh darn it!

[mia h]

It strange Marvel have had thier act together on the big screen for a while DC can't seem to get it together but if you look at the animation and small screen DC are miles ahead of Marvel with 6 or 7 shows either on or being planned for big(-ish) networks. Not sure which is better a couple of big hit a year or a constant week in, week out stream of shows?

I'm guessing that "Batman\Superman : Dawn of Justice" is now "Justice League : Part 1" also DC have offically seperated the TV and movies and I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. But it is very generous of Marvel to be making a movie about the Big Red Cheese 

One person who wasn't happy about the DC announcement was Stephen Amell, not because he wouldn't be in the films but the news about Ezra Miller being the big screen Flash came out the same day as the veiwing figures for The Flash episode 2 which showed lots of people liked the pilot enough to keep watching.

[Mathim]

Agreed about Iron Man 3 but I actually thought Incredible Hulk was decent, certainly better than the popular opinion. It looks like the rumors of a Planet Hulk movie really are just bluster given how far they've mapped out everything else (and honestly, after an Infiniti War, we really don't know if, even supposing they do make a Phase 4, how do they top something like that?)

Then again, if the movie follows some of the comics' elements, there might be some time-reversal or something like that which will potentially make it okay for existing characters to be replaced by new casting choices, new characters we haven't seen yet (Ghost Rider, Blade, etc.) to appear, and who knows, by then they might have gotten back the rights to certain other characters and Marvel Studios can do them right for a change (I'm looking at you, upcoming Fantastic Four that I'm positive will suck.)

Even something like Smallville on TV was great for a live-action adaptation in the style of one of the better cartoon versions of the DC heroes. If they just used that sort of energy in the movies, they'd at least appeal to more people and get bums in seats. Their track record on the big screen is really just poisoning people from trusting them again so easily. Where's their version of Joss Whedon to make the Justice League movie a record-breaking success?

I'm also sketchy about Batman Vs. Superman coming before we even get a new Batman solo outing. Just how different is this version of him from Nolan's and the ones from pre-2000? I mean, if all the other heroes are getting their own movies, it doesn't make sense for Batman to just be thrust into existence after Superman's already gotten his own reboot. Funnily enough though, one of the movies they've announced is Aquaman, which means that it looks like DC is going to win over Marvel in one aspect: that we're going to see a DC underwater hero movie before we see Marvel's (IF we ever see it) Namor the Sub-Mariner on the big screen.

[Vorian]

I'm guessing that "Batman\Superman : Dawn of Justice" is now "Justice League : Part 1" also DC have offically seperated the TV and movies and I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. But it is very generous of Marvel to be making a movie about the Big Red Cheese 

Considering how much better DC's TV series are than their movies lately, I consider it a very good thing.

[Hemingway]

DC is just in general incapable of getting their characters onto the big screen properly. The Man of Steel movie was just blah and drab and completely screwed with what made the character great to everyone. Superman. Doesn't. Kill. It's like having Batman off the Joker or something.

I read that comic. It's great!

[Mathim]

I read that comic. It's great!

To each, their own. Considering how many alternate universes there are, I don't think one incarnation of Batman on the big screen killing an enemy would be too big of a deal at this point. Darker is the style nowadays, so even having Superman cross that line seems like the order of the day. Just imagine how awful the villains are going to be if that's how far the Justice League will go to save the world.

[DominantPoet]

Yeah, there's been alternate versions of them where they've killed...usually with overly extreme consequences from doing so though. Man of Steel basically showed, hey, no, there's no consequences, it's all good! He'll kill the evil doers as soon as he's put into a spot where he panics and could do any number of other things, but snapping the neck is the easiest way.

Somehow I imagine this is what's going to have Batman wanting to take him out anyways, and I also imagine they're going to end up ret-conning this like they always do with their "mistakes". One reason I don't like DC too much lately, they keep ret-conning every damn thing. Oh this was this, nope, now it's this! Oh, that's not working, now it's this.

Oh, hey, let's just reboot the whole damn main universe now! It's the same reason I wasn't too happy with the latest X-men movie. Yeah, you fixed everything, but you also showed that you'll just do whatever you want and if it doesn't work, hey, ret-con!

Not that Marvel never does it, but they do it a hell of a lot less than DC does and so far, have yet to do it with their movies. Even the older ones like Punisher and Blade. Hell, they never even ret-conned Hulk and that first movie was terrible as all hell.

[consortium11]

Not that Marvel never does it, but they do it a hell of a lot less than DC does and so far, have yet to do it with their movies. Even the older ones like Punisher and Blade. Hell, they never even ret-conned Hulk and that first movie was terrible as all hell.

Depending on if you see a reboot as a retcon then the Punisher has been changed twice (from 1989 to the 2004 and from 2004 to 2008). Likewise Hulk's been rebooted at least once (depending on if you see the Norton and Ruffalo Hulks as being the same property) as the Norton Hulk film changes his origin and rewrites the history of the Ang Lee Hulk film... although as the Ang Lee film is non-Marvel that might not count.

Anyway, on the topic of film retcons/reboots does no-one remember Superman 2?

The ending of that film saw Superman ruthlessly depower Zod, mercilessly crush his hand and then throw the helpless Zod down a pit to pretty much certain death (as well as Lois Lane murder one of Zod's henchwomen). It's about as cold blooded an act as one can imagine... compared to that the Man of Steel ending was a masterpiece in restraint.

[Mathim]

Depending on if you see a reboot as a retcon then the Punisher has been changed twice (from 1989 to the 2004 and from 2004 to 2008). Likewise Hulk's been rebooted at least once (depending on if you see the Norton and Ruffalo Hulks as being the same property) as the Norton Hulk film changes his origin and rewrites the history of the Ang Lee Hulk film... although as the Ang Lee film is non-Marvel that might not count.

Anyway, on the topic of film retcons/reboots does no-one remember Superman 2?

The ending of that film saw Superman ruthlessly depower Zod, mercilessly crush his hand and then throw the helpless Zod down a pit to pretty much certain death (as well as Lois Lane murder one of Zod's henchwomen). It's about as cold blooded an act as one can imagine... compared to that the Man of Steel ending was a masterpiece in restraint.

Let's not forget also that Superman reversed time to save Lois in the very first Superman movie. That's what I've often disliked about DC heroes; many of the frontliners just seem either too overly powerful (Supes, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern) or not powerful enough (Batman, Green Arrow). For this reason I'm questioning whether a Justice League movie will be able to sufficiently put itself together. Heroes like Captain America, Spider-Man, and even Iron Man are all shown to be pretty vulnerable at times so at least them having their own adventures are slightly more suspenseful since they don't have a magic bullet that will just save them unlike much of what happens in the Superman franchise. I know I'm picking on him but it's hard to argue that he's just too strong for his own good.

[Beorning]

Quick question: what is this I've just read about Benedict Cumberbatch being cast as Doctor Strange? Is it true???

[Inkidu]

Let's not forget also that Superman reversed time to save Lois in the very first Superman movie. That's what I've often disliked about DC heroes; many of the frontliners just seem either too overly powerful (Supes, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern) or not powerful enough he(Batman, Green Arrow). For this reason I'm questioning whether a Justice League movie will be able to sufficiently put itself together. Heroes like Captain America, Spider-Man, and even Iron Man are all shown to be pretty vulnerable at times so at least them having their own adventures are slightly more suspenseful since they don't have a magic bullet that will just save them unlike much of what happens in the Superman franchise. I know I'm picking on him but it's hard to argue that he's just too strong for his own good.

Let's not even talk about the fact that all causing the Earth to spin backward would do is kill a lot more people.

[Mathim]

Quick question: what is this I've just read about Benedict Cumberbatch being cast as Doctor Strange? Is it true???

Still, as of yet, only rumored, according to IMDB. I just really don't think he's got the right look, although his talent and voice would be fantastic. I just saw this photo of him in the costume and with that goatee, and his eyes made me want to wet myself in fear. Since there are many others (my favorite being Luke Evans) who could pull it off, I'm hoping he'll back out last minute. But, FUCK, man, they've already got Black Panther cast, I want to know who's going to play my favorite Marvel character already!

[Beorning]

Personally, I have nothing against Bandersnatch, but he just doesn't look like Strange to me 

Evans kind of looks like Strange, but he's way too young!

[Mathim]

Personally, I have nothing against Bandersnatch, but he just doesn't look like Strange to me 

Evans kind of looks like Strange, but he's way too young!

I think Evans could pull it off, just throw a little grey into his hair...seeing him as Bard the Bowman from the Hobbit convinced me he's capable of having that grizzled, looks-older-than-he-really-is thing. And how you feel is basically how I feel about Benedict Cumberbatch, he's a great actor, I just don't like him for Steven Strange.

[CaptainNexus616]

I personally think we need to get Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not out of the desire to see him with the Avengers but for the sake to keep it interesting. We have already had five Spider-Man movies and really I just don't see the appeal anymore. I've seen Spidey deal with real life issues then web sling into a fight for over ten years now on the big screen (I feel old and I'm only twenty D:) I think it would really breath new life into the movies if they have a movie with him working with an Avenger or something to solve the conflict.

Now what I really want to see DC do...a Batman Beyond film. At this point nearly everyone who has heard of Batman has seen one of the movies. I woul love to see the Batman of the future on the big screen. Could you imagine if they worked it out to have an actor who played Bruce Wayne return for the movie. I would flip if it was someone like Keaton.

[Mathim]

I personally think we need to get Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not out of the desire to see him with the Avengers but for the sake to keep it interesting. We have already had five Spider-Man movies and really I just don't see the appeal anymore. I've seen Spidey deal with real life issues then web sling into a fight for over ten years now on the big screen (I feel old and I'm only twenty D:) I think it would really breath new life into the movies if they have a movie with him working with an Avenger or something to solve the conflict.

Now what I really want to see DC do...a Batman Beyond film. At this point nearly everyone who has heard of Batman has seen one of the movies. I woul love to see the Batman of the future on the big screen. Could you imagine if they worked it out to have an actor who played Bruce Wayne return for the movie. I would flip if it was someone like Keaton.

Agreed; hell, I'm not even that interested in seeing Spidey in a solo movie anymore, I just want him to get the fuck out of Sony's mishandling grasp.

Not sure about Batman Beyond though. Loved the show (wish it had lasted at least one more season) but I think without establishing a present-day Batman universe, it wouldn't go over well.

[Beorning]

Today, I've read something on the net about possible Suicide Squad movie. Is that true that it's in the works?

[SapphireStar]

Yes. they've revealed a partial cast list. Jared Leto as Joker. Maggie Robbie as Harley Quinn. Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg. Will Smith as Deadshot. Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang.

[Vorian]

Yep. Cast and everything.

[Beorning]

My God. This cast is awful. 

[SapphireStar]

Rumor for one of the next X-Men movies, they cast Channing Tatum as Gambit 

[Beorning]

What???

*headdesks*

[SapphireStar]

If they were going to cast Gambit, I would have gone with Taylor Kitsch who played Gambit in the first Wolverine movie. He did a pretty good job, but probably with the box office flop of Battleship the studio execs probably didn't want to cast him.

[Beorning]

*looks up Taylor Kitsch*

See? This is the guy they totally should cast. He really does look like Gambit. Channing Tatum... not so much.