On the internet, rumors have an infectious life of their own. Last week, the rumor mill was running in full force and cranking out news that Jeremy Renner’s time as the Avenger Hawkeye was done. Lots of facts stacked up against Renner, so it’s not surprising that the rumormongers added 2 and 2 and got 22.
Fact 1- Renner himself got the ball rolling when he lamented the way Hawkeyes role played out in the Avenger’s film. “For 90 percent of the movie, I’m not the character I signed on to play. It’s kind of a vacancy. [He's] not even a bad guy, because there’s not really a consciousness to him. To take away who that character is and just have him be this robot, essentially, and have him be this minion for evil that Loki uses … I was limited, you know what I mean?”
While he has a point, from a certain perspective it could be seen as biting the hand that feeds him. Hugo Weaving had some less than complementary things to say about his turn as the Red Skull in Captain America: The first Avenger. Now it seems that Weaving will not be reprising the role, despite a multi-movie deal.
Fact 2 – Hawkeye hadn’t been mentioned officially by Joss Whedon or studio president Kevin Feige in any of the Marvel Phase 2 discussions. While most of the high profile Avengers have their own films, Clint Barton (Hawkeye) seemed to be getting the shaft, pun intended.
Maximoff siblings
Fact 3 – Additional Marvel characters are being added to two of the forthcoming films. Agent 13 (Sharon Carter) and The Falcon (Sam Wilson) are both going to appear in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Joss Whedon confirmed that a pair of siblings will appear in Avengers 2. Who else could it be but Pietro “Quicksilver” and Wanda “Sacarlet Witch” Maximoff? With the addition of these new characters, less screen time, if any at all, would be available for Clint.
Fact 4 – As arguably the most street level of the Avengers seen thus far and as one very closely tied to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Hawkeye character could be tapped to appear as a regular, or even recurring guest, on the Joss Whedon helmed S.H.I.E.L.D. television program. Renner has already been on ABC television in the short lived series The Unusuals, but since then has climbed the Hollywood ladder with starring roles in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Bourne Legacy and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. His recent fame could make render him too expensive to play Hawkeye on TV. Recasting an unknown, cheaper actor might make an appearance on S.H.I.E.L.D. an easier pill for marvel to swallow.
War Machines
Fact 5 – Marvel has little problem recasting major characters. Just ask Terrance Howard (War Machine), Eric Bana (Hulk) or Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk). If any of the above mitigating factors became a stumbling block, Renner would be foolish to rely on the studio’s loyalty to keep him acting with bow in hand.
Despite the deck being stacked against him, Renner has the most important fact resting dead center of the bullseye.
Fact 6 – Perez Hilton reportedly contacted Marvel studios, who confirmed that Renner is “very much a part of the Marvel family” and implied that he would be appearing in future marvel films. Could it be surprise cameos similar to post credit Nick Fury in Thor? Or might there be even more secret goings on at the Marvel Studios lot?
The confirmation from Marvel Studios trumps all the other facts. Jeremy Renner’s hopes of returning as Hawkeye seem to be right on target.
In recent interviews Kevin Feige, President of Production at Marvel Studios, has been talking about Doctor Strange, The Master of the Mystic Arts. Feige, the front man for the recent successes coming from Marvel properties including Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, and most recently Iron Man 3, gave all of us a possible glimpse into the future. He said, “Dr. Strange is something that I talk about often and it’s sort of next up for us to dig into and explore. Our executive producer of Iron Man 3, having done Captain America: The First Avenger and as that was finishing he started working on the bones that would become Iron Man 3, and now that he’s finished with Iron Man 3, he’s working on the bones that would become Doctor Strange. Now that Iron Man 3 is finished, some of our quote-unquote spare time is going to be devoted to trying to crack Strange.”
Doctor Stephen Strange
Cracking Strange might be easier said than done. The story would have to be dark, gritty, and magical. No offense to the highly popular book and movie series, but this cannot be Harry Potter with blue pajamas. Co-created by legendary writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Steve Ditko, the character debuted in Strange Tales #110 in July 1963. He primarily fought against otherworldly, or under-worldly villains. Strange Tales at that time was not your typical superhero fare. It featured characters like Nick Fury and the Human Torch in addition to the Sorcerer Supreme. Over the last three decades the good Doctor has bounced around the Marvel Universe in various solo-series and team books. Most recently he has been spending most of his time with the New Avengers incarnations both by Brian Michael Bendis (2005), and the current version written by Jonathan Hickman (2012).
Strange Tales #110
A Doctor Strange movie would certainly diverge from the usual heroic epics of recent Marvel Studios offerings. Strange is not the brute hero, nor is he the tech-savvy wise guy, or the teen wit struggling with the responsibility of great power. He is a dead-serious, workaholic protector of Earth from supernatural incursion. He spends his free time accumulating artifacts of power, like the Cloak of Levitation, the Eye of Agamotto, the Book of the Vishanti, and the Orb of Agamotto, to keep them from being used against the world by demons and evil sorcerers. Come to think of it, the theft of those artifacts and use of them by a malevolent being would be a pretty good start to a story [note to self]. Strange would be considerably weaker without the powerful artifacts and his nemesis, likely The Dread Dormammu, would certainly seem to have an advantage [scene].
Dormammu
Dormammu, as created by Lee and Ditko, became Doctor Strange’s most recurring and single-minded villain, almost by accident. The pair originally created his name and realm as just a way of “adding depth to the other-worldly nature of Strange’s adventures”. The readers had other ideas. Their insistence on speculating as to who the mysterious Dormammu was, encouraged the creative duo to flesh out the villain and bring him to life. For the next 50 years he has consistently attempted to lie, cheat, steal, and betray the Sorcerer Supreme, and has met with some limited success. His inclusion in a Strange based movie would be almost assured. His demonic look, flaming visage, and the Dark Dimension that he rules would all be tremendous on the big screen.
Strange vs. Dormammu
A Doctor Strange movie, if made, would likely fall into what Marvel Studios terms Phase 3 [of their plan for Box Office domination]. Phase 2 began with a bang, or several hundred, just over a week ago when Iron Man 3 debuted and is planned to end with Avengers 2 in 2015. Phase 3 will then begin with a surprising choice in Ant Man, also in 2015. Doctor Strange seems likely to follow Ant Man or Guardians of the Galaxy 2, if it’s debut next year warrants a sequel. With the better part of three years to plan, plot, and execute this story, the brain trust at Marvel should come up with another epic in Doctor Strange.
Nerd Byte: 5/4/13 was Free Comic Book day, as if you didn’t know. Eleven years to the day after the inaugural event in 2002, which was one day after the opening of the first Spider-Man movie. It was intended to be a day for retailers to draw in new customers, especially the kids who will drive the industry into the future. It’s also a chance to give a little something back to the customers who show loyalty throughout the year.
It was a fun and festive day at my local comic shop, Comic Relief in Flint, Michigan. Lou, Wayne and Dale showcased many talented artists and guests like Gabriel Cantu, Justin Faber, Jim Frankenstin, Brian Germain, Brian Hackney, Erik Hodson, Alexandra Keaton, William Messner-Loebs, Adam Lockwood Morgan, Geary Roe, and Nicole Stevens. Other guests included Ginger Kewl and Carey Torrice. Wayne Luck told me that the place was pretty packed all day. They thought they had ordered enough of everything, but by the time I got there (around 5:00pm) there were some holes in the racks to attest to the turnout. Wayne also said that he was impressed by the number of parents who brought their kids throughout the day. That is good news for their business and the comic industry in general. Many wonder if digital comics will eventually replace paper. I, for one, hope not. I am a comic nerd at heart, but a collector as well. I need something to put my hands on. I love the smell of the paper and the ink, as I’m reading. Hopefully, Free Comic Book Day went a long way toward building that future. Thanks Comic Relief, and every other retailer who participated in the festivities. See you guys on Wednesday!
Nerd Byte: It’s official X-Factor will come to an end with issue 262 in September. Peter David will write the group out with a six issue story arc entitled “The End Of X-Factor.” The book started 10 years ago with the cast of the Original X-Men stepping into the public and fighting crime out in the open. It ends with a quirky ensemble cast of seeming misfits solving mutant crimes and mysteries. David used characters that had fallen off the grid like Rictor, Monet, Longshot and Multiple Man. He made them interesting again. I’ll be sorry to see them go, but very interested in how it all ends.
Nerd Byte:Joss Whedon has been hinting that the Avengers showdown with Thanos might not happen in Avengers 2 as many believed. He recently intimated that the ultimate face-off with Thanos would be saved for the climactic finale. Whedon stated, “Thanos is more powerful. He’s not someone you just trot out and punch him. Like you did in the comics, you want him to be threading through the universe and to save the big finale for the big finale. He’s definitely a part of what I’ve got going on. The thing about The Avengers is, that they are very powerful, but they aren’t very stable. There’ll definitely be some people who are gonna shake them up in the next installment!”
Martian Manhunter
Nerd Byte: Rumors continue to swirl around the Man of Steel. The latest has the Martian Manhunter showing up in the film. It’s unclear, as yet, if it’s true. If it is, there is plenty of speculation as to what J’onn J’onnz will be doing in the movie. Photos have emerged depicting Harry Lennix, who is listed as playing General Stanwick, in a CGI suit that bears an odd resemblance to the uniform of the Martian Manhunter. My guess is that the Manhunter is on a recon mission. He will likely remain in the background watching as things develop with Superman. His scenes will likely be in the General Stanwick persona, with a few glimpses at his powers, which obviously include shape-shifting. The character’s appearance would certainly make sense since the Man of Steel‘ssuccess has been reported to be the lynch-pin of the future of the DC Universe in movies. Let’s hope Man of Steel lives up to the hype, otherwise we may never see the Justice League movie we are all waiting to see.
Nerd Byte: In a recent interview Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige commented on the possibility of a stand-alone superhero movie featuring one of Marvel’s many strong female characters. There has been talk at Marvel Studios regarding characters from the roster of female superheroes, but no names were mentioned. Feige said, “We have a number of candidates from the comics and from the movies we’ve already made. It’s just a matter of finding the right story line, the right filmmaker, the right time.” Odds would be good on Black Widow being the first, and with the Guardians of the Galaxy movie expanding the Marvel Universe into space, Captain Marvel could be on the horizon.
Nerd Byte: If you can get enough of zombies in film, then this news is for you. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith and a graphic novel by Tony Lee. It has been bouncing around Hollywood with names like David O Russel and Natalie Portman attached. Most recently according to a Variety report there’s still life in the project about the lifeless. New director Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down, Charlie St. Cloud) has come aboard. Lily Collins (Mortal Instruments) is reportedly in final talks to play the female lead.
Nerd Byte: The battle between the television providers and the streaming movie sites (like Netflix) has taken a brief cease fire in order for the streamers to take a few potshots at each other. Approximately 1800 titles were recently dropped from the Netflix streaming service. According to The Huffington Post, titles from Warner Bros., MGM, and United Artists were pulled from the instant stream Netflix line up. Warner’s launch of an exclusive streaming site is likely the reason behind this drastic action. Netflix assured it’s subscribers that they will be adding around 500 titles today and that the “ebb and flow” happens often. I’m not surprised at the move, I’m just surprised at the timing.
Anthony Mackie, The Falcon
Nerd Byte: Pictures are emerging from the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie, playing Cap’s long-time partner, The Falcon, is putting his flight apparatus through it’s paces. I hope that’s not his actual uniform for scenes as The Falcon, but judging from Marvels propensity for black leather, I may be disappointed. The story is rumored to be based around Cap’s struggle to embrace his role in the modern America. Played again by Chris Evans, Cap teams up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Falcon (Mackie), and S.H.I.E.L.D. to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C. Sounds a lot like a certain Avengers Comic story called “Red Zone.” Geoff Johns penned the tale based on Red Skull’s infiltration of the U.S. Government as Dell Rusk and his attack and murder of thousands of people with a strange red mist. It was the best arc of Johns’ short time as The Avengers scribe. It’s certainly powerful enough for a movie translation and would explain the Falcon’s prominent role. He was instrumental in stopping Red Skull’s plot. It would not, however, explain the subtitle “Winter Soldier.” That’s a whole different can of worms.
May 4, 2012 was a day long-awaited by fanboys and closeted nerds alike. It was the day that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes finally came to the silver screen. It only made sense that a group called “The Avengers” would need a tragic death to motivate them into action. As I watched the movie it became apparent who that victim would have to be, Agent Phil Coulson. Recent reports have Coulson alive and well and starring in a new TV Show based on S.H.I.EL.D. and the Marvel Universe. All I can say is, I knew it all along!
The Avengers Movie Poster
My first comic book as a boy was an issue of The Avengers. So for me this was a big day that took far too long to arrive. Half sure that I had built the movie to impossibly huge expectations my twin daughters (Camryn and Devin) and I headed to the theater to meet friends and see the epic. The movie did not fail to meet any of those expectations for me, and exceeded many of them. My daughters told me, after the movie, that I looked like an awestruck kid the whole time, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. They had never read an Avengers comic book, but they couldn’t stop talking about the movie either.
Agent Phil Coulson (Actor Clark Gregg)
Phil Coulson, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., as portrayed by actor Clark Gregg, became in integral part of the creation of the Avengers team. He was the point man for contact with various team members in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and Thor. He became a fan favorite due to his dry sense of humor and his matter-of-fact way of dealing with people and powers beyond imagining. As the S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison with the Avengers it became obvious that he would have to be sacrificed by the writers to sufficiently motivate the team to put aside their differences and work together to save the world. It worked and the teamwork displayed in the battle scenes with the Chitauri was epic. On the production side, it was brilliantly choreographed. Various Avengers showing up just in time to save each other or civilians, and then disappearing back into the melee. Coulson’s “death” was the catalyst that made all of it possible. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) said it all when he told Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders), ” They needed the push.”
Coulson dies at the hands of Loki
On the drive home with my girls, the conversation turned to Coulson’s death. They both felt bad that he died since he had been such a huge part of the build-up to this movie. We had watched all of the individual character’s movies prior to the team movie. Right then and there I stated, “He’s not dead!” They didn’t believe me at first, you see they are not long-time avid comic readers. They don’t understand that in comics, death is a plot twist not an ending. Immediately on Coulson’s death I began thinking how he would come back. I gave a thought to the fact that maybe he never died, but that would be too mundane. As the movie progressed I was convinced he wasn’t dead. Nick Fury’s conversation with Agent Hill made it clear. The Avengers did need the “push” to come together, but a real death wasn’t necessary, just some bloodstained cards.
Coulson’s Card Collection
So now I’m 100% convinced that Coulson is not dead, but how could he have lived? Then I remembered a scene earlier in the movie. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is trying to have some private time with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Agent Coulson is trying to reach them and Jarvis (the Artificial Intelligence butler of Stark Tower) keeps interrupting the couple. Stark finally answers the phone, “You have reached the Life Model Decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message”. BINGO! What better way to have a tragic death of a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent without killing him off? The old L.M.D. trick. Life Model Decoys have a storied history in Marvel comics, especially where Nick Fury and Tony Stark are concerned. I told my daughters, and the friends we went with, and they all looked at me like I was some crazy nerd. They were right, but I was convinced that I was too! Now that word is out that Coulson will be a main character in the upcoming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television show, developed by ABC, I know he’s alive. In a few months we’ll know for sure how Phil Coulson survived Loki’s cowardly attack. I may be right or I may be wrong but either way a great character, played by the right actor, will live on in the Mighty Marvel Universe!
Ya know, a girl can get exhausted trying to keep track of all the news and rumors going around about the future of The Justice League movie. You figure, back in 2007, when Warner Bros. was making plans for a Justice League movie – only to scrap it in the end - has to be one of the biggest regrets or missed opportunities felt by the company in a long time. It could’ve worked. It was only a year after the cancellation of Justice League: Unlimited, which would have kept the characters fresh in the minds of its former audience. Even if their plans for the movie were a response to Marvel’s announcement to build a franchise of movies leading to The Avengers, which was itself a response to Batman Begins, Warner Bros. definitely had less work to do to create a successful movie. But somewhere along the way everything fell apart and then the Marvel machine of movies took over. Warner Bros. only saving grace was Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, which came to an end last year at the same time as The Avengers. And while The Dark Knight Rises was the final film in The Dark Knight trilogy, The Avengers was merely a jumping off point for more Marvel movies and franchises.
The problem here is that Warner Bros. either had no foresight into the future of superheroes or they failed to understand the appeal of a superhero team-up movie. It’s not like they weren’t trying to branch off with other franchises. Unfortunately, Superman Returns (2006) was too much of a love letter to the Donner films, and a mess of a story, to appeal to audiences and Green Lantern (2011) was…not good. The only DC property making any money was Christopher Nolan’s Batman. So it certainly wasn’t a surprise that, with the announcement of a Superman reboot, Nolan would remain attached as a producer and co-writer with David S. Goyer and Zack Snyder directing. It was a way for Warner Bros. to hopefully reinvigorate Superman by cashing in on Nolan’s well-earned respect and admiration from movie audiences and comic book fans alike. Even Snyder still had some clout leftover despite Sucker Punch. With their styles and imaginations combined, Man of Steel (2013) was supposed to be the springboard from which other DC properties would follow even if Nolan was stepping away from superheroes after this film.
All well and good, especially if you’re planning to build a universe occupied by other heroes. But then a couple of things happened. One was The Avengers. No one can deny that the entire reason The Justice League movie was pushed to the forefront was due to the box office breaking success of The Avengers. Within days of The Avengers passing the billion dollar mark, Warner Bros. wanted a Justice League movie yesterday. And, for a while, it seemed like things were moving along quickly. A script was nearly completed and the search for a director and cast was underway. Time passed and very little information was available except for a possible and probably ill-timed release date of 2015, around the same time as The Avengers sequel, an unconfirmed hero roster, and the consistent lack of a director attached to the project. Compare this to the announcement of Star Wars Episodes VII, VIII, and IX where it seemed like every director in Hollywood was clamoring to be a part of the project. The second thing that happened? The underwhelming performance of Gangster Squad at the box office – a movie written by Will Beall, the writer of the completed Justice League script. Are you surprised that they took another look at his script and tossed it out? If your plan is to go from Superman to the Justice League, then you’d better be sure Justice League is a solid film.
Which leads us to the latest round of rumors. Apparently, Nolan might not be entirely out of the superhero game as several websites are reporting that Nolan may be staying on as the “Godfather” of DC properties, overseeing the shared universe that will begin with Man of Steel. It wouldn’t be an entirely bad decision on the part of Warner Bros. In fact, it’s probably their best option considering how much audiences associate Nolan with Batman and now Superman. Keeping him on board would ensure a consistent tone throughout the DC properties in the same way that the Marvel movies display. This is an entirely unconfirmed rumor, by the way, but that doesn’t stop the internet from speculating, leading many to jump to the conclusion that Nolan’s continued involvement in the DC Universe would almost certainly mean Christian Bale’s return as Batman. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility since Bale has gone on record saying he’d only come back as Batman if Nolan was involved, but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that the whole thing sounds like a bad idea.
Now, before some of you start hurling insults and rotten veggies at me, hear me out. Christopher Nolan’s a guy with a lot of big ideas that shouldn’t be confined entirely to superhero movies. If he stays on as a producer and a consultant, that’s one thing. That still gives him the ability to do the projects he wants to do while probably pulling Warner Bros. and DC out of the fire. But there’s a difference between Christopher Nolan and Kevin Feige. Kevin Feige is a producer. That’s his job. Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker and we’ve seen what he can do with both adapted and original material. This is not a man who should just be doing comic book movies. And if Bale were to somehow come back and play Bruce Wayne/Batman, where does that leave The Dark Knight Trilogy? That was a complete story, Nolan’s complete story. To bring Bruce back, again, defeats the purpose of the three films, especially after he’s passed the torch on to John Blake and I honestly can’t see Blake as Batman opposite Henry Cavill as Superman. The theory going around is Superman would find Bruce at the end of Man of Steel and convince him to come out of retirement, but again, you’d have to address the fact that Blake was given the keys to the cave, so he’s either filling the shoes of Batman or he’s patrolling the rooftops of Gotham as Nightwing. And if he’s Batman, wouldn’t that make things a little awkward when Bruce comes back for the cape and cowl? Things might get a little uncomfortable in the bat-cave is all I’m sayin’.
Again, this is all rumor and speculation at this point. But if Warner Bros. and DC want to build multiple franchises, they’d better get their act together soon because Marvel isn’t slowing down and they’re already two steps ahead.
All of this news, and all of this anger and frustration that Warner Bros. is causing us fans has driven me to look at the numbers, and relative success, of the films created from DC and Marvel properties.
Everyone knows the smashing success of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises over this summer and the comic book movies that have been steadily flowing out since about 2008 (forsaking the Spider-Man and X-men franchises from this conversation). It’s also clear that the masterminds behind the Marvel films have eloquently woven a common thread leading up to The Avengers (the third highest grossing film of all time). Fans everywhere have lamented that the only DC properties we’ve seen in this new era are the Nolan Batman Trilogy and Green Lantern. One an epic success, and the other an epic failure.
I gathered some data on the Marvel and DC films, both the gross (retrieved from boxofficemojo.com) and the RottenTomatoes.com aggregated ratings, and compared them. Out of the films released by Marvel Studios, the lowest ranked film was The Incredible Hulk with a rating of 67 (Not Bad). Personally I really enjoyed The Incredible Hulk, but apparently not many agreed because it also had the lowest ratio of gross to budget of any of the Marvel films with a ratio of 1.8 (gross/budget). Not a huge success, and probably why we haven’t heard of The Incredible Hulk 2: Hulk Smashes. Compare this with the bomb that was the Green Lantern (again I didn’t think it was THATbad), which had a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 26 (OUCH!) and a gross/budget ratio of 1.1, meaning it barely made its budget back. HARD FLOP!
Success!
Failure!
I can see the apprehensiveness of Warner Bros. in storming forward with a Justice League movie because we would be combining a really successful franchise (Batman) with one that was the complete opposite (Green Lantern). Their decision to wait on green lighting the Justice League project is a little more understandable.
I think that Warner Bros. is fully capable of realizing the same greatness that Marvel Studios (now Disney) has realized with its properties. I think they should be able to find similarly creative minds to develop and weave their own stories with their own heroes. I don’t even care if they follow the same formula with after/during/double-psych credits sequences. I just want well-made DC character movies and shows for entertainment. If that takes time, then take your time. Comic book movies have been successful since Spider-Man so the fad is long lasting. Just do them well. Please, Warner Bros.?
Arrow Rocks!
One last thing, I think the decision to roll the Amazon project to next season can only be a good one. At least with this decision they will have more time to deliver a ‘quality’ product. I have enjoyed Arrow, although I think it’s target demographic is me minus 8 years (Doh!), and the ratings show that it is worthy of some praise. If it takes an extra season for them to polish a similar Amazon project to that level, then I’m 100% behind the decision. Just hope it pays off.
C’mon, folks, you know you’ve thought about it…. they both shoot arrows, they both wear Robin Hood-inspired get ups (at least, Green Arrow did. Hawkeye sported that weird flap thing that hung down in front of his crotch for a while, which seemed Robin Hood-esque, or Old English flavored… to me, that is), they’re both excellent martial artists, they’re both really tough, they’re both blond (yeah, that’s a meaningless comparison, but I couldn’t help but notice), they both have trick arrows, and they both have cantankerous, quarrelsome personalities in their comics appearances.
But… if there could only be one, who’d bust open a can of whoop ass on whom? Would it be Green Arrow, the amazing emerald archer of the Justice League? Or Hawkeye, the amazing, um… purple, archer of the Avengers? (I’d have used an awesome, more refined word instead of purple, like I used emerald for green, but I couldn’t think of one. Is there a more cultured, refined name for the color purple?) Marvel Comics’ greatest shot, or DC’s? (Not counting Bullseye or Deadshot.)
And thanks to movies and TV, things are different for these guys these days. Hawkeye showed the whole world his prowess in the hand-eye coordination department in The Avengers this past summer (and he did it in style), and Green Arrow has Arrow, his own hit show on the CW network, where he busts out ninja moves and shoots arrows at villains too. Their interpretations in these live-action stories may give you a modified impression of each person’s toughness level.
So, if there was a fight, and the only thing each man could use were his arrows and physical abilities and NOT help from other superheroes…
Warner Bros. celebrated their victory last week over retaining the rights to use Superman any way they see fit by accelerating their plans to produce a Justice League film that would go head to head with Marvel’s Avengers 2 in 2015. This was followed by an ear splitting squeal of delight from DC Comics fans around the globe.
So yes, if you’ve always wanted to see second and third tier DC superheroes fighting alongside big guns like Batman and Superman on the silver screen, you may finally get your wish. With the exception of Zack Snyder’s forthcoming Man of Steel, the studio has decided to do a reverse franchise build from Marvel. Instead of launching separate superhero films and having them build towards and ensemble piece, they plan to unveil them all in Justice League and have them branch out from there.
This decision calls into question a fundamental screenwriting problem known (at least here) as: The Ensemble Dilemma. This dilemma occurs when you have a) a large cast of relatively unknown characters, and b) limited screentime in which to establish them sufficiently before advancing onto the main plot. Because motion pictures are only about two hours in length, these introductions are often truncated to the point where its nearly impossible to have any emotional investment in the material whatsoever.
A good example of this paint-by-numbers approach can be found in 2003′s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Anyone remember this box office disaster from Blade director Stephen Norrington? Alan Moore’s comic series of the same name was translated into an onscreen embarrassment as Norrington and screenwriter James Dale Robinson tried to cram no less than seven major literary figures into an 110 minute running time, to say nothing of the villain and actual plot.
As a result, that film became lost to cast and crew infighting (Sean Connery reportedly retired from acting over working on LXG) and a slew of poorly produced special effects. Ocean’s 12 and 13 are another example of ensemble films with too many characters and not enough screentime. This dilemma can also be applied to the Star Wars prequels and its bloated cast of CGI characters, but they at least have preexisting movies to help them along, and this is key to making an ensemble piece work onscreen.
Joss Wheddon’s Senerity worked because it had 14 episodes from a failed TV series to firmly establish the characters and world. Mal Reynolds and the crew were fully formed and ready for action when the film began. Likewise, Marvel’s franchise building films like Iron Man and Thor helped set the stage for The Avengers. We already had an investment in these characters before the film even started. This screenwriting dynamic offers the filmmakers a wider sandbox in which to play since they don’t have to chew up valuable screentime establishing characters.
After Superman and Batman, the Justice League characters suffer from a law of diminishing awareness. Green Lantern has already left a sour taste in audience’s mouths with the abysmal 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds. Wonder Woman is only known best for her mid 70′s TV series starring Lynda Carter, as is the Flash from his series in 1990. Aquaman has been the butt of superhero jokes for years. Face it, without water he’s essentially useless.
Martian Manhunter? Good luck trying to establish him to an unfamiliar audience in a two hour running time. These seven heroes only represent the core JLA team and the ones most likely to be featured in the film. There are many others within the DC universe, as well as a host of villains to choose from. Needless to say, Warner Bros. has their work cut out for them over the next three years.
The ensemble film is a delicate balancing act between establishing many characters and advancing the plot. When done well (Lord of the Rings, The Breakfast Club, even Mystery Men) they weave a rich tapestry of story that creates a strong emotional bond. You understand these characters, their motivations, and how they interact as group. You leave the experience wanting to know more about them.
Justice League should inspire an unfamiliar audience to seek out these characters once the film ends. They should be awed by the power of Martian Manhunter and not confused as to who the green alien was standing behind Batman. Aquaman should command your respect with his connection to the seven seas rather incite giggles because of his shortcomings on land. Wonder Woman should not be regarded as the ‘hot chick in tights’.
If Warner Bros. is going move forward on Justice League with only minimal establishing material, they need to make a bold statement that these beloved superheroes are a valued asset to the company, firmly establishing their integrity to audiences worldwide when the film opens in 2015.
Before we start, this is a tweaked version of an article I did for my old website three weeks ago regarding AvX #11 and Uncanny X-Men #18. As of the events of AvX#12 and Uncanny X-Men #19, I’d like to offer my opinion in defense of Scott Summers, better known as Cyclops. You can read the original article here as a comparison if you like.
Yes, I’m a Cyclops defender. I wear the badge proudly. You may ready your opening salvo of “Wolverine’s awesome, Cyclops is a dick!” Granted, it’s not an original line, but it seems to be the one thrown around the most. A friend of mine once referred to Cyclops as the “Leonardo” of the X-Men. I’ll admit, it’s not always easy making a case for Scott Summers, especially with Marvel’s philosophy of keeping, for the most part, ALL OF THE CONTINUITY. So, for every awesome thing Scott does, you can easily go back a few years and find something not so awesome. Although, for the record, Wolverine ain’t no saint either, bub. But that’s part of the beauty of the X-Men Universe and some of the greater Marvel Universe. The characters exist in the moral gray area where the rest of us live. It’s part of what makes Marvel heroes more relateable, but also ellicits discomfort when we’re confronted with those facets of humanity we try to hide under the rug. Scott Summers is no exception.
Let’s Recap
In the pages of Avengers vs X-Men, the two groups started fighting over how to treat the on-coming possible threat of the Phoenix Force. The Phoenix Force was first introduced in The Phoenix/Dark Phoenix Saga extending from 1976-1980, resulting in the first of many “deaths” of Jean Grey who played host to the entity. Ever since, the Phoenix Force kept coming back, possessing people and causing general mayhem. So, it is not surprising that when it seems to be on a collision course for Earth, presumably to possess the mutant messiah Hope Summers, the Avengers are dead set on destroying it.
Complicating matters is Cyclops. Scott sees the coming of The Phoenix as a good thing. He thinks that maybe, just maybe, The Phoenix will jumpstart the mutant race once again. So, the major conflict comes from The Avengers and the X-Men fighting over how to deal with The Phoenix and its connection to Hope. In the midst of the battle(s), Iron Man, in all of his infinite wisdom, fires a missile at The Phoenix Force, which disperses it into five entities that latch on to Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus, and Magik. Dubbed The Phoenix Five (sigh), they go about improving the problems of the world while scaring the shit out of everyone at the same time. Because, as has been proven in the past The Phoenix Force ususally ends up corrupting those it possesses, resulting in death and destruction. The Phoenix Five similarly fall prey to this obvious plot point, but under the combined forces of The Avengers and The X-Men, the five are reduced to one as Scott takes the entire Phoenix Force for himself, kills Professor X, and becomes The Dark Phoenix.
The Lead Up
In a lot of ways, this was a long time coming. Not so much the Phoenix Force bit that wore out its welcome a long time ago, but Scott’s descent. While the current creative teams for The X-Men cite AvX and its aftermath as the ending of an era for the X-Men that began with Grant Morrison’s run, I’d argue that this has been building since the beginning of The X-Men in 1963.
Scott Summers was the first of Charles Xavier’s recruits. Like all mutants, Scott’s powers manifested at puberty, but due to an unfortunate accident when he was a child, Scott was unable to control the concussive ruby beams spewing forth whenever he opened his eyes. Knowing that he could literally kill someone just by looking at them, Scott developed a very controlled, “uptight” personality stemming from the burden of responsibility he felt to keep those around him safe. Xavier took Scott under his wing, grooming him as the leader of the X-Men and representative of Xavier’s philosophy of a peaceful mutant integration with the rest of society. For the longest time, Scott was the ultimate believer in Xavier’s dream. So, yes, the Leonardo comparison was very apt at this point. But for every accolyte, there comes a crisis and Scott’s crisis occurred over the span of several years worth of storylines. With every chip at the foundation, it was only a matter of time before it cracked entirely.
It begins, I think, with Apocalypse: The Twelve, a crossover event involving the end of the world and blah, blah, blah. The result is Cyclops sacrificing himself to save his son, Nate Grey (X-Man), by merging with Apocalypse. After being freed from Apocalypse during Search for Cyclops, Scott emerges a different person. He’s less confident as the leader of the X-Men and he questions his purpose and the priorities of Xavier’s school, which begins to distance him from Jean and Xavier, though the latter gives him more to question soon enough.
As I’ve said, the X-Men Universe operates in a moral gray area with Magneto and Prof. X at opposite ends of the spectrum. Problematic to these differing philosophies are the ways in which one can get caught up in ideas like “for the good of the many” or “the ends justify the means.” Professor X’s stance on peaceful integration through tolerance, understanding, and education fell prey to corruption because, of the two philosophies, it was easier to corrupt. In many ways, it was corrupted by its very creator. Xavier has straddled the line of morality multiple times, but there are two instances involving Scott that one, planted the seeds of doubt about Xavier, and two, ensured his distance from his mentor’s vision.
In the matter of the first, Xavier knowingly erased Cyclops’ memory of his presumed dead brother, Vulcan, after a failed rescue mission in Krakoa (X-Men: Deadly Genesis). After the events of House of M, Vulcan returned and revealed Xavier’s deception to Cyclops. Scott was, understandably, pissed. For a man so quick to spout that they needed to use their powers for the betterment of man and mutantkind, Xavier showed he was willing to overlook the moral implications of his actions. One could argue that Xavier did what he did out of love for his surrogate son, the pain of losing a brother and a fellow teammate delivering a double whammy of grief, but it was still a betrayal of trust, which caused Scott to banish Xavier from the mansion. The second occurs during Joss Whedon’s run on Astonishing X-Men when the team learns that Xavier knew of the growing sentience of the Sh’iar technology enhanced Danger Room and ignored it, allowing Danger, as she dubbed herself, to take form at the expense of the lives of several students. After rescuing Xavier from Danger, Cyclops is clearly appalled at Xavier’s willingness to put his own school in such peril. It is Scott’s disillusionment that’s really significant. The one mutant always seemingly in Xavier’s corner can’t even stand the sight of him. The years that followed put Scott in a precarious position that would lead him down his current path.
The Fall
First of all, in the aftermath of M-Day, Scott essentially went from being the leader of a team of mutant superheroes to the leader of the Mutant Race. A guy who was already tightly wound about his responsibility towards a small group in a larger population of mutants now had the added burden of leading a small group of mutants that encompassed his entire species. His strategy had to change, his entire way of thinking had to change. And it did. Scott became far more aggressive in his stance on protecting the mutant race at any cost. Weaponizing the legacy virus, creating X-Force, and treating the younger mutants like soldiers in a war all pointed to Scott’s increasing distance from Xavier’s philosophy in favor of a more Magneto-esque approach, which was touched upon briefly in Fear Itself.
And in distancing himself from the guiding principles of his upbringing, his relationships with those to whom he was closest suffered. The death of Nightcrawler while protecting Hope was especially brutal given that Nightcrawler was one of the few mutants who shared Scott’s belief in Hope’s destiny. His death is especially significant in the grander scheme of the X-Men Universe since Nightcrawler was a comforting source of faith and acceptance, a person Cyclops might have needed later on. Equally devastating is Beast’s decision to leave Utopia when he feels that Scott is going too far in his methods. Their parting of ways takes yet another confidant away from Scott, someone he’s relied on since he was a teenager. But Beast’s decision to leave doesn’t stop him from continuing to criticize and berate Scott for his decisions. Showing up at Nightcrawler’s funeral, Beast flat out tells Scott that Nightcrawler’s blood is on his hands. Later on, after another mission gone awry, Beast leaves a phone message for Scott that basically reiterates how many crappy decisions he’s made. Though Scott understands why everyone is angry with him, he doesn’t relent on his goal: the survival of the mutant race. It’s what drives Scott to do what he does because all he sees around him are people who want mutants to be wiped from existence. By this point in his life, after all he’s been through, after all the hatred and suffering, Xavier’s vision is nothing more than a pipedream. All that matters is survival and he’s the one who has to make sure it happens.
As you can see, Scott was already headed down a slippery slope, something that might have been prevented had some of his friends bothered to stick around instead of ragging on him at every turn. And, as tragic as it may be, The Avengers, The X-Men, and Xavier were pretty much pushing Cyclops to the point of no return. During the all out assualt on Cyclops and Emma in AvX#11, Cyclops screams at Xavier that the Avengers are trying to assassinate their people, not just through all the fighting, but in trying to destroy The Phoenix, preventing the possible salvation of mutantkind. And after killing his surrogate father, Scott, tears running down his cheeks, asks the gathered mutants and Avengers why they couldn’t “leave it alone.” Scott, even possessed by The Phoenix, only wanted what was best for his people. He believed he was saving his species and the thanks given to him was deception, pain, and death. Cyclops giving in to the Phoenix is far more tragic, in my opinion.
The Redemption?
Presumptuous, I know. Scott certainly doesn’t redeem himself in the the concluding issues of AvX #12 and Uncanny X-Men #19, but he does get vindication. Taken down by combined forces of The Scarlet Witch, Hope, and Nova, Hope then receives the Phoenix Force and, with the help of Wanda, uses the deus ex machina of all Marvel phrases, “No more Phoenix.” The Phoenix Force explodes and dispurses all over Earth, creating “new mutants” in its wake. Now free of The Phoenix and imprisoned in a ruby quartz cell, Scott takes full responsibility for his actions, but when he learns from Beast that there are more mutants in the world, he very boldly states that he’d “do it all over again.” Since M-Day, Scott has been working towards the preservation of mutantkind. Whether or not you agree with his actions, his goal has always been clear and his faith in Hope as the mutant messiah is rewarded with the knowledge of the existence of new mutants across the globe. It’s a pyrrhic victory, but one that Scott accepts.
So, technically, yes, Cyclops was right all along. The Phoenix was meant for Hope and Hope was meant to reboot the mutant race…albeit with some help from The Scarlet Witch. But it’s not about him being right, it’s about the end result. The conclusion of this chapter in X-history ultimately begins a new chapter in Marvel history, a cooperative effort between heroes built on the fall of others. Cyclops is in jail and Emma, Namor, Colossus, Magik, and Magneto are on the run, but there’s still hope and redemption on the horizon. Personally, I’d like to see where the writers take the fallen heroes, especially Scott. The complications of pride and regret in his own actions make for interesting avenues of storytelling. He won’t be out of the dog house for a long time – in the eyes of the Marvel Universe and a lot of the readers – but I don’t think he’s entirely alone. For every time Magneto fell, there was always someone like Charles Xavier to offer him another chance.
You may proceed to tell me I’m wrong, but it will fall on deaf ears. You have your fandom and I have mine, but I welcome the discussion nonetheless.
And just for kicks, here’s a video of me in live action talking with Grace Randolph, writer of Superbia, and host of Think About the Ink, about the penultimate issues of AvX and Uncanny X-Men before I started writing for Word of the Nerd. As a side note: Yes, I’m aware of the crappy audio on my end.
As ScreenRant.com reports, the summer of 2012 was set to be a record year with two of the largest movie releases of all time falling into the same season, but ultimately even The Avengers and The Dark Knight rises combined couldn’t save the box office results.
The Avengers is currently ranked the 3rd highest grossing film of all time. It lags shortly behind small James Cameron flicks Avatar and Titanic. According to Boxofficemojo.com, The Avengers has grossed over 1.5 billion dollars, which if you ask me, is a small sum (NOT!).
According to that same list on Boxofficemojo.com, The Dark Knight Rises is ranked 12th and has grossed over 1 billion dollars.
With both of these smash hits falling only a couple months apart, how did we almost have a record low year at the box office? Well after reading the article at ScreenRant.com, the results are misleading in a way. If we were to look at the revenue, then the box office actually had the second best year of all time. So what is the big deal? The big deal is that ticket sales are steadily decreasing. Decreasing ticket sales is a really bad sign of things to come. Without the super successful, smash hit that was The Avengers and the moderately less successful The Dark Knight Rises this summer’s box office results would have been terrible. It would not only have been terrible in respect to the ticket sales, but to revenue as well. It was something we can probably shrug off this year, but there is no guarantee that future years will have the same blockbuster hits pulling in revenue.
Will next year’s releases of Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel do the same thing for box office revenues, or will we witness the box office steadily decline until we no longer see the same blockbuster films with massive budgets due to lack of revenue? What are your thoughts on the subject? Sound off in the comments below.
Joss Whedon. There are very few names out there that you can say that will cause a reaction like the kind you get when you bring him up. From Buffyand Angel, to Firefly, toDr. Horrible, Dollhouseand now The Avengers the director’s sharp sense of wit and humor in the small things as well as his ability to bring tell truly human stories in entertaining and unique ways is the stuff of legend.
And now we’re going to get to see it again.
Last month it was confirmed that Whedon was being brought back to direct The Avengers 2. At that time, we also heard he was in talks with ABC to develop a television show set in the Marvel universe. There weren’t many details at the time, but we were promised a “high concept cop show” that focused on the men and women living in the Marvel universe who may not have powers, but are heroes in their own right.
Today we learn the name of the show, and while it won’t come as much of a surprise to many of you, it features a little organization that we’ve come to know and love through our trek of films up to The Avengers.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
The pilot is being penned by Joss and his brother Jed Whedon, as well as Maurissa Tancharoen, who has worked with Whedon before on Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible, and the current rumor is that Whedon might direct it, though that has not been confirmed.The show has signed on Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb as executive producers. It is unknown yet if any of the stars from the big screen have signed on to reprise their roles in the television series. I could see Cobie Smulders absolutely running away with the television show as Maria Hill though.
What does this mean for the Marvel cinema universe? Well, we may be getting glimpses of what’s coming down the road for our heroes in their upcoming feature films. We’ll have to see. There’s no release date for the pilot, but keep your Iron Man suit’s communications frequency here, and we’ll bring it to you as soon as we hear it.
It’s the superhero movie news few of us… well, ok, none of us… saw coming.
Varietyreported today that Warner Bros. is considering hiring Ben Affleck to direct the upcoming Justice League film adaptation, with a script by Gangster Squad writer Will Beall.
Warner Bros., as many of you probably already know, owns DC Comics, so their studio is in charge of bringing folks like Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and all those other DC top dogs to the big screen, like, well… in a Justice League movie (duh, right?).
Now, before you start scoffing and saying things like, “Ben Affleck? From Good Will Hunting and Pearl Harbor and Daredevil and stuff? He’s like, DIRECTING sh!t now? Good lord, what are they thinking?” it’s worth noting that he also directed critically acclaimed films like The Town and Gone Baby Gone. He may surprise you with what he can do behind the scenes.
But before I have you running around thinking that the deal’s been settled already, I’ll just tell you that it actually hasn’t. He’s being considered and will be meeting with execs soon, according to Variety, so nothing’s been confirmed.
And Deadline is claiming that Affleck’s reps are saying he’s not doing it. (But that he is indeed meeting with execs, so their news is kinda the same as Variety’s).
Apparently, Affleck has said in the past that he’d only direct films he could act in, so it’s possible that he’d play a role in the film if he wound up directing it. None of his reps or Warners would talk to Variety to confirm or deny, though, so who knows?
Affleck’s got other potential deals with Warners on his plate, too. He could direct an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand and Replay, a sci-fi thriller about a man who re-lives his life repeatedly, with different partners and careers each time. It’s unclear at this point if he’d be able to do either of those if he accepted Justice League.
In DC’s comic universe, the Justice League is the alpha team equivalent to Marvel’s Avengers, so it appears that Warners is getting its ducks in a row to produce the blockbuster version of their A-Team, especially since The Avengers just made enough money in the theaters to bankroll ten small countries for at least a few years. Big screen superheroes, as you know, are in.
Just yesterday, Marvel and Disney announced that Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed The Avengers, is returning for the sequel, so today’s announcement by DC and Warners could be calculated to steal some of that media buzz away from their No. 1 competitor, though that Marvel buzz will return in full force once the Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America sequels start coming out.
But DC’s got The Man of Steel coming next year, and if that’s a hit, then the DC buzz will grow powerful enough to sustain itself for a while if the marketing department works it right, I suppose.
