The next few years are going to be pretty exciting. Starting with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros have promised us at least two superhero movies a year. That's awesome! Plus there's Arrow, the Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Gotham plus many more in development. Unlike with Marvel, it looks like the majority of the Justice League will team up before they actually get solo films. Granted, it might be considered a risky move but it could be beneficial in the long run. Plus, let's face it, team up movies are super cool nowadays!
One of the biggest complaints about the current Marvel movies is that they all follow the same formula. Guy gets a hold of some superpower or tech, messes around with it, meets some people, fights some generic bad guy, and lots of quips are said. I just described Iron Man, Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and to a certain degree Captain America: the First Avenger to you. In that regard, props to Thor for being different and cool! To avoid this trap, DC/WB will have to think differently about how they approach their films.
I'm one of those that genuinely enjoyed Man of Steel. I get the criticisms but to me it was a well made film and exactly the Superman film that I wanted to watch. It dealt with the burden of having super-powers, alien invasions, being the son of two worlds, and finding your place in society. So yeah . . . It's not bad!
Plus I mean . . . Look at this guy! He's handsome as hell!
Both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad look like they will be giving us different flavor superhero movies and that's what they need to stay fresh, relevant and interesting. In my opinion, that's why the Flash and Gotham have been so successful. They look and feel different from one another but they draw from the comic book source material. It would be boring to see the same type of TV show every week. Just like it's getting old seeing the same type of Marvel movie every year.
Not pointing any fingers but . . .
So how do we keep this from happening to the DC movies? Each hero is unique and deals with different villains and situations. The films should reflect that. I have a few ideas that I'd like to share on the matter . . .
THE FLASH - SLOW DOWN AND GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS
The Flash is the fastest man alive. He's always racing to the next crime or doing his best to prevent the next crime with his incredible speed. But going that fast means that you don't get to enjoy life. There was a line in Flash: Rebirth where they say that when Barry was alive he used to stop,slow down and get to know the people he rescued. He was a hero in Central City because he was very obviously a Central City Citizen! Central Citizen? Hmm . .. Anyway! I think it would be great to see Barry realizing that the world is moving super fast around him and so few people are "stopping to smell the roses" so to speak. To quote Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!" I think that's something that can and should be reiterated in a live action Flash film.
AQUAMAN - PROTECTING THE OCEANS FROM THE SCUM OF THE SURFACE!
Aquaman is one of the DC Universe's most powerful heroes. He can breathe underwater, withstand the immense pressure of the ocean deep, and communicate with sea life. Depending on which version of the character you read, he either is torn between his allegiance to the kingdom of Atlantis and the Surface or he hates the Surface for all the pollution. So, let's say the film goes the latter route. I like the idea of him going after pirates, polluters, and a third word that starts with "P" that is not so nice.
Yeah! There we go!
The film would start with him distrusting the Surface but then slowly starting to side with them. I think it should be a basic "protect the environment" type of film but told through the eyes of a superhero. Or in this case, through a king's eye.
WONDER WOMAN - EQUALITY = PEACE
Wonder Woman is a tricky character. On the one hand, she's trained as a warrior and is Princess of the Amazons. On the other, she's sent to "man's world" as an ambassador for peace. It's a tough balance. I don't like the idea of a Wonder Woman film being all "Girl Power! Yay!" and I also don't like the idea of it being "Feminism! Men are bad!" I think true feminism is about equality. Women want the same respect that men receive whether it's at work or in their personal lives. Wonder Woman stands toe to toe with Superman. If she wanted to, she could probably beat him in a fight. However, she would never do that. She believes she has the right to stand next to him as an equal. I believe that's what all women want. I think a Wonder Woman film should reflect that in some way. The message shouldn't be that women are better than men or that women are just as tough as men. I think it should be that women are equal to men. The sooner the world realizes that, the sooner we'll have peace. That's what Wonder Woman stands for.
CYBORG - INFORMATION OVERLOAD!
Back in the 80s when Cyborg was created, it was interesting for a man to be part machine. It wasn't a common trope. Nowadays, everyone is plugged in all the time. We have smart phones, tablets, hell even our watches can double as phones or mp3 players if needed. I think what a Cyborg film should deal with is the ramifications of being plugged in all the time! The comics have dealt with this a little bit, but Vic Stone is a tough guy and he can handle it. But there has to be a growing pain with that right? How many of you are guilty of waking up every morning and immediately checking your e-mail or Facebook? I know I am! You may argue that it's convenient having those devices around so you can stay in touch with friends and family, but really it's a distraction from your every day life. Imagine having those devices implanted in your body! You couldn't shut them off even if you wanted to! I think that should be the idea behind a Cyborg film - enjoy your life machine free!
Those are my thoughts on how to approach the DC films. Now I don't claim to be a famous screenwriter or studio executive, but I think having these types of messages/lessons/parables whatever in superhero film is very important. Superhero comics have always been about the struggle between good and evil and I think that that is still a relevant message in our time, but now things seem much more complicated.
Oh and one other thing to avoid Marvel's mistakes - MAKE THE VILLAINS INTERESTING!
Till next time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie!
