I know everybody reading this have either seen or heard of this past summer’s blockbuster from Warner Brothers and DC, Man of Steel. This was the relaunch of Superman on the big screen, and it has been plagued with mixed reviews from the start. I for one, wasn’t a huge fan of the movie. I have since watched it again, and it isn’t as bad as I originally thought… but it’s not that good.
Fast forward to now and you’ve all heard the news. The sequel to Man of Steel is going to include Batman (played by former “Daredevil” actor Ben Affleck). It will also feature Wonder Woman who will be portrayed by Gal Gadot. There are also rumours that the Arrow TV series may tie into Man of Steel 2, which will bring Arrow and The Flash into the fold. I have also heard of rumours that Nightwing may make an appearance too (this has been speculation with no confirmation… so don’t shoot me).
With all of these cast additions and changes, are we getting Man of Steel 2… or a Justice League movie?
And if that’s the case… No Aquaman?
This is going to be a train wreck right from the start. I think it’s obvious that DC is trying to play catch up, and try to make a huge movie spectacle like what Marvel did with the Avengers. But they are going about it the wrong way.
Plus adding these extra heroes to sequel takes away from Superman himself. Superman is a great character. I know there are people out there who hate “Big Blue”, but there is so much you can do with Superman that you don’t need Batman and Wonder Woman in the mix, unless you are doing it solely to create a launching point for new films based on those characters. But if that is the case, isn’t that what the Arrow TV was intended to do?
Man of Steel gave us so much destruction and violence, I was hoping Man of Steel 2 would give us a character driven story, showing Clark Kent trying to cope with a secret identity and also be one of Earth’s greatest heroes. I want to see Clark behind the desk at the Daily Planet. I want to see Clark go about his day to day business, while also being the hero that he is. I don’t want to keep bringing it up, but the original Superman movies did it so well. The reason those movies were classics is because Christopher Reeve did an amazing job playing Superman and Clark Kent as two separate characters, but wrapped up into the same package. I just want Man of Steel to encapsulate some of that magic, and give us an amazing character driven story (because that’s what Christopher Nolan is supposed to be good at).
I have no idea what Batman and Wonder Woman are going to add to Man of Steel 2. I just hope the producers and director do it right. Give us something special. Give us something good. Don’t just have people punching each other, and destroying buildings. It’s been done, and to tell the truth it’s kind of boring by now.
I’m in agreement with you on this one Ed. I also think that there is another movie between the first and the second that’s currently in the works. It’s definitely a missed opportunity.
The problem with Man of Steele is, many fans, like yourself, carry with them a preconceived idea of Superman based on their familiarity with the comics. No one is saying you or they are wrong in their understanding of the character… but imagine how much more you could have enjoyed the movie if you didn’t have that baggage:
• Good effects
• A deep story
• Lots of action
• Lots of stuff blowing up
• Good looking actors doing a pretty good job
Transformers, GI Joe, The Wolverine… In other words, it’s as good as any other movie out there… and if the trend toward dark comics is any indication, boy scout Superman probably did not bode well compared to the more realistic Superman. Flip on the idiot box and just compare the current programming to that of shows from 20 or 30 years ago. Would anyone watch the Brady Bunch or the Partridge Family today? Maybe just us old guys…
Also, you have to understand that these are COMMERCIAL ventures. I don’t think that it is “obvious that DC is trying to play catch up” to Marvel, although I do acknowledge that the pressure is there from the fan base… but it’s not a race. Instead of trying to create a “spectacle”, I submit to you that if they focused on making a better film, they could do just as well or better. To me, the “spectacle” is a poor “substitute” for a quality film but short of that, I see them as hedging their bets with the upcoming mash up.
Don’t you see, it’s not about CATCHING UP, it’s about CASHING IN. Who knows how long the super hero trend will last… but it is a trend, so the studio’s wanna grab as much cash as they can before it’s over.
I also question the introduction of villains like Doomsday and Apocalypse (on the X side). These all too powerful villains seem too “fantastical” and what meaningful role can Batman play against such a powerful being. As well, it seems like a set up for disappointment should the franchise continue. I understand that they continually need to “up” the movie in order to be more exciting than the previous… but how do you follow up an all powerful, omnipotent being such as Doomsday or Apocalypse? Introducing these characters now seems like some thing you would do towards the end of the series… or trend. Could the the studios be jumping the shark here?
Batman meeting Superman is a movie in itself… why Doomsday? First, Batman and Superman will duke it out. Then they’ll realize that they’re both on the same side and that it’s all been a misunderstanding. Then they’ll team up to overthrow a common enemy. Hey, would ya look me… I’m a comic book writer. Who knew I had it in me… ha.
“Could the the studios be jumping the shark here?”…. maybe Affleck will have some Bat-Shark repellant… doubt it.
I don’t forsee the Super-Hero movie trend going anywhere soon. The comic or graphic novel films may disappear because they are really scraping the sides of the idea jar when it comes to those. There have been some box office flops that many people didn’t know were based on comics and graphic novels… like R.I.P.D. and Stallone’s Bullet to the Head… yup… comic book movie.
I think the Super Hero trend is going to be here for the long haul because kids today are being raised on Super Heroes. When we were kids we had Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Super Friends and re-runs of Spider-Man. Kids who grew up in the 90’s as Batman TAS, Superman, Tim Burton’s Batman movies so on and so on. Today my kids have access to all of that stuff that came before them, and all the new stuff like Avengers and Man of Steel. It is part of their culture growing up, and they stick with it until they’re old guys like us Charlie.