A Super Future
—by Nathan on June 11, 2012—
Recently, some of my blogs on movies have been about speculation. Instead of giving plot and character descriptions, I have given predictions. This will be another blog on that, predicting more superhero movies in the future. Given the fact that this "future" could be a long time coming, I could be very, very off on any of these predictions, but why can't I have a bit of fun? I'll start with Marvel movies, then move on to DC (note: this blog contains a few plot spoilers of past movies, so read at your own risk).
Marvel: In nearly every movie, Marvel shines. The recent Avengers was amazing. And I'm sure other movies will be coming out dealing with more characters. I'll share some characters who I believe will be getting more movies of themselves.
Spider-Man: I know for a fact that a Spider-Man film, The Amazing Spider-Man, is being released in early July. Andrew Garfield stars as the hero, and the Lizard makes his cinema debut as the main antagonist. But will this be the beginning of a whole new series? From the previews, I've seen that Dr. Curt Connors works for OsCorp, which I'm guessing is run by Norman Osborn (I haven't seen Osborn in the previews, but who else would run the company?). In the comics, Osborn is Spidey's arch-nemesis, the Green Goblin. Could Gobby enter in another movie? If this one does well, I'm sure Marvel will make more. Also in the film is Gwen Stacy, who serves as Peter Parker's girlfriend. She is killed by the Green Goblin in the comics, so her appearance could very well support by guess of a possible Gobby. In the previews for the movie, the origin seems like a more Ultimates-style type. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what it seems like. In the Ultimates storyline, the Goblin is this ogrish monster, big and green and ugly. If he appears in the films, could this be the take? Another hypothesis regards Gwen's father, police captain George Stacy. He also dies, killed by falling debris caused by an altercation between Spidey and his enemy Doctor Octopus. So...will Doc Ock come into play? I hope that, if The Amazing Spider-Man brings about sequels, they use different villains than the Raimi trilogy used. Maybe the Green Goblin...I wouldn't mind seeing him again. But I would hope for different enemies. The Vulture. The Rhino. Guys like them. That would be fun to see. All I know is, this new movie will either be very good or very bad. I'm semi-excited, so we'll see how it turns out.
Iron Man: Could there be an Iron Man 3? The last two movies are great, so I hope there could be another one. Marvel only has two trilogies, Spider-Man and X-Men. Why not do another? I'm not really sure what they would do though. There are points in the Iron Man comics history where his weaponry has been used in crimes and he has been blamed. Could something happen where Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) becomes a fugitive? And, if so, who would be the mastermind of this plot? In the first Iron Man, there was a character in the Middle Eastern scenes shown with rings. An enemy of Iron Man's, the Mandarin, wore ten rings, each with a special power. Could this guy be the Mandarin (I mean, the gang he ran WAS called the Ten Rings!)? And could he rise up and be a possible foe in the next film (granted, that villain in the comics is Chinese, but comics don't have to stay true 100%...I'm not even sure what race the guy in the first movie was)? And the character of Justin Hammer was introduced in Iron Man 2. Unlike some other villains in comic book movies, he survived. Possible team-up between Hammer and the Mandarin? Hammer used Whiplash in Iron Man 2...that didn't work out too well. Is he willing to trust another villain? Both of them have grudges on Tony Stark (heck, who doesn't?). Iron Man 3 could bring their hate to a point.
Captain America: In the Captain America (Chris Evans) movie, the character of Bucky was introduced...and then seemingly killed off. For the longest time, in the graphic novels, comic readers thought he was dead too. But he came back as this assassin named the Winter Soldier. In the movie, Bucky wasn't even Cap's sidekick. He was just a soldier. Could he return in a second Cap movie? How he survives would be interesting to explain. Hey, maybe he was frozen in ice for decades on end...haven't we heard that one before? At the end of Cap's film, the good Captain awoke in the modern world after being frozen for decades. Could part of a next film be him adapting and adjusting to our society? And who would be a villain. The Red Skull may have perished, but his henchman Armin Zola is still around (and, no, Zola wasn't frozen in ice...I believe his mind is in some robot in the comics). And there could be other Cap enemies, too. Organizations like A.I.M. and Hydra. Guys like MODOK. Who knows? And maybe they could introduce the Falcon, another partner of Cap's in the modern days. Iron Man had War Machine. Why can't Cap have his own partner, other than Bucky of course? Marvel seems to be expanding their universe. Bring on the heroes!
Thor: In his own movie, the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) was separated from his beloved, Jane Foster (uck...superhero movies are action flicks, not romance...sigh). In The Avengers, Odin allowed him to come back to Earth, but he went back to Asgard with Loki. Will he stay or will he return? There's this other lady god named Sif who supposedly likes him...but enough of that mushy stuff. Who could Thor battle? Loki was apprehended at the end of The Avengers. Could the Frost Giants want to free him, Loki being one of them and all? Or did the God of Mischief have his last chance? And will the Chitauri come into play? Or has Loki's usefulness to the forces of darkness run out? If that's the case, could he possibly turn around and become a hero? In The Avengers, Thor tried to persuade him to turn his life around. Maybe if he sees even his allies have deserted him, Loki could undergo a change of heart. In the Norse mythology, there are, like, nine different worlds. Thor could go on a little exploring. Marvel could expand on the Norse stuff, introducing other characters and monsters. With that in mind, could Surtur be a possible villain? He's the lord of Musphelheim (apparently, all these worlds end in "heim," expect for Asgard), the land of the fire demons. He doesn't seem like a nice due. Perhaps he could wage a war against Asgard. Or maybe villains like the Executioner or the Enchantress will come on screen. They're a nasty duo. I have no idea who Thor will fight, but he will bring the thunder.
The Hulk: Mark Ruffalo played Doc Bruce Banner (belted by gamma rays!) fairly well. Better than the other two guys, at least. Could the Jolly Green Giant get another movie? The two funniest scenes in The Avengers involved him. The Hulk has never seemed to be one of the funny characters, but he helped out humor wise in The Avengers. But, despite his assistance and humor, Banner has always been looking for a cure. Maybe, just maybe, another Hulk movie could show him not wanting to get rid of the monster, but trying to control and accept it. The ending of the last Hulk movie showed something a little like that, the whole acceptance thing. It also showed Banner in Canada. You know who else is in Canada? Before you go shouting "Wolverine," let me say that I really don't know if he would face him. Wolverine's first appearance was in a Hulk comic, but X-Men have never really been mentioned in the other Marvel movies. But, as I said, who else is in Canada? The Wendigo. He's like a Sasquatch-type character, but much more monstrous. He's created when anyone in the Canadian wilderness performs cannibalism. Pretty nasty, I know, but he's a big bruiser. He could very well be the Hulk's main nemesis in the next movie. The Hulk has plenty of giant foes. If not Wendigo, someone else could come and give the Jade Giant a run for his money...not that he'll beat him. He is, after all, the strongest one there is.
X-Men: I thought there was gonna be an X-Men 4. With X-Men 3 ending tragically and with plot holes, I figured Marvel was gonna try and wrap it up. That hasn't happened...yet. What did happen was X-Men Origins: Wolverine (which I personally enjoyed) and X-Men: First Class. Apparently, there's another Wolverine movie coming out (possibly titled The Wolverine...the "the" adds so much, doesn't it?), in which he goes to Japan. If this happens, it could elicit a romance type movie between Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and a lady named Yukio (a romance that doesn't end well in the comics). Maybe this could also pave the way for the Silver Samurai, a Japanese antagonist who sometimes is a hero. Could Wolverine run afoul of him? Deadpool didn't die in X-Men Origins, so he could return. My only issue with his character is that, unlike the Merc with the Mouth in the comics, Ryan Reynolds's character isn't too funny. He had some quips, but his mouth didn't runnith over...especially after the bad guys sewed it shut. Maybe he'll change. As for the X-Men team, I think there should be a fourth movie, just to tie up loose ends. Or maybe a continuation of the First Class universe, delving into the war between Professor X and Magneto. First Class set it up and other films could continue it. Whatever they do, I don't think Marvel is finished with their bunch of mutants.
The Avengers: The Avengers movie was awesome, and a scene near the end promises more, "more" being the alien warlord Thanos (I did say there'd be spoilers, didn't I?). I haven't read Thanos's most famous story-arc, but it involves him and this glove called "The Infinity Gauntlet" which is powered by "The Infinity Gems" (I have no idea who named these things, but those are some pretty creative guys...rolls eyes). Apparently, the Gauntlet is seen in the Thor movie, so you know Thanos could be making his big splash by possibly invading Asgard and stealing the Gauntlet. And, if that does occur, Earth's Mightiest Heroes will have to band together once more and put a stop to his plans. In the comics, Thanos trashed a bunch of heroes. Hopefully, if the movie takes a spin in this direction, that will mean extra recruits. My dad and I both think this new Spider-Man could appear as an Avenger. I love Spidey, so I hope so. The Avengers was a funny movie; Spidey's a funny guy. Perfect match-up. And who knows what other villains could be included? Thanos's main henchman is credited as "The Other" at the end of The Avengers. Is this just some alien type guy or is he some Marvel villain waiting to be unvaled? Whoever he is and whatever will happen, I'm sure it's gonna be spectacular. Joss Whedon FTW...Nolan's still better, though.
DC: Some may notice that I didn't mention the Fantastic Four or Daredevil above. Well, I really have no hope for either of them. It's been forever since the last FF movie. Maybe Marvel will do a restart like with what they're doing for Spider-Man, but I just don't know. As for Daredevil, again, it has been a very long time since his movie came out. Maybe a relaunch, but who knows? OK, on to DC. I like Marvel a lot better than DC. DC's movie are usually good or bad. They seem to have this roller coaster going. Maybe in a few years, they'll get the ball truely rolling and put out hits regularly. We just gotta wait. But they still have a future in movies.
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises is wrapping everything up. Christopher Nolan's trilogy ends July 20th. But just because he's done, that doesn't mean someone can't take over another set of films (but please, please, please let it not be Joel Schumacher). I really hope TDKR doesn't focus on a Robin character, but there's always a possibility another movie could. Both the 90s Batman movies and Nolan's used the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, and Bane. Maybe a new series could use the Riddler or some other villain that hasn't had as much screen-time. New Batman films would need a new take on the hero, though, do something to distinguish him from the Nolan stuff. Make him darker? Lighter? The one thing the movies haven't focused on much is how much of a detective Batman is. The newer ones have used a bit, but maybe there needs to be some more. And maybe introduce more iconic characters and villains. I think new movies should stay away from the more super-powered antagonists, though. That's one good thing with Nolan's movies. There's no dripping clay monsters. There's no giant bats (unless you count the plane debuting in TDKR). His villains are ordinary people. TDK didn't even mention the Joker being dropped in a vat of toxic waste. See? They're that simple. They show Batman not as a super-powered individual, but as a vigilante. I think future movies should employ the same vein. But it will be very, VERY hard to top Nolan's work. DC can try, though.
Superman: "Superman Returns" does return to my mind every so often, mostly to remind me how awful of a movie it was. Basically, Lex Luthor lures Superman to an island made of kryptonite and stabs him with a knife. That's how he plans on killing him. And it still doesn't work! Gosh, how lame is that? But I digress. Evidently, a new Superman movie, "The Man of Steel," is to be released soon. Next year, maybe. How the heck are they gonna pull this one off after a blockbuster flop like S.R.? Hopefully, DC can use the massive hype created by TDK and possibly TDKR to make something worthwhile. And get a new director (I have heard that Nolan has had a small hand in this film. I don't think he's the director, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that whatever he does will be beneficial). I have no idea what a new Superman movie could have in store, but hopefully they'll use a different villain than Luthor. I mean, he could be in it, but not as the main villain. My problem with Lex is that he can't put up a good fight. Marvel's villains and heroes are equally matched. Maybe Batman and the Joker weren't physically matched, but TDK painted a wonderful battle of wits. Superman's basically a god when it comes to ability. He's the stereotype for heroes...and I still hated Superman Returns. Why? Cause he had no one to fight! I at least thought Luthor would have some sort of battle armor. Nope. All he does is stab Superman with a kryptonite knife after draining a lot of power out of him. Cheater. The Man of Steel should bring in some guy Supes can go toe-to-toe with. The Parasite. General Zod. Heck, give us Doomsday. I don't know. It will be hard bouncing back from Superman Returns. Just give us a movie where the best part isn't a bullet crumpling in slow motion off the hero's eye (cause it was pretty cool...until you remember that it just reinforces the fact that Superman is invincible, which was already obvious). Like I said, DC is a rollercoaster. Batman Begins: Good. Superman Returns: Bad. The Dark Knight: Good (great, really, but for the purposes of continuity...). Green Lantern: Bad (I thought it was okay, but it didn't seem a huge hit with fans). The Dark Knight Rises: Good (totally predicting this, but, knowing Nolan, I think this is safe to assume). Guess what comes next (I'm ashamed that this paragraph is longer than some of my Marvel ones, but I hope you got the feeling that I don't like Superman Returns)?
Green Lantern: As well as playing Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds also stared as Green Lantern. As I said before, it didn't seem to do that well. I didn't think it was terrible...it was better than Superman, at least. The end of the movie left with a hint at a sequel, showing Sinestro (who, in the movie, works for the Green Lantern Corps) take a yellow ring. In the comics, Sinestro ultimately turns evil, becoming an enemy of the Corps. Could this act of treason come into play in a second Green Lantern movie? In Green Lantern, Hal Jordan fought an enemy named Parallax, who looked like a giant cloud. Sinestro would give him a more human opponent to fight. And is Parallax even dead? In the comics, its Hal Jordan who's actually Parallax after he goes a little goofy in the head. Maybe Parallax will return and infect him a little, drive him a bit bonkers? He does that to a normal human guy, Hector Hammond, so imagine what would happen if a Green Lantern was infected. And there have been other Green Lanterns, not just Hal Jordan. John Stewart. Kyle Rayner. Guy Gardener. Could one of them be introduced in a new movie, especially if Hal does go nuts and the G.L.C. needs someone to replace and stop him? That would be interesting to see. Green Lantern may not have been a hit with the fans, but that doesn't mean there won't be a sequel or two.
Justice League: Unlike the other movies I've mentioned, Justice League doesn't even exist yet to have a sequel. So I'll be talking about a first J.L. movie. It may seem weird in a blog predominated with sequel ideas, but I did The Avengers, so why not J.L? Now, I'm not going to say there will never be one. All I'm going to say is that I don't think DC's close enough. They have superhero material, but most of it just doesn't work right now. Superman Returns was awful. Maybe "Man of Steel" can bring Superman to a pinnacle of greatness, but you can't use the Brandon Routh-version. The current Batman is Nolan's project. You can't use him, either. Maybe you could use Green Lantern, but, audiences didn't seem to like his movie all that much. Restart Superman. Restart Batman. Maybe use Green Lantern. And introduce other heroes. The Flash. Wonder Woman. Green Arrow. Aquaman. DC doesn't have enough of a pantheon of heroes to assemble their own team with. Sorry, DC fans. I think you might be waiting a while. Still, maybe a J.L. does have a future somewhere down the road...but I don't think even Superman's vision could see where it is.
Those are my hypotheses, for both Marvel and DC. Movie-wise, I think Marvel's future is brighter. While Nolan's Batman movies have built up a lot of hype for DC, Marvel does that with nearly every movie these days. Maybe in a couple of years, DC will catch up. But I don't think it really matters. What does matter is that movies will keep on rolling, showing superheroes at their finest. And I'll be there to watch 'em.