We are looking at the 2025 box office to see what the genre’s performance tells us about audiences and the industry. As well as what opportunities are being presented for other films.

The Year Of Change For Superheroes?

The main topic of discussion this year is the lack of high-performing superhero movies. This is the first time since 2017 (excluding 2020) that a superhero movie hasn’t been in the top 5. Additionally, the top performer is not a Marvel film but DC’s new Superman reboot.

Marvel’s usual dominance has been completely shattered. Both their newer titles (Fantastic 4: First Steps and Thunderbolts*) and their returning branding (Captain America: Brave New World) failed to crack the top 10. Something that hasn’t happened (excluding 2020) since 2011. Analysts have mentioned superhero fatigue before, but this is the first year the box office seems to reflect it.

Up and Comers

Outside of the superhero bubble, this is also the first time since 2020 that we have had two top 10 performers not in the English language from more than one country. Ne Zha 2 (China) and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie – Infinity Castle (Japan).

Video game adaptations continued to do well. A Minecraft Movie is 2025’s third-highest-grosser at the time of writing. Horror also performed well. Of the year’s 20 highest-grossers, 4 were horror films. And while many of the biggest films are still sequels or films using existing IP to bolster their performance, Sinners and Weapons, 2 original films, made it into the top 20.

What This Means

Superheroes are far from being done. Superman’s success proves that, and as Kofi Outlaw points out, Marvel could recover its top position with the next slate of big brand titles, Spiderman: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, this year proves Marvel’s name isn’t a guarantee of dominance anymore. The MCU films mentioned above are part of franchises that are between 8 and 13 years old. Marvel can’t rely on dedicated fans to sustain them forever. Superman’s reboot managed to capture a younger audience and DC’s diverse upcoming release portfolio covers a range of interests and age groups. If Marvel wants to succeed in the future, to justify those huge budgets, it must get younger audiences invested in the next saga project. Not just those familiar with the MCU. But even then, superheroes are seeing competition from other areas.

The top 20’s 4 horror movies each cost around or below $100 million, and took between $268 – 494 million worldwide. A market still clearly exists for mid-budget films. These films also included the year’s two highest-performing original films. Showing that when well-marketed and written, audiences will go to see new ideas.

Similarly, Demon Slayer, on a $20 million budget, claimed over $760 million. Over $520 million came from territories outside of Japan. Also, while Ne Zha 2 primarily made money in China (over $1.8 billion on an $80 million budget), it still made almost $40 million in other territories. According to Think China, it is the 10th highest overseas takings for a Chinese film. It could have made more if it weren’t for distribution challenges. Again proving, given an outlet, international cinema can be popular. 

Lastly, video game movies are having a resurgence. After the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy and The Super Mario Bros Movie, A Minecraft Movie captured family audiences and made almost a billion dollars. Thus, studios are preparing a slate of video game adaptations. Including Return To Silent Hill (Cineverse), Mortal Kombat 2 (Warner Bros), Super Mario Bros Galaxy (Illumination) and The Legend of Zelda (Sony).

Conclusion

Competition for the top is definitely getting more diverse. Among the constant non-comic book sequels, Disney animations and remakes, DC’s newfound strength will hopefully encourage Marvel to get less insular to keep audiences interested. Video game movies are also coming out to play; mid-budget horror and international releases have proven capable of reaching great heights, given the chance, and even original IP has a crack at the top. It’s definitely an interesting time to be going to the movies.

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While the undisputed champion, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is currently at “a bit of a low point ” (Deadpool’s words not mine) the question of “superhero fatigue ” is once again entering the conversation. With both Marvel and DC banking on the audience’s continued interest, it doesn’t seem like the end is in sight, but what could the next big thing in Hollywood be?

Toy Story

Hollywood studios like to chase trends. If one studio has made something that’s making a lot of money, they try to do the same thing. It’s fair to say that cinema has had a rough few years since the Covid-19 pandemic. The biggest hit post-pandemic has undoubtedly been Barbie, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year, as well as the highest-grossing film from Warner Brothers and 15th highest of all time. Mattel has started development on films based around some of its other IP in an effort to recreate its success. Hasbro has been in the business of making films about its products for a while, with the Transformers and G.I. JOE franchises. The Lego Movie was a surprise hit, managing to spawn a franchise, including a Batman spin-off.

However, the Lego franchise reached diminishing returns very quickly. With four films in five years, the series quickly lost steam at the box office. Plans for the series are still in development, and the success of Barbie has likely reignited interest. Both Barbie and The Lego Movie benefit from being their directors, Greta Gerwig, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are very unique and distinctive voices, and it’s fair to say that the films would not have been anywhere near as successful without their vision. Would a director be able to find a compelling story about the human condition in an Uno film?

Life Story

Of course, Barbie didn’t do it alone. The other half of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, was also a huge hit and went on to win the Best Picture Oscar. It follows in the wake of several other high-profile biopics, including Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. Biopics, have been around for a while, but seem to be much more high profile lately, especially ones centred around musicians. With films about Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and each of the Beatles in development, it doesn’t seem like they will be going away anytime soon.

But at the risk of running into “Biopic fatigue” it’s not just musicians that are in consideration. We’ve had Ferrari and House of Gucci (both starring Adam Driver) as well as Le Man’s 66. There is always another incredible story to show on screen, although these often end up being rather one-sided (something Oppenheimer managed to avoid) and can run into trouble from family members. Or even having to change the narrative to make a more coherent film. The Iron Claw, for all its success, has an even more tragic story in real life. The biggest hurdle is probably that the audience for one film does not always mean they will see another. Oppenheimer and Ferrari are both period pieces, but they have very little in common, and it’s hard to find subjects that reach such a wide audience. But then again, Christopher Nolan made nuclear physics compelling, so anything is possible

Final Thoughts

As fun as it is to speculate, it is almost impossible to predict what the next trend will be until we are in it. It was hard for anyone to believe that superheroes would be the next big thing when Iron Man hit screens in 2008 or that the reign would last this long. With Deadpool and Wolverine being the fastest-grossing R-rated film of all time, it seems unlikely that superheroes are going away just yet. Joker: Folie a Deux is entering new territory with the first full superhero musical (although The Marvels technically had a musical number), but Hollywood seems averse to musicals and rarely advertises films as such. Only time will tell, but there will certainly be plenty of discussion about it until we get there.

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Today I want to discuss the benefits of the MCU having a definitive ending. I will look at how ending the MCU will be positive for its overall narrative, the creatives behind it, and the industry as a whole.

The Narrative

The MCU has so many characters, narratives, and so many projects overlap, it’s becoming hard to keep up. This will be more pronounced in the upcoming cross-over movies. Where prior story knowledge is necessary to invest in the action. The MCU was bound to eventually encounter this problem. As its universe grows it’s gradually becoming more alienating for those who haven’t seen everything.

Since Endgame the MCU has had to conclude or continue the stories of characters with prior status in the universe, introduce new characters for future projects, and set up the next universe-spanning goal. All in a shorter time frame than the Infinity Saga. It’s a lot for non-die-hard fans to deal with. Plus with the huge cinematic end goal now passed, representing the culmination of years of emotional investment, it feels as if the MCU is only continuing because it can. Which could represent a problem in keeping fans invested. Introducing beloved characters can rejuvenate interest. But if this continues indefinitely it may lessen the shared universe’s impact by lacking focus and enforcing how replaceable characters can be.

A definitive ending meanwhile would tell audiences that everything being released is building toward something. It will also build a sense of stakes and emotional engagement as having a finite time left with these characters will build appreciation for everything audiences see. Most of all it will give audiences satisfaction from having a sense of closure to these characters and stories. People remember endings and if it’s done well the MCU’s legacy will be permanently cemented.

The Creatives

This move would also benefit the creatives. It’s often noted how few directors can showcase their own styles in the MCU. Additionally, with the number of projects increasing more demand has been placed on workers like effects artists. This has led to many MCU films feeling similar and interchangeable, along with quality suffering and artist burnout.

The Marvel brand in general shows a lack of appreciation for what industry artists bring to a project. Valuing brand cohesion above all else. It’s therefore in the best interests of creatives that the MCU has a well-planned endpoint. To ensure the films’ quality don’t continue to degrade, to give breathing room back to the artists, and to end the high-profile devaluation of industry creativity.

The Industry

Some may say ending the MCU would lower cinema attendance. But other studio superhero projects can still bring in audiences. Ending the MCU wouldn’t end superhero films. But it would allow space for new voices and stories.

The MCU represents a golden age for superhero films. If it were to end satisfactorily it could, like the classical westerns, encourage future creators to explore, experiment with and critique the genre. It also would not necessarily mean an end to future Marvel projects. However, not having to continue the ongoing MCU story and aesthetic would allow for more creative freedom. All leading to more exciting genre possibilities.

Conclusion

This isn’t meant as an anti-MCU article. The MCU experiment has had many great aspects. But post-Endgame its flaws have become impossible to ignore. Personally, I think it would be best for the MCU to end before its self-perpetuation destroys the goodwill it has engendered over the years.

Also Read: The MCU Phase 4: Dividing Audiences?

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Fans of Inception will enjoy the reality-bending storyline and visuals. The romance subplot helps balance out the brooding and introspective energy of the film. The film received mixed reviews, however, it’s a good watch if you want to see a dark fantasy spin on the age-old rags-to-riches story. Be warned, the film involves violence and themes of suicide. Let’s take a closer look;

The Story

The movie follows the life of Sang Yu, a poor screenwriter plagued by terrifying nightmares. Every time he sleeps, he crosses over to a strange alternate reality where a dark shadowy figure attacks him. He tries to cure his chronic insomnia by going to various healers without success. Unable to sleep properly for months on end, he can no longer write. His agent, San, is hounding him to finish the script he got an advance for, and his landlord is demanding unpaid rent.

With everything else going on, Sang Yu still frequently passes by a nearby café to watch Hua’er, a girl he’s pining after. He eventually comes home to find himself evicted. With no money, no family, no prospects and his sanity in shambles, he sends San a suicide note via text and climbs onto a building to jump to his death. A kind street vendor saves him at the last minute, offering a free meal and some advice. The old man tells him that whenever he’s in the middle of a nightmare, he should just tell himself; “I’m only dreaming”.

This advice changes Sang Yu’s life. He learns how to wake himself up at will, which comes with one amazing perk; he can bring items from his dream world back to his current reality. He starts bringing back precious antiques which he pawns for huge amounts of money. Of course, power comes with consequences.

While watching this, I could tell that there was a twist coming, but it wasn’t what I expected. The film took a few unexpected turns and played on the psychological aspect more than I expected. However, in my opinion, the deeper spiritual meaning the film aimed for fell a little flat at the end. There were too many mixed metaphors and the ending felt cobbled together, with a very vague conclusion.

The Characters

Something I appreciate about this film is that although it is fantasy, the actions and thought processes of the characters are realistic. The old superhero trope of immediately trying to save the world or wreaking vengeance on enemies is a little stale. Sang Yu does what most reasonable people would do if they woke up (or in his case, fell asleep) with superpowers; he makes money. And even though his first priority is himself, he is neither selfish nor particularly careless. He isn’t a hero, a villain or even an antihero; he’s just a person.

The lead role was excellently played by Darren Wang. I appreciate the portrayal of his friendship with San, which had a natural and rather touching development. Unfortunately, this film fell short of Sang Yu’s relationship with Hua’er. In this day and age, I don’t expect to still see blatant stalking framed as a grand romantic gesture. And though Hua’er was given some personality, she still comes off as a manic pixie dream girl. As the only female main character in the film, the moviemakers could have really done better.

The Visuals

You can tell that this film had a big budget for visuals. The CGI was very realistic and better than a lot of contemporary Western fantasy superhero films. Personally, I think the set and prop design stole the show. There were a lot of props in this film, considering that the main character is a supernatural antique thief. It’s impressive that the props were so well-made despite the sheer number of them. I also really liked Sang Yu’s visual transition from a degenerate starving artist to a clean-cut man in a suit. I was honestly surprised to see a handsome face hiding behind the straggly beard, chunky glasses and greasy hair. Props to the makeup and department.

The only major visual flaw I noticed was the very last scene. Unlike the rest of the movie, Sang Yu looked like a cardboard cut-out against a green-screen background. The editing was clearly rushed at the end.

All in All,

This is a good weekend watch if you like fantasy, good visuals and fight scenes. The execution of the story left something to be desired, but the premise is good enough to have you watch till the end.

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: Subira

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What’s Going On?

The scene starts with Riggan (Michael Keaton) waking up on the street, looking a little worse for wear, with a gruff-voiced individual lambasting him. We learn that this individual is Birdman, the superhero character that launched Riggan to movie stardom. Riggan walks down the street with Birdman right behind him, continuing his criticism, insisting no one wants the artistic theatrical project he is currently working on, they want action, they want excitement, they want Birdman. Eventually, this seems to have some sort of effect on Riggan, who stops, snaps his fingers and the New York street erupts into superhero movie style action. There are exploding cars, SWAT teams firing at helicopters and eventually a giant robotic bird monster swooping down and laying waste to the street. Then it snaps back to something more like reality only to see Riggan give a birdlike squawk and slowly begin to float upwards with Birdman declaring that not even gravity has an effect on him.

Actor or Movie Star?

There is a lot happening in Birdman and this scene captures a lot of the spirit of the whole film. Riggan is grappling with his idea of being an actor and/or movie star. He is most famous for the superhero blockbuster Birdman movies but Riggan consciously stepped away from the role, eventually doing a play on Broadway in an attempt to be seen as a “proper” actor. Of course, Michael Keaton’s career has a somewhat similar story, stepping away from the role of Batman which did lead to a downturn in his career. Thankfully, after a few quiet years, Keaton came back to cement his position in Hollywood.

Whilst there are other actors in the scene they are very much just in the background. Keaton is playing Riggan and Birdman with the latter having essentially all the dialogue as Riggan’s only contribution is a birdlike squawk. Keaton does a good job of dealing with the oddness Riggan is going through and we are never sure whether Birdman is merely a device in his own mind telling him things and he is perfectly aware Birdman isn’t real, or that Riggan does think Birdman is real but it is a delusion, or if Birdman is indeed real. The film plays with reality throughout the story with Riggan often oblivious to the oddness around him. The scene starts with Riggan waking up and feeling rough but within a few seconds, he seems to be actively participating in the impossible things going on around him. As Riggan walks down the street and Birdman is berating him a strange determined calm takes over him and the uneasy man who woke up on the street has been replaced with someone entirely at ease.

The best moment in this bizarre scene is perhaps Riggan snapping his fingers and seemingly summoning this action scene extravaganza. The figure of Birdman is no longer in shot and it seems as if Riggan has decided that this is what he wants and he can sideline the “pretentious” play and be a cool action hero. As the fighting starts the point of view changes from the audience observing Riggan to presumably taking his point of view with Birdman directly talking to him.

Actor and Movie Star

When Keaton was making the Batman movies they were perceived very differently than today. Batman and Batman Returns are great films but it was felt by some that Jack Nicholson was lowering himself to play the Joker – despite giving an amazing performance. The choice that once actors may have felt that had to make – action star or serious actor – doesn’t really exist anymore. Riggan can do Broadway plays and Birdman 3. Hollywood legend Robert Redford can play the villain in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and it doesn’t automatically diminish his image. Keaton is masterful in this scene and shows just what a great actor he is whether he’s playing Batman, Riggan or anyone else.

Also Read: Iconic Scenes: No Country For Old Men – The Coin Toss Scene

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A Tangled Web of Rights

In the 90’s Marvel wasn’t the juggernaut it is today, and sold off the film rights to several of its characters. This eventually led to the superhero boom in the early 2000’s with the likes of Blade, Daredevil and the X-Men series. It’s also the reason the MCU has been unable to use various characters throughout the years. Currently, the rights to Spider-Man (films at least) belong to Sony, who have produced every Spider-Man film.

Before they landed with Sony, the rights were sold to Cannon films. Cannon produced cheap B-Movies, with the occasional cult classic like Runaway Train and even financed the infamous Superman IV: The Quest For Peace which managed to kill both the franchise and the studio. As Cannon had not used the rights within the 5-year time limit, they sold them to Carolco Pictures, shortly before the release of a little known film called Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

On the success of the sequel, the studio gave the director James Cameron free reign, to the excitement of many. Cameron got to work, wanting to take the source material seriously, unlike most directors. Several drafts with various villains, including Doc Ock, Electro, and Sandman were considered. Electro and Sandman weren’t allowed to appear in the 90’s cartoon as a result of the film’s development. Although Electro was included eventually, Sandman did not, with Hydroman taking his place.

The “Scriptment”

During development, Cameron produced a “scriptment” part script-part treatment. The document outlines much of his intentions with the film. A lot of the basics are the same. Peter Parker lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. He’s got a crush on Mary Jane Watson and is bullied by Nathan “Flash” McCreery because he’s a bit of a quiet outsider. Peter is bitten by a spider, although this time it’s swallowed a genetically engineered fruit fly rather than being radioactive. After some strange dreams, including waking to find himself atop a radio tower in his underwear, he develops strange abilities, like being able to stick to walls, as well as being able to produce webbing from a gland in his wrist.

In an effort to control his powers, Peter begins studying spiders and is joined by MJ, so she can ace the class and the two become close. Instead of wrestling, he becomes a street performer, before being picked up for a TV show. Uncle Ben is killed, he feels responsible and hunts down the criminal, before evading the police. Meanwhile Carlton Strand, a petty thief who was struck by lightning and used his electricity powers to become a Donald Trump-esque mogul. Strand takes notice of Spider-Man and wants him to join his criminal organisation, sending his henchman Boyd AKA Sandman to recruit him.

Strand offers Peter money, which he can use for May’s hospital bills but he declines. So he tries to frame Spider-Man, by having his henchman commit various crimes while dressed like him. He also funds local TV man J Jonah Jameson’s campaign against the hero. After seeing Spider-Man saving Mary Jane from a mugging and taking her for a swing, Strand deduces his feeling for her and kidnaps MJ. After a climactic showdown on top of the World Trade Center, Peter rescues her, before revealing his identity.

Would It Have Been Good?

With James Cameron involved, it’s hard to imagine this not being a massive success. A lot of the key elements for Spider-Man are present. Cameron himself states that it’s “the best movie (he) never made”. This version of Spider-Man is certainly more aggressive, at one point offering to “decorate a Christmas tree” with a criminal’s intestines. The film would potentially not have been rated 12A due to the language, and an implied love scene with Peter and MJ on top of a bridge. Cameron was keen to make it seem real, lending itself more to The Dark Knight or The Amazing Spider-Man and their gritty tone rather than the camp Sam Raimi’s version offered. Peter’s powers are used as a metaphor for puberty and finding your place in the world.

In this version, the top of the World Trade Center is a recurring location, with Peter using it as a hangout spot, complete with a web hammock. The finale also takes place here, and while this film was being developed in the early ’90s and potentially shot, depending on the films release date, could have been affected by the events of 9/11.

James Cameron’s Spider-Man is certainly interesting and will live on as one of the mythical versions of films we never got to see. Although the final version we know and love went through several other versions between now and then some elements like the organic webbing remain and Doc Ock and Sandman would be used in the sequels. Cameron himself has moved on, vowing to not get involved in others IP and just do his own thing, which seems to be working out for him. While things worked out in the end, it’s still fun to think about what could have been.

Also Read: Why James Cameron’s Avatar Sequel Has Come At The Right Time

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The Critics view

Some critics have been against superhero films for a while, after having to review so many of them it’s understandable that “superhero fatigue” would start to set in. Some critics just don’t like the genre. While this likely isn’t the cause of the divide, it is important to acknowledge, as Rotten Tomatoes takes all reviews into account, whether positive or negative.

Another point may be the director, Chloe Zhao. Her previous film Nomadland won Best Picture at the Oscars, and some critics have compared Eternals to it, despite the obvious differences. Critics may have expected more from Zhao, expecting it to be more like her usual films, rather than an MCU project.

Critics also tend to be harsher on things they dislike, and the overreliance on CGI is a complaint that comes up time and again. As most of the film’s fight scenes involve it, as well as most of the villains being entirely CG, it’s hard not to notice. Many of these complaints are not new, or specific to Marvel movies, but it’s easy to understand why critics would become bored over time.

Eternals, like every film, has its own flaws. The 153-minute runtime, as well as its slower, more thoughtful pacing, makes it feel long. The addition of 10 new characters is a lot and some characters get more development than others, and the villans seem like an afterthought

The Audience View

Unlike critics, audiences don’t seem to be tired of superhero films just yet, after all MCU films are doing well at the box office, taking into account the pandemic of course. Marvel has a legion of fans that will see and enjoy all their projects, whether that be because they are a fan of a particular character, or want to see what is next for the universe.

Audiences are usually less critical of films too, with technical aspects like camera work or effects not focused on in favour of the characters or story. Eternals large cast of characters, including some big names like Angelina Jolie, and Robb Stark himself Richard Madden, has something for everyone. Everyone can have a different favourite amongst the cast, as they each have their own distinct personality and powerset. They are also representative of a wide range of people, of different races, sexualities and abilities, as well as Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) being deaf.

Many people also enjoy that the film does play differently than most Marvel films, as it dedicates time to deconstruct its heroes and explore their humanity. The Eternals themselves are less typical Marvel heroes, with less quippy humour and few nods to the Avengers. Audiences likely go with their overall feelings on the film after it has finished, as well the potential teased in the post-credit scenes.

The divide between audiences and critics is interesting but goes to show that they consume media differently. Perhaps most importantly, it shows that while critical reviews can be helpful in deciding what to watch, it is still best to watch it yourself and form your own opinion.

Also Read: How Much Influence Do Movie Reviews From Film Critics Have On Audiences?

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“Tonight’s Forecast, A Freeze Is Coming”

Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) face two new challenging villains. They are Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is building a weapon to ransom Gotham for money to find a cure for his terminally ill wife, and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) who seeks to punish humanity for its environmental destruction. Meanwhile, Robin feels like Batman doesn’t trust him. Their faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough) is slowly dying. And Alfred’s niece Barbara (Alicia Silverstone) is poking around Wayne Manor. Will the Bat-family survive?

“If I Must Suffer, Humanity Will Suffer With Me”

One of Batman and Robin’s biggest problems is that the film has numerous plotlines competing for screentime and many of their tones clash greatly. One minute we are indulging in silly slapstick action and ice puns, then we are suddenly dealing with a long-time Bat-family member gradually losing their life. Furthermore, because of the bloated story, several plotlines feel underdeveloped (Batgirl’s subplot) or pointless (Bane’s inclusion).

As well as this some of the film’s components feel very slapdash and can take you out of the experience. This includes the writing plot holes. For example, Mr. Freeze using a machine powered by huge diamonds to ransom Gotham rather than selling the diamonds on the black market. Which would probably be just as profitable. Along with this some of the CGI has aged incredibly poorly. The human figures move very unnaturally and a few sequences look barely finished.

And of course, there is the grating cheesy dialogue and the performances from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O’Donnell, and Alicia Silverstone which range from bland to irritating to hilariously misjudged.

“You Lie”

Unfortunately, a lot of good-faith criticism of Batman and Robin is lost among complaints about its deviation from the darkness of Tim Burton’s Batman films and Batman and Robin’s suits having nipples and rubber bums. You can prefer the Tim Burton films over Batman and Robin. But, a lighter tone doesn’t necessarily make a film bad. And complaining about something as harmless as Bat-bums/nipples feels petty and slightly homophobic through its ridicule of something potentially appealing to a gay audience. It’s therefore regrettable that these complaints are what largely stuck with the film.

“That Is The Nature Of Family”

However, Batman and Robin does have genuinely praiseworthy elements. Firstly, there is Elliot Goldenthal’s music. Full of bombastic epic sweeps and sultry seduction. It makes the film feel exciting throughout and is a fine listen.

Then there are the undervalued performances by George Clooney, Uma Thurman, and Michael Gough. Clooney perfectly fits the role of playboy Bruce Wayne. He also adds a sly self-awareness to his Batman which makes him an enjoyable presence. Additionally, this allows him to get away with his cheeky humour more than other cast members. Uma Thurman is an absolute blast as Poison Ivy. She really embodies Ivy’s seductive and bold nature and every time she appears her energy makes it impossible to look away. That said Michael Gough is the film’s true star. Effortlessly humorous and heartfelt, his interactions with the Bat-family, particularly Clooney, add real dramatic weight to proceedings. Truthfully his storyline is worth the watch alone.

Finally, the cheesy dialogue, flimsy plot, varying acting quality, tonally mismatched story elements, loud colours, wild theatrical costumes, and other elements combine well to create a fun, campy atmosphere that helps excuse some of the film’s worst excesses. Making the film genuinely entertaining to watch despite itself.

Was It Really That Bad? No

Regrettably, most audiences only view Batman and Robin as a punching bag. Yes, the film has a story, CG, and minor acting problems but it also has many aspects to appreciate and enjoy. Including its infectious atmosphere, its music, and some underappreciated performances. After years of dour, joyless Batman films, we need something as unapologetically bright and fun as Batman and Robin.

Also Read: The Batman: Snyderverse and the DCEU

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Today, we will look at how DC’s actions feed into sex-negative attitudes in media. Why sex is such a huge issue and why other mediums are seen as more capable of discussing sex? But let’s first ask why DC wanted this scene cut?

Superheroes are for children

Three potential reasons explain DC’s decision. Firstly, many view Batman as a children’s superhero, therefore depicting sex is inappropriate. However, Harley Quinn is aimed at older audiences. It features swearing, violence, and mature themes. So why restrict sex?

Secondly, DC could see this as out of character. Superheroes are righteous therefore Batman wouldn’t have sex with Catwoman. Except for Batman, over his 80+ years existence, has been written as a morally questionable vigilante (the Burton and Nolan movies), a camp icon (Adam West’s era), a teen heartthrob (Gotham High), and more. Even Batman’s aversion to killing and guns has been challenged (Batman V Superman). So there is hardly a “definitive” Batman this action deviates from. 

Finally, DC wants to protect profits. Because ratings boards view oral sex with women unfavourably, including this scene might restrict the series potential audience with a higher age rating. But considering DC’s parent company owns their own streaming service a higher age restriction would hardly affect distribution. And DC has released Batman media showing him unheroically killing people (leaving them in crashing vehicles, blowing people up, or shooting them) as well as having sex with daughter figure Barbara Gordon (Batman: The Killing Joke). Not to mention numerous comics where Batman has sex (Son of the Demon and Batman Rebirth) or performs horrifically violent or abusive acts. This definitely puts DC’s pearl-clutching over Batman and Catwoman’s hanky-panky into perspective.

Art and Sex

So why is DC more concerned by Harley Quinn’s sex scene than sex in Batman comics? Well DC received substantial backlash over Batman’s sex scene in The Killing Joke animated movie. And because Harley Quinn has a large viewer base DC could simply be trying to please a broader audience. Meanwhile, comics are seen as niche and able to take risks. But The Killing Joke backlash was about more than simply showing intercourse. And many popular adult animated shows feature sex scenes, like South Park.

An alternative explanation is that the comic medium is now seen as more mature. Like animation, comics were once seen as children’s entertainment. But since the 1980s comic houses like DC have been exploring new avenues of storytelling and with this, came more discussion of sex. And it has mostly become the medium’s norm. Thanks to fans embracing it and the creator’s and publisher’s willingness to explore it. 

Let’s Talk About Sex

Truthfully, DC’s removal of the scene isn’t surprising. Sex and violence are often big concerns within media. However many see depictions of sex as a greater threat than depictions of violence. 

This is because most people in western democracies think violence is unlikely to affect them. Thus it seems inherently unrealistic. Meanwhile, sex is a fact of life and some argue that depicting sex without showing consequences (pregnancies and STI’s) encourages unsafe practices. 

Nevertheless, one of the most effective counters to unsafe sex is comprehensive education on the subject. But the unwillingness to discuss or depict sex makes it culturally taboo. It also hinders education and negatively affects people wanting to seek help or develop their identity. This is especially problematic when much of the entertainment which does focus on sex prioritises male pleasure over female pleasure and agency. Thus erasing scenes like this has a very negative cultural impact.

Conclusion

Despite their comics successfully exploring sexual themes, DC clearly views animation as incapable of dealing with this topic. DC’s decision to excise Batman and Catwoman’s sex scene is another example of media sex-negativity that denies the opportunity to discuss and encourage openness towards sex and to centre discussion of female pleasure. Ironically, showing superheroes like Batman caring about Catwoman’s pleasure would have been the most heroic thing to do.

Also Read: With The Batman Now Set In Earth-2 and Calls To #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, What Will Happen With The DCEU?

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The Lost Forty Minutes

The Ayer Cut comes hot on the heels of the Snyder Cut of Justice League, the DC film originally directed by Zack Snyder who was replaced by Joss Whedon after a family tragedy for Snyder. Fans campaigned for a version they believed was closer to what Snyder had envisioned and were successful. Ayer now wants the same for Suicide Squad. Ayer has said forty minutes of his film was cut by the studio which would surely have an impact on any film. Studios insisting on their own edits of films is nothing new – sci-fi classic Blade Runner had voiceover added that completely changed central parts of the film, leading to a slew of other “cuts” that better represented what director Ridley Scott had in mind.

What was wrong with Suicide Squad?

Suicide Squad was unpopular with both critics and fans (but there are those who champion the film, or at least parts of it) and the film had many problems.

• The Joker – while not a pivotal character in the film Jared Leto’s portrayal still managed to attract a lot of disdain with few people enjoying it. While I didn’t care for it I didn’t judge Leto or Ayer too harshly, following in the footsteps of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger’s legendary performances they needed to make a distinctive Joker – it didn’t work but at least they tried.
• The Characters – When you have a large ensemble cast you run the risk of no character having enough time and this certainly felt true of Suicide Squad. The introduction of every character felt rushed and bare bones and I didn’t really care about any of the characters. There were characters like Katana who just seemed to be there – another person to fill out the cast without serving any purpose (despite having an interesting character premise).
• The Villain -I am a firm believer in that the secret of success for many comic book films is the villain. The Dark Knight had Heath Ledger’s Joker, Black Panther had Michael B. Jordan’s Eric Killmonger, after a lacklustre villain in Red Skull having Robert Redford play Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a stroke of genius. Suicide Squad had a witch…or her brother, and her brother? The film was always going to be in a tricky place with a villain as the whole point is they’re the villains but undoubtedly the forgettable villain they had wasn’t good enough.

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad

Of course, this battle is yet to be resolved on the horizon is the release of The Suicide Squad. How will The Ayer Cut effect this? I doubt it will at all. It seems most people have simply written off Suicide Squad as a mistake, the Ayer Cut is at most a chance to show there was a good film there. The success or failure of The Ayer Cut will not matter and I doubt would have any impact on the already inconsistent DCEU.

Will It Happen?

If the fans get behind the idea it probably will. The Snyder Cut really did show that fans have the power to get alternate cuts released and there’s no reason to give up that power. Whilst in this instance it’s being done under the impetus of the director, it’s important to remember that fans don’t always know best, for years there was a Kickstarter campaign to edit Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, specifically to digitally remove the rat that appears in the final scene. Whether or not you feel this was a bad decision by Scorsese I think you need to essentially trust a director on their decisions.

Before we all start clamouring for new cuts of films we feel could have been improved, remember Star Wars is a prime example of that sometimes it’s just better to leave things alone and that you can never please all of the fans.

Also Read: Flashpoint: The Defining Film of the DCEU

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A Sure-fire Hit

The film The New Mutants is based on comic book series of the same name, essentially taking place in the same universe as the X-Men films and comics but with a different sensibility and focusing on teenaged characters. The director is Josh Boone who is probably best known for directing The Fault In Our Stars and the film stars Maisie Williams (Arya Stark from Game of Thrones) and Anya Taylor-Joy (from The Witch and Emma). This is a pretty good formula for success – a hugely successful franchise, a talented director and some popular, likeable and skilled actors. But despite being finished filming years ago the film is currently scheduled for release in April 2020. I remember seeing the trailer for it and being quite excited, it seemed to have a darker tone than the X-Men films, perhaps even something closer to horror than sci-fi.

What exactly is this film about? Well, imagine you’re an unlucky mutant who instead of ending up in Charles Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters – a place of nurturing and education, you found yourself trapped in a very sinister and isolated hospital. The handful of mutants seem to have a very dark past with their powers – of harm and violence and are told they need to get better and they can do that in this hospital. This very sinister hospital.

What Happened?

I watched the trailer quite some time ago, in fact, a suspiciously long time ago. A lot of work goes into deciding when a film is released. Should it be late December/early January for an Oscar push? Or a summer blockbuster? Do you want to counter-programme against blockbuster with something completely different? And timing it badly can be disastrous to the success to the film. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has this planned out for years and every other film has to work out how best not to get crushed by the latest MCU movie. In the case of The New Mutants it was originally scheduled for release April 13 2018, however, after realising this clashed with Deadpool 2 it was pushed back to February 2019, which then clashed with Dark Phoenix so it was pushed back to August 2019. So a summer 2019 release then, well, no, Disney bought 20th Century Fox and rumour is were not impressed by the film and had raised the idea of not having a cinema release and putting it straight onto Disney+. Obviously, being released on a streaming service is no longer the sign of a bad film anymore with Netflix boasting a number of great films that never saw the inside of a cinema, but still, it could be seen as something of a demotion. There seems to have been a lot of reshoots, never a good sign with a film, with the idea to further lean towards the horror genre.

An Addition To The MCU?

Then comes the inevitable question, the dilemma that stalks every new X-Men film, where will it fit into the MCU? I’ve written on this site before that I don’t think every Marvel film needs to be part of the MCU and with the acquisition of 20th Century Fox and X-Men that the X-Men especially should be kept free from it. My basic feeling is that a world full of mutants doesn’t mix well with a world of superheroes, compared to Wolverine, Captain America is not terribly impressive. Concerning The New Mutants…part of this rests on where The New Mutants fits in with X-Men, will other Professor X or Cyclops show up? Keeping the timeline of the X-Men films clear is already far too complicated, will adding The New Mutants push things too far?

Without any additional problems getting in the way, the film is due for a UK release of 10th April and so we’ll all be able to see whether it has been worth the wait.

Also Read: When Great Video Games Become Lacklustre Movies

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J Jonah Jameson isn’t the only one trying put Spider-Man down, as despite the genre’s overwhelming success (Endgame earned over $1 Billion in its opening weekend) it is often neglected upon awards season. With powerful enemies like James Cameron against them, can our heroes ever get the respect they deserve?

“For your consideration..”

To be clear, superhero films have been nominated and won in some cases. Heath Ledger posthumously won an Oscar for his Joker in “The Dark Knight”. “Black Panther” won in three categories as well as being nominated for best picture. Even Spider-Man 2 won for Special Effects. But many big names in Hollywood still seem to dismiss them.

Comic book movies are regularly nominated in several technical categories, with “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse” winning “Best Animation” at the 2019 Oscars, for its unique animation style. But it is rare they win any of the “big awards” such as best actor/picture. There are several calls for Robert Downey Jr to earn an Oscar, for his portrayal of Iron Man.

And regardless of whether he does or not, it’s hard to argue that the character is ingrained in pop culture, with Downey Jr a massive part of that. It’s no secret that the character was a B-Lister before 2008, but now everyone knows Iron Man. Joe Russo (co-director of Avengers: Endgame) thinks he deserves it for the way he’s motivated pop culture, and that “there’s a prejudice against popular cinema”.

Great Power, Great Responsibility

This superhero snobbery doesn’t just apply to movies, comic books are often considered childish, and, true, Batman punching someone with a large “Kapow” bubble might not be the most complex thing to follow. But some of them delve into real-world issues. Iron Man famously had a storyline where he dealt with alcoholism. While the films didn’t follow this, “Iron Man 3” features him dealing with PTSD.

This isn’t the only time the MCU deals with mental health. Captain America shows several symptoms of depression. A big part of Thor’s arc in “Avengers: Endgame” deals with coming to terms with his failure and if he is still worthy. The Avengers might be superheroes, but they’re still flawed, like the rest of us.

But they also tackle social issues, the “Captain America” films deal with him adapting to the modern world after living in WW2. “The Winter Soldier” deals with the idea of a surveillance state. While in “Civil War” he battles against Iron Man about whether the Avengers should be ruled by politicians.

This isn’t just Marvel either. “Man of Steel” is rammed with political themes, from, climate change on Krypton to Superman being an immigrant. Films allow us to explore different themes, and superheroes are no different

Origin Stories

Superhero stories are the Greek myths of our time. With each generation of filmmakers wanting to retell the story with a more modern perspective. “Shazam” for instance, features a young Billy who has grown up with Superman and co, so he and his friend are aware of all the tropes, as people today are. A huge part of the “Deadpool” films’ appeal is its fourth wall breaking antics and how it pokes fun at superhero cliches (like the “superhero landing“)

This self-awareness could be a sign the genre is becoming stale, with the dreaded “superhero fatigue” setting in and Spielberg himself saying they will “go the way of the western”. While that may be true, it is far more likely the genre will simply evolve, as it always has done. Superhero films are arguably an evolution of 80’s action classic’s like “Rambo” and “Robocop”. While they may not have powers, they still perform superhuman feats, like surviving explosions, big dramatic leaps, stopping villains taking over the world.

And Superhero films have evolved, with the release of “The Avengers” it seems like every studio has been trying to launch its own franchise. From DC to the failed “Dark Universe”, it seems like every studio has been trying to follow in their footsteps, with mixed results. The “Marvel Cinematic Universe” now encompasses 22 films, as well as several TV shows (and counting). It’s hard to think that what started as a huge gamble for a company on the verge of bankruptcy, is now the behemoth it is.

In the 1970’s “Jaws” created the summer blockbuster. In 2012, “The Avengers” created the “cinematic universe” and superhero films will likely continue to push new boundaries with special effects, like the latest de-aging, storytelling (“Endgame” is the end of a 22 film long storyline), and more. Films like “Wonder Woman” and “Captain Marvel are helping to prove that girls are just as good as boys, inspiring young girls as well as bringing in huge bank.

Superhero stories might seem silly on the surface, but whether in comic book or movie form, should not be dismissed as “just for kids” because they are so much more than that.

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Selling Priceless Treasures

Back in the late 1990s, no one knew how big superhero films were going to be. After all, it wasn’t that long after the trainwreck of Batman and Robin. So it made sense to sell the rights to some properties and let film studios take all the risk while Marvel still got a big pile of cash. Then X-Men was a huge hit and this started a slew of superhero films – some great, some not so great and Marvel came to regret giving up cinematic control to some of their most valuable superheroes.

The 2000s and 2010s saw an explosion of superhero films – a seemingly never-ending parade of CGI fight scenes, origins stories and heroic struggles. A bright spark had had the idea of making all of Marvel’s superhero films exist in one universe, a huge sprawling world full of heroes and villains and it was all connected. Each film would build on the shared success meaning that people would need to watch each one if they wanted to fully appreciate the whole. I have reservations about this idea but undeniably it has been hugely successful and there is definitely a feeling that you need to see them all. It was very cool to see Iron Man making fun of Captain America in Avengers Assemble, or Thor and the Incredible Hulk fighting in Thor: Ragnorak or seeing Spider-Man team up with Wolverine and Reid Richards in…well, that one hasn’t happened yet and that’s because 21st Century Fox used to own the rights to X-Men and The Fantastic Four.

There is, of course, something that has to be pointed out. While the X-Men films have been commercially and sometimes even critically successful launching a nearly twenty year ascendancy none of the three Fantastic Four films has made much of an impact. And I’m not sure how many people, outside of hardened comic books fans, have been calling for Fantastic Four to be incorporated into the MCU. But there is good stuff there to work with and they could be a useful addition and will satisfy completists out there.

Lessons To Be Learned & Problems To Avoid Rebooting X-Men and Fantastic Four:

• X-Men – if you have run out of ideas for interesting powers stop making characters. I’d rather characters have similar powers than the barrel-scraping powers that have popped up in the X-Men films.
• Fantastic Four – Sue Storm has the power of invisibility (as well as being able to create force-fields) and while such a power could lead to dozens of interesting ideas it falls flat on screen and there has to be an interesting way to use that power in a film.
• X-Men – The role of Wolverine made Hugh Jackman a huge star and is probably the lead character of those films so don’t try and repeat that trick when it’s rebooted, do something different. Wolverine isn’t the be-all and end-all, they’re a team, let some of the other X-Men shine.
• Fantastic Four – this may be controversial – find a way to make Doctor Doom and Silver Surfer into interesting cinematic characters or let them go – it’s okay to make new stuff up.
• X-Men – Too powerful – Stop making people all-powerful. Wolverine is practically indestructible and immortal and every so often Jean Grey becomes all-powerful and, Professor X can do everything from mind control to stopping time

But it’s not just going to be problems and things going wrong and it has the potential to do some really interesting stuff.

What Fans Want (or at least what this fan wants)

• Deadpool with the X-Men – Deadpool was a great film and while not exactly an X-Man he’s X-Man adjacent and in the graphic novels he is definitely part of that world. The terrible X-Men Origins: Wolverine already had one go at this and completely wasted their opportunity so maybe finally the MCU can give us the insanely over-the-top fight that a Deadpool Vs Wolverine Battle of the Indestructible Mutants deathmatch that we all desperately want.
• Who’d Win In A Fight Between….every playground’s favourite argument is who’d win in a fight between two people who should have no reason to fight. A popular one is who would win in a fight between The Hulk and The Thing (my money is on The Thing as The Hulk is driven by impulses whereas The Thing very much remains Ben Grimm). Reid Richards is a genius who could perhaps knock some of the smug out of Tony Stark while Magneto is perhaps the best villain in any of the Marvel films to date.
• Making Up For Past Mistakes – The Fantastic Four films were a disaster from start to finish and the X-Men franchise has not always struck gold so maybe this time they can take two decades of experience and get it right. The MCU has a had a go with the odder and wackier superheroes with Doctor Strange, Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy and I don’t see why they can’t apply the same skill to a new Fantastic Four film. As for the X-Men, putting Gambit in the regular line-up as I feel his presence has been sorely missed in the films. They could also have another go with Rogue, again making her a regular X-Man from the start, bring in Jubilee, and Cyclops doesn’t just have to be the boring guy going out with Jean Grey.

So there we have it what the MCU rebooted films of X-Men and Fantastic should avoid and what they should do. Getting these films right is trickier than it might appear and it can be a fine line between an enjoyable superhero film and a ridiculous folly that cost $300,000,000.

Also Read: Martin Scorsese and Denis Villeneuve Vs The “Marvel Movie” Formula

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

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Most of these characters are going to be based on comic books and I want to say right now – many of these characters are brilliant in comic books but it’s just that not every comic book character will work well in a film.

Green Lantern

One of the biggest comic book superheroes is Green Lantern, seriously, he is a big deal yet the film was a critical and commercial failure. There were many reasons for this but we’re talking about superpowers. In brief, Green Lantern can create physical manifestation of anything he can imagine.

On the surface that’s a remarkable superpower with unlimited potential but really was just a CGI mess – the ability to create anything? It’s just too much, too powerful, for powers to be interesting they have to have limits. One of the brilliant things about Logan was that it showed Wolverine wasn’t always going to come back from anything, his healing powers did have their limits. And it didn’t really explore the fantastical or just plain weird places it could go with such a power. As is demonstrated in scenes of Green Lantern when fights break out is this power really more useful than a gun?

The Superfluous X-Men

Part of the problem is once you’ve got more than a few characters, coming up with interesting powers becomes difficult. There are dozens of mutants in the X-Men films and it has it’s fair share of duds. There is Banshee who can scream in a weird way and also can use this to fly somehow. There’s Angel who has incredibly flimsy-looking insect style wings. There’s Quill who can make short spikes stick out of his body. I could go on.

Their powers don’t make a great deal of sense; they’re not useful, they’re not plausible and they certainly aren’t cinematic. I could watch Michael Fassbender using his powers for hours – simple to explain, looks good on film and it’s merits are obvious. That’s a superpower you want in a film. To be a mutant with a bad power feels like the cruellest blow of all – yes mutants are a maligned group in society who live in fear but at least Cyclops can shoot lasers out of his eyes.

Money, money, money

Not all superheroes have superpowers and not only is this not a problem it can make the superhero more interesting. There is a classic get out though – money. A fairly common device is the rich superhero (or indeed supervillain), the two most famous being Batman and Ironman. Apparently, there is nothing that can’t be done with enough money – you want to be stronger, faster, tougher? Buy it and don’t let aerodynamics, ballistics, kinetics or any other killjoy science tell you it doesn’t exist or isn’t possible.

Obviously, you can achieve a lot with money but surely there are limits and finding a superhero who doesn’t have superpowers or money is hard. Kick-Ass is one of the few examples I can think of and Kick-Ass himself is hardly a successful superhero so it seems if you have no powers you better have some money.

The Man of Too Many Powers

So we come to the apex of ridiculous powers, a character that exceeds virtually all others in their powers making no sense whatsoever and ruining the plot of almost any story they become involved in. I am, of course, talking about Superman.

Superman’s powers are amazing and spectacular and therein lies the problem. Every day Superman fights crime and saves people…well, it’s hardly a challenge for him, is it? Superstrength, flight, x-ray vision, super-speed and there’s more…it must be so boring. When Batman fights a mugger with a gun he might die, with Superman it’s not even really a fight. Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor is a billionaire genius and is the underdog in that fight.

Graphic novel and film classic Watchmen explored the ridiculousness of Superman further with Dr Manhattan standing in for the Man of Steel. The idea being that someone with so much power would inevitably become distant from the normal people around him and perhaps even stop caring. Dr Manhattan even manages to surpass Superman in powers – he can teleport, make multiple versions of himself, become gigantically big, survive on Mars, see the future and just for fun can literally explode people just by thinking about it. Oh and is essentially indestructible with no convenient kryptonite weakness. The clever twist in Watchmen is that the villain doesn’t attack him physically but psychologically, manipulating him into doing what he wants. Of course, Dr. Manhattan is meant to be ridiculously powerful, Superman just kept acquiring more powers in the comics to try and keep it interesting.

The best Superman film, in my opinion, is Superman II and why is that? It has villains who can stand up to the hero. The vast collection of powers they possess make for excellent fight scenes and that’s Superman’s saving grace – they look amazing. The much maligned Superman Returns has an amazing scene of Superman saving a plane and it is a stunning scene. Just watching Christopher Reeve, Brandon Ruth and Henry Cavill use their powers is worth the cinema ticket.

There are still decades of comic book heroes to go through yet but even so you can’t help but feel the well is running pretty dry on interesting superpowers. Captain Marvel is the next big one to be brought to the silver screen and we’ll have to see how her powers are handled. From the sounds of it she’s going to be another pretty powerful superhero, perhaps the most powerful in Marvel have yet brought to film, so will she be silly or spectacular?

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Affleck calls time on Batman

There have been rumours about Ben Affleck quitting as Batman almost since he got the part. Many fans were against his initial casting, although lots did come round to his performance. Behind-the-scenes problems on the Justice League film and a new director being brought in (despite talk of Affleck directing the next one) have been fuelling the rumours for a long time. The new director, Matt Reeves, has stated that the next film will be a noir Batman film and with this new direction, it’s not surprising there will be a new Caped Crusader if for no other reason than a new director will like a blank slate.

Where will this new Batman film fit in with DCEU? Batman was one of the crucial members of Justice League, will he be so in the future? He is arguably the most interesting of all DC characters and making him part of a team is difficult. Since Tim Burton’s Batman films, the character of Batman has been very dark, a loner and certainly to many people, not a hero. It’s said the new film will feature a lot of Batman being a detective, which seems a departure from Affleck’s Batman whose gadgets and strengths were dialled up to eleven so he could compete with incredibly powerful characters like Superman. So will the huge Batsuit from Batman Vs Superman and the almost psychotic level of violence be replaced by a deerstalker hat and a magnifying glass? We’ll just have to wait and see what Matt Reeves has in store for us.

The front runners

But who will play this “detective” Batman? First things first, the role of Batman has been somewhat of a poisoned chalice and really, the only actor to walk away with their career intact and reputation enhanced was Christian Bale (we’ll have to see how Affleck handles it). That said two names seem to be coming up a lot are Robert Pattinson and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Pattinson has worked hard to not just be “that guy from Twilight” taking parts in heavyweight dramas and odd indie films like Cosmopolis, Rover and The Lost City of Z. And while he has shown himself to be an actor with depth and range, the “Twilight” label is hard to shake. Of course, being the co-star of a huge franchise with millions of fans might be seen as a good thing.

Gyllenhaal is an immensely talented actor who recently seems to be more interested in taking on peculiar roles and very intense characters and actually seems to be moving away from the classic leading actor trajectory his career seemed to be on at first. Still, these days, playing Batman and being a serious actor are not mutually exclusive and a new take on the character could interest someone like Gyllenhaal.

My Contenders

Personally, between Pattinson and Gyllenhaal, I would prefer the latter, but if I were Matt Reeves, there would be two options – Oscar Isaac and Michael B. Jordan. Both actors are extremely talented and very popular right now. Isaacs is one of the central characters in the new Star Wars films and Michael B. Jordan is coming off a hugely successful run of films like Creed and more importantly, Black Panther. In my opinion, Jordan was the best thing in Black Panther; in fact, so much so that it was to the detriment of the movie overall. Jordan was so charismatic as Erik Killmonger (and in many ways very sympathetic) that I think it was actually harmed the film – he was a bad guy who you liked more than the hero. Casting Isaac or Jordan would be doing something new with the Bruce Wayne/Batman character and perhaps give a new spin on their history and what they’re trying to achieve.

My dream pick for Batman…

Those two actors are my sensible choices, people I think would do well, be successful and make the fans happy. I do, however, have a dream Batman film which would essentially be a movie of The Dark Knight Returns – one of the essential Batman comic book stories. Ideas from this story have been used in The Dark Knight Rises and Batman Vs Superman, but it is definitely deserving of a complete adaptation. In this story, Batman has been retired for years and is struggling to deal with this life so he eventually comes out of retirement. An older actor would be needed to play this part and I think Jon Hamm would be perfect. Best known as Don Draper in Mad Men, Hamm is a brilliant actor who could play the “old money” Bruce Wayne and has the all important strong jawline to be Batman.

These days, playing a superhero is your ticket to Hollywood superstardom. Chris Pratt went from the lovably goofy Andy in Parks and Recreation to a megastar just by appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy. Competition will be fierce, and I’m sure dozens of actors are hassling their agents, desperate to demonstrate their gravelly Batman voice for Matt Reeves.

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2018 has been a monster year for superhero films, largely due to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe with Avengers: Infinity War & Black Panther being the two highest grossing films in the world this year. With the release of the trailer for Avengers 4: End Game, audience appetite for the Marvel’s franchise shows no signs of slowing down.

Similarly, if you’re a fan of horror films the last few years have been something of a golden age: Get Out, A Quiet Place, IT, Hereditary, Halloween & Mandy are all part of a new generation of horror films that have seen critical success and have spearheaded a revival in the genre. A testament to this is horror films increasing their take at the U.K Box Offices, going from £50.8 Million in 2016 to £66.2 Million in 2017. 

2017’s Logan has served as the precursor what we could potentially see from grittier-darker toned superhero films. As the appetite for both superhero and horror films show no immediate signs of slowing down, surely it’s only a matter of time until we see these worlds merge, right?

New Mutants Delay

The New Mutants was one of our own selected Must See films of 2018. The X-Men spin-off sees five mutants escaping from a secret facility where they are being held captive. The release of the film was delayed by a year, as a result of reshoots and the Delay of X-Men: Dark Phoenix. The reshoots have reportedly allowed director, Josh Boone, to make the film “scarier”, with him even calling the film “a full-fledged horror film“. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the film can reach it’s potential.

Enter BrightBurn

“What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?” – the synopsis of Brightburn reads like an “evil” Superman and certainly, that’s the direction the first trailer appears to be heading in. The film is directed by David Yarovesky (Guardians of the Galaxy) who has coined the phrase “Superhero Horror”, to describe the merging of the two. Brightburn will be released in May 2019.

History repeats

The idea of a popular superhero-horror franchise on the big screen isn’t exactly new. Marvel first saw success 20 years ago with the release of Blade in 1998, the film followed Blade (played by Wesley Snipes) who stars in the lead role as a vampire killer. Amassing an impressive $130 Million worldwide, a cult following and spawning two more successful sequels, the Blade trilogy has the honour of being Marvel’s first trilogy franchise and first live-action superhero film led by a black actor. Wesley Snipes has spoken openly about bringing Blade to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so perhaps a reboot isn’t too far-fetched.

Keeping on the theme of vampires, following the commercial success of the Spider-Man spin-off Venom, Sony has had its eye on the continued expansion of its own Spider-Man Universe (not part of Disney’s MCU) with Morbius, the Living Vampire. The lead antihero, Biochemist, Dr Michael Morbius, will be played by Jared Leto. In the comics, Morbius has pseudo-vampiric superhuman abilities and physical traits stemming from a failed biochemical experiment which was intended to cure his rare blood disorder. Although exact plot details of the feature film aren’t known at this stage, expect to hear more news soon. The film is currently at the pre-production stage, so will likely be released in 2020 at the earliest, however, with the release of edgier comic-book based films beforehand Sony will be keen to build off the momentum of other films.

One reboot which is definitely happening is Hellboy. However, based on the trailer it might not be as dark in tone as the original 2004 feature film starring Ron Perlman. Should the reboot prove successful it should film studios further incentive to work on developing more superhero – horror films.

Who wins?

Ultimately this could be a win-win situation for fans and the film studios. In order to maintain interest in comic book film adaptations in a post-Avengers; End Game world, it makes sense for the major studios to branch out and experiment with the genre to keep fans engaged. Increased attention in comic-book films also allows studios to take more risks in producing more niche titles, which may already have their own cult following among comic-book readers.

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Divided Society

This leads me to what may be the most important and bitter divide in society today: Marvel Vs DC. On average Marvel films are better but the high point is Nolan’s work (which technically doesn’t belong to DC’s Extended Universe). It is certainly true that each has their own style. Marvel adopting a more fun and light-hearted take whereas just about every review of DC films uses the words “gritty” and “dark”.

Both have competed in making their own universes – Avengers: Infinity War has around thirty characters that could be called “superheroes” and just trying to keep track of them makes me dizzy. Again, of the two I think Marvel has been more successful in managing their own universe. The DC Justice League films have been widely panned by critics so much so that conspiracy theories exist that critics are all on Disney’s payroll. Rotten Tomatoes critic score for the first Avengers film is 92% compared to Justice League’s dire 40%. Personally, I not a big fan of interconnected universes as I think it becomes very convoluted and the weight of all the characters and storylines is crushing but admittedly seeing all the characters together can be really fun.

Successes

DC’s big success has been Wonder Woman; a film so good that I put aside my vendetta against Chris Pine. Gal Gadot is sensational as Diana who took one of the least plausible superhero origins and made the film work. Wonder Woman was not just good as a superhero film but dealt with the tragedy of the First World War surprisingly well (even touching on a character dealing with PTSD), the horror of war, even the inevitability of humankind’s own destructive tendencies. These are big things for any film to deal with. Diana’s charge across No Man’s Lead was an unforgettable scene and I cannot praise it enough.

Marvel’s high point for me is probably Guardians of the Galaxy Vol I. My knowledge of comic-books is not very deep and I had never heard of this before the film and I remember watching the trailer for the first time thinking “this is going to be a disaster”. It has a talking racoon. And a talking tree. And a professional wrestler playing one of the main parts. I thought not even Chris Pratt’s innate and irresistible likeability could save it. And what happened? Rocket and Groot are amazing characters and despite a limited vocabulary, Groot is surprisingly emotional. Dave Batista, the professional wrestler, was hilarious. I think Guardians of the Galaxy’s strength was in its emotional side, Peter/Star Lord has an amazing journey from scared child to well…a guardian of the galaxy. Perhaps this gives away my age but how can you not be charmed by a film that centres around lovingly put together mixtape?

Failures

So, those are the high-points, what are the disasters? Personally, I don’t think Marvel has really made a bad film, not all of them are great but all the ones I’ve seen I’ve enjoyed. The same cannot be said for DC. Man of Steel is that most frustrating of films in that parts of it are great but it ended in the obligatory but increasingly dull city smashing. Batman Vs Superman failed completely despite using whole sections from the fantastic graphic novel and animated film The Dark Knight Returns (which if you want to see a proper fight between Superman and Batman watch this).

But the award surely goes to the Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn was the film’s only redeeming feature but even then DC did not get a good handle on the admittedly very problematic Harley Quinn-Joker relationship. What every superhero film needs is a good villain, it’s perhaps more important than a good hero. I can’t tell you the name of the villain in Suicide Squad or even what they were trying to achieve or what they wanted. Captain America: The First Avenger is one of the poorer Marvel films but I remember Red Skull and what he was trying to do. Why is The Dark Knight so great? A huge part of that is Heath Ledger’s performance.

So In Conclusion…

Overall I think I have divided loyalties between DC and Marvel but I know what both could do better. First, too many films come down to the bad guy wants to destroy the whole world, so obviously they’re bad and anyone fighting them is good. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a great film in part because it was actually about something – order versus freedom, there were discussions about how far you can go to protect people and the bad guys could put their case forward. Secondly, the tone of the film should match the character and not the branding of the whole universe. The TV show Daredevil is one of the very few dark Marvel properties and benefits from that enormously; DC should be able to make fun films and Marvel can make dark films. Marvel next has the very promising looking “dark” and “gritty” Captain Marvel and DC has the very light-hearted Shazam so maybe they have already taken my advice.

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Maximum effort.

Why now?

Deadpool 2 was released on DVD and Blu Ray in the UK towards the end of September.

In a nutshell

Wade Wilson has been fighting crime as the mercenary Deadpool for two years when a personal tragedy (hasn’t he had enough of those?) forces him to team up with some lesser-known members of the X-men to track down and rescue a young mutant barrelling down a dark path towards violence. His quest brings him face-to-face with Cable, a cybernetic super-soldier from the future who’s travelled back in time with some violence of his own on the agenda.

Who’s it for?

Not your granny, that’s for sure – as with its predecessor, Deadpool 2 is chock-full of gory violence, sexual innuendo and naughty words, and as such is R-rated.

Who’s in it?

Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool in such a way that no-one else ever really could, much like Heath Ledger’s Joker. His charisma and comedic delivery keep the film ticking along at a steady pace as he bounces off every other character on screen (figuratively and often literally). The Deadpool movies wouldn’t be up to much without him playing the titular character.

Supporting Reynolds is Morena Baccarin as Vanessa (in a smaller but possibly more weighty role), the brilliant Josh Brolin (can’t not hear Thanos now, though), Julian Dennison (you’ll see), and a host of others returning to their roles from the previous film. There are a few wonderful cameos throughout as well, but I won’t spoil those for you.

The good stuff

This is another very funny, irreverent superhero film that constantly pokes fun at itself and its genre. If you like Ryan Reynolds and have a fairly good grasp of Marvel, you’ll find this hilarious. It’s also well-directed and has a surprisingly solid storyline.

The not so good stuff

Like the first Deadpool, the film frequently threatens to collapse under the weight of its toilet humour. I found myself wincing at times when yet another barrage of swear words spills out of Deadpool’s mouth when a less-profane line would have done the same job. There could also have been more Cable, but Brolin’s signed on for multiple films so he’ll be back soon enough. It also feels a little too long at almost two hours.

Best quote

Cable: I use a device to slide through time. The longer I travel, the harder it is to control. I got two charges: One to get me here, one to get me home.

Wade Wilson: Well, that’s just lazy writing.

The bottom line

If you’re a fan of the first Deadpool movie, you’ll like this one. It’s almost as good, and only falls short because it isn’t (and can’t be) as original as its predecessor. In all honesty, it wouldn’t be one I’d watch again in a hurry, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid flick that’s certainly worth a home viewing.

Again, though, just don’t watch it with your granny.

Verdict: (3 / 5)

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