After Wonder Woman & Black Panther, is a Vixen solo film the next logical step?

[HestiasHearth]

Domestically, Wonder Woman was the biggest grossing superhero film of 2017 [third biggest hit of the year in all genres], and managed to get the best multiplier (overall total versus opening weekend) for a superhero film since the original Spider-Man in 2002, which exemplifies the stellar word of mouth that the solo film about our dear Diana elicited. Worldwide it managed to gross 820 million dollars, which along its solid reviews [92 % Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes] made it the DCEU's first truly smashing success in every metric possible. On top of that, it was the only blockbuster of 2017 to seriously become a zeigest-capturing pop culture phenomenon.

This year, another superhero film that did not star a white dude, Black Panther, has managed to indeed become the pop culture phenom of 2018, breaking box office records left and right on its way to most likely becoming the highest grossing superhero film of all time (at least in the USA; it has already grossed 500 million dollars in just 2.5 weeks at a pace that makes a final gross of over 623 million ---what the # 1 superhero film of all time, Marvel's The Avengers, grossed--- inevitable. Just like Wonder Woman before it, Black Panther has gone on to capture the world's imagination in a way that goes beyond it being merely another box office hit; it has created political debate, sociocultural buzz, and true-blue excitement among all types of audiences, but particularly among an underserved group of people who rarely, if at all, get to see themselves on the big screen as superheroes in an adventure all their own. Wonder Woman finally destroyed the notion that audiences would not watch a solo superhero film starring a woman, just like Black Panther has done the same for superheroes of color.

These two films are game-changers that, hopefully, will prompt studios to continue creating great superhero-related product that reflects the great diversity of superhero stories available in comics (i.e., superhero stories about more than just heterosexual white men).

I feel that a Vixen film would be inevitable at this point.
She feels to me, like the perfect logically sound next step to continue creating more superhero films that speak to audiences that are not just business as usual: just like I would certainly greenlight a Storm film at Marvel, I would absolutely earmark Vixen as the next woman to get a superhero solo adventure.

What do you think? Yay? Nay? May?

[CRaymond]

New Super-Man.

[Vanguard-01]

I know I sure as Hell want it! Vixen is awesome and long overdue for a solid push.

She could also be done for a relatively low budget. Unlike BP or WW, there's no need to construct a huge fantasy world around her. Just film in whichever home town she has and maybe a few African locations of she's going to actually go to Zambesi.

Other than that? Maybe some kind of "She's using THIS animal" effect and some basic flight/superhuman traits effects and she can be an otherwise human story with human support cast.

[Robotman]

WB can't get Superman, Batman, or Suicide Squad right so i don't have much faith in anything they do. but Vixen could be the logical step as she combines a lot of aspects that made Wonder Woman and Black Panther so popular. but they would probably have to cast a big name star as Mari since the character doesn't have a built in audience like the other two.

i think Blue Beetle could be huge for DC/WB. tap into the ever growing hispanic market. plus he would give them the Spiderman-like character they are so desperately trying to turn the Flash into. Coco's success showed that Mexicans and hispanics as a whole are craving some representation. plus there were stories about how El Diablo generated a lot of buzz.

[Dr. Poison]

I hope so but I don't think WB/DC have enough confidence in Vixen just yet to give her a solo live action movie. I hope I'm proven wrong.

[HestiasHearth]

WB can't get Superman, Batman, or Suicide Squad right so i don't have much faith in anything they do. but Vixen could be the logical step as she combines a lot of aspects that made Wonder Woman and Black Panther so popular. but they would probably have to cast a big name star as Mari since the character doesn't have a built in audience like the other two.

On one hand, I have to agree in regard to currently WB not being too adept at this game [yet] with the obvious exception of Wonder Woman. On the other part of your post, Vixen does not need a built-in audience, I think. Ant-Man did not have it, Dr. Strange did not have it, heck, even Iron Man was nowhere near the icon-level figure that Wonder Woman was when her film opened and, when Iron Man 1 opened, he did not have the advantage of having the fan loyalty that MCU has generated today (or the underserved, starving potential audience) that BP had when it opened. Vixen might indeed be an easier sell with a name actor attached to it, but let's not sugarcoat it: how many black actresses does Hollywood nurture to become stars? And if there are some, they are all starring in BP! If DC/WB managed to get a solid script that, just like WW, is a straightforward, clear narrative with lots of action, heart, and humor, and a decent director with good instincts (Belle's Ama Assante? Mudbound's Dee Rees? Professor Marston and The Wonder Women's Angela Robinson?), we might end up with a compelling film that, like has been mentioned, may not need a 149-million dollar budget. This could easily be made, I believe, for 80 million (I think)...

i think Blue Beetle could be huge for DC/WB. tap into the ever growing hispanic market. plus he would give them the Spiderman-like character they are so desperately trying to turn the Flash into. Coco's success showed that Mexicans and hispanics as a whole are craving some representation. plus there were stories about how El Diablo generated a lot of buzz.

I definitely agree about Blue Beetle.

[pageturner]

I hope so but I don't think WB/DC have enough confidence in Vixen just yet to give her a solo live action movie. I hope I'm proven wrong.

I am in this camp I am not opposed to it but I don't see it happening. They are using here on the CW so there is some love for the character.

[WillieMorgan]

Well, it's certainly a 'yay' as far as I'm concerned.

This query ties in with another thread currently taking place on the DC board, wherein I 'voted' for Vixen to be DC's equivalent or response to the incredible success that Back Panther is currently experiencing. I'm still not sure that DC needs to directly respond to BP's runaway triumph and that's really because of points that have already been made above. I don't trust WB/DC not to overreact and throw a half-arsed potential Vixen film out there simply to try and ride BP's coat-tails. A Vixen film that would have little to commend it and would subsequently sink without a trace, doing nothing but damaging the characters reputation in the long run. I'd rather have no Vixen film at all than that happen.

That doesn't mean that I don't think that efforts should be made in that direction. I'm 100% behind raising the profile of a character like Mari. It has to be handled properly though and, like I say, I have VERY little faith in WB in that regard.

[kurenai24]

She essentially is the best of both worlds like Storm is for Marvel that combines gender and racial diversity.

And while I'm glad people on twitter and here automatically think of her or eventually come to some conclusion with her being a good character that DC/WB can use to build off this momentum ...my girl don't even have a solo yet.

DC is in this habit of using their minority characters in animation, live action, movies, but they are no where to be found in comics. DC claims they want to pull in more readers but when there is a possibility that these potential readers are looking into DC comics b/c they favor a character and that character is a minority, they're not gonna be able to find anything for most minorities and if they can it won't be recent.

I bring up solos and comics b/c they are a well of stories, for some characters they've had 60 plus years worth of stories that if WB messes up on the character or the story, they can avert/ignore and focus on another storyline or a variation of the character.

I think most people would say that the DCEU has watered down certain characters/stories out of the 5 movies that they've done but luckily they have other stories to choose from to do right by.

Vixen will only be able to have one shot at a chance at live action, not only b/c she's female, and a racial minority but also b/c she doesn't have a lot of stories to tell; her mini, her animated show, her rebirth one-shot were just origin stories or extension of her origin, her use thus far has been in supporting roles as a team member.

A good writer can come with something but WB hasn't shown that they choose good writers, approve good scripts let alone that they follow what's in a comic and make it translate well on screen. I know that when it comes to the DCEU the talk is about directors but what's in the script is important too and it's not great there either.

I guess the good thing is that DC has time, whether Aquaman is good or not, whether Captain Marvel is good or not, whether Wonder Woman 2 is good or not is not gonna stop people from asking or rather wanting to see a woman of color led superhero film and that will continue to grow every time a superhero movie is released.

[Marvell2100]

She essentially is the best of both worlds like Storm is for Marvel that combines gender and racial diversity.

And while I'm glad people on twitter and here automatically think of her or eventually come to some conclusion with her being a good character that DC/WB can use to build off this momentum ...my girl don't even have a solo yet.

DC is in this habit of using their minority characters in animation, live action, movies, but they are no where to be found in comics. DC claims they want to pull in more readers but when there is a possibility that these potential readers are looking into DC comics b/c they favor a character and that character is a minority, they're not gonna be able to find anything for most minorities and if they can it won't be recent.

I bring up solos and comics b/c they are a well of stories, for some characters they've had 60 plus years worth of stories that if WB messes up on the character or the story, they can avert/ignore and focus on another storyline or a variation of the character.

I think most people would say that the DCEU has watered down certain characters/stories out of the 5 movies that they've done but luckily they have other stories to choose from to do right by.

Vixen will only be able to have one shot at a chance at live action, not only b/c she's female, and a racial minority but also b/c she doesn't have a lot of stories to tell; her mini, her animated show, her rebirth one-shot were just origin stories or extension of her origin, her use thus far has been in supporting roles as a team member.

A good writer can come with something but WB hasn't shown that they choose good writers, approve good scripts let alone that they follow what's in a comic and make it translate well on screen. I know that when it comes to the DCEU the talk is about directors but what's in the script is important too and it's not great there either.

I guess the good thing is that DC has time, whether Aquaman is good or not, whether Captain Marvel is good or not, whether Wonder Woman 2 is good or not is not gonna stop people from asking or rather wanting to see a woman of color led superhero film and that will continue to grow every time a superhero movie is released.

She should have been on the Nu52 JL team back when they re-launched. Wonder Woman was the only female and they definitely could have used another when they remade the team.

I definitely don't want her on this new iteration of Suicide Squad.

They aren't giving her much page time anywhere.

[El_Gato]

A Vixen film is definitely something I am in favor of! She should be more high profile than DC currently treats her. Too bad she didn't make the main cast of Super Hero Girls!! I don't know who I'd cast as her but Zoe Kravitz and Janelle Monae are up there IMO.

On a side note, another character DC could capitalize on to reach that cultural zeitgeist is Blue Beetle. Latino superheroes (or Latinos in blockbusters in general) are so rare that a Blue Beetle film could be big!

[HandofPrometheus]

It would be so good for the character but they would have to scrap the bottom of the barrel to get Vixen material for a whole 2 hour movie. She barerly gets any presence in comics and the CW had to make up something for her becuase of this. And since WB got most of the big characters wrong who had plenty of material to get right, I wouldn't trust them. However less material can also be her advantage if they were smart enough and dedicated.

[Pohzee]

Well... I think that a Vixen movie could be popular, but it won't reach the levels of buzz as the Wonder Woman or Black Panther movies.

Wonder Woman was big because because it was the first movie about a superheroine. Black Panther was big because it featured the first Black superhero, or any racial minority hero.

Vixen would be neither the first superheroine onscreen or the first Black superhero. To reach that level of buzz, DC needs to be proactive not reactive. They need the first of something else, not following previously successful moves. They'll just recieve diminishing returns. Perhaps they should try to make the first superhero movie centered around an LGBT hero. I dunno.

[kurenai24]

Well... I think that a Vixen movie could be popular, but it won't reach the levels of buzz as the Wonder Woman or Black Panther movies.

Wonder Woman was big because because it was the first movie about a superheroine. Black Panther was big because it featured the first Black superhero, or any racial minority hero.

Vixen would be neither the first superheroine onscreen or the first Black superhero. To reach that level of buzz, DC needs to be proactive not reactive. They need the first of something else, not following previously successful moves. They'll just recieve diminishing returns. Perhaps they should try to make the first superhero movie centered around an LGBT hero. I dunno.

You're forgetting woman of color are a thing and that they are still waiting to see a superhero film with a woc led movie which no one has done yet ...and no that Catwoman movie does not count.

Like I said, the demand for a woc led superhero film will only get louder as more superhero films are made and as been discussed in communities dedicated to diversity, when people talk about representation they only seem to acknowledge white females and male minorities forgetting that there are individuals who are both those things and while they get representation from Wonder Woman and Black Panther in one aspect of their being, they still want something that represents who they are dually.

Not to say that would translate to dough necessarily b/c in their respective groups they tend to get ignored or rather their respective groups always wants them to ignore one aspect of their self.

[HestiasHearth]

It would be so good for the character but they would have to scrap the bottom of the barrel to get Vixen material for a whole 2 hour movie. She barerly gets any presence in comics and the CW had to make up something for her becuase of this. And since WB got most of the big characters wrong who had plenty of material to get right, I wouldn't trust them. However less material can also be her advantage if they were smart enough and dedicated.

I think that less material would indeed be a plus. You have more freedom to do your own thing without being tied by a long history of continuity, and I feel that at the end of the day, WB should simply take the basics of who she is and run with it. I like the casting suggestions above (Janelle Monae, Zoe Kravitz), and I would add Gugu Mbatha-Raw to the mix.
And we should be careful in thinking that only "the first this" or "the first that" is what would make a non-white-dude film successful necessarily. Remember that we want these movies to keep being made. They need to focus more on making solid films (more than on making "firsts"). So, yeah, I would want a Vixen film and a Blue Beetle one, but I would also want to see other black characters and more Latino characters getting movies, as well as other superheroes of color getting their films.