What can Marvel and DC do in movies that we haven't seen before

[Mister Mets]

The success of Barbie, Oppenheimer and the Super Mario Brothers film suggest that viewers want to see something in film that they're familiar with, but that's new to them in that context.

This is good news for Hollywood, given the worries that movie theaters (a major source of revenue) were on their way out.

But it's not the best news for Disney and Warner Brothers which are increasingly reliant on IP that's already been explored in movies, especially the Marvel and DC comic book adaptations.

So a question is what can they do that's new.

Some upcoming efforts work in that context. Deadpool hasn't had Wolverine as a straight man. The Marvels bodyswapping dynamic is new in comics. Superman: Legacy will bring a man of steel in a world superheroes already exist. Joker 2 is a musical. Batman & Robin is the cinematic debut of Damien Wayne.

It seems to me that Marvel's most important character is Doctor Doom, a top-tier supervillain who has never been done well in film. If they can pull that off, it'll lift the other projects.

DC has some major franchises that haven't been done on film like the New Gods, Teen Titans and Legion of Superheroes, so that could be worth exploring.

What can Marvel and DC films have that audiences haven't seen before?

[CliffHanger2]

A Luke Cage movie starring Michael Jai White. With a comedic twist like Friday/Black Dynamite-Let F. Gary Gray direct.

[Vakanai]

A non cookie cutter MCU film that isn't a quip a minute comedy mostly flick that's truer to the source material? A Spider-Man that acts like Spider-Man? A film that doesn't tie in and connect and build a shared universe so you feel obligated to see it for that reason instead of just quality? Just a good non-divisive DC movie not starring Batman? Take your pick.

[Jim Kelly]

There's a treasure trove of comic books about other things besides super-heroes--Disney and Warner Bros. own a lot of those properties. If we could get away from the idea that comic book movies have to be about super-heroes (Marvel Comics did publish a BARBIE comic book in the '90s), maybe the major studios would develop some of those.

Mind you, I think that Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's FROM HELL is a truly great comic book. The movie, not so much.

[Alan2099]

They could give us ... MURDER WORLD!

Imagine a hard R-rated superhero horror movie, were a lunatic in a leisure suit has captured a bunch of low level super types (Rocket Racer, Nighthawk, Two-Gun Kid, American Eagle, those types. The ones that we can't ever otherwise expect to see in a movie) and is running them through his twisted deathtrap of a circus.


Also, I think you could gives us a pretty gritty drama out of something like The Fool Killer. Imagine something in between V for Vendetta and Ledger's Joker with no Batman around. Here's a guy that's trying to make the world a better place by killing "fools" only he doesn't have any sense of scale. Billioniares ruining the world or a guys with crappy Youtube channels are equal targets.

[James Cameron]

A non cookie cutter MCU film that isn't a quip a minute comedy mostly flick that's truer to the source material? A Spider-Man that acts like Spider-Man? A film that doesn't tie in and connect and build a shared universe so you feel obligated to see it for that reason instead of just quality? Just a good non-divisive DC movie not starring Batman? Take your pick.

Agreed with this. It's not that hard. Or at least, it shouldn't be.

[Gaastra]

Marvel--

Two gun kid-wild west.

Wally the wizard--harry potter.

Strikeforce Morituri--powers with a price.

Mort the dead teenager--dark comedy.

Patsy walker--romance comedy.

Strange academy--also harry potter.

DC

Haunted tank--war ghost story.

Last boy on earth--planet of the apes

Blackhawk--ww2 plane indy jones adventure.

Knight and square--cosplay heroes pretending to be real heroes.

Resurrection man--hero who dies as his power and gets a new power ever time he returns.

Mr miracle--stuntman hero.

[Scott Taylor]

Marvel's main issue is that they are stuck doing comedy. Even in the midst of highly dramatic and poignant moments, like Ragnarok for instance, there has to be a joke to lighten things up. DC has done the Nolan Batman films, and others that have proven they have the dramatic and grimdark chops. Marvel doesn't need to remake Batman, but they do need to show that they can make an actual serious movie that deals with serious topics without having to lighten the mood every five minutes.

Cloak and Dagger would be a good one to try that with, in my opinion.

For DC, they do the serious moments pretty well. Too well. They even made Superman into a blue-suited version of Batman, essentially. And when DC tries comedy, it ends up feeling forced and a bit like they are just copying Marvel. DC needs to find its own comedy style, based on its own stories. Booster Gold seems a good way to go for that.

Eventually when/if DC ever figures it out, I'd love for them to do a LoSH movie that combines both drama and DC-style comedy, whatever that turns out to be. But not now.

[Gray Lensman]

Marvel's main issue is that they are stuck doing comedy. Even in the midst of highly dramatic and poignant moments, like Ragnarok for instance, there has to be a joke to lighten things up. DC has done the Nolan Batman films, and others that have proven they have the dramatic and grimdark chops. Marvel doesn't need to remake Batman, but they do need to show that they can make an actual serious movie that deals with serious topics without having to lighten the mood every five minutes.

Cloak and Dagger would be a good one to try that with, in my opinion.

For DC, they do the serious moments pretty well. Too well. They even made Superman into a blue-suited version of Batman, essentially. And when DC tries comedy, it ends up feeling forced and a bit like they are just copying Marvel. DC needs to find its own comedy style, based on its own stories. Booster Gold seems a good way to go for that.

Eventually when/if DC ever figures it out, I'd love for them to do a LoSH movie that combines both drama and DC-style comedy, whatever that turns out to be. But not now.

DC needs to stop trying to subvert Superman, and the moment a director hints at that direction, show them the door. Include a contract clause for financial protection if you must, but they need to remember that Superman is ALREADY subverting the "power corrupts" trope by leaning into "power reveals". We already have other shows subverting Superman in The Boys and Invincible. We don't need more, at least not until someone can do the basics right.

[ed2962]

I've saying it for years Millie The Model, the Western heroes, and the Marvel Monsters ( we sorta got that with Werewolf by Night )...

[90'sCartoonMan]

I still want my team of super villains. Sure, X-Men movies like First Class have had a group of mutant villains, the Black Order sort of works together in the Avengers movies, and Spider-Man No Way Home did a Sinister Six version, but I want to see a diverse group of criminals with various powers and origins coming together for a single purpose but with different motivations. Closer to the Flash's Rogues Gallery than what we got in the Suicide Squad movies. A Masters of Evil or a Secret Society of Super-Villains.

Some upcoming efforts work in that context. Deadpool hasn't had Wolverine as a straight man. The Marvels bodyswapping dynamic is new in comics. Superman: Legacy will bring a man of steel in a world superheroes already exist. Joker 2 is a musical. Batman & Robin is the cinematic debut of Damien Wayne.

Speaking of Robin, we have yet to have a shared universe with Batman on the Justice League and Robin on the Teen Titans. The Titans show gave us an out of costume Bruce Wayne, but all the Justice League stuff was off screen.

It seems to me that Marvel's most important character is Doctor Doom, a top-tier supervillain who has never been done well in film. If they can pull that off, it'll lift the other projects.

Doom definitely. After the mention in Dr. Strange Multiverse of Madness, I'd also like to see Franklin Richards.

They could give us ... MURDER WORLD!

Imagine a hard R-rated superhero horror movie, were a lunatic in a leisure suit has captured a bunch of low level super types (Rocket Racer, Nighthawk, Two-Gun Kid, American Eagle, those types. The ones that we can't ever otherwise expect to see in a movie) and is running them through his twisted deathtrap of a circus.

That would be kind of cool.

I've saying it for years Millie The Model, the Western heroes, and the Marvel Monsters ( we sorta got that with Werewolf by Night )...

I wonder if DC's Jonah Hex movie poisoned the well for Western heroes.

[krazijoe]

I still want my team of super villains. Sure, X-Men movies like First Class have had a group of mutant villains, the Black Order sort of works together in the Avengers movies, and Spider-Man No Way Home did a Sinister Six version, but I want to see a diverse group of criminals with various powers and origins coming together for a single purpose but with different motivations. Closer to the Flash's Rogues Gallery than what we got in the Suicide Squad movies. A Masters of Evil or a Secret Society of Super-Villains.



Speaking of Robin, we have yet to have a shared universe with Batman on the Justice League and Robin on the Teen Titans. The Titans show gave us an out of costume Bruce Wayne, but all the Justice League stuff was off screen.



Doom definitely. After the mention in Dr. Strange Multiverse of Madness, I'd also like to see Franklin Richards.



That would be kind of cool.



I wonder if DC's Jonah Hex movie poisoned the well for Western heroes.

I want the Under Siege storyline. It was so great in the comics.

[godisawesome]

I think that serious, well directed, but modestly budgeted romcom featuring superhero characters, with the action and adventure all being secondary, could be a seriously viable direction. There’s now been 2/3 Live Action shows focused on Lois and Superman’s romance (depending on how much you think the eventually Erica Durrance-carried latter half of Smallville should count) and a cartoon as well. Perhaps someone could make a comparatively cheap superhero movie featuring one of the more popular couples?

[Largo161]

I don’t really have any suggestions but I think this is a good topic and I like the ideas people offering.

[Mister Mets]

I think that serious, well directed, but modestly budgeted romcom featuring superhero characters, with the action and adventure all being secondary, could be a seriously viable direction. There’s now been 2/3 Live Action shows focused on Lois and Superman’s romance (depending on how much you think the eventually Erica Durrance-carried latter half of Smallville should count) and a cartoon as well. Perhaps someone could make a comparatively cheap superhero movie featuring one of the more popular couples?

There would be a worry that this might reduce interest in the regular Superman movie.

Granted, Joker is able to coexist with The Batman.

Weirdly, Rachel Broshanan would be obvious casting for a romcom version of Lois.