Yeah, it's fricking amazing! Add that to the amazing first trailer that we got back in February... and I mean, yeah... this is... yeah, it's just.... YEAH! FRICKIN' YEAH!
Now, those that know me, know that I am a self-professed Marvel fan-girl. I like Marvel, always have, always will. That doesn't mean that by default, I hate all things DC. That couldn't be further from the truth. I like DC properties... I mean, what's there not to like about Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? They are incredible characters, and are a huge part of comic book lore, both past and present. Arguably the three most iconic comic book characters in history, they cannot be discounted, ever. I do, in fact, collect a number of DC titles currently... just not any of those titles and not as many as the number of Marvel titles I collect.
That being said, it's no secret that Marvel is winning the war between the two comic book giants, when it comes to big screen adaptations. (I wrote another blog post earlier this month on how DC is king of television, so you should check that one out!). Yes, I know that Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy was extremely successful, as was Man of Steel. I'm not discounting those things, even though neither were my personal favourites, by any stretch of the imagination. I know there are many, many people out there who love them, and I can see the appeal. It's just that, the beast that is Marvel Studios has been relentless in it's plan, and have, for the most part, been releasing different, top notch comic book adaptations since 2008.
Kevin Feige had a plan. In hind-sight, it was brilliant. A quick, 30 second shot of Nick Fury in Tony Stark's living room... "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger initiative." Those ten words changed everything. They altered our perceptions about what a comic book movie was, and more importantly, where they could lead. And then, systematically, Feige and his team ticked off the boxes as they released movie after movie, each separate, but with intertwining threads, all leading to something bigger, something huge. They named it the Marvel Cinematic Universe and history was made. The massive success of The Avengers cemented the idea that it was possible to bring different aspects of the comic books to life and that the general movie going audience was willing to go along for the ride.
DC and Warner Brothers, at this time, were basking in the success that came with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, awaiting the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Extremely successful and critically acclaimed, the Nolan trilogy set the standard for comic book projects over at the WB. Which was one of the reasons that the disaster that was the Green Lantern in 2011 stalled any future projects. While I didn't hate the film, I do recognize that it did have some serious flaws, and so did the rest of the movie going audience. A flop financially, it made the WB wary about diving back in to the world of superheroes and virtually shut down their Justice League plans. It was only after the release and success of 2013's Man of Steel that the wheels on the Justice League bus began turning again. The WB, afraid to commit to anything until they saw the reception that their new Superman property received, was finally willing to green-light a sequel. And the sequel they had in mind was going to blow the socks off of everyone. Using a quote from The Dark Knight Returns, Zack Snyder announced at Comic-Con that Superman was going to battle Batman in the summer of 2015, pitting it directly against The Avengers sequel in the battle for the box office title. And the internet exploded...
By this time, Marvel had not only released Iron Man 3, but already had 5 other movies in different stages of development, four of which would lead up to the Avengers sequel, The Age of Ultron. At this point, even after the Comic-Con announcement, it wasn't even a contest... Marvel was so far ahead, that Warner Brothers couldn't even see them on the track. Again, the intertwining threads of the MCU were building towards something grand. Although the Batman vs. Superman news overshadowed everything else, Feige refused to panic and continued on as planned.
And then it happened... The WB realized that it over-played it's hand and wasn't going to be ready for a 2015 release date. Pushing the release of the Man of Steel sequel back by almost a year, they showed a chink in their armour. It was now going to be almost 3 years between the release of Man of Steel and the next movie in Warner Brothers arsenal. In that three year period, Marvel will have released 6 new titles. Yes, I said 6 new titles. We will get 2 new DC movies and 6 new Marvel movies. In terms of output, Marvel is miles ahead of DC. And it's not like they're putting out crap, either. Each title that has been released, so far, has been well received by audiences overall. And there is no indication that any of the remaining titles will be received any differently.
And while the WB is sticking with Zack Snyder to direct both the Man of Steel sequel and the announced Justice League movie after that (he also directed the first Man of Steel film), Marvel will have had 5 different directors direct their projects, each bringing a different take and flavour to their different characters. Names like Joss Whedon, Joe and Anthony Russo, Alan Taylor, James Gunn and Edgar Wright. Directors that you wouldn't automatically think of when you mentioned comic book movies. Directors with their own style and vision, who will take these characters that we know and love in directions that we never dreamed of. It's this diversity, this thinking outside the box that helps to push Marvel that much further ahead in the race. I'm not a huge fan of Zack Snyder, and I am not sure that keeping him on for all of your movies is the best course of action. But that's just me, and it's more of a personal preference.
But it's not just directors that Marvel is thinking outside the box with. They are making some interesting and daring choices in the properties that they are choosing to release as well. The addition of The Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man to the MCU are surprising and a little unorthodox. I get that Marvel, due to it's past successes, is in a position to gamble a little and I'm glad that they are willing to do so. By hiring Gunn to direct GOTG they are taking their properties in a whole different direction. It's funny, the WB is still dragging it's feet in regards to it's properties, especially a Wonder Woman stand alone film, as they are unsure if the movie going audience would be willing to accept a female driven comic book movie. Marvel counters that by bringing in a talking, foul-mouthed, machine gun totting raccoon, who's partnered with a walking tree. What the hell? But by the look of the above trailer, it's going to work and it's going to be amazing!
Earlier this week, the first pictures from Batman vs. Superman or whatever they are eventually going to call the Man of Steel sequel, were released. I will admit, Ben Affleck looks amazing in that Batsuit. And I really do hope that the movie is a huge success and that I truly enjoy it when I go to see it. As a comic book fan, I am the one who wins when these things work. And I love nothing more than being swept away by a fantastic story, with great visuals, with a bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure. This is what I get when I go to see a Marvel movie. Only time will tell if Warner Brothers figures out their own formula for success. But until they do, and they show a little more faith in their properties, Marvel will continue to win this war. Movie, after movie, they have the formula down pat. And apparently, Feige's plan stretches forward for many years to come. If they continue to think outside the box and make interesting and different choices, they may be impossible to catch. I guess we'll see...
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