Man Of Steel is the Peyton Manning of movies: unwarranted hatred for being amazing. To be fair, I can see how some people might not like Man Of Steel but you can’t say it’s a bad movie just because it’s not your momma’s Superman. With my praise for Man Of Steel aside, the sequel is already shaping up to be an even bigger bridge for trolls to lurk beneath.
Here you go, you bastards. |
With the casting of Ben Affleck, the Internet nearly broke.
Then, Gal Gadot almost broke Google.
Now, just a few days ago, the Internet took another blow to the head with the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.
Seeing as how the movie is two years away, and I love the Internet too much to see it self-destruct, read on and hopefully let some of your fears be set to rest (or don’t and keep hating – because we all know what they say about haters).
Hint: They hate. |
1. FRESH CHARACTERS/ INSPIRED CASTING
Say what you will about MOS (and god knows most of you have), it’s a unique take on one of our dearest legends: Superman.
MOS delivered the Superman we need. He’s a little edgy. He’s complex. He’s not just a boy scout. The Superman of old doesn’t work anymore. Comic books have gotten progressively darker in nature and more mature. The Dark Knight trilogy is living proof of this.
Lois Lane is another character that got a major overhaul – she’s no longer an idiot. She’s a legit journalist who figures out that her boyfriend is Superman and she’s charged with keeping the greatest secret on earth. That is way more exciting than some ditzy moron who is duped by spectacles.
Looking forward, Batman is supposedly older, grizzled, and experienced; more in line with The Dark Knight Returns. For some reason, people think the only movies Ben Affleck ever made were Daredevil and Gigli. Affleck is a damn good actor and he’s grown as an artist. Look at The Town for fuck’s sake, or agree with Jay and Silent Strike Back, “Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms.”
Lex Luthor is no longer an old bald man. This makes sense! Look at the guys who are currently super millionaires and billionaires. They’re software guys. Tech guys. Most of them have hair and they’re young. The casting of Eisenberg fits the universe perfectly.
Now for the elephant in the room: Gal Gadot. I’ll admit, at first I hated this. The more the casting of film shapes up thought the more I love this casting. She’s bulking up, she has Israeli army training, and her accent will lend some credibility to her being Amazonian. Now, if she turns out to be a sub-species of Kryptonian as the rumors are saying…good. Why not?
So what else do we know? Well for starters, lots of rumors. Joaquin Phoenix is possibly involved somehow. The Rock is rumored to be included in the plans as well. The Interwebs are going bananas over casting rumors and it’s just adding more fun to how it’s all coming together (I’m pulling for Brainiac and Sinestro, FYI).
I’m not even going to elaborate on Jeremy Irons as Alfred because, come on, Jeremy Irons.
2. THE UNIVERSE IS SHAPING UP
Some might claim that DC is playing catch-up to Marvel and trying to put all their eggs in one basket. But DC has way more eggs than anyone is giving them credit for. A whole crate of eggs.
While DC has failed to date in linking a cinematic universe, the pieces are finally starting to come together. Starting with MOS, they formed their crown jewel in Superman.
The sequel promises us AT LEAST a World’s Finest scenario but more likely something closer to sewing the seeds of a full-blown Justice League movie. Where DC is flying under the radar is the amazing television it’s producing and promises to continue. Arrow is simply amazing: perfect casting, cameos galore…the works. And, with the recent additions of Barry Allen, Deathstroke and teases for The Suicide Squad, this universe just got that much deeper.
The rumors of a Guillermo del Toro helmed Justice League Dark film continue to echo through the halls of the Internet and del Toro promises this film will directly tie into the cinematic universe. Speaking of JLD, NBC just green-lit the pilot for Constantine, which adds another platform in which to launch and introduce characters.
If DC starts utilizing Constantine, The Flash, and Arrow as bridges to the movies, that gives them two years to shape the universe before Batman VS Superman hits theaters, establish characters, and create a huge fan base. Not to mention that that’s plenty of time to establish an overlying, all encompassing plot.
Which brings me to…
3. THE CREATIVE TEAM (BEHIND THE DC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE)
With a rotating team comprised of David Goyer, Guillermo del Toro, and Zach Snyder, new additions such as Chris Terrio (Academy Award winning Argo screenwriter) – not to mention Geoff Johns in an Executive Producer role – DC has created the comic book movie universe equivalent of the Justice League.
Together, they have amassed a pedigree of some of the greatest comic book film adaptations of all time, ranging from beloved characters to cult classics, and with Johns involved, their comic book street cred is instantly elevated.
Each member of this creative team adds years of experience and a proven track record of quality, a needed focus on respect to the source material, and the ingenuity to inject a bit of futurism.
Couple that with the fact that Goyer, dubbed as the architect of the DC cinematic universe, is involved with the bulk of these projects instantly creates a creative bridge for unification while leaving the doors to introduce characters from The Flash, Arrow, and even Constantine, wide open.
With these guys putting their heads together I will blindly follow their plan with a smile on my face and optimism on the tip of my tongue.
Could it go wrong?
Yes, horribly. I mean, Cthulhu could strike at any moment with that type of thinking.
Will it? Not a chance.
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