DC's Heroes To "Go Dark" In Future Movies

[TGC]

Following the huge success of The Dark Knight, WB's plans for the rest of the DC Comics movies are decidedly...dark.

According to CHUD, responding to (or quoting) an interview WB movie head Jeff Robinov had with the Wall Street Journal:

"Like the recent Batman sequel -- which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far -- Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as "The Dark Knight." Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.' DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well."

Plus: "Superman Returns" is now out of canon, its disappointing showing convincing Robinov that they just need to make a whole new movie:

"'Superman' didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to," says Mr. Robinov. "It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned." "Had 'Superman' worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009," he adds. "But now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."

[MalaCloudy Black]

I can't honestly see it working out terribly well, but if it does, more power to them.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Urgh, he we go again. Why can't people understand that using one thing over and over and over is a bad idea and makes your movies into equivalents of fucking Disaster Movie? HUH?

[Benji]

Bleh, fuck the word "dark" in reference to making stuff.

[RoyWill Rumble]

I can't honestly see it working out terribly well, but if it does, more power to them.

.

The 'dark' theme doesn't really work well with a lot of their other heroes, so I don't see how this is going to turn out well for DC, especially for Superman.

[Boogey131]

I'll be interested to see how they can make the Superman character, who is always perceived as the Ying to Batmans Yang as a dark character. I mean, I don't read much DC but even his villains don't seem to have much of a dark side, y'know, beyond what we've already seen from Lex Luthor. I own Superman Returns and I really liked it. Kevin Spacey was amazing and the fun moments made the rest of the movie watchable, if by dark they mean removing that factor which to me goes hand in hand with the character then, I dunno how interested I am.

That's what makes Marvel movies all the more interesting to me, they seem to be grounded firmly in the reality that people want their comic movies to be fun/action-packed/true to the characters.

[RoyWill Rumble]

Not so much with Spider-Man, and the 'dark' Spidey movie sucked. To be honest, I didn't much like the first two either. Iron Man was the only Marvel movie that's been really good, to me, and it was fun and action-packed. The first and second Spidey were good-ish. They suffered from horrible, horrible dialogue and average at best acting in my mind. Plus, Spidey is one of Marvel's characters that I think can afford to get 'dark'(I hate that term applying to movies now) and it didn't until Spidey 3, which they fucked up terribly. I expected a lot more out of Spider-Man, basically. They got the characters down for the most part, but again, the rather over-the-top cheesey or downright bad dialogue, average acting, and the unwillingness to go 'dark' (God damnit) until the third movie? Boo-urns. Not to mention, Gwen Stacy wtf. I didn't mind Doc Oc. in Spidey 2, and he was well acted, and Willem Defoe worked well with the script, but... yeah, I've said enough about the acting.

As for the newer Hulk movie, I never saw it, so I can't comment on that.

Edited August 23, 2008 by Will.

[Benji]

It's ridiculously dependant on the film, there's being dark for tonal purposes (see the 00's Batman films), being dark for character purposes (see 2008 Hulk movie), there's being dark for story purposes (see Daredevil Director's Cut (it didn't really apply in the cut down theatrical cut)), then there's being dark for stupids sake, and when that happens you get Spider-Man 3, and I just know anybody with half a lick of sense doesn't want to see that again.

Edited August 23, 2008 by benji-182

[gunnar hendershow]

This isn't a good idea. Batman's appeal is that he is a dark hero. Nobody else is really like that.

[Boogey131]

Not so much with Spider-Man, and the 'dark' Spidey movie sucked. To be honest, I didn't much like the first two either. Iron Man was the only Marvel movie that's been really good, to me, and it was fun and action-packed. The first and second Spidey were good-ish. They suffered from horrible, horrible dialogue and average at best acting in my mind. Plus, Spidey is one of Marvel's characters that I think can afford to get 'dark'(I hate that term applying to movies now) and it didn't until Spidey 3, which they fucked up terribly. I expected a lot more out of Spider-Man, basically. They got the characters down for the most part, but again, the rather over-the-top cheesey or downright bad dialogue, average acting, and the unwillingness to go 'dark' (God damnit) until the third movie? Boo-urns. Not to mention, Gwen Stacy wtf. I didn't mind Doc Oc. in Spidey 2, and he was well acted, and Willem Defoe worked well with the script, but... yeah, I've said enough about the acting.

As for the newer Hulk movie, I never saw it, so I can't comment on that.

I'm a fan of the first two Spiderman movies, regardless of the general consensus that the acting was tripe. I didn't read comic books at the time so I didn't have any real knowledge going in, I think I was able to enjoy it for what it was because of this. Before the first movie I seem to remember looking down on it because it was based on a comic book, afterwards I think it made me less negative on comic books in general which later led to me reading them quite consistently. What I liked about the movies and later the books was the fact that generally speaking the story isn't too dark. Sure it has its 'dark' moments but to me, the core part of Spiderman is he's a wise-cracking superhero who leads a normal life as a teen/young adult and has to juggle these lifestyles. He isn't a character I'd like to see portrayed as dark and edgy. The third movie certainly leaned closer towards that but...it was stuck between the fun/comedic/cheesy moments from the first two movies and this new change of pace and just couldn't find its identity. That's why I'm a little worried about the idea of dark Superman.

It could either be stuck between the Superman we know and the Superman they're trying to portray and end up like Spidey 3 or it could just forget what makes Superman who he is and portray him as a dark figure which, he isn't. I'm not even a big DC fan but I did enjoy Returns and as a movie-watcher Im nto sure I want to see "dark superman"

[apsham]

The first thing that pops to my head, to make this stupid... is simply the fact that, jesus... one thing works and suddenly it's like "LET'S CHANGE EVERYTHING TO BE LIKE THIS." that's so short sighted that it isn't even funny, aside from the campy 60s stuff, Batman has always been dark in one way or another. I don't know a lot about the DC Universe because it bores the hell out of me, but surely everything couldn't exist and be real under the same style of film? Blah.

[Skummy]

Superman himself doesn't need to become a dark, troubled character (because, let's face it, it would just be him getting all emo about being the Last Son Of Krypton and/or pining after a woman with an alliterative name) for it to be a dark movie - they could keep Superman as the paragon of all that is right and true while the world goes to shit around him. It wouldn't be tricky to make the world itself, and plenty of the villains, a touch darker, without affecting Supe himself at all.

[apsham]

I don't think they should do that to Metropolis... correct me here if I am wrong, because as I said, I am lacking in DC knowledge, but doesn't that city kind of act as an opposite to Gotham? Gotham is dark, brooding, riddled with crime and Metropolis always seems to be bright, no matter what... blah.

[TGC]

You are right on Metropolis, but that doesn't mean that they can't do something with the villains to "darken" it up. It will all depend on the director they get, the script they get, and all of that. It's really a wait and see thing now. However if they get the Green Arrow movie going (Called SuperMax I think) I know that script is pretty "dark". However if you really want to go "dark" on Supes, do The Death Of Superman. You don't get much darker than killing him. In fact:

Superman 1: Reestablish his world and Lex, and use Metallo as the villain of choice, with a nice Braniac teaser.

Superman 2: Braniac, Lex, Doomsday, and Superman DOA.

Superman 3: Obviously his return from the dead, a second battle with Doomsday, the defeat of Braniac and Lex.

It's all in how you deem "dark" really.

[Raven52]

I could maybe picture Lex on the darker side. On the other hand, I couldn't see Metropolis dark, unless the setting won't be influenced from what we've seen in the comics.

Another point is costume. Batman's suit is, well, dark, and slightly realistic, as it's basically flambouyant battle armor. Superman has a rediculously colorful costume that serves no real purpose except designating him as a superhero.

I would love to see a darker view of the villians though. Imagine a CGI Doomsday...

[Gabriel]

I think everyone's overreacting about the idea of "darkening" up these films.

The whole world could be going to Hell, but Superman will always be that beacon of hope...and I think that's where they'll take these new films. Villains that can go toe to toe with the Man of Steel will really help, especially if you keep Luthor around and get the audience to realize just how much of an evil genius and complex character he really is.

Metropolis should still look like the ideal city, but looks can be deceiving. Superman's whole world is going to shit, but he never gives up, no matter what's going on, or what kind of evil he has to face. It's time to really push things and put Supes in situations where most people would crumble beneath the pressure, and have him struggle through because it's the right thing to do.

[apsham]

I've already seen Batman Begins.

[Nick Adams]

The only way you can go dark is to kill Supes, at least with The World's Most Powerful Non-Magical Boy Scout (sorry, but Captain Marvel wins the title without the designator).

I would really love to see a Flash movie. That would be fun as hell. Well, post-Crisis Flash, I should say. 'Cause Wally West fighting Captain Cold could be very ridiculous without being a dumb movie.

[wCwCreator]

I hate that they're doing a 'reboot' on Superman. It just shows how stupid and pointless the move to bring back Superman Returns really way. Everyone was capitalizing on sequels back then, not as much as now but their attempts were just pitiful.

I compare Superman Returns with Batman Begins. They both are loose interpretations of how each hero came to be. I agree that both movies had their flaws:

SR: Too campy, romantic scores to the death

BB: Slow, sometimes boring

But they can improve on that. The Dark Knight shows how in one film, a whole series can just go from good to HOLY~SHIT good. I don't think they should just scrub of all of what SR had laid the foundation on. I was watching a bunch of deleted scenes from the movie on Youtube yesterday and those scenes really should of been in the movie.

ex: "New Krypton" the name of that big land mass Superman threw in space, well it's still up there and it's growing... DUN DUN DUN.

The Hulk needed a reboot cause you couldn't save that ship if you continued with that stupid father angle. WTF?!?

Superman doesn't. They got a good base off the first one, build off that. Get a writer that can Superman weaknesses... He can't save everybody can he? Bring in Bizarro. Do something. I know something but 'I've been told that if you're good something, never do it for free.' It isn't a lost cause.

[livid]

Superman Returns was awful.

That's why they're re-making it. It wasn't a good movie and flopped big time.

I don't know how that isn't evident by now.

The "dark" bit is probably, more or less, their way of saying "Hey! Clark Kent is tragic too!" and it really just leads to more and probably better, drama.