When a character such as Batman has not only appeared on screen since 1943 but has also been continually recast over time, it's only understandable that moviegoers forge attachments to specific actors to have played the icon. Despite having appeared in a campy TV show, many still stand by Adam West because his iteration boasted such conviction and embodied many qualities synonymous with the Caped Crusader. Likewise, there are those of you reading this who can no doubt make compelling cases for the likes of Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy and Christian Bale, among others.
By now, I’m sure many of you know to stay after the credits whenever seeing the latest Marvel movie and, likewise, wonder where the heck everyone else is going when they begin to roll. I mean, haven’t people learned their lesson on numerous occasions since the first Iron Man flick debuted back in 2008?
When we think of the quintessential villains to have been a thorn in the side of DC's more prominent adolescent heroes, it's only understandable that Deathstroke be among the first that come to mind. Thus, it makes sense that he show up in some capacity in this summer's animated feature Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.
After appearing in those "post-credits scenes" for a few months, it appears as though we're finally ready to get to the meat of the story when it comes to Wolverine's return. Having officially arrived back in the Marvel Universe last fall, the mere presence of the mutant confounded True Believers because when we last saw him, he'd given up the ghost in 2014's aptly tilted Death of Wolverine.
These days, we've come to expect for superheroes to undergo upgrades and general costume changes between movies. Coincidentally enough, the character we're here to discuss today was a trendsetter in that regard, having set the precedent in the quadrilogy of films directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher. We are, of course, speaking of Batman.
Aside from Avengers: Infinity War, Aquaman is the comic book movie that I'm most looking forward to this year because it's something fresh. Sure, we may have paid a brief visit to Atlantis in Justice League, but this is a corner of the DC Extended Universe that is largely unexplored - and I can't wait to see what director James Wan has in store for us.
One reason why the character of Batman has endured for 79 years is that he’s so malleable. Sure, there are intrinsic qualities that unite various interpretations such as his superior intellect, martial arts skills and care for his fellow man, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been portrayals on opposite ends of the spectrum. For example, both Adam West and Ben Affleck have brought something very different to the table, but neither man’s efforts were no less valid than the other – and the same sentiment can be extended to comics and animation.
When it comes to how DC on film's history could've gone much differently, canned movies such as Superman Lives, Batman Unchained and Justice League Mortal are often among the first that come to mind. But, believe it or not, a certain Amazon Warrior nearly came to the silver screen a decade or so ago when Joss Whedon had been hired to pen a Wonder Woman screenplay. In fact, if you go back and look at early printings of the Identity Crisis trade paperback, you'll find an introduction written by him with that very project attached to his name!
While we may be counting down to Friday's cinematic opening of Avengers: Infinity War, it’s important we not forget that Marvel Studios have one more offering coming in 2018, that being Ant-Man and the Wasp. And though the latter probably won’t smash box office records like the former, it’s probably safe to say that it’ll still sell more than a few tickets.
Considering that the Man of Steel took the 1990's off when it came to appearing in theatrically released movies, it's a good thing fans had Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman to help satisfy their fix. Having ran for four seasons, it showed a more domestic side to the timeless icon, in addition to putting great emphasis on his career as a reporter at the Daily Planet. And, of course, there was the matter of him finally being married off to Lois Lane, something that'd actually been unheard of at the time.
