Even before Disney acquired Fox, we were seeing our favorite mutants once again enjoying prominence over at Marvel. And to be more specific, we're talking on the comic book side of things. You see, after being somewhat cast aside for a number of years, the X-Men have been experiencing a resurgence of sorts over in the 616, with one top notch book being rolled out after another.
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?
I’ll be honest in saying that while I absolutely love Ben Affleck in the role of Batman, I must be a realist when it comes to the future of the Caped Crusader in cinema. With his first major effort in cape and cowl – Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – having been not too well received amongst critics and general moviegoers, that undoubtedly led to Justice League bombing at the box office, even if it received more positive buzz from those who saw it.
For many, Christian Bale defined Batman for a generation, having played the iconic character in three films directed by Christopher Nolan, culminating with The Dark Knight Rises. In the time since, the Caped Crusader has been recast, but the impression left by Bale is undeniable. Really, countless fans have kept their fingers crossed in hope that he’ll eventually take up cape and cowl once again.
To say that Gotham has a lot of threads to wrap up whenever it returns from hiatus is an understatement. In short, it has to deal with the escalating Jim Gordon-Penguin-Sofia Falcon situation, Bruce Wayne continuing going off the rails, and the return of Jerome, to name but a few. To put it mildly, the writers have a lot on their plate.
In the wake of Justice League failing to live up to financial expectations at the box office, it seems only natural that Warner Bros. focus on DC films that are more likely to be surefire hits going forward. Obviously, one such entry into the Extended Universe that one would expect to sell more than a few tickets would be that of Suicide Squad 2, but I and many others are still hoping that another movie that'd feature Harley Quinn - Gotham City Sirens - eventually sees the light of day.
Anyone who loves superheroes these days seems to have that one cartoon that resonated with them, leading to an undying love for it. Children of the 1990’s will likely wax nostalgia over Batman: The Animated Series or X-Men: The Animated Series, while others who prefer the decade that followed remember Justice League Unlimited and Spectacular Spider-Man quite fondly.
If you’re one to follow the Arrowverse and tuned in for the recent midseason finales, then you’re well aware of how each of them left off on crazy cliffhangers that knocked us on our rears. Of course, Supergirl was the show that got the ball rolling, and it did so in brutal fashion.
While I'm all for the DC movie and television universes being two distinct entities in order to allow creative freedom for both, there is the frustration that comes along with having certain characters being off limits (just ask Deathstroke). Naturally, the big screen side of things gets first dibs, so we're often left in situations where global crises mean that the Trinity doesn't show up to assist the heroes of the Arrowverse. Yes, I know it's baffling at times, but we've learned how to make do.
When Krypton was first formally announced all the way back in 2014, even the most devoted among us Superman fans questioned if such a series was entirely necessary. After all, the ten-year journey to becoming the Man of Steel that was Smallville (and the epilogue comics that followed) are still fresh in our memories, so why continue milking the prequel cow for all it’s worth when there are many other fine DC properties that are ripe for adaptation?
