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So Marvel Films has struck gold with “Iron Man”, beginning the onscreen Marvel universe with a bang. They’ve got to feel good about themselves- Warner Bros. continues to dither around with a “Superman” franchise no one wants and a costly, dark “Batman” trilogy that is not even close to being a sure thing, while simultaneously scuttling plans for a “Justice League” movie after negative fan reaction to a cast made up of young twentysomethings. Yes, Marvel felt strong enough to come out last Monday and announce five more independently produced blockbusters scheduled for release in the next three years. Ballsy move, Marvel. Let’s see where this takes them.
It may have been a smart move to sit out the ’09 summer season, as it’s necessary for the audience to calm themselves before superhero overflow- this may be inevitable, of course, but by coming on in full force in 2010 with two films, they may be scaring off any other competitors, potentially monopolizing the superhero film marketplace- and yes, there is such a marketplace, where opening weekends have to exceed $60 million or bust, where 50% of the audience frequently drops out after the first weekend, and where DVD re-releases are commonplace for the consumer eager to own multiple copies of the same movie. The only superhero-type release planned by any studio next summer* is “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, and while it is a Marvel property that’s primed to spinoff into future films, it’s also a FOX-produced one. It’s also possible Marvel, seeing FOX’s squandering of the X-Men property, could be distancing themselves from the film, due to its gangwritten script and directorial conflicts, where helmer Gavin Hood is shooting an R-rated film, while producer Lauren Shuler Donner’s husband Richard (maybe you’ve heard of him?) has come aboard to, ah, “oversee” matters. |
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