As a preface, I'll say that I'm neither a Marvel or a DC diehard. I'm a fan of both publishers and I enjoy movies based on both Marvel and DC characters. I believe that this world will simply be a better place if there is a strong competition between the two companies. Competition improves performance.
MAN OF STEEL
First and foremost, Man of Steel must be great for DC to hope to contend with Marvel. Superman is the ultimate superhero. The “S” shield is routinely ranked as one of the most recognizable logos in the world. Superman is the linchpin of the future of DC; therefore Man of Steel cannot disappoint in 2013 if DC wants to be a player in the future of superhero movies. A successful Man of Steel will pave the way for all the other DC properties to make their way to the silver screen. Superman is the field general of the Justice League, so if the audience has no interest in seeing more of the last son of Kypton, then any hope for a Justice League movie will die.
DIVERSIFY
There’s a reason that virtually every superhero we see in the movies is a white male between the ages of 25-40 - because this is the most important marketing demographic. I believe it’s time to diversify the landscape of movie superheroes. Of course, this means that DC needs to bring Wonder Woman to the screen. For Wonder Woman to be a success, DC will need to garner the interest of the male movie-goers. Wonder Woman has come a long way from being the secretary of the Justice League. She is a princess, a warrior, a lethal hand-to-hand combatant, and an ambassador. DC needs to focus less on the princess and ambassador aspects and focus more on the warrior. DC can skip the ubiquitous and protracted superhero origin story … I think most people have an idea of who Wonder Woman is. The story should be based entirely in Themyscira and deal with the Amazons battling an invading horde. Wonder Woman should be about a brutal struggle to protect the hero’s homeland.
DC can also add a little pigment into the superhero portrait. There are several worthy heroes that could fit the role, but in regards to long-term success, the Green Lantern Corps has to have an established presence in the pantheon of DC superheroes. A Green Lantern sequel should introduce us to John Stewart. This doesn’t mean that Hal Jordan needs to be taken out of the sequel … both of the Lanterns could be in the film. Even if Ryan Reynolds is in the sequel and maintains the joking and nonchalant portrayal of Hal Jordan, John Stewart could be the perfect counter-balance to the character. John Stewart is a Marine Corps veteran and could bring an attitude that reflects discipline and valor. The trust that develops between the two Green Lanterns can provide a solid secondary-story to whatever off-world threat they have to fight.
SHOW US SOMETHING NEW
DC has a couple of heroes that could be showcased to display powers that the general audience has never seen before. I’m only going to focus on one superhero here – the Flash. The Flash has the ability to tap into the speed force. The potential for what his powers would look like in 3D or IMAX are limited only by one’s imagination. The character of Barry Allen deserves his chance to shine just as much as Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. In the history of comic book characters, few heroes can match the legacy of Barry Allen (even Marvel gave a clever nod to Barry and recognized him as the fastest man alive).
In my opinion, his rogue gallery would need to be updated or re-imagined to pose a serious threat. I just don’t see Captain Boomerang, the Trickster, Weather Wizard, etc. as being serious villains compared to the likes of Sinestro and General Zod. The story of the Flash should highlight his willingness to self-sacrifice for the greater good.
SWEEP THE LEG
Marvel has the jump on DC right now. If DC wants to keep up, they’re going to need to cut the legs out from underneath Marvel. Thanos has already been set-up to be the antagonist in future Marvel movies, but it’s fair to say that the general audience has no idea who he is or what his motivations are. Once Thanos is featured as the primary villain in the Avengers sequel, any incarnation of Darkseid will seem like a rip-off to the average person. DC needs to establish Darkseid in their films ASAP. I mentioned earlier that Wonder Woman should have to defend Amazon against an invading horde. The invading horde, which doesn’t necessarily have to be aliens, could be acting at the behest of Darkseid. Although Darkseid would not have to actually fight Wonder Woman in the film, he should at least have some dialogue and be established as an essential character. Darkseid and his minions could also be a contributing factor to the threat that the Green Lanterns have to fight. He wouldn’t need to be the main villain, but he could have an arrangement with Sinestro that sets up the plot. In a Flash movie, the rogues could be working at the behest of Glorious Godfrey or Desaad.
Darkseid could be used to establish a single universe in which these films are occurring, thereby rendering the need for cameos moot. One long, over-arching plot by Darkseid could be used to establish a singular threat that the heroes will need to unite to defeat, and also be used as a tool to build anticipation for the next chapter of the saga.
DC also has the chance to establish some of their lesser known characters in supporting roles. In my opinion, the introduction of Green Arrow in DC movies would appear to be a carbon copy of Hawkeye to a layman. It appears likely that Dr. Strange will soon make his way into the Marvel movies, which means DC needs to movie quickly to establish Dr. Fate. Dr. Fate doesn’t need an origin story and doesn’t need to be a primary character. He could be the person that first warns Wonder Woman of the impending invasion and he could play a minor role in the Green Lantern and Flash movies. Each of these movies could provide a little more back-story on the character. Dr. Fate would essentially act as DC’s sorcerer version of Agent Coulson.
All of these elements could be mixed together to lead to the eventual Justice League movie. The problem will be how to handle Batman. This will sound like heresy to a lot of you, but perhaps DC would be best served by leaving him out of the equation. It’s too soon to reboot Batman and including the character could lead to significant confusion for the audience.
Thanks for reading.