Comic Book Movie's
Issues with a Cinematic Universe
Introduction Once again rumors have been piling up on what direction Phase 2 of Marvel Studios might be heading. While I have my own opinion on what exactly might be heading our way in the future I have come to take a little look back at the older entries in the franchise. With so many films being part of quite a grand cinematic universe there have been some growing issues with the last few entries. Iron Man 3 ended up being the most successful film of the year financially yet it seems to have scared a few from the fan base. Furthermore, some accused the film of creating a plethora of plot holes due to the nature of a Cinematic Universe, especially when one considers the existence of the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. While many hoped for the show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would fix those holes, it managed to open up even more questions that seek solving. While I will not focus on how exactly all the films are linked, hoping to keep that for another day, I will though take a look at what issues come with creating a cinematic universe.
Limitation of the Medium What is the biggest issue with any film? We are completely limited in how much one can actually put into a two-hour movie. While there are exceptions to this rule, for example The Hobbit has around a 3-hour runtime, it is mainly used as a guideline. Now, considering that each film must now tell its own story while also expanding upon the universe around it, you already have your first issue. Take Iron Man 2 as a great example where there is a lack of balance between these elements. Yes, it does tell the story of Tony Stark growing to accept the fact that he might die due to the arc reactor incompatibility with his body, but S.H.I.E.L.D. completely takes over the film in the middle. A common complaint was that this film became Avengers 0.5, focusing more on building up towards that film while leaving less room for the actual story to fully unfold. In the end, even though it lasts two hours your film ends up feeling rushed. On the other hand, there is also the issue of padding out your film to alienate your audience. Probably the most common complaint is towards The Hobbit Trilogy, which does not necessarily require that length. The Lord of the Rings consisted of three separate books of considerable length, while the Hobbit is a much smaller tale. Yes, they are expanding the universe by adding additional scenes from other books focusing on this world, but it has no true purpose to the plot. In the end, the film feels artificially prolonged while you could have kept it to a minimum.
Would it be smarter to expand it through Television? While you could fill in the blanks between each other you are faced with entire different problems. Television and theater work with very different budgets so with very effects-heavy shows you will never be able to bring them to the same level of quality. Especially if you take into consideration that there are some aspects that you cannot truly influence. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has the issue that it is a spin-off from the movie franchise, so most of those actors are too expensive to have appear in a film for longer periods of time. While yes it would be incredible to have a cameo from Thor or Iron Man on the show, it simply isn’t always possible. I was actually surprised that we had a cameo from Nick Fury in the second episode, which not only solidified the show in that universe, but also proved its own limitation. Why is the entire cast even stuck on the bus? Can’t we have them in the Triskellion? While I share that sentiment, I do understand the necessity of the bus. It limits the budget to one specific location that is smaller and allows mobility for the characters. We get to visit various locations while still having a central hub for our main cast. Arrow on the other hand might have the bigger advantage as it was here first. While there is no true connection to Man of Steel, we still have the possibility. Considering that all main players are being introduced in this show you not only have the smaller characters taking on bigger roles, but also giving young actors the possibility to expand into film. Yes, in this sense Arrow has a better starting point, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a great first attempt to expand an already established world.
Avoiding Complications and Keeping Consistency Here is the next issue, when does a world become too complicated? Marvel Comics have so many aspects that already make it difficult to bring every single type of character to the big screen. Not only do we have the God-like Vikings from a different dimension, but we also have regular aliens from various worlds. On our planet we have the scientific aspect as well as magic with characters like Doctor Strange, or the Scarlet Witch. In a way, Marvel Studios can simplify certain aspects, as they do not own the license to the Mutant race. In a way that helps them avoid explaining the difference between Mutants and Inhumans, which would probably throw any viewer off. Still, when publishing two films per year and one TV series it isn’t easy to keep a complete overview of every single detail. Some aspects might make no sense in the bigger picture or are even left behind because a new idea was brought to the forefront. This was quite an issue at the beginning of Phase 1 as the story for Avengers wasn’t set in stone so many different storylines were thrown out, but we as an audience were missing a few details that linked them together. Even though the Marvel One-Shots turned into a way to get TV shows running, I believed them to be more effective to fill in the blanks between films while also giving us a nice little extra when purchasing a film.
Another problematic aspect of complication is the casting. Many wished that Idris Elba wasn’t wasted on a side character, but could be used as another hero. Even the number one choice for Black Panther has been given a completely different role within this universe. Casting various actors for roles is easy enough, but keeping consistency isn’t. Until now only two actors had to be replaced, Bruce Banner and War Machine. I do have to say that Marvel handled this aspect quite interestingly. The way Don Cheadle enters the room simply stating he is here now and we have to move on was quite a meta joke at the audience. Bruce Banner on the other hand was simply introduced as Mark Rufalo after the disputes between the Studios and Edward Norton ended their contract. While I wish they had one line stating that he gradually changes due to the transformations to keep a consistency it still is unavoidable. This aspect will haunt any Cinematic Universe and I have to say that it is understandable why Kevin Feige stated that Iron Man is like James Bond. By allowing various actors to expand on the roles of the characters we have the possibility to see them sustain for much longer.
Conclusion In a way I only truly touched upon the topic and there are many more aspects one can consider. Still, there will always be issues when one tries to expand into another medium or simply by creating something bigger. Franchises have changed and aren’t simply a series of films, but actually a connection between standalone stories. This concept proves how much work is behind creating such a world and how every puzzle piece fits together. We complain about various films being expanded through prequels while those that expand sometimes end up losing quality. One could argue that some of the most recent CBMs weren’t up to par with the greats, but we have to ask ourselves if that is truly necessary. Not every film can be an Avengers or a The Dark Knight, but they certainly can keep us entertained while expanding on a world that is slowly unfolding above us. Yet as everything else in life there will always be a limit to how far you can go.
So, what do you think? Did I maybe end up missing an aspect? Do you share my opinion or think I am completely wrong? Whatever it is leave comment below and discuss! While your at it why not like this article and share it with your friends to join the discussion! Until we meet again!