by Matthew Russell - Posted 8 months ago
I write this article with a sadness that truly cannot be explained. Recently there was some news that was released that Professor Zoom (Reverse Flash) was going to be the overarching villain in the DCEU. We would have seen his influence throughout all of the Snyderverse cumulating in FlashPoint being the 3 movie in a Flash trilogy instead of the first Flash movie.
Gal Gadot vs. Jason Mamoa, Henry Cavel as the emaciated Superman. Jeffery Dean Morgan as the Batman. A tear gently flows from my eye when I realize what was lost.
This got me thinking about what we could have gotten with other of these comic book franchises. There have truly been some would-be hits & near misses that could have drastically changed everything that we know. Here is a list of some of the movies that I truly wish we could have gotten.
There have been several reasons why many of these have been canceled, cost, editorial troubles, diminished returns, and actors aging out of a role. This is also not a 100% complete list, but just the musings of a fan.
The problem with the first GL movie was 2-fold. Overuse of CGI, and a rushed script that took 64 years of history and crammed it into 2 hours. Ryan Renalds was fine (although he seemed more like Kyle Ryner than Hal Jordan).
Honestly, I would have loved to see a movie that simplified everything with Mark Strong as the true villain; Sinestro. Building upon the foundation of the first film, which introduced Hal Jordan as the titular Green Lantern, the sequel might delve deeper into the vast cosmic universe of the Green Lantern Corps and its various members.
In this sequel, Hal Jordan would face a new and formidable threat in the form of his former mentor that endangers not only Earth but the entire Green Lantern Corps as they face Sinestro and the power of the yellow ring.
This would have introduced the entire emotional spectrum and knowing Hollywood, they would have rushed it and (this is just my guess), tried to have the Blackest Knight series shoved into the third film.
The most recent FF rebook was going to have a sequel. Fox was trying to start a franchise. Personally, I enjoyed the original FF movies and thought that the cast was perfect and that this movie wasn’t needed.
That being said, the reboot had a planned sequel. Unfortunately, there was so much studio interference that the director began bad-mouthing the movie. This didn’t leave audiences with high hopes. When the reboot came out, there were so many glaring problems that the sequel was quickly shut down and this movie faded into obscurity.
I don’t know anyone who didn’t like Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro’s run on the Hellboy franchise. For many of us, it holds a special place in our hearts as a comic-based movie done right. The problem was actually scheduling.
For years Guillermo del Toro had stated he was busy with movies such as “Hobbit” & “Pacific Rim”. The studio eventually rebooted Hellboy with Stranger Thing’s David Harbour as the titular hero. That movie was fine, but that was the problem…it was just…fine, nothing truly exciting.
I still fondly remember the #HellboyIII that Ron Perlman started, as well as the footage of Rob enduring 4 long hours of makeup, just so he could surprise a kid from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It truly seemed like the actor loved to play that role, and we loved him for it.
Ok, in all fairness, we sort of, got this movie. After the flop that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the franchise was softly rebooted. I say that it was a soft reboot because what came before was still canon. They would just focus on a new cast that would eventually recruit and train the original cast (or actors that would grow into the original cast).
Yep, you try to keep the X-Men cannon straight. Villians suddenly become good guys in the past with strong connections that are never mentioned (Xavier & Mystique). The “Merc With A Mouth” had his mouth removed and was known as Weapon XI instead of Deadpool.
Anyway, a ton of the actual plot did make it into the reboot that was X-Men First Class. I have to say, the acting was top-notch from McAvoy & Fassbender. I loved how they were able to work in the scenes from the concentration camp.
I have to say, originally Erik Lensherr was going to be liberated by Allied Forces led by Charles. That could have been an entirely different movie.
There were various rumors and discussions about potential plot directions for the third installment in Sony Pictures' "The Amazing Spider-Man" film series, which starred Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
It was suggested that the film might have explored the resolution of plot threads from the second movie, including the fate of Gwen Stacy and the emergence of new villains.
One possible direction for "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" could have seen Peter Parker facing the aftermath of Gwen Stacy's tragic death at the hands of the Green Goblin, portrayed by Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn.
The film might have delved into Peter's struggle to come to terms with Gwen's loss while contending with new threats, potentially including classic Spider-Man villains like Kraven the Hunter or the Sinister Six. The movie could have continued to develop Peter's relationship with his best friend, Harry, who was slowly becoming the Green Goblin, leading to a conflict that would test Peter's loyalty and morality as he tries to save Harry from the darkness consuming him.
Okay, we knew all this from the end-credit scene of Amazing Spider-Man 2. Originally though,
Harry’s transformation into the Green Goblin was going to take a lot longer and we wouldn’t have gotten that monstrosity that we did in the second film.
A standalone Gambit movie had been in development within the X-Men film universe, centered around the popular Marvel Comics character Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit. Channing Tatum was originally attached to play the titular role, showcasing Gambit's skills as a charming mutant with the ability to manipulate kinetic energy. The movie was expected to delve into Gambit's backstory, exploring his origins as a street thief in New Orleans and his transformation into a powerful mutant working for the X-Men.
The plot was rumored to revolve around Gambit's past catching up with him, as he gets entangled in a high-stakes heist involving mutant-related artifacts. With his unique power to charge objects with energy, Gambit would have been portrayed navigating a world of intrigue, danger, and alliances, as he attempts to outwit both criminal organizations and governmental forces seeking to control mutant abilities. The movie aimed to blend action, humor, and character-driven storytelling while giving fans a deeper look into Gambit's complex personality and the challenges he faces as a mutant in a society that fears and misunderstands his kind.
While I would love to talk about several of the Batman movies that were planned and scrapped (such as Tim Burton’s Batman 3) that would take far too long and deserves a post of its own. Hit me up in the comments below if you would like to know more about these movies.
For this post, I would like to talk about the best Batman movie that never was, Ben Affleck’s The Batman. This is an interesting one as Ben Affleck has been in more movies as Batman than any other actor, yet has never been given his own film.
The star would have directed this movie as well as play the hero. We know that the casting would have had BVS’s Alfred, & Commissioner Gordan returning along with the main villain being Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke.
This would have followed the plot of the Arkham games. Normally I am 100% against “overstuffing” a comic movie with villains; 1 generally is enough. This, however, sounds so amazing!
We know from BVS that in the Snyderverse, Batman is established and has been operating for several years (20 years at this point), and has faced several villains such as Killer Crock, Deadshot, Victor Zsasz, Riddler, Scarecrow (hinted), and of course the Joker. Since it is so much later in his career, it would be safe to assume that he has fought most of his rouges gallery at this point.
Ben Affleck surprised me as being such an amazing Batman that I would have loved to see what he could do in a solo outing. Side note, Ben has played Daredevil and is also the only person to play both Batman & Superman (he played George Reeves in the film Hollywoodland, which also starred Martha Kent’s Diane Lane).
Sidenote, Ben was also attached to Kevin Smith’s Superman film.
"Justice League Mortal" was a planned superhero film that was intended to bring together iconic DC Comics characters in a team-up adventure. The movie was in development during the mid-2000s and was set to be directed by George Miller. The film's cast included Armie Hammer as Batman, D.J. Cotrona as Superman, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, Common as Green Lantern, Adam Brody as The Flash, Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman, Hugh Keays-Byrne as Martian Manhunter, and more.
The plot of "Justice League Mortal" was reported to involve the formation of the Justice League as they come together to combat a global threat. The main antagonist was said to be Maxwell Lord, a telepathic supervillain who manipulates the minds of various superheroes in an attempt to pit them against each other. The team must overcome their differences and work together to thwart Lord's plans and save the world. The film was set to explore the dynamics between these iconic characters, each bringing their unique strengths, personalities, and conflicts to the table. Visual effects and action sequences were expected to play a significant role, showcasing the heroes' powers and abilities in epic battles.
Despite being in advanced stages of pre-production, "Justice League Mortal" faced several setbacks, including the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike and financial concerns. Ultimately, the project was shelved, and the film never reached production. While elements from the planned movie, such as character designs and concept art, have surfaced online, "Justice League Mortal" remains one of the most notable "what-if" stories in the realm of superhero cinema.
Keep in mind that this is actually filmed and edited. It is just sitting on a shelf somewhere. This makes me so angry that I can’t continue this article anymore. BOOOO!!!
