# Why the heck can't DC comics get a decent movie made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 19, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493 "2003-03-19T06:57:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/41 "2003-03-20T05:41:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KKBattousai \* > \*\*You mean Captain America and Punisher had theatrical releases? Man, that must have been an interesting time… > > \*\* Nope. I know Captain America didn’t. It was going to be released to the theatres. Our local AMC had the teaser poster of the Cap shield up for a while. But it was never released to the theatre. I’m almost positive Punisher went straight to video as well. I would have gone to see it, but I never even saw a poster for it. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/42 "2003-03-20T06:02:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > \*\*I’m almost positive Punisher went straight to video as well. I would have gone to see it, but I never even saw a poster for it. \*\* I think it played for like a day or something before being dumped on video. I caught about five minutes on TV one night and it was so screamingly awful that I decided to do something more productive (like beating myself in the head with a claw hammer). ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/43 "2003-03-20T08:19:40Z")
**Wumpus** , I saw Kevin Smith speak last spring, and he discussed that mess at great length. The polar bears and spiders bit was great. Apparently, they’re both “the natural born killers of the animal kingdom.” The spider thing, at least, did come to fruition in _Wild, Wild West_. I don’t know about the polar bears. Actually, from what I understand, various and sundry people had been toying with the idea of making an X-Men movie since the mid-80’s. DC will get some good movies made…eventually. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/44 "2003-03-20T13:47:38Z")
I just wanted to step in and set the records straight: **Howard the Duck** is NOT a bad movie!!! DAMNIT!!! For the source material, it was a great film. It was a ludicrous idea, and they pulled it off well. Lots of fun, the acting was as good as it needed to be, and the visual effects were GREAT!! The deamon space monsters at the end still impress me. So back off! Amazingly, though, DC has had more television series based off of their stuff than Marvel. There have been at least three Superman shows I can think of; Batman; The Flash; and numerous cartoons that lasted for a good long while. I can only think of the Hulk for Marvel in terms of series, that really horrible Generation X television movie, and a number of cartoons that really didn’t last that long because, well, they sucked (UPNs lineup of The Incredible Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Fantastic Four were all CRAP!!!). I just find it interesting how DC always managed to pull off series well, yet the movies aren’t working out. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/45 "2003-03-20T13:59:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by caveman \* > \*\*They are doomed to failure until they fast track an Ambush Bug feature. \*\* Curse you, **caveman** , for saying this before I could! 🙂 Having seen proposed scripts for the **Watchmen** movie and heard some of the treatments for a **Sandman** movie, you can be damn glad some of these movies don’t get made. One movie exec wanted to see Morpheus and the Corinthian duking it out in the opening scene. \ I wouldn’t mind seeing a **Top Ten** film, done properly. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/46 "2003-03-20T14:35:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by El Elvis Rojo \* > \*\*I just wanted to step in and set the records straight: > > **Howard the Duck** is NOT a bad movie!!! DAMNIT!!! > > For the source material, it was a great film. It was a ludicrous idea, and they pulled it off well. Lots of fun, the acting was as good as it needed to be, and the visual effects were GREAT!! The deamon space monsters at the end still impress me. > > So back off!\*\* Amen, Bruddah! _Howard the Duck_ was a hoot! ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/47 "2003-03-20T16:05:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\*Recently the Wonder Woman hit a snag in development hell when the star they were pursueing turned it down. Who did they want to play WW? Sandra Bullock! AHHHHUGH! Now Catherine Zeta-jones seems born to play the part. \*\* There is only one woman born to play Wonder Woman: Julie Strain. All in favor of an R-rated Wonder Woman raise your hands. ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/48 "2003-03-20T18:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SolGrundy \* > \*\*_Superman_ is a different story – not only is “Smallville” a success, but Marvel has had a pretty consistent string of super-hero hit movies, and the pressure is on. That gets stuff done more than any “creative vision” from the producer or “A-list talent” in the cast. > > And about some of the other posts: I can guarantee that continuity issues are **not** the stumbling block for getting comic book movies made. The idea is absurd. In fact, I’d say that actual readership of a comic book has any bearing at all on the chances of a movie’s getting made/being successful. It’s all about character recognition and whether they can work any of the traditional movie-selling stuff (hot chicks in tights, etc.) into the franchise. I don’t think I’ve ever actually read a _Superman_ comic book, but I still know enough about the character to want to see a movie about it. All the nonsense with Red/Blue/Electric/Whatever Supermen, and Supergirls, and pocket universes and such, don’t matter one bit to the movies. \*\* This is a good point and one that often gets overlooked. Marvel’s movies have not been slavish to the continuity established in the books and have changed it to reintroduce the hero for a new audience that probably hasn’t read a comic book since they were much younger, if at all. The clearest example of this is Spider-Man, where there were substantial rewrites of the origin story. It changed the continuity, but only the most anal fanboys were at all upset by it. Personally, I liked it better in the movie, and I’ve read a fair amount of Spider-Man in my day. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/49 "2003-03-20T18:33:01Z")
The problem with comic book movies is that the movie folks are inherently looking to make a _character_ series/franchise rather than being satisfied to adapt a single great story, as they do with books. On top of that, because there’s at least the possibility that a sequel won’t happen, the movie folks seem to feel obligated to “finish big” by killing off the villain. (Superman I being the notable exception.) I think DC is wise in trying to develop its concepts more as TV series than as movies. As a Legion fan, I’ve always thought they’d make a fantastic soap opera but a lousy two-hour screen feature. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/50 "2003-03-20T21:04:34Z")
I Want A Wonder Woman Movie and Sequels - cause she can support them in my Lifetime - oh and Merchandising, she is one of the Big Three - but you’d never know it. Wonder Woman should be any other actress other than Sandra Bullock - how about the girl who played the Huntress - Helena Wayne form Birds of Prey, or if you need a name Catherine Zeta-Jones - Have you seen her in Chicago?, she can pull off the costume. Yeah, she’s having a baby, but by the time DC/WB finally makes the movie, she’ll be back in shape, unless MD knocks her up again. She would probably need help with the fighting, but that’s what they have stunt choreagraphers for. I also would like Green Lantern movies - there are so much could be done with the Green Lantern Corps. Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, and Jon Stewart. Flash and Catwoman as well. DC/Warner Bros. have alot of characters that they could counter the onslaught of Marvel Comics Movies, but all DC wants to do is do tired/played out Superman and Batman - Hello, you have a myriad of characters that people love and would go to see as a movie. If Marvel did their movies like DC/WB all they would put out is X-men, how about a little variety. I tried to find the Justice League Action Figures and Plush Dolls for myself and Lil’ Intaglio, but all they had was Superman and Batman - Piss Me Off. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/51 "2003-03-20T21:08:09Z")
Oh - I forgot, here’s a thought to DC/WB, I bet you would probably make a ton of money from successful movies and merchandising - from of the other DC - Comic Book Characters. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/52 "2003-03-20T21:08:20Z")
I’d just like to reiterate what others have said: The problem with _Superman_ is not the studio’s relationship with the comic publisher, or confusion about the nature of the character, or anything like that. The problem with _Superman_ is Jon Peters. He’s probably one of the top five morons in Hollywood, and I don’t say that lightly, because there’s lots of competition. If you haven’t read **Wumpus** ’s link, go do that now. Peters has his name on a lot of successful movies, but he has nothing to do with their success. In fact, on _The Color Purple_, Spielberg simply barred him from the set for the entirety of the shoot. _Superman_ will not get made until Peters departs. And Peters will never let go of what he obviously feels is his best chance at returning to high-profile movie-producer glory, after the failures of _Wild Wild West_ and other projects he screwed up. Catch-22. ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/53 "2003-03-20T21:12:46Z")
What about Swamp thing with Adriene Barbeu (sp?) and her knockers! Those were VERY decent. The movie was ok, too. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/54 "2003-03-20T21:29:32Z")
? is, Why does DC/WB feel like they have to make another Superman or Batman movie, when they have many characters they could make a movie out of? Wonder Woman, the many Green Lanterns, Flash, Catwoman, Lobo, etc. Marvel is coming out with X-men2, The Hulk - and probably sequels, Spiderman2, I wouldn’t be surprised if they come out with Electra - from Daredevil, and Black Cat from Spiderman. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/55 "2003-03-20T21:35:17Z")
Ah, Black Cat, now there was a hottie… ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/56 "2003-03-20T21:41:17Z")
And in further news, [Ratner abandons Superman](http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/03/20/showbuzz/index.html#3). Dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/57 "2003-03-20T21:45:37Z")
Good - DC/WB put some more effort in other characters. F - Superman and F - Batman. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/58 "2003-03-20T22:06:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by El Elvis Rojo \* > \*\*I just wanted to step in and set the records straight: > > **Howard the Duck** is NOT a bad movie!!! DAMNIT!!! > > For the source material, it was a great film. It was a ludicrous idea, and they pulled it off well. Lots of fun, the acting was as good as it needed to be, and the visual effects were GREAT!! The deamon space monsters at the end still impress me. > > So back off! > > Amazingly, though, DC has had more television series based off of their stuff than Marvel. There have been at least three Superman shows I can think of; Batman; The Flash; and numerous cartoons that lasted for a good long while. I can only think of the Hulk for Marvel in terms of series, that really horrible Generation X television movie, and a number of cartoons that really didn’t last that long because, well, they sucked (UPNs lineup of The Incredible Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Fantastic Four were all CRAP!!!). I just find it interesting how DC always managed to pull off series well, yet the movies aren’t working out. \*\* I wouldn’t have minded if the movie were called **Howard _A_ Duck** but that creature was not the cynical, political, ass-kicking duck trapped in a world he never made that I read. Geez, he was more like E.T. trying to get home. Go back and read HTD, the original 27 issues, and see if it’s the same character. I don’t see it. Just wanted to mention some other tv shows you missed. Marvel: X-Men 90’s cartoon, X-Men Evolution, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (which I loved as a kid), Incredible Hulk (80’s cartoon), Spider-Man (cartoon of the classic theme song), Spider-man (90’s which wasn’t awful, so I don’t know if you included that one or not). There was also a Nick Fury movie I didn’t see (but it had David Hasselhoff as Nick, how bad could it be :)), a Dr. Strange TV movie, a couple of Captain America TV movies, the Spider-Man live action TV show, Avengers cartoon. DC: Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman…um…ok I’m stumped. All in all a mixed bag of good and bad. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/59 "2003-03-20T22:44:11Z")
There has never been a Wonder Woman feature-length Movie, there was the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman TV show - which did Good, before that there was a Cathy Lee Crosby Wonder Woman TV show - but Sucked, because it was nothing like the comic book fans WW. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493/60 "2003-03-20T23:21:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SkipMagic \* > With _Daredevil_ and _Blade II_, I think we’re already there. I didn’t care for _Daredevil_ at all because of the silly plot, the horrible acting of the principal character and the terrible writing. I don’t know why some folks are really down on _Daredevil,_ honestly. While it wasn’t as faithful to its source as _Spider-Man_ was, on its own merits, it was a decent action-adventure movie IMO. I was rather put off by DD’s rather … zestful … attitude at the beginning, but I think it was just so his character had room to grow in the course of the movie. And I didn’t have a problem with the Kingpin being black/African-American, but I think he smirked far more often than his comic version did (he looked like a dork in his final scene, though – someone give the wardrobe department fifty lashes!). Haven’t seen _Blade II,_ so I can’t comment there. But _Daredevil_ would have to sink even lower to reach \*Batman and Robin-\*style suckitude. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-heck-cant-dc-comics-get-a-decent-movie-made/162493.md?page=4)