Super Glut
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 11:16PM Entertainment Weekly introduces Henry Cavill, our new Superman, on the cover of their Oscar prediction issue. Cavill, for what it's worth, has been in the running for several super-people but this is the first time he's actually been cast. But shouldn't the cover be something more Oscariffic?
The hit whores were out in force this morning labelling this photo Official First Photo of Cavill as Superman. Hilarious. Especially since they haven't even started filming -- and rumors abound that the studio is still not happy with the script -- and there's no way the new superhero costume is a pre-faded t-shirt ;)
It's always this way with superhero films. There are generally about 731,000 "exclusive" everythings and 11 or so "first official" everythings. For example, we've already had two instances of "official first photo of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man." and I'm willing to bet we get a third given that the other two are more promotional and not "actual" shot from the movie! The first he was in the costume with the mask off. The second also labelled "first official photo of Garfield as Spider-Man" is the one where he's masked. If all things are cyclical when is the superhero craze going to die down? Right now it seems infallible. Even movies people don't end up liking open well and get sequels. Will the upcoming barrage finally be overkill?
Here's what's (supposedly) coming our way after this new Thor trailer which is quite a bit different than the original sneak and seems to be leaning more comedic (Hi, Kat Dennings!)
May 2011 Thor
June 2011 X-Men: First Class (further reading)
June 2011 Green Lantern
July 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger (further reading)
May 2012 The Avengers (not filming yet. I have always doubted this movie will ever happen. Too many contracts. Too many characters. Too many schedules having to lined up. Too much. Too much.)
July 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man (filming)
July 2012 The Dark Knight Rises (in casting mode)
Dec 2012 Superman: Man of Steel (pre-production)
TBA 2012 The Wolverine (pre-production)
Nine in the next 24 months. And that's just the high profile ones. I have a feeling I've forgotten something. There are umpteen more in development not to mention superhero projects that are coming to the small screen like Wonder Woman (which sounds completely confusing/messy). But can the market really sustain all of those at the grosses they've become accustomed to? If it can't -- and I doubt it can; no "Most Popular Genre" lasts forever as any perusal of screen history will tell you -- expect several of the other ones in various stages of development including but by no means limited to The Flash, Iron Man 3, Luke Cage and Doctor Strange, to be aborted.
The only one of the future maybes after 2012 that I would be thrilled to see is Doctor Strange, IF and only if Pixar does it as has been rumored. Still dying to see Pixar try a different genre altogether than the adventure comedies for families.
Henry Cavill, Superman, Thor, magazines, superheroes
Reader Comments (10)
Conan the Barbarian comes out in August, as well.
I love superheroes and their stories as much as the next nerd, but this is DEFINITELY overkill. I appreciate Marvel's ambition to have a cohesive movie universe for their franchises, but it's too much, too fast to be any fun. It feels so rushed and mercenary!
Of course a lot of this might be because I'm someone who reads pop culture websites all the time, so the market feels especially oversaturated to me, since every single casting decision or spilled plot detail makes for a deluge of links, as you point out.
In any case, I would love a Pixar Dr. Strange; I'm still eagerly awaiting their Andrew Stanton-directed adaptation of John Carter of Mars, which Wikipedia says is due out in March 2012. Why hasn't THAT been getting any publicity? That's right, Pixar! Diversify!
andreas -- that is part of the problem. but how will it ever end? it's impossible not to be oversaturated i think if you have any large degree of mainstream success. it's like a continual loop of information.
so the only solution is for everything to be loved by only 10 people at a time ;)
Alomst definitely watching:
X-Men: First Class
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Dark Knight Rises
Maybe:
Thor
Superman: Man of Steel
The Wolverine
With all of these superhero films expected you would think AT LEAST ONE would be centered around a female hero. I have nothing against TV but why isn't Wonder Woman getting made into a film? Kind of shitty that she's the only DC "Big 3" member to not get their own.
Wasn't Joss Whedon supposed to make the Wonder Woman movie whatever happened to that?
Rami -- joss walked away if i recall. the studio never liked what he was proposing or something.
Color me unenthusiastic. I was just commenting to my boss this morning about how over all of these superhero franchises I am. I have no desire to see any of them. NONE. As far as I'm concerned, they've become as pedestrian as biopics (BTDubs, Fantasia as Mahalia Jackson -- reall?).
What's up with this British invasion with these superhero films? Batman, Superman, and Spiderman are all being played by British actors. Weird.
I've been so depressed (read: not actually depressed, but the hyperbolic internet version of it) lately about how many sites/blogs are simple hit machines by posting whatever tiny speck of news or casting comes along. Especially when just a day (or even hours) later they're having to correct themselves because it turns out before it was just a rumour or whatever.