It seems like every few weeks these days something happens that reminds me once more that my beloved Joss Whedon won’t be directing a movie about my beloved Wonder Woman. In this case, it happened while I was considering the roles of women in comic-based movies. While watching The Dark Knight the other day, I found myself hoping that Chris Nolan would make it far enough into Bruce Wayne’s story that we might see his take on the original Batgirl: something that would take the foul taste out of my mouth from the Schumacher-era Alicia Silverstone performance.
Now granted, there have been a couple of films released in recent years about some of the leading ladies of the superhero world, such as Elektra (tripe) and Catwoman (also tripe, which is probably the reason Halle Berry was able to get away with also playing Storm in the X-Men films), but there hasn’t been anything compelling. I find myself wondering if this isn’t indicative of the industry as a whole; beyond the female X-Men and Wonder Woman herself, there aren’t as many leading ladies who make a compelling enough draw to bring audiences into the theater.
I will cotton to being absolutely in love with Laura Vandervoort’s performance as Kara Kent / Supergirl on Smallville, but being a character so thoroughly entwined with Superman’s story, it would be almost impossible to make a Supergirl movie that wouldn’t end up actually being a Superman movie.
What does that leave us with, then? Is Birds of Prey well-known enough to bring in the kinds of audiences that would justify making a film? Could comic-shy moviegoers going into such a film expecting a big superhero action movie be satisfied by a team of women led by a paraplegic computer hacker?
As much as I’d like to see a BoP movie, I find myself fearing that the answer is, “no.”
December 12th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Well Birds of Prey was well enough known to justify making a tv show, so maybe.
December 12th, 2008 at 3:04 am
I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a late night She-Hulk cartoon. Make it a little like Harvey Birdman and a little like Venture Bros. and I think you’d have a hit.
You could even have Spider-woman guest appearances, and it would be reminiscent of the old spider-woman toon.
Seriously, Marvel could up it’s animation game by making an adult humor series like She-Hulk. Spectacular Spider-man is great, but Wolverine and the X-men could use a little boost.
I think the only current DC toon is Brave and The Bold, but there is the WW direct-to-video coming soon.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Laura did a great job on Smallville and its such a pity that they shuffled her off camera. I loved that the main reason fans opposed her is that she over shadowed superman. I love that. She has such a strength of character that she can match him on screen. You know what I want? Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes. Superman has a franchise constantly in production lets see Supergirl take flight with Saturn Girl, Triplicate girl and Phantom girl. (and the boys of course!)
December 12th, 2008 at 7:48 am
I think the Birds of Prey TV show is exactly why a movie can’t happen. They’re better known to the general public (and especially Hollywood people) as an awful show than a really good comic.
December 12th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Isn’t some of the problem, at least with Wonder Woman and DC characters, with Warner Bros? Following the frequent failure of female-lead big budget pictures, they’ve stopped making them. Just look at Whiteout. It’s been completed for a year and a half and doesn’t even have a trailer yet.
December 12th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Um, KPD, BoP was also a bomb that didn’t last a full season… You honestly think that’ll make it to a feature film?
I suppose a reboot of BoP is possible, and there could be a way to maybe work lay the groundwork in the next Nolan Bat-film (he’ll make another one, I’m sure of that) if it serves his story and it makes sense… I had no strong feelings one way or the other about the Rachel Dawes character, but I was sorry they just killed her off like that did in TDK. I thought, maybe, with Joker in the movie it might’ve been interesting to do a “Killing Joke” with her and transform her into a variation on Oracle. Obviously, that won’t be happening now.
I still think it would be great to work in an Oracle type of character, but where would she come from? Rachel’s dead, and if Gordon’s daughter in TDK is supposed to be young Barbara it’s clear that she’s not going to become either Batgirl or Oracle any time soon. Depending on how many more Bat-films Nolan has in him, however, I wouldn’t object to seeing Cassandra Cain worked in somehow. My greatest wish for the next Bat-movie, however, is to bring Talia Al-Ghul into the picture (and Lazarus Pit revival or Ra’s too?). At any rate, I’d much rather see BoP (a version more like the comics than the TV show) worked into Nolan’s Bat-mythos than I would Robin.
Anyhow, I’m hoping the animated WW DVD will be good, and better than the other recent DC direct-to-DVD offerings have been. I also hope it’ll inspire WB to finally come up with a good script and make a live action film happen. I can’t help but think that they messed up by letting Whedon get away.
What is going on with Whiteout anyhow??
December 12th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Oh, and I forgot to mention that it looks like Lucius Fox is more or less serving as Batman’s “Oracle” in the movies, so that’s unlikely to happen. I don’t know what Morgan Freeman’s health is like after his car accident this summer, but if he’s still able to perform I’d say there’s no room for an Oracle. If he can’t, that would be a real shame but that might open things up for an Oracle.
December 12th, 2008 at 9:47 am
It’s difficult to find a ready-made female character that will make the transition from comic books to mainstream cinema. Mostly because 9/10 super heroines are cheesecake. Us comic geeks will justify overlooking that if the book is well written (Rucka’s Wonder Woman for example), but standing in front of God and ticket-taker-dude at a movie theatre to see a movie about a woman who wears a slinky one piece swim suit with magical bracelets… that’s a tougher sell.
I think the best way to go about it is to have an established character with mainstream appeal star in a movie, along side a less widely known female character, which leads to a spinoff. The same footsteps as Elektra, but y’know, make the movies not suck. Example: make a kick ass Brubaker based Cap movie, and spin off Agent 13 or have a compelling Black Widow in Iron Man 2.
I would pony up $10.50 to see an espionage and explosion filled SHIELD movie, starring Agent 13.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:17 am
I’ve been wondering the same thing myself:
http://midnightepiphany.blogspot.com/2008/11/where-have-all-cowgirls-gone.html
December 12th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I’d love to see an Echo movie based off the Daredevil character…she’s strong enough on her own that noooo reference to DD’s world needs to be made at all.
It can kind of be a “non-balls-testosterone” version of like a Sin City or 300, by having the film stylistically following some of the trick’s of David Mack’s artwork. If that makes sense.
December 12th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I dunno Cisco Kid… “(A) woman who wears a slinky one piece swim suit with magical bracelets”? So… Feminist icon who’s also a delicious sex bomb? SOLD!
I hope no one will think me TOO shallow for just saying that… Just a bit little shallow? That’s fine.
December 12th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Before Blade opened the doors, the same thing was being said about superhero movies in general. It takes one great movie to start it off and some great movies that follow it. The closest example I can think of in recent years is Kate Beckinsale in Underworld. Hopefully Top Cow’s movies can garner that same spirit with The Magdalena and Witchblade. Then you’ll see a surge of those types of movies.
If you take a look at Underworld and then some studio puts out something like Bloodrayne, do you really have to wonder why there aren’t that many?
I actually blame Charlie’s Angels for all this.
December 13th, 2008 at 1:14 am
I’d settle for another team movie with prominent female characters (The Authority, anyone?)
December 19th, 2008 at 12:45 am
It took them this long to finally get superhero movies with male leads right. It’s a balancing act between what a director wants and what the studio thinks will sell. They’re still having trouble with the “household name” superheros (*cough* Spiderman 3 *cough*)…give them some needed time. I personally don’t want them to rush into female lead comic movies, we might end up with another Barb Wire.