Do you think World's Finest can compete with The Avengers?

[Mr. Dent]

So, since it's becoming pretty clear that we're probably not going to get a Justice League movie come 2015 and it's more likely we'll get MoS2 and a Batman reboot before JL ever sees the light of day, it's probably a more realistic possibility that we'll see a World's Finest movie before we get JL.

Superman and Batman are the two most iconic superheros in the world, while the most recognizable and relavant Avenger is Iron Man. So with that in mind, do you think World's Finest can go toe-to-toe with The Avengers? I can definitely see it pulling in $1.3b given the proper build up, marketing, and situation.

[Shikamaru]

Yes. Given the proper build-up and marketing, they can compete with them.

Hell, TDKR just by itself made 2/3 of what The Avengers made.

Though it may become a lot more difficult to compete if the rumors about Spider-Man being used in Avengers 2 are true.

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Why is it always a contest? Let alone one about the box office.

As long as it's a good movie. And yes, I think it could be a good movie.

[Zarex]

Originally Posted by Shikamaru

Yes. Given the proper build-up and marketing, they can compete with them.

Hell, TDKR just by itself made 2/3 of what The Avengers made.

Though it may become a lot more difficult to compete if the rumors about Spider-Man being used in Avengers 2 are true.

Though I can appreciate the desire by WB to let Nolan close out his trilogy the way he wanted, he did the studio no favors by "killing off" his wildly successful version of The Dark Knight. Assuming the positive initial word of mouth on "Man of Steel" is accurate, a Bale/Cavill team up film would have delivered Avengers-type box office returns and made for an easy transition to a JL film. Though it would certainly be successful, I don't believe a World's Finest movie starring Cavill and (insert actor's name here) could come close to Avengers' numbers.

I would much prefer Sony and Marvel work together on team up films featuring Spidey and one other member of the Avengers (or Daredevil,Punisher,Blade, Black Panther, etc.) than have him join the team. I think the character works much better in a duo than with a team.

[Anno_Domini]

Justice League could even compete with The Avengers, but it's the timing that is necessary, such as the development of the characters and what have you. But, having said that, I would prefer a World's Finest any day rather than a Justice League film and I would love to see a World's Finest after a Man of Steel trilogy, and heck, let's scrap how The Dark Knight Trilogy ended and just give Christian Bale a bag of money to be Bruce Wayne/Batman once again.

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Bale and Cavill? Sure.

Or if there was a successful Batman reboot beforehand, sure.

But having a team-up between a Supes and a Bats that hasn't been in a solo movie won't create as much hype and box office numbers.

[Shikamaru]

Originally Posted by Zarex

Though I can appreciate the desire by WB to let Nolan close out his trilogy the way he wanted, he did the studio no favors by "killing off" his wildly successful version of The Dark Knight. Assuming the positive initial word of mouth on "Man of Steel" is accurate, a Bale/Cavill team up film would have delivered Avengers-type box office returns and made for an easy transition to a JL film. Though it would certainly be successful, I don't believe a World's Finest movie starring Cavill and (insert actor's name here) could come close to Avengers' numbers.

I'm assuming we'll most likely get a Batman reboot before a World's Finest movie. If that's the case, people will already get introduced to the new Batman actor before WF.

Even if that isn't the case, I don't think it will be too hard for a really well marketed WF to reach at least $1 billion. Superman and Batman are too big and too iconic by this point to be associated with just one version or one specific actor, which isn't the case with someone like Iron Man, who the GA directly associates with RDJ.

I would much prefer Sony and Marvel work together on team up films featuring Spidey and one other member of the Avengers (or Daredevil,Punisher,Blade, Black Panther, etc.) than have him join the team. I think the character works much better in a duo than with a team.

I love seeing him work in a duo in the comics but I'm not sure I would want an entire movie dedicated to that unless it's with someone really big from the MCU like Iron Man or Cap.

I don't usually like seeing him part of a team either but I think he can work a lot better in the MCU as part of the Avengers than he does in the comics. The Avengers in the MCU don't exactly fight big threats every week. They have one big threat they take care of and then everyone goes their separate ways back in their own corners of the MCU until the next big threat shows up months later. Sure that Tony is currently constructing the Avengers Tower and they probably check up on each other once in a while but they're not consistently working as a team like in the comics.

Thus you can still have a Spider-Man that fights street level threats on a daily basis and gets slammed by the Bugle but fights alongside the Avengers whenever once every few months when a new big threat arises.

Plus, who says Spidey will join the team? He can also be there just to help them out.

[LibidoLoca]

I'm a little bittersweet about Nolan when it comes to a shared universe, cause his Batman films were huge and could have been the stepping stones needed to lead to Justice League.

[The Guard]

Yes, as long as they don't spend half the movie bickering like 12 year olds.

[darkknightrise]

IMO, DC should have solo films minus Green Lantern and a second Man of Steel film, before justice league, then once these characters are introduced after justice league (batman superman wonder woman flash green lantern) have solo films for aqua man green arrow (with black canary involved) hawk girl. But.. have a worlds finest with flash and green lantern and then a trinity film maybe involving the plot of batman/superman apokolypse introduces kara and gives some closure if darkseid is involved as the big bad in justice league.

[ThePhantasm]

I think if DC / WB takes the stand "we've got to compete with Marvel," they are going to lose. DC / WB needs to focus on story quality, not the competition.

[Mr. Dent]

Originally Posted by ThePhantasm

I think if DC / WB takes the stand "we've got to compete with Marvel," they are going to lose. DC / WB needs to focus on story quality, not the competition.

That's what we're assuming the point of doing a World's Finest film instead of the Justice League would be. Keep in mind, I want this thread to be about whether World's Finest can offer as much entertainment value and be as successful as the Avengers, not vere off into whether or not DC should compete with Marvel, which is a forgone argument. No matter what the two will be compared.

[ThePhantasm]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dent

Keep in mind, I want this thread to be about whether World's Finest can offer as much entertainment value and be as successful as the Avengers

I think the answer is yes, if the story is good. Batman alone is a huge draw. A team-up with Supes is just added moolah.

[Donut]

Do Worlds Finest then Trinity then Justice League

[Zarex]

Originally Posted by ThePhantasm

I think if DC / WB takes the stand "we've got to compete with Marvel," they are going to lose. DC / WB needs to focus on story quality, not the competition.

WB should absolutely focus on the competition. Marvel (along with Fox and Sony) is churning out big budget superhero films, 10 over the next three years alone. Compare that to WB's measly output of two films, which assumes JL gets off the ground. With film having supplanted comic books as the primary means of monetizing superheroes, DC risks earning perennial second banana status if they can't put out a slate of films that introduce the characters we know and love to the general public. Good storytelling is key, but WB/DC needs to figure out why Marvel (and Fox) have been able to get the general public invested in characters like Thor, Black Widow, Mystique and (coming up) Rocket Raccoon while WB can't move past DC's Big Two.

[ThePhantasm]

I already told you the answer why. Because Marvel focuses on the story, not the competition. There's WB's answer.

[Zarex]

Originally Posted by ThePhantasm

I already told you the answer why. Because Marvel focuses on the story, not the competition. There's WB's answer.

I would add that Marvel (and Fox and Sony) also has the confidence to put hundreds of millions of dollars into turning lesser known characters into film icons. WB/DC has not demonstrated this to date.

[Lord]

Originally Posted by FeedOnATreeFrog

Why is it always a contest? Let alone one about the box office.

As long as it's a good movie. And yes, I think it could be a good movie.

Because money runs the world

And it's allways interesting to wonder how succesful a film can be

[ThePhantasm]

Originally Posted by Zarex

I would add that Marvel (and Fox and Sony) also has the confidence to put hundreds of millions of dollars into turning lesser known characters into film icons. WB/DC has not demonstrated this to date.

Jonah Hex, Steel, Catwoman, Watchmen, Constantine, V for Vendetta...

[Zarex]

Originally Posted by ThePhantasm

Jonah Hex, Steel, Catwoman, Watchmen, Constantine, V for Vendetta...

That slate (Steel and Catwoman?) doesn't reflect a strong commitment to exploiting DC's superhero characters.

[ThePhantasm]

Maybe not, but you said "lesser known characters," not "DC's superhero characters." And they have created movies for these lesser known characters, and most of them have flopped. Given Green Lantern's lukewarm reception too, their hesitance to rush into anything more is understandable (and actually I'm somewhat glad for it).

[Bigjxxx]

Originally Posted by Donut

Do Worlds Finest then Trinity then Justice League

Amen!!! Amen!!!! Enough with the solo films talk.

[BH/HHH]

Superman and Batman on screen together would be huge and an instant box office successs. Now whether or not it does less, the same as or more than Avengers is anyones guess. But potentially it could be the biggest CBM yet

[Silvermoth]

I don't like the idea of worrying about competing. I think both movies have different opportunities.

World's finest, for example, is a wonderful opportunity to get more character moments with fewer characters. I think it would be much easier to do a great World's finest movie than an Avengers movie unless you were a cinematic genius.

[Franny]

More sense if WB were to develop a WF feature instead of this talk of JL. I just want them to get their act together, so frustrating that they're sitting on all these incredible characters but are letting Marvel/Disney claim the market!!! Everything they announce seems to be a direct response to a Marvel success. At least DC rule the animated market.