Black Superheroes Movies - Part 1

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This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]291628[/split]

 

[Iceburgeruk]

After watching the trailer for Hancock I can say that i find the idea of the lazy, unlucky and partially inept superhero a novel idea but i am quite annoyed that once again it is a black superhero who is used to show this.

I`ve noticed that although we live in very advanced and sympathetic times hollywood still seems to have the idea that a bacl person being a superhero or say even a secret agent is a unique idea and one full of comedy ideas.

I mean blade was a great super hero film but there haven`t been any memorable serious black superheroes since and we`ve had some very odd films like Undercover Brother or Meteor Man or even to an degree Hancock.

I just seem to feel that hollywood has this strange belief that the idea of a white super hero is logical while a black super hero is laughable. Its seems like a step backwards really.

This belief becomes even more shocking with films where it features black secret agents. Do they seriously think that there are no black secret agents working in the US? Or that any black secret agent would walk around acting and dressing like he just exploded out of a collection of Blaxploitation flicks?

I dunno. I might be overreacting but it just seems like a worrying undercurrent.

 

[p4poetic]

hahahaha! Same here. He'll always be The Rock.

Rocky>>>Diesel

Well that pretty much goes without saying.

 

[E-Man]

New thread. I shall leave my imprint in here by making a profound assessment about black superheroes in various media available today...

Storm is sexy and I would do her.

 

[terry78]

Damn you thread manager.

 

[Shockdingo]

Manageeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrr!!!!!

 

[Paradox1]

Subscribe

 

[C. Lee]

I picked up a DVD today called THE GOLDEN BLAZE. It's a WB release of an animated movie. According to the synopsis - a black kid's favorite superhero in the comics is the Golden Blaze....one day his dad acquires his powers, and the boy being an expert on the comic has to help his dad learn how to use them to fight evil. The voice talent used in it are = Blair Underwood, Michael Clarke Duncan, Sanaa Lathan, and Neil Patrick Harris.

I'll try to watch it this week, but was wondering if anyone had ever heard of it.

 

[WildcatNC]

Marvel should have a slate of black heroes in production soon. Black Panther and Luke Cage are on the slate for the next few years. I'm looking forward to both of them.

 

[Timstuff]

Marvel: Black Panther

DC: Black Lihgtning

Make it happen, guys.

 

[chamber-music]

I really don't see a Black Lightning movie getting off the ground and if it did it would probabley be like Catwoman or Steel.

A Luke Cage and Black Panther movie would be great but they are not top of Marvel/Disneys cue of movies at the moment.

 

[_______]

Marvel should have a slate of black heroes in production soon. Black Panther and Luke Cage are on the slate for the next few years. I'm looking forward to both of them.

Unfortunately it won't sell good to the masses IMHO, for comic book fans what still exist is the non-black superheroes who have the most clout and that majority runs about 98% (+/-) of the market.

 

[Hypestyle]

I'd love to see some Milestone movies.. Icon, Static, Hardware..

also, has 'Brother Man dictator of discipline' ever been optioned for a film project?

 

[Chris Wallace]

I picked up a DVD today called THE GOLDEN BLAZE. It's a WB release of an animated movie. According to the synopsis - a black kid's favorite superhero in the comics is the Golden Blaze....one day his dad acquires his powers, and the boy being an expert on the comic has to help his dad learn how to use them to fight evil. The voice talent used in it are = Blair Underwood, Michael Clarke Duncan, Sanaa Lathan, and Neil Patrick Harris.

I'll try to watch it this week, but was wondering if anyone had ever heard of it.

I haven't.

 

[Chris Wallace]

I think that part of the problem with black superheroes is they lack one thing that truly makes a superhero popular; a worthwhile rogues gallery. What would Thor be without Loki? Batman without the Joker? Spider-Man without Green Goblin or Doc Ock? Villains are a HUGE part of what keeps readers/audiences coming back. The most popular question when a superhero sequel is in the works is "Who's the villain this time?" I think if they started giving black heroes more interesting villains instead of a bunch of lame, one-time throwaway baddies it would be a huge help.

 

[_______]

I think that part of the problem with black superheroes is they lack one thing that truly makes a superhero popular; a worthwhile rogues gallery. What would Thor be without Loki? Batman without the Joker? Spider-Man without Green Goblin or Doc Ock? Villains are a HUGE part of what keeps readers/audiences coming back. The most popular question when a superhero sequel is in the works is "Who's the villain this time?" I think if they started giving black heroes more interesting villains instead of a bunch of lame, one-time throwaway baddies it would be a huge help.

True indeed, Blade pretty much carried the blacksuperheroes to the point of having a trilogy, Spawn/Hancock only lasted one movie

Then you would have to go to the blaxplotation (Shaft) and that's about it

 

[chamber-music]

Most Black superheroes don't have long running solo titles so I'm not surprised they don't have great developed supervillain enemies.

Black Panther has about 3 or 4 good villains.

Luke Cage atleast has some villains with potential to made into a bigger threat in a movie the same way Whiplash was in Iron Man 2.

Willis Stryker, Chemistro, Hardcore, Purple Man and Bushmaster are all decent enough villains with some tweaking could work in a Cage movie.

Luke Cage did have some of the worst villains thought Mister Fish, Black Mariah, Piranaha Jones and Spear awful.

 

[terry78]

I know McDuffie probably wants WB to get Static on the fast track at some point, since the cartoon basically fleshed out a lot of the story over like 3 seasons. Right now the only viable options for theatrical flicks that I see actually making any money would be Static, Luke Cage and BP. Only because they have had some crossover appeal.

 

[C. Lee]

I'd like to see them showcase John Henry Irons in the next Superman movie to prep him up for a STEEL movie.

 

[Timstuff]

I think that part of the problem with black superheroes is they lack one thing that truly makes a superhero popular; a worthwhile rogues gallery. What would Thor be without Loki? Batman without the Joker? Spider-Man without Green Goblin or Doc Ock? Villains are a HUGE part of what keeps readers/audiences coming back. The most popular question when a superhero sequel is in the works is "Who's the villain this time?" I think if they started giving black heroes more interesting villains instead of a bunch of lame, one-time throwaway baddies it would be a huge help.

You may have a point there. Batman has had 6 live action movies so far (7, if you count the Adam West one), and I think one of the reasons why they can keep putting them out is because Batman arguably has the best rogues gallery of any superhero. He has so many cool villains that if they don't use more than one per movie, fans look at it as a waste! People aren't going to get bored of Batman's rogues any time soon.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

I think that part of the problem with black superheroes is they lack one thing that truly makes a superhero popular; a worthwhile rogues gallery. What would Thor be without Loki? Batman without the Joker? Spider-Man without Green Goblin or Doc Ock? Villains are a HUGE part of what keeps readers/audiences coming back. The most popular question when a superhero sequel is in the works is "Who's the villain this time?" I think if they started giving black heroes more interesting villains instead of a bunch of lame, one-time throwaway baddies it would be a huge help.

If they ever make a good STEEL movie (perhaps, as C. Lee suggested, as a spin-off of Snyder's film), it might be a good opportunity to have him go up against some of the Supes villains who'll probably never be used otherwise - Parasite, Toyman, Shrapnel? (Yeah, I know he's not really a Superman villain but how cool would he be in a Steel movie?) Maybe even the dreaded and overused Lex. Give him a break from the Superman series proper and use his name value to boost STEEL!

 

[DarKush]

Yeah villains are a problem, however I don't think its insurmountable, or a idea killer. I think Black Panther for example, has a decent rogues' gallery with some tweaking and updating. As for the others, many of them are derived from white heroes (like John Stewart), so they could use Hal Jordan's enemies that hadn't been used, or other threats to the GLC.

Also black heroes could perhaps pull from the rosters of villains that hadn't been used elsewhere, as previously suggested. Also, new villains could simply just be made up for black heroes.

I do agree with developing better villains for black superheroes in the comics in general.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Most Black superheroes don't have long running solo titles so I'm not surprised they don't have great developed supervillain enemies.

Another fact that can't be ignored. I think every book Blade has ever appeared in has been cancelled. How many runs has BP had? I think the longest-running title focusing on a black character is Spawn, which is a shame because I hate that book. And it's probably the one that also has the most standout villains. The likes of Spider-Man & Superman have such rich histories that even when they do bring forth loser baddies (Typeface, anyone?) it doesn't matter because they have more than enough winners to balance that out.

 

[Paradox1]

A decent rogues gallery is part of it Batman does a have a great
rogue gallery but the other part is being a character an audience can care
about. No matter how good a backstory or how good the villains are if the audience can't connect with character it will never reach the epic portions of some of the more mainstream heroes. For example part of Supermans apeal is him being an orphan alien living in strange land and making good with his opportunity. That is pretty much the American dream and that's why I think he's a beloved character in the world.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Superman has also been marketed up the wazoo. Everyone knows him, there's not a country you can go to where his symbol isn't recognized. As a result, people have had a CHANCE to care about him. I feel that many of these characters have the potential be be someone that audiences can care about. Black Panther has everything going for him that a Tony Stark or a Bruce Wayne brings to the table, and then some. But he has nowhere near their level of recognizability. Ant, I feel, is another EXTREMELY marketable hero but she keeps falling into the hands of publishers who don't know what to do with her.