The DCEU Is Dead So Isn't It Time For A New Direction?

[Silver Nemesis]

My brother took his three kids to see the Mario movie last week, and the children loved it. My bro said the film's plot is incredibly simple and straightforward, but that there's something pleasantly old fashioned about that. It's now racing towards a billion dollar worldwide, with its success being hailed as a blow to Disney, critics and the entertainment-media complex in general.

As for Nintendo, they'll probably make another movie after this box office result. Perhaps the Legend of Zelda? But again, I'm feeling annoyed by the focus on films when they're a software company. Where's my Super Mario Odyssey 2? Where's my new Metroid game? And so on. It's been years now. They need to up their game (ha) and make me feel excited about them again. Because right now, it feels like they're living off past glories and aren't as hungry as they should be in the realm of their current console.

In fairness to Nintendo, their release schedule was hit hard by Covid delays. For example, Fire Emblem: Engage was meant to come out in 2020 for the franchise's 30th anniversary, but instead ended up being released in January 2023. The new Zelda game was meant to be out last year, but instead it's coming out next month. Everything's been pushed back a bit, which is why there's been a drought of good triple-A games over the past few years. I know some people will cite popular games like Animal Crossing, Pokémon or Splatoon, but personally I'm not bothered about them. I'm sure they're good games, they're just not my cup of tea.

In general, Nintendo has suffered from weak third-party support since the days of the N64. Things have definitely picked up in the Switch era, but many third-party developers still favour Sony and Microsoft as their primary platforms. Sony and Microsoft's incursion into the gaming market drove smaller companies like Sega and Atari out of the console race. Nintendo was the only game developer that managed to compete against the tech giants thanks to its first-party line-up (which is easily the best of any console developer) and skill at innovation (the Wii, 3DS, etc).

Typically it takes Nintendo about three to six years to develop a triple-A title. They have several first and second-party development teams working concurrently on different projects, so I don't think their movies will affect game development.

The wait for good games can be frustrating though, particularly with something like Metroid Prime 4, which was announced way back in 2017 only to have development scrapped and restarted in 2019. It's crazy to think it's been almost sixteen years since the last Prime game. Still, Metroid Dread was good. And the recent remaster of the original Prime – which was already a 10/10 and one of the greatest games ever – is excellent. The upgraded visuals and addition of dual analog control make it feel more like a remake than a straight port. Hopefully we'll get similar remasters of Echoes and Corruption soon.

When Prime 4 does eventually come out, which I expect will be sometime in the next two years, it should be game-of-the-year material. I think the wait will be worth it. In recent years, Nintendo's adopted a policy of not announcing games until roughly six months before their release window. There are exceptions, like Metroid Prime 4, but in most cases they'll keep development under wraps until the game's nearly finished. That way fans have less of a wait. This means they're probably developing a number of big titles right now that they haven't announced. I agree that it's time we got Mario Odyssey 2. The first game was great, but it came out six years ago. The sequel's overdue.

There are a number of franchises that Nintendo is not, as far as I'm aware, currently developing games for. Those franchises are criminally neglected. There are two in particular.

One is F-Zero. 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of F-Zero GX, the last proper entry in the franchise. There's no excuse for that. It's high time a new F-Zero game came out. Fans have waited two decades.

The other franchise they've neglected is Eternal Darkness. The original Game Cube title, Sanity's Requiem, is quite possibly the greatest horror game ever (Silent Hill 2 on PS2 and the Resident Evil remake on Game Cube are also contenders). It's a masterpiece, combing a deep magic system with a layered mythology, creative sanity effects and eminently playable combat mechanics. This epic horror-adventure hybrid should have been the start of an ongoing series. A sequel would be ideal, but I'd even be happy with a remake or remastered port. Instead Nintendo has done nothing with the IP for over twenty years.

I've got mixed feelings about Nintendo's film projects. I do think the VG movie trend is happening, but I'm not all that enthusiastic about it. Zelda is my favourite gaming series, but I don't particularly want to see a movie based on it. I just don't think it'll work. Not unless they did it as a cel shaded film based on Wind Waker. But really I think Zelda should remain an interactive experience. Fire Emblem would lend itself better to cinematic adaptation, simply because those games are more plot driven and already contain hours of cut scenes and dialogue. Metroid is tricky. The games are kind of dark, and the emphasis on solitude is a big part of their appeal. That mightn't translate well into a film. I'd also hate to see someone like Brie Larson cast as Samus.

[thecolorsblend]

I'd also hate to see someone like Brie Larson cast as Samus.

Understandable. But if I were a betting man, I'd say that Samus is Anya Taylor-Joy's to lose.

[Silver Nemesis]

I'd also hate to see someone like Brie Larson cast as Samus.

Understandable. But if I were a betting man, I'd say that Samus is Anya Taylor-Joy's to lose.

That's probably true. She'd be a better pick than Larson. Ideally, I'd prefer an unknown stuntwoman to play the part. Samus works best when she's mysterious and doesn't speak much, similar to Boba Fett or the Man with No Name. There was a game called Metroid: Other M for the Wii that delved into her back story, showing her out of the Power Suit, talking and interacting with other humans, revealing her inner thoughts and feelings. It didn't go down well with fans and is now widely considered one of the weaker entries in the series. It's actually not a bad game, but it's definitely inferior to the Prime series.

If there is a Metroid movie, I'd prefer it if Samus was the only human character and everyone else she encountered was some kind of alien. I don't mind a few Federation Marine red shirts getting thrown in the mix...

...but only so they can be killed by Space Pirates or Metroids. The cinematic Samus should preserve her mystique by keeping her Power Suit on at all times, similar to how Judge Dredd keeps his helmet on. They could have her take the helmet off once during a post-credit scene, but aside from that her features should remain hidden. I'd skip her origin story altogether, or summarise it in a brief prologue, and have the film begin when she's already established as a bounty hunter.

The trickiest part IMO would be capturing the exotic alien ambience that makes the games so immersive. The distinctive music plays a big part in creating that atmosphere, and any film adaptation would need to source its soundtrack directly from the games.

I'd keep the movie short – maybe ninety minutes – focusing on a simple plot with minimal dialogue and maximum ambience. Tell the story cinematically through the visuals and music, using practical effects and real sets as much as possible. Samus's Power Suit needs to be a real costume, not CGI armour like Iron Man's suit. If cosplayers can do it, a major studio has no excuse not to.

In the right hands, a Metroid movie could be amazing. I'm just sceptical that the right hands will get the job.

[thecolorsblend]

Contextually, it sounds like you're envisioning a live action movie. This whole time, I sort of took it for granted that it would be CG animated. I figured that for the sake of stylistic (if not tonal) consistency, a Metroid movie would be animated. That approach would allow Nintendo to keep their options open with a Super Smash Bros movie later on down the line. As far as I know, no Smash Bros movie (or anything else) has been announced. But people are already talking.

Still, the prospect of live action does open up some interesting possibilities. One of them is the first movie can be a fun shoot 'em up and then the sequel can delve into the backstory of Samus and how all that ever came about. A fun intro film followed by a sequel that packs an emotional punch seems to be a successful combination.

The only reason I ever suggested ATJ in the first place is because Nintendo already has a relationship with her from the Mario movie, re: Princess Peach. But now that I think about it, that very fact could actually be what works against her landing the role of Samus. In any case, live action or animated, it seems like sort of a long shot that Larson would get the part.

[Silver Nemesis]

Contextually, it sounds like you're envisioning a live action movie. This whole time, I sort of took it for granted that it would be CG animated. I figured that for the sake of stylistic (if not tonal) consistency, a Metroid movie would be animated. That approach would allow Nintendo to keep their options open with a Super Smash Bros movie later on down the line. As far as I know, no Smash Bros movie (or anything else) has been announced. But people are already talking.

That's a good point. Making all the films with computer animation would offer some visual consistency while allowing each franchise to retain its own unique aesthetic. I imagine it would also be easier for Nintendo to maintain creative control over animated projects than live action films.

Suddenly I'm reminded of that old Captain N: The Game Master cartoon, which used animation to blend characters and locations from different styles of games. Unfortunately they didn't do a very good job of adapting many of those characters. For example, here's what Mother Brain looks like in the Metroid games.

And here's Mother Brain in Captain N.

Nintendo needs to avoid the Marvel pitfall of trying to make every character fit the same goofy tone. Obviously characters like Donkey Kong, Kirby and Yoshi should be light and funny like Mario, but other franchises like Zelda, Metroid and Fire Emblem need to be more mature and dramatic. Let's not forget that the original inspiration for Metroid was Alien (1979). I'm not saying Nintendo's films should go that dark, because that would be inappropriate, but they do need to tailor a suitable tone for each story and avoid the one-size-fits-all approach that's proven so detrimental to the MCU.

In any case, live action or animated, it seems like sort of a long shot that Larson would get the part.

I hope you're right. But Larson's expressed interest in the role on a number of occasions. She even dressed as Zero Suit Samus for Halloween and posted pictures on social media.

I'm confident The Marvels will bomb, but if Fast X is a hit Nintendo might think Larson is a sound investment. Of course if Fast X is a hit it'll be in spite of Larson, not because of her.

[Silver Nemesis]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie has now made a billion dollars worldwide. Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto has credited the negative reviews from western critics for making people want to see the movie:

"Moreover, overseas critics gave the film quite low marks. I think that was part of the reason for the buzz," Miyamoto theorizes. "I would be happy if they said that it changed the definition of cinema. That's how lucky I was."

https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/05/01/super-mario-bros-creator-shigeru-miyamoto-the-super-mario-bros-movie-success-thanks-in-part-to-overseas-critics-giving-quite-low-marks/

He's right. Mainstream film critics have lost their credibility and audiences know it.

[The Laughing Fish]

Zack Snyder used his social media accounts to plug Blue Beetle today. Unless he has an agreement with WB to finish off the rest of his Justice League/Superman arc (which I strongly doubt, particularly when the entire industry has been halted by the labour strikes), I would've told the studio to go to hell after all the sh*t they put him through. But if he wants to keep this good PR image by turning the other cheek and preventing that rotten studio do a hit piece on him, I can sorta understand why he did them this favour. I still don't like it.

[Silver Nemesis]

In the absence of a Blue Beetle thread I'm posting this here. Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto originally wanted to make a Bane movie because he sees Bane as a misunderstood hero. In the following clip he argues that Bane's origin story is really about the evils of US interventionism in Latin America and the Caribbean.

I can't wait to hear Chuck Dixon's response to this.

Meanwhile Blue Beetle, which has a budget of $120 million, is currently tracking for a $12-17 million opening weekend at the US box office. Analysts are predicting its total domestic haul could be as low as $27 million.

[thecolorsblend]

I'm not excited about a Blue Beetle movie. I don't know anyone who's excited about a Blue Beetle movie.

I don't know anyone who knows anyone who's excited about a Blue Beetle movie.

As to Bane as a metaphor for US interventionism in Latin America, it's a hacky interpretation but what do you expect from a hack?

[The Dark Knight]

The excuse that the film will suffer because it can't be openly marketed by the cast and crew because of the strike is a poor one. Blue Bomb had no interest at any point and the final outcome was always going to be the same. I think it'll be the type of flop that empties every single drop from inside the pool.

These types of filmmakers need to stay away from Bane. He's not their plaything. He's a top tier villain and his rehabilitation needs to continue, not be set back. Apart from Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, recent villain movies have been rubbish, namely Venom 2, Morbius and soon Kraven.