Marvel Teases 'The End' For Wolverine
Filed under: Action, Fandom, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Summer Movies
Watch your back, Iron Man! Wolverine might just be about to learn what happens when your film is a critical and commercial (well, in movie studio terms -- it made more money than you or I will ever see) failure. It's The End, though not before you embarrass yourself with Peter Parker in the newspapers. Marvel decided to tease everyone with this promo image, and at the moment it's not clear just what's in store for the Old Canucklehead. Marvel has already run a few glimpses into his bloody future (most recently with the Unforgiven-ish saga Old Man Logan, and in the past with both Paul Jenkins' Wolverine: The End and X-Men: The End), so "killing" or maiming Wolverine is nothing new, especially if it's in an alternate future. Frankly, it might not even be his end at all, but the death of his mohawked retcon son, Daken.
Sure, this is comic news and not really movie related (though they're quickly becoming one and the same), but you can't help but laugh at the nice timing. I wonder if they'll incorporate the film's magical bullets in order to do Wolverine in, thus forcing us to accept that creativity as canon. Or will he be embarrassed further by enjoying a fate inspired by summer's other flop, Terminator: Salvation? Whatever happens, I'm sure he's wishing he'd read the fine print on his movie contract.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-24-2009 @ 8:50PM
Bryan M said...
I'll agree that Terminator was less successful than planned, but to call Wolverine a Box Office failure is factually inaccurate.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=wolverine.htm
The movie's managed to make a profit, despite it's numerous lackluster attributes.
Terminator will probably make back its budget in DVD rentals/sales, opening it up to finish of it's intended trilogy. $120M so far is hardly a flop. I'd say $40M with a $200M budget is a flop; but it's made back 60% of its production costs. Granted, it doesn't compare to the Cameron films, in financial success or in content, but it's managing to do ok in it's own right.
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6-24-2009 @ 9:00PM
Elisabeth said...
It's not factually inaccurate -- there's no doubt the movie made money, and it made its budget back. But it had a shocking drop off by week #2, which Fox was immediately blaming on piracy rather than the poor word of mouth. It still hasn't cracked $200 million and for a summer tentpole film, that's a disappointment. Fox was dreaming huge with Wolverine -- dreaming of $100 million the *first* weekend* though I think it was always destined to do $70-$90 million with or without the piracy.
Right now the only films that everyone is REALLY considering a success are "Star Trek," "Up" and "The Hangover." Is that ludicrous to consider $100 million grosses a failure? Sure, but that's the way the game is being played these days.
I was also speaking about the critical and popular success financial -- and both films were extremely unpopular with fans and general audiences, "Terminator:Salvation" to the point that no one is even talking about a follow-up, not even to Christian Bale.
6-24-2009 @ 10:33PM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Wolverine, while a bad movie is not a flop. With 360M in the bank and still going, plus cable, DVD, pay per view and DVD sales/rentals, it's a resounding success. If a film breaks even at the domestic BO it's a cash cow from that point.
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6-25-2009 @ 7:32AM
masteryoda007 said...
Have you seen the Box Office results for Terminator in overseas markets? I think not or you would not be typing this guffaw.
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6-25-2009 @ 7:46AM
Elisabeth said...
I calculate the box office for MTV.com every week, so yes I have. It doesn't change the fact that the studio was disappointed in its domestic performance both critically and financially, and may not go forward with the franchise.
You and I may think that it made a satisfying amount of money, but we're not studio executives. When a summer flick like "Terminator: Salvation" doesn't hit $200 million domestically, it's considered a disappointment. Again, it's ludicrous and it's not the way movies used to be looked at, but that's the way the game is right now.
Considering much of the post above was written with a heavy dose of sarcasm (Wolverine ISN'T being punished in the comics for his movie, by the way), I'm not sure why anyone's taking offense or arguing the finer points of the box office.
6-25-2009 @ 8:41AM
Ghetto_Journo said...
I wonder what fresh hell Marvel will concoct for Wolverine now. Jason Aaron seems to be the only cat who can write Wolverine well right now. (And no, I don't count Mark Millar because he seems to write characters in a semi-alternate reality most of the time).
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6-25-2009 @ 10:46AM
NadaNuff said...
A movie doesn't pull in $200 million and it's a failure? That's a laugh.
A summer movie can pull in less than that and still be considered a hit.
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6-25-2009 @ 4:45PM
Mr.R said...
Hence so many unwanted or unexplained sequels. There must be some math alchemy somewhere.