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Superheroes That Deserve Another Chance

by Jessica Barnes Aug 24th 2009 // 5:02PM

Filed under: Action, Fandom, Scripts, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Lists



Now that our Superhero Tournament is nearing the home stretch, I've been looking at some of the 'losers' and thinking about all the costumed heroes that have fallen by the wayside over the years. But then I remembered that reboot fever is alive and well in Hollywood, and the latest victim is Todd McFarlane, who's apparently working on a new Spawn script according to various reports. (But isn't he always working on a new Spawn script?)

Considering how beloved Spawn is in the world of comic books, it really is a shame that he wound up with such a crappy movie -- and if the Rotten Tomatoes rating is any indication, time has not improved this flick in the eyes of fans. Luckily for us then that McFarlane will be starting from scratch, and by the sounds of things, thankfully, there will be far fewer fart jokes. McFarlane told Coming Soon's sources, "The story has been in my head for 7 or 8 years. The movie idea is neither a recap or continuation. It is a standalone story that will be R-rated. Creepy and scary."

McFarlane has only just started writing, so it could be some time before we see a finished product -- but, when we do, it's going to be a brand new Spawn. McFarlane told CS, "the tone of this 'Spawn' movie will be for a more older audience. Like the film 'Departed.'" Okay, that might be a bit of a strange comparison, but then again, I'm all for taking superheroes a little more seriously.

After the jump: the five 'masked avengers' I think deserved better on the big screen...



Dark Phoenix (X-Men: The Last Stand)
There isn't much to say about this that Elisabeth hasn't already covered. But I couldn't make a list about maligned superheroes without mentioning Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix in Ratner's X3. I have a devoted X-Men fan in my life, and let me tell you -- for him, the mishandling of The Dark Phoenix storyline has become the stuff of nightmares. I may not be an expert, but even I knew that Ratner managed to blow one of the biggest story lines in comic book history ... and that ain't good.



Catwoman
I like to pretend that the 2004 flick starring Halle Berry battling an evil cosmetics giant never happened, so for me, Catwoman has never had her own movie. Now, granted, Catwoman only exists because of Batman, but that doesn't mean she has to stay trapped in Gotham. How about giving Selena Kyle her own universe for awhile? Heck, why not make her a bit of an anti-hero? It's about time we got a few shades of gray in our lady heroes in the movies, and Catwoman would be the perfect start.



Elektra
Despite her time on Alias, I never really bought Jennifer Garner as an action hero. She just seems to lack a certain edge. Frank Miller's creation is one of the most beloved female superheroes in comic book history, and let's face it: that 2005 spin-off was embarrassing. To be fair, it didn't exactly get an auspicious beginning with Daredevil, but once again, there is plenty to work with. Just as long as you get a gal who can handle herself with a bladed sai we should be in business.



The Phantom
I like those old 30's heroes so maybe that's why the I have a soft spot for The Phantom. (Hey, you are talking to someone who's watched The Shadow more times than she would like to admit). I mean, doesn't the guy who introduced us to the 'superhero leotard' deserve a little respect? All the elements of a reboot are there: You've got a nifty back story, exotic settings, and since there's a Phantom for every generation, you aren't even confined to a specific time period -- and it looks like someone out there agrees with me.



Superman
This may seem to be an odd choice considering the Man of Steel will probably get another movie sooner or later, but I think we can probably agree that Bryan Singer's Superman wasn't exactly what we were hoping for. For me, all Singer managed to do was remind me of how kick-ass Donner's film was in the first place. So maybe this time around we can get something just a little more original. It wasn't that Singer made a terrible movie, it just wasn't his movie, and I think Kal-El deserves a little bit better than that, don't you?

Sound off in the comments below on the superheroes you think deserve another shot at the box-office...

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Tags: catwoman, elektra, frank miller, FrankMiller, reboot, script, spawn, super heroes, SuperHeroes, superman, the phantom, ThePhantom, todd mcfarlane, ToddMcfarlane

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