Continuity From Comics To Movies

Super-hero movies reigned in theaters this summer. Taking different characters to the big screen such as well-known Captain America and not so famous as Green Lantern among others. After the success of Iron-Man in 2008, producers and studios took the risk of investing to take superheroes to the theaters. While some argument that Batman and Dark Knight was the movie that accomplished such movement, Iron Man was the first superhero that was not widely known. So by summer 2011 big superhero budget movies have drowned the theaters taking a long rivalry of comic book companies up to the big screen as well as in ticket revenues.

DC Comics and Marvel Comics are the big two of the comic industry. DC owns characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and so on. Marvel on the other side owns Spiderman, The X-Men, Captain America and Thor. Both companies are owned in turn by two of the largest entertainment companies in America, Warner Brothers owns DC and Disney Entertainment recently bought Marvel Comics. Now both companies have been striving to get as much money as possible of the comic houses; therefore the movies represent one of the many strategies to that end. But how they are doing it is the turning point in this tale, while DC (WB) has more time and experience doing movies about its characters lately only the Batman franchise has make some profit compared to other remakes and reboots like the failed Superman Movie or the Wonder Woman pilot.

In consequence Marvel used the space in the market to not only launch its own characters but also create Marvel Studios a company that supervised its projects. Two different approach however just one has a relative innovation to it, the scheme of Marvel Comics to connect all its movies and characters that will reach its peak in 2012 with The Avengers.

How does the Marvel Studios plan differ from a trilogy or a series of movies connected? Well the point is that Marvel is using the “continuity” approach from the comic books to the big screen. A quick glance at the “continuity” in comic books is the idea that all characters property of Marvel are in the same Universe, earth and plane of existence. Therefore the idea that a superhero team-up its not only normal but regular in the Marvel Universe. In the New York City of Marvel, Spiderman, the Fantastic Four and other superheroes live in the same city and interact at some level.

Marvel used this premise to have Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk to star in the up coming movie “The Avengers”. The movie will not only feature those characters out of the blue but it will use many elements laid by the individual character movies. Plot and other elements of the story will come together in a conclusion in the 2012 film. Now the question is how much Marvel will be able to maintain the “continuity” of the films “universe” without losing the objective of doing a self contained franchise of movies (i.e. Batman Trilogy). Some movies sacrificed film time in explaining or showing elements that were not important to the movie itself but to the future movie in 2012. While in the comic books the stories come and goes and its allowed some changes or holes in the plot, can it be done in the movies? Marvel is half the way of doing it however until its wrapped and done with The Avengers there are some points that remain uncertain.