Anghus Houvouras on the problem with Marvel’s ‘event comic’ movies…
Finally, we get our first pristine footage of Captain America: Civil War. Arguably the second or third most anticipated geek film of 2016. The movie that finally gives Marvel fans what they’ve been waiting for: the watered down, truncated version of the acclaimed mini-series from rock star writer Mark Millar. I know, it sounds harsh. But I’m starting to become wary of Marvel’s ‘Event Comics’ being turned into feature films.
Marvel Studios is at a difficult point in their cinematic journey. They have changed the way blockbuster movies are made, redefining what success means to studio franchises, and electrified fans with a constant stream of above average product. However, they’re also burning through product, and by ‘product’ I mean quality stories. In less than a decade, they will have introduced us to a wide array of superheroes and taken them through a gauntlet of movies, many of which are based on some of their most popular ‘event comic’ stories.
Event Comics are those annual dust ups between Earth’s Mightiest Mortals and Ultron, Alien invaders, Thanos, or whatever world conquering threat looms in the shadows.
In terms of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, the individual character movies are the regular monthly issues and the Avengers movies’ are the ‘Event Comics’. The one that brings all of your favorite characters together in one movie. Unfortunately, Marvel has been changing their strategy and all of their movies are starting to feel more like an Event Comic. Captain America: Civil War will feature nearly 75% of the Avengers. Thor: Ragnarok is going to feature the Hulk. For some fans, this will be craze-mazing. The kind of fans who scream ‘Where are the other Avengers?’ when Tony Stark’s mansion is being leveled by The Mandarin or when Hydra controlled Helicarriers are moments away from wiping out millions. For me, I’m starting to see the strains on the Marvel Cinematic Universe from all these movies becoming ‘Event Comics’.
The trailer for Civil War had me chuckling at the end. One particular moment that just feels so forced. You know the one: Captain America and Bucky are putting the beat-down on Iron Man, and Cap says “I wouldn’t do this if I had any other choice… but he’s my friend.” and a broken hearted Iron Man say “So was I.”
I’m sure the goal of that moment wasn’t awkward laughter, but that’s what it produced. You were friends? When? In the restaurant eating shawarma, or for the 10 minutes in Age of Ultron where everyone was having drinks at the Avengers tower? Or maybe he’s referencing that awkward three minute exchange where they talk about Thor’s hammer in an elevator. Iron Man and Captain America have spent the majority of their cinematic time together throwing punches and arguing ideologies.
This is where the strain comes in. When Marvel takes comic stories and tries to apply the same dynamics to their cinematic universe. Or in this case when they pick and choose different stories and character traits from different incarnations of the character and try to make them all work on film.
The first two Avengers movies spent so much time having the characters at odds with one another that Civil War feels unsurprising. The comic was a big deal because it introduced the idea of a major ideological shift between characters. There were decades of stories and relationships being played with. Years of unity between our favorite superheroes. The cinematic version gives us a group of Avengers who have only come together twice to stop some extinction level events, both of which are kind of their own fault.
I’m not saying Marvel should ignore some of their more popular stories for the cinematic treatment. What I’m saying is some of the storytelling feels rather forced. Especially when you end your trailer with a dramatic moment that lands with a cringe inducing THUD.
The potential problem for Marvel is the frequency of releasing these ‘Event Comic’ movies. They’re not alone, mind you. Warner Bros. could easily fall into this trap by making every DC movie featuring multiple characters. Event Comics work when there is space between to develop the individual characters in their own space. And it’s difficult to cram a 12 issue series into a two hour movie and expect the same level of gravitas.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is a prime example of how cramming a pre-existing comic storyline into the Cinematic Universe can fail. The Age of Ultron was basically a week long. Characters make strange choices based on the need to perpetuate the narrative. Tony Stark created Ultron in the first 20 minutes, watches everything go to hell, and then doubles down an hour later by trying to create the Vision. So much of the storytelling is pre-plotted. The Vision had to be created, so characters are forced into baffling action to service the overall event story arc. There’s a sense of predetermination that I struggle with. Especially that last line.
I know in theory that Captain America and Iron Man are friends, but I’ve never seen it. I’ve seen them fight. I’ve seen them argue. I’ve seen them struggle with discovering the right course of action. But I’ve never seen them be friends. Where the characters are being taken in Civil War makes sense. Thematically they’ve discovered the connective tissue to make this event work in the cinematic universe. But I’ve never seen the kind of friendship that would make that last moment feel genuine. To me, it feels forced. I’m fine with the relationship Captain America and Iron Man have on film. I totally believe these two would have no problem beating the holy hell out of one another at the drop of a hat. But the ‘friends’ thing?
No sir. I don’t buy it.
And that takes us back to my original point: Shoe-horning in Event Comics into these movies poses a creative conundrum. When characters are forced to act a certain way to reflect the relationship in a pre-existing comic story, it rings false. And if Marvel tries to keep making their non-Avengers movies ‘Event Comics’ they’re going to burn through their ‘A’ material.
Right now Captain America: Civil War looks like another excuse to get the Avengers to get into a super powered dust-up. But if we learned anything from Age of Ultron, it’s how forced all this in fighting is starting to feel. Based on the trailer, I think it’s safe to argue that by the end of Civil War we will have spent more time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe watching the Avengers fight one another than a common enemy. While it might make for some gangbuster action, it does little to convince me that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were ever really friends, which makes that last line so unconvincing.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker and the co-host of Across the Pondcast. Follow him on Twitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=ROisAvdW5SY
