A JUSTICE LEAGUE Movie? Please NO! Author: Alex Winck Wednesday, August 29, 2007 What was so cool about the Justice League when it was originally created? It was an opportunity for comic book fans to see characters they knew and loved from comics, such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, to join their different forces against threats so huge they couldn´’ handle on their own. It was the “Dream Team”. Even in modern versions, where personality conflicts became more important than they were in old incarnations, that remains the basic appeal of the team. A central aspect of that is the characters being known and recognizable. Of course the JLA was used a number of times to add some spotlight to lesser known characters of the DC universe, but some characters have always been considered “big guns” who have their own share of popularity and fans in ANY incarnation of the group, including, beyond obviously Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash, among others. Am I against WB making a JLA movie? Absolutely not. Eventually, one would make for probably one of the most epic superhero movie ever made. But here's the deal: Is NOW the best time to get this movie made? Hell no. Other than Superman and Batman, WB hasn´t’ launched ANY of their “Big Guns” in their own solo movie franchises. Even no-brainers like Supes and Bats went through a number of complications through the course of their franchises. Only now the Batman franchise seems to be definitively on the tracks, and the Superman one STILL is kinda shaky after years of development hell and false starts. The LAST thing these characters need right now is yet ANOTHER “reboot” of sorts with different continuity, style and actors. That’s not only confusing for the audience but also disrespectful to the filmmakers and actors involved and is certain to make things more difficult than help these franchises in anyway. The case is even worse for important characters like Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern. I can understand the trepidation on WB’s part as to whether these characters hold the power of attracting a mainstream movie audience that Supes and Bats have. But damn, if a Ghost Rider movie can be profitable for the studio, why the hell not Wonder Woman? With Wonder Woman, there are several ways to go. There´s the “Clash of the Titans” Greek mythology angle; there’s the “warrior who seeks peace” angle; there’s the “tough chick” angle; there’s the “fish out of water” angle -- you´re gonna tell me you can’t make a successful movie out of that? Some people complain that recent superhero movies are “too dark and brooding” these days, well, that provides a great oppertunity to make a Flash movie! Here’s a character who not only generates exciting visuals and action but can be portrayed in a more fun and lighthearted way without sounding like a “BATMAN AND ROBIN” kind of watering down. It’s just a matter of getting the right script and right filmmakers. These characters don’t need an ensemble piece to work. And what if people hate the JLA versions of these characters? That could make virtually impossible to give them their solo acts. In my humble opinion, the right time to make a JLA movie is when movie audiences all over the world are already familiar with this great gallery of characters and will go to theaters to see the “Dream Team” come together. That’s when they will experience the movie with the same kind of excitement that comics fans experience by seeing their favorite heroes team up. THAT´S what’s gonna make the JLA movie a hit. Right now all I’m seeing from all the reports is a studio in a hurry to make a quick profit, and that’s what stuff like BATMAN AND ROBIN is made of. Alex Winck, AKA "Ultimatefan," hails from Florianópolis, Brazil. He's a journalist and advertiser and I writes the scripts and articles for Sesinho, the most popular educational comic book in Brazil. It has one million copies distributed for free in schools and with an estimated readership of four million.