Wanted: A Justice League Movie 10-26-12

Continued from here.

I'm guessing any JLA movie won't be a continuation of any previous DC character movie, nor will there be any supporting films to introduce the characters individually. This is just as well. If there is to be a Justice League franchise, it's going to have to stand on its own as a fully separate entity. It's the only way to diminish comparisons to the Avengers and to previous DC character films. Hey, it worked for Nolan's Batman series. In spite of the familiar characters, a Justice League movie has to have its own identity in order to be judged on its own merits and have the possibility of being successful.

Even with just a handful of characters, you can't spend more than a couple of minutes on who these characters are in terms of origins and powers. People already know basically who these people are and won't tolerate another Batman or Superman origin story. The character moments in this movie should just about all be focused on their relationships with each other and with the rest of humanity.

Further, there shouldn't even be an origin for the Justice League itself. (Save that for a later prequel movie.) Show these people as colleagues who already know each other and know why they're together. There, you've now distinguished this movie from the Avengers. They don't start off fighting each other or have to be motivated to work together. Simply, these heroes have banded together to deal with threats that they couldn't stop individually. That's enough.

The good news is that the main characters of the Justice League are well known by just about everybody. The bad news is that everyone is familiar with different if not multiple versions of the characters. These characters are iconic and have been around for a long time. They've had different interpretations as they are re-interpreted for new generations, sometimes radically. Keeping the origins a little fuzzy is a good strategy.

Superman has virtually been a constant. While Clark Kent has changed over the years, he's always been a fairly good-natured fellow. He'll work as is and be recognizable. The current perception of Batman has gotta be toned down for a JLA film. A near psychopathic vigilante doesn't make for a good team member. I'm not suggesting a return to an Adam West Batman, but Bruce has to be relatable on some level. This will piss off the fanboys. So be it. The good news on these characters is that everyone knows their origins, powers, and basic motivations. No need to recap them in a film.

Green Lantern has had a recent film, perhaps not well received or seen, but he's reasonably easy to explain quickly; interstellar cop, power ring, 24-hour charge, has a problem the color yellow. The Flash had a TV show in the 80's, probably not well remembered. Police CSI guy, freak accident with lightning and chemicals, suddenly develops super-speed, which he uses to fight crime. Making Barry a husband and a father would also help explain why he uses his power for good. He's easy to explain.

And then there's Wonder Woman. Oh boy. An Amazon from Greek legend dressed as a patriotic dominatrix with bullet-deflecting bracelets, a lasso of truth, and an invisible plane. I'm not saying these other guys are any less ridiculous; they're just more coherent. There is a tangible S&M element to the character from her creation in the 40's. DC has tried to make Wonder Woman a regal character, a princess, a peace ambassador, and a tough warrior, but these efforts are always undercut by the costume. The trouble is that the outfit is iconic and really looks good. I actually had a disagreement with a Wonder Woman artist on a website about this, and I still maintain that I'm right.

Wonder Woman has to be in this, but she has to look like Wonder Woman. Then, here we go, immediate comparisons with the Linda Carter show from the 70's, exactly what we're trying to avoid. I'd go with the ancient Greek hopalite outfit. Armored breastplate, armored skirt, helmet, spear (her lasso can turn into this for a potent ranged attack or even a sword for melee), even a cape (no shield though, too Captain America, she's still got the bracelets). It works with her background and makes her look serious, but still has about the same styling and shows about the same amount of skin. (Pardon me.) Along with this however, Diana should have some other outfits. I'd go with a long, white Greek-cut gown for formal, and blue jeans and a t-shirt with a Wonder Woman logo on it for casual (essentially the Cassie Wonder Girl look).

Forgive me for spending more time on Wonder Woman, but she is critical and has to work in this from the first shot on. What is her backstory? Currently in the comics, they've said all her previous origin stories were fairy tales and that now she's a hardcore mythic hero interacting with a bunch of Gaiman Sandman-like mythological supporting characters. No. Too close to Thor in the Avengers. How about the previous Wonder Woman setup by JMS, hunted Amazon on the run? No. Ambassador from the Paradise Island Amazons? That doesn't really make sense. What if she ran away?

I see Wonder Woman as a tragic character. A freak mystical occurrence brings WWII fighter pilot Steve Trevor to the hidden island of the Amazons, where he's put into quarantine. But young Diana sees him and falls in love at first sight. Just from that incident alone, Diana's mother Hippolyta, decrees Trevor's execution as a corrupting contaminate to the Amazons. Feeling responsible, Diana breaks him out with several stolen magical artifacts, and manages an escape for them from Paradise Island. The last thing Diana hears is her mother telling her she's an exile and to never return.

A loyal patriot, Steve gets back into the war. Diana joins him, not really understanding the conflict. Knowing about her skills and abilities, Steve is all for this, though he actually fears what the military might do to her more than combat. She adopts a patriotic disguise of sorts and becomes something of a mythical figure during the war, working clandestinely mostly behind the scenes. After the war, they settle down and marry.

They can't have children. Perhaps she's not entirely human. Maybe she doesn't have all the necessary female equipment. Diana even considers the rumor of the Amazons that she's not a real person, but a construct of sorts. It's a pleasant enough life together though. Steve somewhat cynically merchandises "Wonder Woman," as a comic book and other items, and they retire well off. Of course, Diana doesn't age, but Steve does. He eventually passes away. He tells her to use her powers for good, but to not let anyone know who she is.

Over the years, Diana has had to switch identities, though still managing the "Wonder Woman" brand. She even starred in a fictional TV show about herself in the 70's. All the while, she kept to the shadows worked covertly with government agencies (via Steve's old contacts) as an agent. She refused to ever get involved in any more wars, but would work in areas of national security.

All the while, she's been alone. Terribly alone. Then it happened. The appearance of another superhero. A real life one, Superman. Then came the others out of the shadows, like Batman and Green Lantern. Diana finally became the Wonder Woman she always was in enters the public spotlight as well. Unlike the others, not having a private life to protect, Diana is actually a celebrity. She's a goodwill ambassador for many causes and works as high-profile security at important events. Publicity is her anonymity. Everybody was aware of her as a fictional character and now as a real life public figure. But nobody really knows her other than what's been released to the press. She's still very alone.

Okay, there's some existential angst for you. Hopefully that's not too convoluted. Like I said, the other characters in this are going to get pretty much skipped over in terms of background, most of them are goofy anyway. It's going to take someone more talented than myself to mix all these elements together into an actual script, but it could be done and could be done very well.