After X3 and Spiderman3....what would you do?

[Gpoliceman]

Hey Gang,

I was reading the post about Venom being a fan favorite for a Spiderman 3 movie (which is definitely going to happen by the way) and saw that a lot of posters were discussing Spiderman 4-6 as a possible place for Venom to appear, and that got me thinking...

As far as we know, both the X-Men and Spiderman franchises are being treated as trilogies (3 films only). Even the stories seem to be building to a climactic third movie being the cap to a larger story developed throughout the three films. For example, X-Men introduced the struggle between humans and mutants with a mutant (Magneto) trying to wipe out humankind, and X-Men 2 escalated that tension with a human (Stryker) trying to wipe out mutantkind. The movie ended with the ENTIRE WORLD being under attack by a mutant (Professor X), with the President of the United States being presented with the choice to go or not to go to war with mutants. Also, both X-Men films delve heavily into the past of Wolverine and who he is. We learn more with each film. We're only left to assume X-Men 3 will conclude the mutant versus human war and end the X-Men films.

With what we can tell from the Spiderman 2 trailers, Spiderman 2 continues the on again off again romance of Peter and Mary Jane, Harry Osbourne's search for revenge, and Spiderman's internal battle with what he should do as a superhero if his friends and families become targets. I think we're only left to assume that Spiderman 3 will conclude all these storylines (Peter and Mary Jane finally hook up/possibly marry like in the comics, Aunt May dies, Harry and Peter duke it out finally). So that would end the Spiderman trilogy.

So my question is this: The films are supposed to end after 3 films each, but what if the audience craving for more X-Men and Spiderman is so strong that they decide to do more? But what if NONE of the cast/crew of the original trilogy wants to return? What would you suggest be done?

My opinion:

Spiderman: If the whole film needs to be recast. If the movie needs a new director, I say screw it. Wait 10 years. Then let someone restart the franchise. Personally, I can't stand it when films lose their cast/director. Because then Spiderman 4 will be SO DIFFERENT from the previous three that it will end up being a like it or hate it situation. Half the fans of the original trilogy will love the 4th movie and half will hate it. Since I thought Spiderman was SO GOOD, I doubt I would like a fourth movie with a different cast under a different vision from a different director. So my opinion is Spiderman should end after Spiderman 3 if none of the cast/director wants to return to it.

X-Men: X-Men is a different story. Why? Because there's SO many different X-Men out there. Granted, the most popular X-Men are in the X-Men films we see today, I say if none of the cast will return after X3, continue the story with different X-Men. Make Angel, Beast, Gambit, Collosus, Shadowcat, and Jubilee into a separate X-Men team. They did it in the comics. The X-Men have been split into different teams before (I remember there were Gold and Blue teams in the 90s). Recast Rouge and Iceman with older actors and throw them in too. Then build on the story from the original X-Men trilogy, but make it that there is a separate X-Men team lending a hand to the battle effort in a different part of the world that Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops and the rest of the gang are. It would be the same battle the team from the original trilogy is fighting, but from a different battle front. This would be the battle seen from the eyes of the Angel, Beast, Gambit etc. team. That team could hear what's going on with Wolverine and the rest of them, but we as an audience just don't see it. It might be unsatisfying I guess, but I would consider this if I was the writer/director of X-Men 4 and I knew none of the original cast was returning. I would have all the kid characters from the original trilogy grow up and become another X-Men team.

What would you do if none of the cast/crew will return?

Gpoliceman

[Chad Bonin]

After X3, Spidey 3, Elektra, Hulk 2, Punisher 2, Fantastic Four...

I wanna see "Secret Wars".

[Discloner]

Is the punisher still doing well enough to ensure a sequel? I mean, it got panned. Panned long and hard, sadly. :sad:

[RD!]

Why do all movies need to end at three now? It's nonsense and illogical, Spiderman and X-Men didn't end at three issues, what makes you think they'll pass the chance up to make more money on stories they barely have to write? People are going to go see Spiderman and X-men up until their 20th installments so long as the stories are still fresh.

As for the cast and director. In spider man's case, so what if they don't sign on? Spiderman wears a mask anyway. Director? Who cares. Spiderman didn't have some brilliant and innovative narrative or brilliant anything, it was just a superhero movie which could easily be duplicated in style by any C rated director. X-Men is different, no wolverine = no picture.

[Peter Paltridge]

Learn this lesson: Fear the Four.

Superman 4. Batman 4. Any horror movie franchise that got to a fourth movie. There has never been a #4 that has been good, as everything that could be done was already done in the first or second ones.

Spiderman should end with #3...and I don't know about Venom, since do you really want to see Parker blast off into space, fight the Secret Wars, return in the black costume, act cocky and violent, throw the suit away, then have to deal with Eddie? They could change it, but comic book geeks wouldn't like that. It'd be one weeeeird movie, folks...

[Stu]

X-Men will probably spin off into a Wolverine franchise. The again, given the inexpected, phenominal success of X2, I could see it continuing after X-Men 3. They have 100's of characters to use, why not?

Spider-Man is a different story, if they do Harry Goblin in Spider-Man 3, then Spider-Man 4 can be Venom. Then Spider-Man and Venom can team up to fight Carnage or whatever. It's all about making the hero's flight against the villians. It could be done, if needed...

[Eddie G.]

I would just like to see a superhero saga have an ending. I mean how did the Superman series end? Superman learns a crappy lesson and fights a crappy bad guy. How did the Batman series end? Batman fights crappy bad guys (who could have been good) and then he gets a new sidekick who was a revamp of character who was hard to make interesting to begin with.

What both X-men and Spiderman have managed to do is create story threads and ideas that more or less write the ending for the more movie. Frankly I don't want to see Spiderman fight Venom after he marries MJ or face off against Harry. People need to understand movie storytelling is so much different than comics, but they don't and that is why people look for ways that Venom could work. Writers must adapt the parts that can be adapted, and not adapt parts that didn't really work in the comics. i know there have been some great bad guys anc characters in Uncanny that deserve to be in the movie, but I understand that they're not in the movies and shall love them in the comic books that they dwell in.

[Mynd Hed]

Spiderman should end with #3...and I don't know about Venom, since do you really want to see Parker blast off into space, fight the Secret Wars, return in the black costume, act cocky and violent, throw the suit away, then have to deal with Eddie? They could change it, but comic book geeks wouldn't like that. It'd be one weeeeird movie, folks...
Why not bring things full circle and base Venom's movie incarnation off of his incarnation in the Ultimate Marvel Universe?

[Ryoutarou]

Learn this lesson: Fear the Four.

Superman 4. Batman 4. Any horror movie franchise that got to a fourth movie. There has never been a #4 that has been good, as everything that could be done was already done in the first or second ones.

Spiderman should end with #3...and I don't know about Venom, since do you really want to see Parker blast off into space, fight the Secret Wars, return in the black costume, act cocky and violent, throw the suit away, then have to deal with Eddie? They could change it, but comic book geeks wouldn't like that. It'd be one weeeeird movie, folks...
or they coul just do it that the cartoon from 94 did it...allthough that'd be kinda dull.

[screw on head]

I read in Wizard magazine where Brian Singer, the director of the X-Men films, said he was looking at the prospect of doing 2 more X-men movies, maybe even filmed at the same time, ala The Lord of the Rings. The article said he spoke to Peter Jackson and other director pals about the experience involved, etc.

I'm all for, erm, 4 X-Men movies, especially since Singer seems to have a plan for the stories for those, and I have great faith that he could make it work. Then there's the possible Woliverine spin-offs to quench your X-Men thirst. As long as Singer's at the helm, hey, I'm all for going beyond a trilogy.

I think Spiderman could definately fit as a chain of 6 movies, especially if Sam Raimi's at the helm. I want it that way. I want to see them go beyond the trilogy, cause Spidey's got a rich assortment of villains and an awesome team of filmmakers, and I want to see this team realize them and knock it out of the park.

Basically, I'm all for going beyond the trilogy barrier because the talent behind these movies are capable of breaking that barrier, and making worthwhile films in doing so.

[Marvel_Knight]

I say if the director (Singer and Raimi) leave their franchises, no more X-Men and Spidey movies. Look at the Batman and Superman films. Superman I and II worked because they had Richard Donner in the first and some stuff with Dinner in II. Batman lost its darkness in Forever and & Robin without Burton. Blade is an exception. It's kept Goyer throughout it's 3 (THREE) films with good directors. If X-Men and Spidey keep their directors and get good screenwriters (and good directors), then maybe. For the 6 Spidey films, if Raimi leaves after 3, then get a GOOD driectors, writers and actors. Who knows what'll happen to the DD, Hulk and Punisher franchises.

[Storm]

I'm one of those people who believe that three is enough. You have a beginning, a middle, and an end. As Marvel_Knight, if Singer and Raimi think it's time to end the franchises then they should end. I really don't want to see six Spidey films. Three are enough. I personally think Tobey Maguire won't do six films anyway. If he is replace for a third one I won't see it because Tobey was the perfect Spider-Man. The fans need to understand that you are are not going to see every villain or character you want to see in these films. Same as X3, everybody wants to see Beast, Gambit, and Angel. What Singer needs to do is focus on his primary cast: Xavier, Magneto, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean, Storm, and Rouge. Which is a big problem for the X-franchise right now. I think X3 should need with Jean as the Phoenix and maybe the Sentinels and then close the series as a whole and it would be nice to see the original cast for this one... even Halle. It's not Storm, the character's fault that Halle is waltzing through the role.

Also for DD, The Hulk, and Punisher: I haven't seen The Hulk or The Punisher movies yet but I think the DD franchise will live on with the Elektra character.



- Storm

[Knight]

Well I dont beleive a movie should have a set end. James Bond never has. Jason and Freddy keep coming back again and again although those series should be dead and continuity between them is all but gone.

I feel they should make as many Spiderman ,X-men , Batman whatever movies they feel. Three movies work for LOTR because thats the whole story its over. Comic superheroes fight a never ending battle.

[Nin-Nin69]

Scud the Disposable Assassian. Someone needs to renew the licence for that and make a movie based off that franchise. It's got plenty of humor, violence, and one of the best stories you've ever read from an indy comic series.

[Parallax]

Mother loving God, I hope Spider-Man ends after the third movie. Or atleast get rid of Tobey. We need someone witty and sarcastic, not a whiney brat.

[Fone Bone]

Heh. I'd like to see Secret Wars too, but getting the rights to all the characters would be impossible. They should end Spidey at three, X-Men at Four if Singer and the rest of the cast are involved and maybe make a couple of Wolverine solo movies. Don't know about Blade, but Daredevil, Hulk and Punisher are dead. I hear Elektra and Fantastic Four are coming out. We'll see how they do.

[Knight]

That "Site that shall not be named" revealed May 4 that




Marvel Studios' Avi Arad said that he hopes to have the sequel to The Punisher ready by fall 2005.

Star Thomas Jane, who has signed on for three films, and writer/director Jonathan Hensleigh will both be back. Arad made the comments during Marvel's quarterly webcast on Tuesday morning
So as amazing as it is there could be sevearl more Punisher movies

Hugh Jackman also spoke on X3





Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the first two X-Men movies, said he isn't locked into an X3 yet.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful, but first of all, I don't know what the script's going to be like. I don't know what it will be like," Jackman said at the recent press junket for Van Helsing, which opens Friday.

"But I would find it very, very hard to watch someone else play the role of Wolverine, you know. But, you know, I've had a really great go of it for two movies, so you never know. They may want to move it in different directions, so we'll see what happens in it."

Jackman said a third X-Men film doesn't feel gratuitous.

"I can see there being complete validity in doing X-Men 3, if not more," he said. "I mean, I think it (X2) cemented what was a really interesting world." Marvel Studios is targeting X3 for a May 3, 2006 release
The way Hugh talks he's not really interested in playing Wolverine too much more. Makes it hard to think he'll play him in a Wolverine solo movie

[Fone Bone]

Unbeleivable.:sad:

Venom will be a no-show as long as Sam Raimi is in charge. He HATES him.

[Eddie G.]

Unbeleivable.:sad:

Venom will be a no-show as long as Sam Raimi is in charge. He HATES him.Honestly I don't blame Raimi. I mean I don't hate Venom, I've seen the character well written and both Ultimate Spiderman and Spiderman: TAS were able to adapt him pretty well. But truth be told I've always considered the character to be a nice drawing. I mean looking at some warped version of Spiderman in his black suit is sweet, but I never really saw much substance in the character beyond his initial appearance and some stories there after. But really he isn't that interesting of a character. The Lizard, the Vulture, Kraven, and some Spiderman's other rogues are a tad more interesting. Hell even some of the more campy 2-D Spider rogues like The Rhino and Electro, while not as dynamic as Venom are a little more fun than Eddie. And they're meant to be fun cool characters and suceed at it, it's good campy. While Eddie is meant to be dark angsty, but it's bad angsty.

The only way that Venom could have been introduced (and remember he did throw us a bone, well the writer probably did, but he let the bone be thrown. Venom exists, we know he exists, we know Eddie exist. We just won't see him) is if Eddie was introduced in the first movie as someone who doesn't like Peter because he was the one who got the photos of Spiderman, and not him. He would seem out of place but might work. Then in the next movie have him in some situation that would lead to him becoming Venom in the next movie, or work in some way that the "venom" was created by Oscorp by our favorite Spidey hater who partially created the "venom" from Spiderman's DNA. And then we could have Venom in the final film along either a new Green Goblin, or as part of the Sinister Six. But sadly it be too late for that and besides aren't the rights to Venom still tied up?

[Stripe]

Unbeleivable.:sad:

Venom will be a no-show as long as Sam Raimi is in charge. He HATES him.


Good, I've never been a Venom fan (and I hate Carnage). The best Venom story I've ever read was the "Hunger" arc from Spectacuar Spider-Man and few months ago, and it was blown away by the Doc Ock story that came right after it!