Should Super Hero Movies And TV Shows Stay Loyal To Their Comic Books?

With both the DC and Marvel cinematic universes rapidly expanding, an important question for producers, directors, and fans to ask is how closely these movies should follow their comic books. More specifically, is it more important to cast in compliance with comic book stereotypes, or to stay true to the stories set forth by past comics?

This topic continues to be very polarized with each perspective having some convincing evidence to support their claims. For example, in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, the character traits of Batman were pretty similar to those set forth by the comics, while the plot and villains of the trilogy were more loosely connected with their respective comic origins. The latter frustrated some fans, but the outcome of the trilogy left little to argue or complain about. At the time, this led some to believe that in order to create a spectacular superhero movie, studios may need to shift away from comic book plots and make original adaptations based upon the ideas set forth by the comics.

This certainly worked out for The Dark Knight Trilogy and in certain aspects, The CW’s Arrow, but this idea has not always paid off. Those who prefer films that stay true to their comics would be quick to point out what happens when writers get a little bit too creative and Wade Wilson goes from being Deadpool to Weapon X over the course of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In this case, the movie as a whole turned out to be a success, but the radically different interpretation of a well-known character caused most fans to question the decision-making of the studio. These are clearly two extreme cases where most superhero and comic book movies fall somewhere in-between.

So which way’s better?

Personally, I’m a big fan of comic books and enjoy when the films and shows stick to their roots. That being said, I really like what DC has done with The Flash TV show. It seems as if the writers for The CW’s version of the Scarlet Speedster are taking bits and pieces from various Flash comics and incorporating them into live action entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, The Flash is far from perfect, but considering the show has only aired three episodes, we, as fans, should be excited about the direction of the series.

Which do you prefer?

More from Bam Smack Pow

Home/Opinion