With so many superhero projects from Marvel and DC lined up to keep you engaged, aren’t you starting to ask yourself the question – are only two superhero universes enough? Or would you prefer to watch some superhero movies that are neither Marvel nor DC at times? If you are indeed bored, we might have something for you to look forward to. The superhero genre is no longer just about the Big Two.
Also Read: Comic Book Movie Villains So Relatable They Deserve A Solo Movie
Spawn
While Spawn does have a loyal fan following, the iconic Image Comics Superhero has already had a failed attempt at live action entertainment. The last Spawn Movie came way back in 1997. It was a failure. Had it been successful, Spawn would have jumpstarted the superhero genre in Hollywood, an honor that now belongs to the X-Men movies of Fox Studios and the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy. Todd McFarlane is a famous comic book writer and artist very well-known in the comic book fan circles. He considers Spawn as one of his crown jewels.
Al Simmons is a CIA ‘wet-works’ operative. He undertakes all the dirty missions behind enemy lines for the United States of America. He is very good at his job but he is later betrayed by his own friends. Simmons goes to Hell but makes a deal with Demon Lord Malebolgia, who grants him the power of the Hell-Spawn in return for his allegiance in the upcoming battle between Heaven and Hell. Spawn had a very graphic and dark tone for its time and that was why the comic book series was a hit. There are talks of a new Spawn movie with rumors that the work on the movie has already begun. The movie was being scripted as of January 2019, when shooting was supposed to begin. There have been no further updates. It will reportedly star Jamie Foxx as the titular superhero.
The Crow
The Crow was originally a 1994 movie starring Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, who played Eric Draven aka The Crow. The Crow is yet another Image Comics superhero just like Spawn. His origin story is also linked to death and resurrection. Eric Draven was a rock musician living in a city that was riddled with crime. Evil lurked at every corner. Draven and his girlfriend were victims of a home invasion where he was killed after witnessing the love of his life being repeatedly sexually assaulted and killed in front of his eyes. Draven was resurrected by the supernatural entity called The Crow to exact revenge on the perpetrators.
Brandon Lee had his breakthrough with The Crow but his unfortunate demise while shooting the final scenes of the movie cursed the entire franchise for the next few years. None of the subsequent installments clicked. The Crow was supposedly going to arrive next year starring Jason Momoa as the lead. But as time passed by, the possibility of another high budget Crow movie sounds doubtful. There is a ray of hope for the people who would still like to watch it though. Sony claims they have already allocated more than $50 Million for the project and they want a more faithful adaptation of James O’Barr’s Original 1989 Comic Book series.
Also Read: The Comic Book Industry Is Dying: The End of Superheroes
Invincible
Unlike the other entries, this is not a live action but an animated production. There were several rumors of the popular superhero from image Comics being adapted for the big and small screens. Invincible finally caught everyone’s attention when Amazon Prime came forward to buy the rights to the character. An Invincible animated superhero web series is about to hit Amazon Prime this year. The voice over cast for Invincible is something to notice. It features Steven Yuen as the eponymous superhero. Yuen is also known for his other works like playing Glenn in the acclaimed The Walking Dead series. J.K Simmons lends his voice for Omni-Man. It also has actors like Seth Rogen, Mark Hamill, and Sandra Oh.
Created by Robert Kirkman, Invincible’s real name is Markus Sebastius Grayson. He is the son of Nolan Grayson, a popular novelist who is also the world’s greatest and most powerful superhero called Omni-Man. On his seventeenth birthday, Markus also develops super powers just like his father’s. But it is the twist in the tale that actually defines Markus’ destiny. Omni-Man is actually not here to protect the Earth but to prepare it for his people – the Viltrumites, to invade and conquer it. Invincible also has a very graphic tone and the series is known to kill of major characters without a second thought.
Harbingers
The Harbingers are more or less just like the mutant race of the Marvel Comic Book Universe. Instead of relying on the mutant X Gene to grant super powers, the section of humanity that would become the Harbingers rely purely on the power of Mind over Matter. The Harbingers have had major impact on the history of the human race and the planet in the Valiant Comic Book Universe. The Two greatest Harbingers – Tony Harada and Peter Stanchek, are basically Gods of the Psionic Spectrum. They have a host of abilities and can also unlock the powers of other harbingers. The entire Harbinger story line is how Stanchek rallies a group of renegades to take down Harada, who wants to conquer the planet and rule over it.
Sony’s Bloodshot movie was a terrible disappointment. It was critically panned and Box office Bomb. So the idea of a Sony backed Valiant Superhero Universe is now just a distant dream. Paramount has banked on this opportunity to get the rights to the Harbingers. They will be developing a separate universe based on the adventures of Stanchek and his fight against Harada’s nefarious Harbinger Foundation. Justin Tipping has already been roped in to direct the movie. The project has made casting calls for various roles and they are about to enter pre-production soon. Joshua Neirne-Golden is set to write the script along with Eric Haisserer. Heiserrer has worked in movies like Arrival, where he created the original draft.
