I should precede this by saying
I’ve always been more of a Marvel Comics guy. Emphasis on ‘Comics.’ The stories
of Marvel comics are usually more connected to their superhero origins. There’s
a bit more Fun n’ Fancy Free which suits my style a bit more. However, there’s
always been a soft spot present for DC because of the characters they have
crafted and the worlds they inhabit. I think they all have so much depth. There
doesn’t seem to be any end to the stories you could tell. So putting the two
greatest heroes of all time on the same screen seems like a no-brainer.
Dawn of Justice was…not a good
movie. It was an entertaining movie in spots. It was a LOUD movie throughout.
But it was not a good movie.
Many factors contributed to this
unfortunate turn of events. For one, Zack Snyder isn’t the best storyteller.
That doesn’t mean he’s not good. He just isn’t good at directing. His true
talent to me has always been in the producer’s chair and never in the
director’s chair. As a producer, the way he frames shots, especially in terms
of action is incredible. So, it’s no surprise that this was an incredible movie
to see, visually.
Like most of you (or some of you,
I can’t assume) I have been following these stories for much of my life and as
silly as it may seem to an outsider – or movie producer – there are very real
emotions associated with and summoned by these otherwise fictional characters.
It’s an investment. As such, I can’t let the screenwriters off the hook, here.
David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio wrote a decent story, but when it came time to
fill in the blanks with a good screenplay, the struggles were apparent. Writing
isn’t easy, and it’s easy to tell when someone hasn’t connected with the source
material.
So, what brings us here?
Of the many things my mom taught
me - and there were many – the one I found the most valuable was the art of
being proactive. “If you don’t like something, think about what you can do to
improve the situation. It doesn’t make sense to do nothing.” I paraphrase but
just know for the record my mother didn’t suffer complainers lightly in her
household.
That’s why, just a month removed
from seeing the movie in theaters, news of the Ultimate Edition on the horizon,
my proclamation of rewriting the movie to my friend and co-worker was met with
the predictable delayed wutface.
What do you mean you’re going to
rewrite the whole movie?
I mean I’m going to rewrite the
whole goddamn movie. More accurately write the movie I’d thought I might see.
Because you see when I pay for my ticket stub and it says…
DAWN OF JUSTICE
I expect to have an
action-packed, drama-filled, SOOPER LOUD thrill ride of a movie that possibly
has Supes and Bats fighting but ends with them as bros AND with the rest of the
Justice League standing tall atop a sun-crested hill.
The DAWN of Justice
Instead… Superman is dead, Batman runs off to find
Barry and Wonder Woman runs off…somewhere?
The DUSK of Justice.
The name of that file before I
downloaded it was actually – no bullshit: Batman
and Wonder Woman Stand Over Lois Cradling Superman’s Corpse. Dead bodies
are full of hope, right? Death is a good allegory for Dawn, yes? It’s like playing through a Castlevania and you finally
beat it but you took too long so you get the Bad Ending.
 |
| Damn, he's not gonna be in JL Pt. 1 |
Where the hell is everyone going?
We’ve gotta do some shit! Oh, what’s that? Clark is alive actually? Well, good
thing we didn’t just sit through two-and-a-half hours of movie or this might
have been a complete waste of time!
Anyway!
Back to near present day: I
explain to my friend that my vision for this story is to have it focus mostly
on Bruce and Diana as they meet during their separate spying of LexCorp and
work together to find the other members of the not-yet-named JL before Lex
Luthor does. This is for a few reasons. Well more than a few but, in order
first.
~One of the good points of the
movie for me was the (far too) brief cat-and-mouse game Bruce and Diana found
themselves in during the first act. Bruce was caught between being equally
attracted to and unnerved by this woman who seemed to always be a step ahead.
She gave an air of knowing something he didn’t which got under his skin since
he is so used to being the smartest person in any given room. Diana on the
other hand was intrigued by this wolf in sheep’s clothing who obviously didn’t
belong with this group of people and looked so ready to rip the head off the
first person to give him reason. I wanted to explore their back and forth while
also giving more of a Leading Lady type role to Diana as opposed to Snyder’s
Hot Lady Stares At Dagger role.
~If Batman is in the movie, I
feel like it should always be more about him. A lot of DCEU stories – animated
or otherwise – already do this. Batman is practically the only human hero in
this whole Universe. It’s far easier for us to relate to his perspective in any
one arc because none of us have x-ray vision or super speed and neither does
he. We feel a sort of emotion and anxiety for him that we don’t for others
because, unless someone zaps Kal with that funky green rock, he’ll probably be
okay. Bruce, on the other hand, could get squashed at any point. Which reminds
me…
~Writing Superman is HARD.
Writing him well is harder because of every reason I’ve stated above. Now, I’ve
read GREAT Superman stories. I’ve read great Batman stories that had Superman
in them. Superman is a great character and has so much rich history behind him.
But the nature of his character is tough to navigate if you don’t have it
mapped. He’s simply too powerful. It’s not his fault. He’s Born Like This.
Wonder why Hulk and Thor weren’t
involved in Captain America: Civil War?
Because suspension of disbelief, even in a comic book movie, can only get you
so far before you stand in your chair and ask, “Why doesn’t Hulk Smash
EVERYTHING?” Why indeed. If you’ve read the comic version of Civil War, you know: it was a race to
find the Hulk. Like picking the tall kid for basketball, or the fast one for
kickball. If Hulk is on your team you win the Superhero Contest! Simple as
that. He’s The Strongest There Is. Just like Kal-El. We know Clark is really a
good guy. Probably a God-fearing guy, given his childhood on a Kansas farm. But
it’s hard at times to feel bad for the guy who could probably delete your
planet. Or resolve the plot in 2 minutes or less. Again, storytelling.
~I am a longtime fan of
professional wrestling. It’s an interesting niche to be involved with because
as a form of entertainment, it’s like everything else, but there is nothing
else like it. On top of the amazing displays of literal death-defying
athleticism that I no doubt respect and enjoy, the true enjoyment for me comes
from the storylines and characters that are crafted in this pseudo-athletic
world of pantomime competition. A very pretty way of saying: wrestling is fake.
Just like Dawn of Justice is fake. This
is no secret but watching wrestling for so long has me looking at other forms
of prose and fiction to see how I would “book” similar conflicts that run
parallel in the other story. In the story of Batman v Superman, this match
would not be happening on my watch. Not yet.
Can you fucking imagine if Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant instead of having their Sport-Defining
Most Important Match of All Time at WrestleMania III in front
of 100,000 people had it on Main Event in front of 15,000? Vinny Mac wouldn’t
be the magnate he is now. This is practically the first film of DC’s next
phase. It’s like a basketball team that gets down by ten points and then tries
to make it all back on one play instead of getting a stop then a score then a
stop then a score… Guys. Patience! I want Bruce to beat the shit out this guy,
too. But let’s maybe get the gang together first before we blow our wad through
50 years of combined history here. Who gives a shit what Marvel is doing [making
another Ant-Man movie!] you have a
great catalogue and unlimited resources! Take the time to make it right.
Easier said than done, I know.
The idea is to pull the most profit right now and given that they started
behind the blocks WB isn’t exactly in a waiting mood. This isn’t an easy job.
BUT! When I am in the theater watching DoJ and the Big Blue Boy Scout is on the
screen my preceding thought shouldn’t be, Oh,
just die already! I should cheer for him! I should want him to win! I
should want all of them to win! Hence, the DAWN of- Nope. I’ve made that point
already. I’ll tell you what I’ll do.
As the summary suggested, this
will be a canon divergence of sorts but it will be canon compliant. To a point.
I’ve always believed in doing the best with what you’ve got, so as much as I
would love to dig around for countless hours in the endless meta and rogues’
gallery of both Batman and Superman I’ll be sticking to the canon presented or
influenced by the movie itself. Which means, sadly, my favorite and yours Dick
Grayson will not be making an appearance. There will be other winks and nods
peppered throughout and maybe even some cameos as I see fit. This is a work of
fiction. I am not pulling profit from it and even if I was, Zack Snyder doesn’t
sign my checks.
The story will involve a
different version of a still angry Bruce Wayne who makes a different decision
after the Capitol Hill Bombing. Instead of vowing revenge on Superman, he works
to discover who is responsible for the attack while Wonder Woman helps him
track down the Metahumans on LexCorp’s watchlist. It will still be an action
movie but with much more emphasis on Bruce as the World’s Greatest Detective
which is an important part of the character. Because isn’t he a bit too smart
to be jerked around by a low rent Heath Ledger costume?
This will also be a Mature fic.
You would think that after the smashing success of Deadpool that studios would have ditched the myth that PG-13
ratings equaled the most ticket sales. If there ever was a DC movie to get the R that wasn’t Suicide Squad, it had to be this one. Obviously they had no problem
killing scores of people, but the thematic elements weren’t there. That, and
Bruce should be cussing waaaay more in this (I will happily acquiesce). Because
realistically, Kal-El has already saved the entire world from certain doom
whereas Batman has been beating up gang members and thugs in the gutter of
Gotham for two decades. An endless slog with no end in sight. How bitter and
jaded would you be of such an existence? So if your Bats isn’t the kind that
doesn’t care what happens to Thug No. 2 as he flies out the 3rd
story window hop off now.
Arthur, Vic and Barry will all be
in this, obviously. My plans for Flash are what you’d expect, but the other two
are examples of where some divergence might take place from a characterization
standpoint.
I’m a big fan of Jason Mamoa as
Aquaman. I think he’s got a great look and it’s a good way to legitimize a
character that, unfairly or otherwise, has been the butt of so many jokes. Not
only that, but Aquaman has always been a hero – like Wonder Woman – who I’ve
always felt (forgive me here) was a bit too Caucasian. Remember the animated
movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire? It isn’t by accident that the only Caucasian
people in that movie are from the surface world. With that being said, I know
DC’s Cinematic style and I can see from the first Justice League trailer that
this Arthur is going to be big and growly. That’s fine, because Mamoa is big
and growly, too, but the Aquaman I know best does stuff like this.
Yes, that is Aquaman riding a
silverfish. And if your first thought was, “Hi-yo Silverfish!” get yourself a
cookie because that was the exact line from the show. I may have stopped
laughing in time to see the end of the episode. I won’t make him do something
as ridiculous but I’ll do my best to make him an affable fish man with a fiery
temper.
Cyborg is another case
altogether. The original Teen Titans animated series was never underrated at
any juncture from what I remember, but I do very much remember – even as a teen
myself watching – that the show was much darker than was given credit for.
Nevermind the Slade/Robin “I own you” storyline: there were serval episodes
dealing with identity issues and finding purpose. It makes sense because
they’re teenagers but especially in Vic’s case because other than Beast Boy
(it’s not easy being green) he can’t hide who he is.
It’s implied that he’s come to
terms with the fact that he will never be fully human, but it’s never really
that easy. In the episode where he goes undercover as the villain STONE, he
looks at the projected image of himself in his old body and wonders what life
would be like if he had only ever been Victor. Would he still be in school?
Would he still be playing football? Would his mother still be alive? Victor
Stone’s story is a tragic one, really. Even his origin is one that has
subversive themes of dehumanization and overt
body horror that a Mad Max dream
sequence just couldn’t do justice. I believe the best way to go about writing
Vic is with a simmering aggression. He’s accepting of his situation and doesn’t
like it, but he’s learning to appreciate being alive with every experience he
has.
While on the topic, Gal Gadot is
perfect for this role. I had her in mind as I wrote for Wonder Woman which is
incredibly fun, for the record. I feel the same way about Ben Affleck. His
portrayal of Batman was the best I’ve seen on screen. The same goes for Jeremy
Irons as Alfred. Exceptional casting in both cases. Without their performances,
I would have likely walked out of the theater that night.
Something else that bugged me
about the movie: how little dialogue was spent pondering the murky grays of
Batman, Superman and vigilantism in general. It’s clear no one really cares for
Batman but Superman flies into a conflict zone, kills the shit out of some insurgents and flies back home with his
girlfriend like nothing happened. People freak out for a bit, but then
everything’s cool again until the Senate Hearing is bombed. I plan to explore
this theme early and often because like Assassin’s
Creed I feel like sometimes these stories tend to portray the protagonists
too much like The Good Guys - in particular Bruce Wayne. And he is a Good Guy,
technically, but he is also famous for using very aggressive and ethically
challenged manors of achieving his goals. That, and I don’t plan to shy away
from Bruce’s almost-certainly-untreated PTSD, nor the fact that underneath his
charm he is at times a very unstable man capable of extreme acts of violence.
Per the movie.
I’ve gone back and forth on
whether to do it all as an actual screenplay or write it as prose and I chose
the latter option just because it’s what I know best. I’m comfortable with it
and it will help me paint the picture better. Show don’t tell, etc. etc.
Another order of business: DC –
unlike Marvel – bases most of their story arcs in fictional places, separate
from or alongside real cities. Although it isn’t always made clear which city
is where geographically, the consensus is that most of them are on the East
Coast or in the Midwest. As such, I’ve taken some creative liberties so that
our story won’t only take place in cold and/or grey places. Ah, the power of
fiction.
GOTHAM/METROPOLIS – As presented in the movie, Gotham City is in
New Jersey and Metropolis is its New York counterpart across the water.
CENTRAL CITY – Ordinarily is depicted as part of Kansas City,
Missouri’s Metro area. For the purposes of this story, it will be at or around
the real-life location of Flagstaff, Arizona; due West of the Hopi Reservation.
JUMP CITY – Hometown of the Teen Titans in the animated series.
Titans Tower is perched on a seaside cliff where it never rains, so in honor of
one of my best friends who relocated and beta’d my early drafts, Jump City is
our Orange County/SoCal stand-in. (Right up the road from Los Santos.)
STAR CITY – Again, depicted as sorta East Coast and vaguely
Midwest. For Barry’s sake, we’re sticking to the Left Coast. Pacific Northwest
to be exact.
THEMYSCIRA – Legend puts the Home of the Amazons on the banks of
the Thermodon River. Themyscira was an ancient Greek town near the mouth of
this river which is now known as the Terme in modern-day Turkey. In DC Land,
Themyscira is an island so that island will be somewhere due North in the Black
Sea.
This is part of a process for me.
Things are going okay for me right now, but I know I’m not as happy as I should
be. My personal life has stagnated while my professional life has plateaued.
I’ve got many friends I’d like to spend time with but simply can’t because of
time, distance, obligations, etc and I’m afraid they think I’ve forgotten them.
In truth, all I forgot was how important writing was to me.
It always helped center me, when
my thoughts and emotions began to spiral but I didn’t write anything for the
longest time because of the feeling of futility that overcame me. Like I let
everyone down. Hopefully, by writing this story and following through on my
plan to challenge myself creatively I can find a bit of energy by writing of
the exploits of these madmen while sprinkling in some of my own madness.
Thank you for your time. Thank
you for reading. I hope you enjoy your stay. And if you ever decide to leave, I
thank you for coming in the first place. Ladies and Gentlemen this is…
DAWN OF JUSTICE
