Broken Frontier

It's pretty well known amongst comics fans that Marvel Entertainment has had plans to take over cinemas for quite some time. Not only are they pumping out movies for their top tier characters, they've long been teasing us with movies based on B-listers like Dr. Strange, Ant-Man, Luke Cage, and even Deathlok. While their overachieving tendencies are commendable, it doesn't make financial sense to pour money into these characters that may or may not be bankable box office moolah.

In a surprisingly smart move, someone with loose lips let it slip that Marvel Entertainment would begin debut these second string characters in short films instead of in features. Presumably, this means that shorts starring awesome-but-not-mainstream characters like Dr. Strange and Luke Cage would be screening in front of guaranteed summer blockbusters like Thor, Captain America and, of course, The Avengers. Honestly, it's brilliant, and I don't know why it wasn't thought of before.

When a movie like The Avengers comes out and people flock to their multiplexes, giving them a special treat with a short film before the feature not only makes the customer feel like they are getting a better value, but it also forces them to lay their eyes on whatever character Marvel is shilling. It's essentially a commercial; a cheap marketing tool. How much will a 10 minute short really cost the company? Aside from casting decisions and special effects, the budget would be low with the company saving on distribution costs, marketing, and time.

Plus, seeing a well made short film in front of a movie is better promotion than any sort of TV spots or interviews could give, assuming that the features they are placed with are high in quality and deliver a box office return comparable to previous ventures like Iron Man. Of course, that mentality requires full competency on Marvel's part to make the best movies possible, otherwise this entire idea is pointless.

From a comic fan's perspective, it may sound amazing to imagine a Cloak & Dagger, Wonder Man, or Iron Fist feature film, but the reality is that just like Ghost Rider or Elektra before them, these movies would bomb commercially. Despite how we feel about these characters as comic fans (where Spider-Man and Darkhawk are peers), movies are made for the mainstream, and a "cool" character just won't equate to a hit. Case in point: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The studio banked on the appeal of Silver Surfer as a draw, and then suffered the consequences.

Debuting characters in short films is the next evolution of putting them in their own direct-to-DVD animated features. It'll get the characters exposure beyond the core comic book audience, and if all goes well, will lead to a starring role in the future. Kudos to you, Marvel Entertainment, let's hope the rumors are true.