5 Weird Places Marvel Movies Won't Dare Go
Marvel Studios somehow credibly united a viking deity, a weapons manufacturer, a time-displaced super-soldier and an atomic rage-monster to fight an alien invasion, but there are things from the comics they still couldn't/wouldn't do on the big screen...
In Christopher Nolan's Batman films - the rumoured impending resurrection of Ra's al Ghul notwithstanding - the emphasis has always been on grounding the caped crusader within a recognisable world of gritty realism. For instance, Batman Begins goes so far as to dedicate screentime to explaining how he gets the ears for his rubber costume manufactured in bulk and delivered from an overseas factory. The downside of this fastidious and grounded approach is that many of Bruce Wayne's more fantastical villains and adventures will never see the light of the projector so long as Nolan holds the Bat-reins at Warner Brothers, meaning the likes of Clayface, Killer Croc and Man-Bat would never get the honour of being represented by an acclaimed thespian wearing a dour outfit whilst doing a silly voice. The brilliance of Nolan's films accepted, this is one of the reasons comic book fans have been so delighted by Marvel Studios and (the majority of) their six films to date: they seem unapologetic about their pulpy routes by comparison, with films like Thor and Captain America giving a comic book accurate account of their heroes, painted in broad brushstrokes and in bright primary colours. They are like Jack Kirby illustrations brought to life - and what is Joss Whedon's epic mid-battle tracking shot in The Avengers if not the live action equivalent of a splash page? With their helicarriers, Norse gods, cosmic cubes and alien invasions, the Marvel films would seem to be an "anything goes" proposition, giving moviegoers unfamiliar with comic books a real taste of just how weird and wonderful they can be. It's a nice idea, but just how true is it? There are places in the Marvel universe that I'm certain even these intrepid films would never dare venture. Here are five examples of places Marvel's cinematic universe will never go...