Though the
Green Lantern movie is still a year away from theatrical release, I've already begun to anticipate what Warner Bros has in store for us when it comes to tie-ins. Action figures, collectible statues, fast food toys, electronics cases and clothing are just some of the promotional merchandise we've seen related to superhero films.
After a bit of research, though, I realized that
Green Lantern will have a bit of a problem. Out of all the mainstream superheroes out there who haven't already appeared on film, Green Lantern
already has the most merchandise on store shelves. Everything from replica rings, character busts, key chains, coffee mugs, plush dolls to book ends are readily available for purchase. Action figures based on the comic characters are bountiful; especially since the
Blackest Night series debuted. The Green Lantern comic universe is immense, and almost every character therein has their likeness on some manner of merchandise. You can even walk into most comic book stores at any given time and pick up a free Green Lantern ring.
I'm the first person to say that we can never have enough Green Lantern stuff available to buy. I've lost many a paycheck to comic book collectible items.
So what's the problem I foresee? It's not so much a problem, but a worrisome pattern. If you take a look at the latest blockbuster comic book movies,
Iron Man, The Dark Knight, &
Spider-Man, you'll notice that a large portion on the merchandise associated with them have NOTHING to do with the content of the films. With characters like Batman or Spider-Man, there isn't need to worry about film-to-merchandise confusion since most people are used to the variety that comes out of their stories. When you take a character like Green Lantern, and the limited content that will be introduced in the first film, there is much temptation to release merchandise that has no relevance to what audiences will see in theaters. Do you remember the
X-Men Origins: Wolverine toy line?
So here is the issue at hand: How will the studio come out with merchandise that isn't already available while not delving too deep into what's not in the film?
The already known of characters for the film (that would logically have tie-ins) are Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris, Sinestro, the Guardians, Legion, Hector Hammond, Kilowog, Abin Sur, Tomar-Re and Salaak. History has proven that those are not nearly enough for present day studios to market. Will the studio use their toy line to introduce characters like John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Star Sapphire or Alan Scott, even though it may cause confusion to those who will expect to see them on film? And what of Sinestro? Though we know he will turn to the proverbial 'dark side' down the road, what if they decide to showcase him with his yellow ring and uniform? It's a solid possibility that the studio will go that route. After all, it's all about making the highest profit.
If you walk into any major retail store today, you will see an entire isle dedicated to
Iron Man 2 movie merchandise. Will it be the same for
Green Lantern? Most people feel that these two characters are perfect comparisons when it comes to how they are being used by their respective studios. If Warner Bros goes the Iron Man route, and produces droves of merchandise that have no actual association to the film (which, in this case, would mean more characters instead of more armors), would it be a benefit or a detriment to their overall strategy?
Personally, though I like buying all kinds of comic movie related items, I would rather they only release merchandise that makes sense in relation to the film. If Warner Bros
is planning a trilogy of
Green Lantern films, revealing too much, too soon would definitely cause a problem.
And now. . . discuss!