Let's get this out of the way, I hate both characters. I find them pointless, I don't think the movies will be all that great. I thought the storyboard footage based from the comic con footage was pretty good and gave me a wince of hope. But, it's not enough to convince me. Unless Marvel can really nail Ant-Man, he's going to be a one hit wonder and will never see a sequel and might be considered the worst cbm. Well, can't say worst cause Green Lantern and Catwoman are pretty high on that list. Anyways, could a successful Ant-Man film bring new life into a possible Aquaman film? I believe so. Here is what I think would have to be done.
Stick to the most popular character of that hero.
Ant-Man should have Hank Pym as the central character and hero. Stick to him as Ant-Man, don't go with another. For Aquaman, stick to Arthur Curry (although I've heard there are other Aquamen). This should be the most logical step. Go with the character that people are familiar with. Especially if they're not a well known or a well liked character.
Timing the release
Actually, this could be where DC can learn from Marvel's mistakes. Ant-Man is being released EXACTLY two weeks before The Hunger Games finale. Unless they can make Ant-Man look REALLY good, this will be a flop. DC, make Aquaman a summer blockbuster. Want to know a way to help make it work?
A different breed of hero
Each superhero film has a certain style and feel right? Ant-Man is going to feel silly but also with a technical type of feel to it. Similar to Iron Man but not as complex. Aquaman may seem tricky, but the answer is right in front of our noses. AVATAR! That is 95 percent CGI. Instead of on another planet, just make him underwater. I mean, have scenes where he is on land but also take a note or two from Avatar when having underwater sequences. They act different and they fight different.
Turn off names
Ant-Man, Aquaman. Admit it, those are turn off names. We can't change them. This is where film makers have to be smart. Ant-Man can prove that even with a turn off name, it can still be cool and successful. Ant-Man can change sizes. Sure, on paper it sounds really weak. But, the footage from comic con has proven it can look and be really cool. Aquaman needs to do the same thing. But, Aquaman is going to be a harder sell considering that he has been the butt of the joke of superheroes for decades now.
Director of choice
Edgar Wright is set to helm Ant-Man. Do I think it's a good move? Eh. I never cared much for Edgar Wright's films. He can make an entertaining movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World proved that. But, I still don't think he's all that great. Then again, I guess that's why he is a perfect canidate for the character. Plus, he has a real passion for the character. He's been helping, trying to get this project off the ground for how many years now? He must believe that it can be something. You need that sort of dedicated director for Aquaman.
Villain of choice
If the heroes themselves are going to be a tough sell, imagine what selling the villain is going to be like. You need a good villain for the films. Obviously we don't know the villain for Ant-Man. So, I'm going to improvise. For Ant-Man, we have to use a villain that isn't Ultron. Ultron is too early for Ant-Man and makes more sense to use as an Avengers villain. Let's go with Egghead. In the traditional sense of villains for the origin story of a character, you need a villain that knows the protagonist personally. Egghead fits the bill. Again, he's going to be harder to sell. But then again, didn't Green Lantern use a similar villain? Hector Hammond? Well, they look alike. At least to me. Aquaman needs a similar villain. Ocean Master would be a good choice of villain. He has personal ties with Aquaman and he posseses a challenge for the hero as well as a possible interesting story.
Overall: The films can be successful, the problem they have is selling the heroes, villains and the release dates. If they can tackle these problems in a smart manner, they should do just fine.
What do you think? Comment below.