When it comes to comic books and the characters most especially being translated to the silver screen, we as comic book fans really take changes personally. While some of these changes range anywhere from minor oversights to complete debacles (I’m looking at you Barakapool), we really need to stop taking these changes so personally. Now I know everyone wants to see their favorite comic characters portrayed 100% accurately on film, I’m guilty of it too but after all of this anti-Chris Evans talk I came up with this reasoning.
What is this crazy reasoning, you may be asking yourself? I have two words to sum it up, Alternate Reality.
The comic book world is FILLED to the brim with alternate realities and versions of our favorite heroes. Think I’m exaggerating? There are 67 different Captain America’s spanning the different marvel earths and different forms of media. Does anyone complain about these characters? To some people these alternate versions can become more beloved than the original! But we let it slide and most of all embrace these different characters because they’re acknowledged as alternate realities. So what makes Hollywood movies any different?
So far it seems that most of the more recent Marvel comic book movies, fans have been looking for either Earth-616 accuracy or a balanced mix of Earth-616 and Earth-1610, and some of these expectations have been met (Iron Man). While this is great and makes for a much more enjoyable film from a fan boy stand point, it isn’t really necessary because these characters aren’t in either of those continuities. Like it or not the characters we see on film are in their own different realities.
Believe me; I’m just as guilty of getting in a nerd rage over Hollywood studios and their portrayal of films. I’m still pretty peeved at how Mystique looked in the X-Men films, but we have to start looking at these films as what they are, Alternate Realities. Maybe this way, some of the more unbearable films will become a bit more enjoyable. I guess it all comes down to the fact that we should just be excited that these over the top characters are at least given the silver screen treatment.
Fellow CBM-ers please take care of yourselves, and each other.