That’s the thing from that thing I remember!
Post Super Bowl is always crazy with trailer releases. But it got me thinking. Here are some questions that are rattling around my head after one particular character ‘Returns’ in The Flash trailer.
Legacy sequels and characters are big money nowadays. They seem like easy money too. And as an absolute sucker for this type of content I’m aware that I’m part of a cycle which I’m now mildly concerned about.
I’m concerned about toxic nostalgia, and trading in history to underpin new content.
A couple of examples:
Star Wars Sequel trilogy – An entertaining rehash of the first film, followed by a sequel that took a swing, followed by a dumpster fire.
Jurassic World trilogy – An entertaining rehash of the first film, followed by a sequel that took a swing, followed by a dumpster fire.
Notice the similarities? Returning to what worked initially feels exciting and familiar. But once those feelings die down, what are you left with? Often regret and outright stupid creative decisions (side note, I feel Spider-Man did a better job, at least with the Spider-Men).
So to come back to the trailer that sparked this. I am excited to see Michael Keaton’s Batman return in The Flash. It’s not something I ever expected, and I’m assuming they’ve given Keaton a lot of money, so fair play to him. It ticks a ton of nostalgia buttons whilst really leaning into the multiverse aspect of DC, which has existed in the comics for decades.
But I am definitely wearier now. Is wheeling out 71 year old Keaton the right thing to do? He doesn’t seem like he’d do it if he didn’t want to. Are some cool scenes now going to last the test of time like his two original Batman entries? Does anything added now dilute their magic?
Which feels like a bigger question. In the quest for more content, which always needs hype to make the huge bank these massive budgets need, are we spoiling it all? Yes, we’ll all point and go “wow”, but will it mean anything in the future? Does it just all become a pile of content mush, or is ‘legacy’ going to really help things move forward? Or just a bunch of cool moments where we can point and say “hey there’s that thing from that thing I remember!”
Maybe the writers and directors mean well, and they genuinely think it’s cool and entertaining to do. Maybe at the same time the conglomerates encourage it and rub their hands together. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.
Fortunately, no amount of possible cash-in could tarnish the magic of Batman 1989 and how it shaped my childhood.
Perhaps I’m not the person to be asking though.
I squealed at seeing new Keaton Batsuits, cried at seeing Rexy return, and whooped at seeing the Millennium Falcon again. I guess I’m just a sucker for it. But even then it doesn’t mean I can’t be aware of what’s going on.
Can the past be used effectively in newer stories? Are cool moments worth it?
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