Alternate Reality Comic Book Movies

I've always been a fan of unproduced films. Features that have, for better or for worse, remained on the shelves, or even never left the pre-production stage.

They may turn out to be insane ideas like A Salvador Dali directed Marx Brothers movie (Giraffes on horseback salads) or an absurd cop film starring Nicolas Cage and Robin Williams (The Defective Detective by Terry Gilliam).  It could be an abandoned historical drama by Paul Verhoeven (Crusade with Arnold) or the improbable sequel to Ridley Scott's GLADIATOR (Still starring Russell Crowe!!???). Or even unfortunate and misguided attempts at adapting Comic Books to the big screen (one can't help thinking of the abandoned Tim Burton SUPERMAN LIVES! with Nicolas Cage or the Albert Pyun or James Cameron SPIDER-MAN films). I love them all!

 And then there are the movie posters parodies. Industrious and talented fans and artists (like Sean Hertter who created a lot of the posters below) create an alternate history of cinema in which iconic roles are played by unlikely performers, in an equally unusual time period.

This first glimpse at this revisionist film history will focus on comic book based features. I have a special affinity for this genre, which is all the rage these days (which makes my geek heart soar with glee), but what if some of those films were made...differently.

 Mel Gibson as THOR? who would think of casting an Australian as a Norse God...oh wait! Julian Sands as Loki and George Miller as director are also fine ideas.

This one is of course a bit nonsensical, as the Avengers were created about 20 years later than the stars' heydays, but it is one hell of a cool poster. Dick Purcell as Cap is a nice touch.

I love the idea of Anthony Perkins as Rorschach, yet Lenny Bruce as ''The Comedian'' may be a bit too much on the nose..

I just love this gorgeous poster, and while I am not the biggest Michael Mann fan, a Young Baldwin and Brad Dourif facing of as the caped Crusader and the Clown Prince of Crime sounds like a lot of fun.

This one is just plain silly...and arguably, Mickey Rourke may be a better choice for Wildcat. ;)

Another bit of silly casting...but a Daredevil score by Goldsmith would have been a beauty!

Peckinpah, Eastwood, Wolverine...I can see it!

Al Pacino is a rather weirder bit of casting, but Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk and Rutger Hauer as Sabretooth makes me want this to be real. ''I'm the best at what I do...Hoo-Ha!!''

This is one of my favorites. Every bit of casting is magical, and I would give a major organ to see Bela Lugosi as Magneto. ;)

Terence Stamp as Magneto? A young Hopkins as Xavier? Yes please!

Another nicely executed poster. Heston as the Last Son of Krypton, considering that Kal-El is pretty much a space age Moses, is an accurate interpretation.

This one is just silly and yet irresistible.

I would have loved to see those Saul Bass opening titles. It would have been right up his alley.

Can't say I would have trusted Tony Scott with this story, but Rollins as a Russian Superman makes me chuckle!

Can't go wrong with this cast, and the Mancini score is a nice touch. Can't imagine Godard pulling this off though...

Konchalovsky directing a Dafoe Joker? I'm in!

The casting for this one is all sorts of wrong, but considering John Wayne once played Gengis Khan, and that actors such as Nick Nolte and Stallone were considered for Superman in 1978, why the heck not!

I love the idea of John Philip Law as Morpheus, but to be a full Hammer experience, it should be directed by Freddie Francis with a score by James Bernard.

Another variation on the Luchador version of Civil War. I like the sponsor ''Shawarma Palace''.

Adam West makes every film better.

The comedic tone of the Ant-Man movie makes this a rather believable substitute. One can imagine the ant being animated as a giant puppet a bit like in the movie THEM!

Once again, Adam West makes every film better.

Barrymore and Chaney! Yes please!

Pitting the two serial heroes against each other is low-budget brilliance! Who would have played a good Wonder Woman? I vote for Linda ''Tiger Woman'' Stirling.

No whitewashing in this version where the Saviour of K'unLun is actually Asian. It makes perfect sense, and this Iron Fist would have much better fight choreography than the Netflix show.

I can't believe Cameron would have cast Sam ''Flash Gordon'' Jones as Cap. But Biehn as the Winter Soldier: Perfect!

Some fun casting here: Michael J. Fox as Spiderman, Steve Guttenberg as Ant Man and especially Lance Henriksen as Vision! Bravo!

This one had me at Kirk Douglas as Marv. aAnything else is inconsequential.

The cycle becomes complete as the actor who inspired the Joker with THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, becomes the Clown Prince of Crime himself. Reminiscent of the infamous Batman movie by Orson Welles hoax.

This one is groovy in every way. Dolph Lundgren as Colossus is impeccable.

Basil Poledouris scoring for  a Ray Harryhausen Kirby dinosaur? I would suffer through Corey Feldman for this.

Again, this one had me at Bowie as Dr. Strange.

Every little bit of casting in this one makes me want to live in this alternate Universe!!

Another one where everything is perfect. At the very least to make it a fascinating mess of a film. Walken as Batman? Bowie as the Joker!?! Morricone music? Munro as Catwoman?! Crazy, man. Crazy!

Another inspired bit of casting, although I feel Poitier would have been a more interesting Rhodey.

The Rocky Horror star sure knew how to rock the lipstick, and he had played the Joker in the animated series before Mark Hamill took over with his iconic voice characterization. Nice touch to give writing credits to Bill Finger, the single most important artisan of the Batman mythos out there, no matter what Bob Kane would have had us believe.

Nothing to say, expect: perfection!