Marvel Films has begun releasing short films to help tie its movie franchises together. In much the same manner as fellow Disney property Pixar, Marvel plans to make a number of short films to build on the worlds of feature presentations. The short films will also help fill in the blanks for the movies, explaining how specific characters end up where they are when the feature films begin. The first of these shorts is “The Consultant,” starring Clark Gregg as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson.
At the end of “The Incredible Hulk,” there is a scene where Tony Stark approaches General Ross and offers help catching The Hulk. This short explains how and why the man to approach Ross with the offer is Tony Stark. It also includes a number of clips from ” The Incredible Hulk ,” including the scene of Stark and Ross together. The short film is available online for viewing and will be included on the DVD for “Thor.”
Marvel announced the next short film will also feature Coulson in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer.” This will show what happened between the time Coulson left in “Iron Man 2″ and arrived in “Thor.” The studio also announced, according to Digital Trends, it might use the short films to spotlight other superheroes to see if the interest is there to turn them into feature-length movies. Here are some characters that might benefit from the Marvel short film treatment.
The Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson stars in the “Iron Man” movies, as well as the upcoming “Avengers” movie, as The Black Widow. The short films would be the perfect place to learn more about her character, a former Russian spy named Natasha Romanova. Black Widow began her career in Marvel Comics as a villain during the Cold War but soon defected to the United States and became one of the most prized agents in the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. The short films could allow fans to see her origin story or possibly just give them a glimpse at her in action on missions, a la a female Jason Bourne type character. There are many directions to go and, honestly, there is no such thing as too much Scarlett Johansson.
War Machine
Two different actors played James Rhodes in the “Iron Man” movies but it looks like, if used in the future, Don Cheadle will remain in the armor. While Iron Man is more of the superhero archetype, War Machine is a military soldier, using his armor, complete with machine guns and rocket launchers, to fight enemies of America. Much like the short films involving The Black Widow, War Machine’s shorts could show him in action in espionage thrillers. However, the better choice for War Machine might be to bridge the gap between “Iron Man” movies, showing what Rhodes is doing when we don’t see him in the theatrical films and helping to build his character.
Luke Cage
The best use of Marvel short films is to help introduce new characters to see if there might be life in them when it comes to feature film adaptations. Marvel can hire a director and a name actor, with an option for future films, and shoot a short film to see if it has legs. Luke Cage is one character that has floated in and out of development limbo for years, with John Singleton set to direct at one time.
The hero is a former convict, imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, who runs a “Heroes for Hire” business, pretty much a private investigators firm. He later joins “The Avengers,” so it could be a perfect short film to handcuff to that franchise. A short film based on a Luke Cage mystery could be the perfect vehicle for the Marvel short films banner.
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