Many superheroes are popular because of the powers they maintain or the standard they hold themselves to. Because of the physical abilities many heroes have, any of them that do not have out-of-this-world abilities may not draw the same excitement.
There are exceptions to this, most notably being Batman. Many critics of the masked hero insist that Bruce Wayne has no real powers aside from being rich. In a world where Superman,The Flash, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman exist, it raises the question of why Batman would even be considered to fit in with such an elite group. With the upcomingThe Batman, many are hesitant to get excited about another rendition of the Gotham hero, butThe Batmanhas a great deal of potential.
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The Batmanwill star Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, and Peter Sarsgaard. A cast like this is enough to keep many invested in whatThe Batmanwill offer. Featuring a number offormidable Batman opponentsincluding the Riddler (Dano), the Penguin (Farrell), and the antiheroic Catwoman (Kravitz), there’s no telling what Pattinson’s Batman will face. As a hero without any other-worldly powers, Batman is forced to rely on his own intellect and instinct to save Gotham from the clutches of these villains.
While DC and Marvel are often pitted against one another, it doesn’t mean that they cannot benefit one another. The two franchises haveshared a number of actors and directorsover the years, and while some are better suited for one over the other, the comic book giants have meaningful content to share. The work Marvel has done with its cinematic universe, as well as its television series, proves that ordinary can be just as impressive as out-of-this-world strength. This givesThe Batmana better leg to stand on.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldierfollowed Sam Wilson’s transition to fill the role of Captain America. Originally reluctant, Wilson realizes that taking the mantle requires him to make it stand for something new and personal to him. Unlike Steve Rogers, Sam doesn’t have the super-soldier serum. Sam isn’t equipped with super strength or heightened abilities of any kind. He is an army veteran who intends to continue to defend his country on a different stage. Some believe that Steve Rogers' best friendBucky Barnes would’ve been a better fitto fill the role of Captain America. Also having been injected with a form of super-soldier serum, Having the abilities and strength the serum provides doesn’t make Bucky more deserving and John Walker proves it.
Walker began as a man that was no different than Sam. They were both army veterans who hoped to continue to serve their country whether it is as a superhero or part of the military. Where they differ is that the power and pressure to be Captain America began to become a matter of ego for Walker. When he felt like he was failing, he took the same serum he knew the Flag Smashers on his own, nor was he able to stopSam and Buckyfrom taking the shield from him. Walker proves that even in a world filled with individuals who have heightened abilities, that having them doesn’t level the playing field.
By reclaiming the shield and molding the role to fit his identity, Sam becomes an inspiration to people thatSteve Rogerscouldn’t have resonated with. Sam doesn’t abandon who he is or attempt to change anything about himself in order to fit into Steve’s shoes. Without taking any form of the serum or becoming clad with new abilities, Sam remains an ordinary man with heroic beliefs. With what Sam is able to accomplish despite not having the amplified strength Bucky, Steve, the Flag Smashers, or even John Walker possessed, Sam was still able to come out on top. This logic applies to whatThe Batmanhas the potential to offer. Bruce won’t suddenly acquire the chance to gain super strength andwith the revealed villains, he won’t face any with unnatural powers either. But, Sam’s success as an ordinary man going against these powerful foes (and successfully defeating them) givesThe Batmanroom to pick up on the momentum Marvel has already established.
The upcomingHawkeyeserieswill follow a similar path. Clint Barton is one of the founding members of the Avengers and he does not possess any special capabilities outside of being a skilled archer. He doesn’t have super strength, superior intellect, deep pockets, nor was he the victim of a science experiment gone wrong. Despite that, he has been part of the Avengers' biggest battles. He helped them defeat Loki and his Chitauri army, raid and destroy Hydra bases, fight an army of robots, and defeat Thanos. Without the abilities other Avengers had, Clint was able to inspire others to join the team (including Wanda inAge of Ultron) and will likely continue to do so inHawkeye.
Series likeThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierdiffer from the Netflix Marvel series that highlighted ordinary people with superhuman powers because Jessica Jones,Luke Cage, and Danny Rand, and Matt Murdock, all have a gift that makes them equipped to handle situations differently than someone like Sam, Clint, or Bruce might. It may be easy for heroes like Sam, Clint, and Bruce to be overshadowed by those with superhuman abilities, but they are more than capable of defending the world and having a successful storyline.
