The Invaders: A License to Print Money That Disney Would Probably Burn Instead

With Supergirl's opening right around the corner, I went back to a post I made on a forum right after the disastrous release of The Marvels in 2023. I suspect Supergirl will suffer the same fate. But the funny thing about superhero movies? I don’t think it needs to be that way.

So what do the two have in common?

After watching the MCU chase its tail with lectures, multiverse homework, and diminishing returns, I returned to that forum post d and the idea that actually makes more sense now. Pure, unadulterated entertain-first superhero action. No modern baggage. No deconstruction. Just WWII-era heroes punching Nazis and super-villains like they mean it.

The Invaders. 

 

Clear-cut good versus evil. High-stakes spectacle. Legacy heroics done right. This is the period piece that feels like a return to Captain America: The First Avenger energy: but expanded into a full team book. Heroes being heroes. Audiences are starving for exactly this after years of gray morality, “messy heroines,” and "singing planets" nonsense. No flerkins need apply.

Why This Prints Money (If Done Right)

• Nostalgia + Fresh Hook: Digitally de-aged Chris Evans as Steve Rogers leading the charge? Instant credibility for the core audience that built the MCU. Pair him with classic WWII aesthetics, practical effects where possible, and massive action set pieces: D-Day landings, Atlantic naval battles, occult Nazi threats. No one’s tired of watching good guys win against actual evil.

• Avoids Every Post-2019 Trap: Straightforward plot. Axis super-soldiers. Vampire Nazis. Ancient threats. Earned heroism, real camaraderie, and decisive victories. No bait-and-switch marketing. No sidelining the lead to push new characters with identity arcs. Just pulp adventure done with modern budgets.

• Franchise Potential: One solid event film that can spawn sequels (post-war All-Winners Squad), a Disney+ series, or smart Avengers ties without forcing the multiverse garbage. Low-risk, high-reward compared to another mid-tier "modern hero has relevance issues" story.’ Hell, the Howling Commandos were in Captain America: The First Avenger, why not spin them off too?

Casting Breakdown & Suggestions

Here’s my take on who should be which character (I’m open to better suggestions, hit the comments):

• Captain America — Digitally de-aged Chris Evans. Non-negotiable. He is Steve Rogers. The de-aging tech worked for old Cap; it can absolutely deliver 1940s Steve kicking ass and taking names. Of course if Cap is in this, we need a de-aged Peggy Carter (Hailey Atwell) and Howard Stark (Dominic Carter) making appearances.

• Union Jack — Timothy Chalamet nails the British aristocrat/adventurer vibe: lean, intense, period-appropriate. He could bring that needed charisma to the Union Jack reveal.

• Spitfire — Freya Allen. Elegant, British. Perfect look and intensity for a super-speed heroine with that golden age flair.

• Bucky — Hold off for now. Save de-aged Sebastian Stan for a sequel or post-credits stinger. Keep the first film focused on Cap commanding the team.

• Namor — Toughest call, but worth including for the classic big-three dynamic. Tenoch Huerta (from Wakanda Forever) or a recast with someone imposing. Make him the anti-hero who still punches fascists hard. Also there is a some unusual restrictions on Namor in film owing to Universal owning the film rights.

• Miss America — A young, actress with that all-American presence. Sydney Sweeney, or Sadie Sink, for fresh energy.

• Whizzer — Speedster slot. Go athletic and charming: Glen Powell could work, or keep budget on effects with a strong unknown.

• Human Torch / Toro — Xolo Maridueña seems well suited to this. Practical fire work plus CGI spectacle.

All that said? To avoid the sprawl of Eternals in terms of characters on the big screen, I’d drop Namor and potentially Whizzer to keep the team leaner. Five to maybe six works and avoids the audience going “who?”

Villains: Baron Blood for vampire Nazi horror. Master Man as the super-soldier rival to Cap. Maybe some Red Skull ties. Again, Pure pulp fun, no moral ambiguity required.

Production Notes to Make It Epic

The tone should be Captain America: The First Avenger meets Raiders of the Lost Ark with strong team dynamics. Heavy on practical stunts and real location/period sets for that authentic WWII grit, then cut loose with the superpowers when it counts for maximum spectacle.

But let’s be real about Disney’s likely 180: they’d probably mess up with the casting of half the team, inject modern commentary, or turn it into another “found family with issues” vehicle. That’s why this stays a fantasy pitch for now. It highlights exactly what could work if they stopped fighting the audience.

Budget it as a 2.5-hour event film. Market it as “The Avengers of WWII” with the tagline: “Before the Avengers, there were the Invaders.”

This is the kind of movie that reminds people why they fell in love with superheroes in the first place: aspirational, fun, and entertaining. It dodges every lecture trap and delivers exactly what (nearly) everyone has been begging for.

Hollywood keeps wondering why the genre is struggling. Ideas like this are the answer. They just have to stop being Hollywood about it.

Am I way off base here or is a great idea? You tell me. 

Why Hasn’t Elfquest Been Made Into a Movie Yet?

Still no Elfquest movie? 

This one has puzzled me for a while. There’s been talk and rumors for years, yet nothing. There have been various fan trailers on YouTube, and the elves of Elfquest still enjoy solid popularity at comic conventions and cosplay events, but so far…zilch on the big screen.

If you’re like me (early 40s), you probably remember the excellent four-volume series that was Elfquest. Written by Richard and Wendy Pini, it was a seminal moment for me as a pre-teen. I read all four books multiple times. Wendy’s art was incredible throughout, and the story was well done. It also had the benefit of hitting right in the middle of AD&D’s popularity in the early 1980s. I don’t think there was anyone my age who hadn’t read it at least once.

Elfquest tells the story of the elves known as the Wolfriders and their fight for survival against humans on the World of Two Moons. Very quickly the tribe is forced to flee their woodland homeland, setting them on a path to find the legendary Palace of the High Ones — the progenitors of all elves.

What makes Elfquest great is the believability of the Wolfriders. Compared to the other, near-perfect tribes of elves, the Wolfriders are the only ones who truly adapt to the World of Two Moons and thrive. Their passions are believable, they’re mortal, and they’ve mingled with wolves to survive.

One would think that with the massive success of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia movies, studios would be hungry for more fantasy material. I think it would be quite easy to turn Elfquest into a trilogy. Cutter’s quest for the Palace of the High Ones has a natural beginning, middle, and end. To me, Elfquest (or Dragonlance) makes the most sense as the “next” big fantasy trilogy. Elfquest could be done very easily, in my estimation.

As I almost always do, the question becomes: how does this apply to gaming?

• Back in the day there was the Elfquest RPG from Chaosium that went through at least two revisions I’m aware of. I never played the system, so I can’t comment on the mechanics, but the setting itself was compelling. 
• The Quest for the Palace of the High Ones functions much like the War of the Lance in Dragonlance — a clear dividing line in the story. To some this might not matter, but for me it makes the world feel like it has two distinct eras: games set before the quest, and games set after.
• In my 2nd Edition campaign world I borrowed the idea of the High Ones arriving via silver ships. This eliminates the standard “oldest and wisest firstborn race” trope. They may be old and wise, but they are fundamentally alien to the world. By doing this, I’ve positioned them as at best neutral toward humans — and at times they have warred with each other. Since they were the last race “on the scene,” there’s also no need for the traditional animosity toward dwarves. It gives the elves a very different flavor in my opinion.

I’m not necessarily looking at this as a gamer with 30+ years of experience expecting it to appeal directly to me. I’m looking at it as a gamer who has kids. I haven’t read the series in years, but it always felt like part of the broader scene. There were write-ups of the main characters in Dragon magazine before the dedicated RPG came out, then more support afterward. Minis were produced, and it made it to a second edition. It never reached D&D levels of popularity, but what did?

To close, without getting stereotypical, I could easily see my daughter enjoying the read — and my son as well. One would think that with some of the craptastic movies that get made these days, Elfquest would be a no-brainer.

 What do you think? Shouldn't Elfquest be on the big screen? 

The Lone Ranger Movie Review – Underrated or Box Office Bomb?

The Lone Ranger and Tonto

 

Despite getting scathing reviews, I have to get one thing out of the way first: I enjoyed

This post will not be about the story — I’ll leave that to you when you watch the movie. Being that I’m not a child of the 1950s who grew up with the iconic “Hi Ho Silver, away!”, I come from a vastly different viewpoint. I didn’t watch many reruns because by the time I was old enough, the show had been off the air for at least 20 years. I was weaned on gritty revisionist Westerns like Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter, and Pale Rider.

So what’s my reaction to a traditional “white hat” Western? It was a fun movie. Both Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger turned in very good performances.

The Good:

• The pacing was just about right and never felt like it was dragging.
• Special effects were mostly strong, with only one noticeable instance.
• The soundtrack was excellent. Of course no Lone Ranger movie would be complete without the William Tell Overture, which they used skillfully early on and then during the finale.
• Clever reason for the naming of Silver.
• Shootouts were gripping.
• The finale was awesome.

The Bad:

• At one point I was going to bring my kids, but the Captain Dan Reid scene involving Butch Cavendish changed my mind. I read about it beforehand and decided to keep my young kids away. This partly explains the demographic issues the movie faced.
• The Lone Ranger as played by Hammer comes across as somewhat “wimpy,” especially when contrasted with Depp’s Tonto. Hammer is somewhat overshadowed, but I actually thought his awkwardness was well acted. Some called it wooden and lacking charisma, that’s personal preference.

I can see where The Lone Ranger ran into problems finding the right audience, but I’m not entirely convinced it was entirely the movie’s fault. Hollywood seems fixated on producing mega-hits to maximize returns on every film. I get the business reality, but it’s myopic. Not every movie can be Avatar. Studios would rather swing for the fences every time instead of taking solid singles and doubles. The question becomes: Is it better to clear $50 million on a movie or lose $150 million? This is made worse by the ever-spiraling cost of film making. It’s getting to the point where only $1 billion returns are considered acceptable.

Another interesting point: The last two times The Lone Ranger has been on the big screen (1981’s The Legend of the Lone Ranger- and this one), critics savaged both. I get that the 1981 version was bad, but this time it felt like many critics decided they hated it before it even came out. I fully expect the "box office bomb” label will stick.

In a way it might end up like Heavens Gate, another Western that did poorly against high production costs but whose director’s cut has been reevaluated more positively over time. Of course its hard to mess up on the true story source material: The Johnson County War yet it happened.

I don’t think Westerns as a genre are “dead,” but they do have an image problem. In a world increasingly wary of anything distinctly American, uniquely American-focused movies have a tougher sell overseas. Hollywood now makes films with a global audience in mind, which is smart for returns, but trying to be everything to everyone rarely works.

In closing, I can think of many movies where I wanted my money back after seeing them in theaters. This wasn’t one of them. I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s far from Mars needs Moms.

How about you? Bomb or underrated gem? 

Silverado – One of My Favorite Westerns

The movie Silverado. As noted, it made my list of top ten favorite westerns (favorite, not necessarily the best). Silverado is a wicked fun movie and a throwback to the Westerns of old. I even mentioned it as a guilty pleasure, but it is not. I re-watched it recently and I have to say, in terms of pacing, it is hard to beat.

The opening scene of Emmett fighting off some desperadoes who were looking to bushwhack him while he was sleeping is all kinds of awesome. It then spreads out to the majestic scenery of the American West.

Did I mention this happens in the first five minutes of the movie?

From there we quickly meet the second protagonist, Paden, left for dead in the desert. From there it is a quick job picking up his brother Jake (played by Kevin Costner) and almost at the same time meeting Mal (played by Danny Glover). So within the first 20 minutes or so, we have all four main characters together.

One of the great things this movie does is give a sense of background very quickly for each of the protagonists. It is a bit clichéd, sure, but in each case it serves the movie well. Remember, Silverado is about quick action and keeping the momentum going throughout.

Before they even make it to Silverado, Paden and Emmett encounter Paden’s former trail friend Cobb and his unsavory henchmen, including Tyree. This introduces the running joke of “Where’s the dog?” This is of course preceded by a great gunfight with Paden in his underclothes.

Lawrence Kasdan also does a good job handling the racism of the Old West with Mal’s character, particularly in the bar fight in Turley. It is difficult to do in today’s political climate, but it is handled well, even with the subtle implications from Sheriff Langston when he runs Mal out of town.

A side track to recover a stolen money box from some wagon train eventually results in the four reaching Silverado. There Paden finds Stella at the Midnight Star saloon, meeting Cobb, who reveals himself as the town sheriff shortly thereafter.

The events in the middle section start the buildup to the finale, but are not without tension or deaths. Mal’s father is killed, Emmett’s nephew is kidnapped, and Emmett is nearly killed by the vicious Tyree. At no time does it feel forced as it jumps from scene to scene, with Jake getting into it with Tyree and Mal and Slick arguing over Mal’s sister.

Events come to a head with the kidnapping of Jake and Emmett’s nephew and McKendrick burning down their sister’s house.

I cannot say it enough: the movie is a whirlwind, with each scene having something to it. One area that lacks somewhat is the usual Western romance. Apparently it was part of the movie and we see snippets of it from the interactions of Paden, Emmett, and Hannah. The problem was that during editing they had to cut something from the various subplots. Because of that, the only thing that seems disjointed is those scenes, as the full story is not there.

In the end the final showdown is great as each of the protagonists guns down his own personal foe: Emmett killing McKendrick, Mal taking out Slick, Jake taking out two bad guys simultaneously (one being Tyree), and finally a high noon showdown with Paden getting the drop on Cobb.

The film ends with a toast in the Midnight Star, which Stella now runs on her own, for the brothers as they head to California. As Emmett and Paden exchange goodbyes, Emmett remarks that Paden will make a farmer yet, to which Paden grins and says “I’ve got a job” as he slowly pulls back his coat, revealing the sheriff’s star of the town of Silverado.

I would also be remiss if I did not point out the ensemble cast, its loaded with stars: Kevin Cline as Paden, Scott Glenn as Emmett; Kevin Costner as Jake, Danny Glover as Mal, John Cleese, Rosanna Arquette, Brian Dennehy, Linda Hunt, Jeff Fahey, Joe Seneca and Jeff Goldblum to name but a few of the actors in the movie. There are a number of other actors you'll probably recognize.

The scenery is great and the town feels very realistic. The filmmakers did an ingenious thing by simply filming it from different angles during shooting to represent different towns as needed. Shot in New Mexico, it is obviously the right climate and locale for the film.

Since critics give out stars, this gets 4.5 out of 5 from me. For a Western there are very few that are better in terms of pure action. Sure, some are legendary like Searchers or Once upon a Time in the West, but Silverado is a fun movie any way you slice it. It is PG-13 as the level of violence is up there, but no worse than the revisionist Westerns of the 1970s.

How does this apply to RPGs?

If you are playing your favorite Western system (Deadlands, Boot Hill, Western City, or whatever), modeling even a portion of your campaign on Silverado will give you a great game. Right from the beginning there is a rise in tension, setups galore for later payoffs, and reasons to care about the heroes (and wrongs for them to right). If one were using the default city and area in Boot Hill (Promise City and its environs), it would work extremely well.

Think about it: recovering loot, vengeance, stampedes, gunfights, shootouts, swearing, tension, whiskey, bar fights, hangings (almost), gambling, backstabbing, the cavalry making an appearance (not in the usual clichéd way) — you name it. The only thing missing is some stagecoach or locomotive fight scenes. In fact, my own game Hurled into Eternity would be a great way to recreate the Old West! (Plug, plug.) Speaking of which, I am gearing up to add some changes to the way combat works to make it a bit more survivable and it should be up soon.

All in all, a great movie, saddle up!