Right now, nothing has as much of an impact on pop culture as comic books. Their stories routinely dominate film, television, and even cross over into video games. Sometimes, they pick up the slack of other projects when a sequel does not materialize or is not well-received. Nothing ever really has to end forever, so here are a few “sequels” to abandoned films we really enjoy.
1. Batman ’89
Did you enjoy director Tim Burton’s early Batman films and then gave director Joel Schumacher’s version a collective “What?” along with others, wondering what could have been? Now you don’t have to! This miniseries was published by DC Comics from August 2021 through July 2022 and picks up with Michael Keaton’s version of the Caped Crusader a few years after Batman Returns. It is written by Sam Hamm, who wrote Batman and conceived the story of Batman Returns, visiting a number of concepts Burton almost got to touch on. The events of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin are wisely ignored, and in a great creative choice, the likeness of Two-Face is that of Billy Dee Williams, which outlets praised as a great correction of a mistake.
2. Galaxy Quest: Global Warning
A sequel to this criminally underrated science fiction comedy released in 1999 was almost made for the screen. However, the untimely death of series star Alan Rickman halted production, and before this piece got off the ground, fans were treated to what could have been for the film Star Trek fans have claimed as one of their own in 2008 and ’09. Here, an adventure happens just before the launch of the franchise’s version of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and you can buy it all on Amazon right now.
3. Super Mario Bros. 2: The Comic
If you were not an adult in 1993, you may not remember how strange a time it was. Ross Perot made an impact in the United States, and Nintendo thought a live-action adaptation of their Mario property was a good idea. It did not turn out to be. People savaged the project, it drove poor Bob Hoskins to drink, and it endearingly ended with a sequel hook. This did not happen, and before the current animated reboot was announced, fans of the project teamed up with the 1993 misfire’s original writer to produce a sequel you can read for free here. It has not been updated since 2015, but what has been done has some admirable qualities to it.
4. Aliens – Dark Horse Comics
Studio meddling can send promising properties right down the road to ruin, and so was the case with Alien³. The film has its apologists today, but generally, no one was happy with the decision to kill off several characters beloved by audiences after the end of Aliens. Actor Michael Biehn demanded and received a ton of money after being angered they were killing off his Hicks, and in this series, what happened to him, Newt, and Ripley on screen is tossed into the rubbish bin. Things would later change with future printings, but at first, aliens come to Earth as was long promised in the franchise and you get some truly epic battles.
5. Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash
In 2003, fans got what they had wanted for decades when the beloved bad guys from A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th came together for a no-holds-barred brawl. While critics generally hated Freddy vs. Jason, audiences dug it and the above-mentioned sequel was almost produced. A treatment was written, but other characters creatives wanted to be included could not be. In addition to only having control of Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams, there were also fights about how to split profits. Thankfully, Wildstorm and Dynamite Entertainment resurrected the concept in 2007, and two years later, a finale was made. If you love an epic, we recommend it — though, some parts toward the end may not be the most palatable for those who love Krueger.
6. The Thing from Another World
While it did not pop at the time of release, today everyone loves John Carpenter’s take on The Thing. The Antarctica-set story brings a new look to horror, features an excellent cast, and has a dark and ambiguous ending people are still debating to this day. Of all the sequel ideas which have been floated, Carpenter has said this two-part comic series is the most worthy, and it brings the action off of the frozen continent and again ends on a cliffhanger. Subsequent stories did come out in the same continuity, but the last was heavily criticized for its lack of consistency and ended with the monster becoming a simple organism of little concern.
7. Superman ’78
Of all the people in superherodom who got a raw deal, Christopher Reeve may be at the top of the list. Much of the world remembers the late actor’s accident which left him paralyzed, and many may not recall how his franchise which began so promisingly was run into the ground by cheap production companies and behind-the-scenes meddling. DC tried to rectify this a bit with this miniseries which runs from August 2021 – January 2022 and includes comic classics like Brainiac and Kandor. Like Batman ’89, it was well-received, and unlike its peer (so far at least), a sequel is being planned with even more hopeful adventures.
These are, of course, but a few. As long as Hollywood exists, work will continue to go by the wayside, and the possibilities are endless. There are horror franchises we have recommended for similar treatment, several wonder what a sequel to Step Brothers would have been like, and ultimately, if you can write something interesting, it will somehow find an audience somewhere. As well, given how risk-averse studios are today, these could also be used to test enthusiasm, so we say, “The more, the merrier.”