TheBoys is the most challenging superhero series of the moment. Not only because of its violence and sense of humor, but because of its message about corrupted power and the nuances that differentiate a superhero from a villain. What few know is that they had already tried to make a film long ago.
In an interview for First We Feast, producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg revealed that they took the comic to Sony for a film adaptation when the fever for the superhero genre was still in its infancy. However, both were displaced as responsible for the project.
Ten years for The Boys to see the light
“We took it to Sony and Neal Moritz, the producer, and they said, ‘Yeah, it would be an amazing movie, we’ll buy the rights.’ Then they did it and they didn’t hire us to write it or produce it in any way, shape or form, “they told about the production, which was jumping from one place to another for almost ten years.
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The world wasn’t ready for The Boys
Everything changed when Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg established themselves in the industry, while Amazon preferred to give fiction a series format. The result could not have pleased comic fans more, who were also impressed with the improvements that the adaptation implemented.
Unlike the source material, the series left gratuitous violence as an attractive means and not an end. Its political message, allegory with real life and deep examination of current problems were its greatest qualities, making it the most successful series on Amazon Prime last year.
It should be noted that its success might not have been the same if it had come out a decade ago. Since then, the MCU and DCEU showed what the world of superheroes was like and there were failed experiments like solvents, but it took the face of a coin to appreciate the other darker one.
Only then could fans appreciate the nuances and the genre could be renewed with more adult and deeper plots. If not, it is possible that it would have had the same fate as Watchmen, the Zack Snyder film that was well appreciated by comic book lovers, but that did not convince the general public that is not so fond of the genre.
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How is it different from Marvel and DC?
As the producers Rogen and Golberg indicate, part of its success lies in the fact that it reached places where the competition (Marvel Studios and DC Films) could not due to its type of public.
“Marvel is obviously very popular and makes great movies and TV shows, but there are certain things they can’t do, it would be too damaging to their brand for a character to kill someone with their 10-inch phallus,” they explained to the specialized media.
The Boys’ impact on competition
It wasn’t until 2022 that Marvel Studios decided to give their productions like Moon Knight a more adult tone and DC Films took a risk with more daring content like Peacemaker’s. All after three years since The Boys hit the market and showed that superheroes weren’t just for kids.
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