You most likely don’t know who Brian Michael Bendis is. For most people he’s not a household name. For comics fans, he’s a big deal.
Bendis is responsible for a lot of the current Marvel Comics universe as it’s known right now. Is that the only connection to Marvel Studios? In a way, yes. He is also responsible for the Marvel films as we know them.
You may have heard of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Age of Ultron, Secret Invasion, and such characters as Miles Morales and Jessica Jones. He was the main writer and creator for all of these. He even had a big hand in the Civil War storylines, and several others up to the present. If weren’t for these stories and characters, a lot of Marvel Studios’ inspiration would not exist. We wouldn’t have a lot of the films we have now. Or at least the way we know them.
But, Bendis is leaving Marvel Comics and heading to DC Comics. What’s the difference? DC has Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. DC and Marvel are not the same company, they are rivals with each other (though are allies sometimes too). Brian Michael Bendis has a multi year deal with DC Comics to exclusively write for them. The powerhouse writer that created a whole universe that has influenced a huge movie phenomenon is with a different company now.
So, what’s going to happen? We don’t know yet. Not even Bendis knows.
What I think will be interesting is that there’s a big hole in Marvel Comics. Bendis helped Marvel go on a swing up. These stories are captivating. The characters are bigger than life. And there’s no one to helm them.
Marvel Studios hasn’t used all the stories yet. It’s speculated (even by myself) that Secret Invasion is going to be the next big story arc for the next phase. There’s still a lot to cover after that. The movies could go through all of them in the next 10 years. Or it could be less time depending on how things play out popularity wise. A couple of them depend on the X-Men, which Marvel Studios does not currently have. One of the storylines uses Norman Osborn, villain of Spider-Man. Marvel has just gotten that part of the universe back.
But, after those are all used up, will there be more? It’s a question I have. There aren’t any big stories right now. Some of what’s seen in the comics is already appearing in the Cinematic Universe. We’re caught up in a way. When the well runs dry where is Marvel going to pull from?
New writers will probably step up. Bendis wasn’t the only one, and now some will come in and shine. There are big stories yet to be written, and that’ll fuel the Marvel Studios fire. There’s some time to give these stories a chance. It’s a tricky time, still. The stories from Bendis are fun and monumental. It’s hard to see what’s coming because we’re seeing them come to life in big ways on screen. We see how larger than life it all is, and that’s hard to top. Again, it’s a big hole to fill, and whoever fills it is going to not only shape the comics but the whole entertainment industry as well. I can’t wait to see who it is.
