Hey, remember when a sequel to a movie actually focused on the character who was supposed to be the main character? And remember when most of the stories centered on the lead character of the subject of the original movie as well as its sequel? Remember when studios didn't have to shoehorn in other high profile characters in a sequel to another character's film beyond a cameo?

Pepperidge Farm remembers.

While I'm Happy I'll See Wonder Woman in a Major Motion Picture In My Lifetime...

. . . I wonder if Warner Bros. will actually make a real sequel to Man of Steel one day.

Because the moment the film was initially announced, it was pretty much called Batman vs. Superman by nearly every media outlet. Already in a secondary place in his own sequel. 

Then the rumors of Nightwing being in the film began. Then the rumors of the Arrow stars appearing in it tying that series to this new DC Movie Universe. Now, Wonder Woman's going to be in it too. 

It just seems that Superman is becoming a tertiary thought in his own sequel. And that just seems . . . off. 

I don't really get it . . . no, wait, I do. 

Warner Bros. wants to create a DC equivalent to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that's fine and dandy. It's something that was carefully planned, I think, because Marvel wanted to keep the properties they still had rights to (mostly the B and C-level characters outside of the Spider-Man, X-Men, and Fantastic Four mythos) and transformed them into top-shelf properties.

Warner Bros. has all rights to all the DC Comics-owned properties. And that's everybody in a DC Comics book, except for the Milestone characters and those books owned by creators (Preacher's an owner-created series but Constantine, Sandman, and Starman are owned outright by DC Comics). And since they're in a position where they could make a DC Movie Universe, they could have easily done that a long time ago. 

Cramming everything in what was supposed to be a sequel to last summer's big film, Man of Steel, isn't how you do that. 

Think of it way using Marvel characters instead of DC characters:

The sequel of Iron Man will have Wolverine and Spider-Man, and they just announced The Hulk's going to be in it.  

That's what Man of Steel 2 is looking like, and that's unfortunate. I'd love to see them actually make a Man of Steel 2 one day, but this upcoming film isn't it.

After Affleck: Casting The Justice League

There was such a brouhaha after Warner Bros announced that actor/writer/director/producer Ben Affleck has been cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming sequel to Man of Steel, coming out in July 2015. Most of the "fanic" comes from the earliest superheroic role Mr. Affleck headlined, Daredevil. He wasn't completely bad in the film. The script, written and directed by the guy who created Grumpy Old Men and Big Bully, wasn't the best by any stretch, and it was filled with corny, cartoonish performances and scenes. I still shudder at that fight between Elektra and Matt in the play park. That said, Daredevil wasn't the best superhero film ever made, and it's far from being the worse.

Right now, they're franchise building at Warner Bros., building a cinematic universe but one piece at a time. In time, they'll eventually get to a Justice League film. Could there be stand-alone films featuring the heroes? Maybe. But in the meantime, here's who I'd think would be an ideal Justice League roster:

Now, you may be wondering why my list looks like this. I'll explain. I think the lineup should include the heavy hitters and something familiar to the audiences as well as the comic readers. I also feel that the lineup should be racially diverse as well, thus the John Stewart version of Green Lantern and Vixen.

Considering Arrow is building itself into something stronger than Smallville, perhaps using League standouts like Green Arrow and Black Canary might be problematic considering TV audiences would be expecting them in the movie. Heck, there are still people who felt Tom Welling should have played Superman in Superman Returns over Brandon Routh, but I digress.

I also wanted characters that bring something new and unique to the lineup. Martian Manhunter is pretty much a shape-shifting Superman who's afraid of fire and loves Oreos. Captain Marvel, er, um, Shazam is a kid with Superman's power set and without his weaknesses. Green Arrow is a more liberal Batman with a Robin Hood fetish. I don't want other aliens on the roster because, for now, one alien (Superman) is enough, so no Thangarians like the Hawks. 

I also wanted the roster to be relatively youthful. With the exception of the 41-year old Ben Affleck, most of the cast are between their late 20s and early 30s. They're pretty much all knee-deep in the 18-49 demographic of the film. 

I'll stop procrastinating and put the names of folks I'd cast as the Justice League:

Gemma Arterton as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Ms Arterton is a classically-trained English actress who is earning her action chops in recent roles. Even though she was initially being considered as Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises,  Gemma has been a Bond girl (Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace), a priestess of Hera (Io in Clash of the Titans), a bounty hunter in search of witches and demons (Gretel in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters), and a Disney princess, well, a warrior princess in a Disney movie (Tamina in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time). Ms. Arterton's about to breakout in another role this fall in Runner Runner co-starring Justin Timberlake and some guy name Ben Affleck. She's tough, physically built, quite feminine, a talented actress, and could play the role of Wonder Woman with ease.

Chadwick Boseman as John Stewart/Green Lantern

Mr. Boseman's not quite a household name just yet, but given his star-making role in the critically-acclaimed Jackie Robinson biopic 42, he's definitely getting there. Mostly seen in smaller TV roles, this rising star fits both the build and the presence of the former Marine turned architect turned Green Lantern who is without fear and willing to shine a light on Batman's BS.

Robert Sheehan as Barry Allen/The Flash

Most of you know this Irish actor from his role of the pick-and-mix-stealing, slightly perverted, obnoxious jerk Nathan from Misfits while some of you may know him as Darren Trecy from Love/Hate. Some folks are being introduced to him this weekend in the first Mortal Instruments film, City of Bones.  Mr. Sheehan is a versatile, talented actor who could pull off any role, whether it's a timid booknerd, a troublemaking thug, a homeless prostitute, or a smart-aleck immortal jerkass. I don't think the Flash's impending live-action spinoff would be conflicting with a role in the Justice League movie. Heck, it could only help expand his visibility.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Mari Jiwe-McCabe/Vixen

An English Shakespearean actress who has worked under the direction of Tom Hanks, J.J. Abrams, and Tim Kring, Ms. Mbatha-Raw has been gaining the respect of her peers and the attention of the entertainment world.  She starred in the action spy series Undercovers and the thriller Touch and working on a historical drama called Belle where she's playing the lead character, Dido Elizabeth Belle. Ms. Mbatha-Raw has a diverse range of dialects and would be perfect in the role of the animal-powered heroine. 

Taylor Kitsch as Arthur Curry/Aquaman

Talented Canadian actor known by a lot of TV watchers as Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights and moviegoers as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the title character in John Carter.  Hollywood wants him to be a star, and he's definitely poised for great things. Taking on the role of the king of Atlantis would definitely boost his star-power. 

Picking a cast of actors because of their talents and their adaptability for the role, not just because they're "an A-lister" or "pretty."  What a concept. 

Back when I was a kid, I've read stories about how Walt Disney was a master storyteller who often pitched a story to his talented crew of animators and artists. He went into much detail about how he saw the world, the heroes, the villains, the settings, the beginning, the middle, and the end. 

The first time he did this, it was a simple tale about a girl who was scorned by her stepmother and banished into the forest, how she found a house she thought was abandoned, the little people who saved her, how the stepmother transformed into a crone who poisoned her rival, and how the kiss of her true love would break the deadly curse. He told the animators who were enthralled with that story this will be our first film. 

I know I've given Max Landis a lot of crap lately, but I'm slowly starting to get that Walt Disney vibe from from him. He can tell a story. He is well-versed in Superman mythos. He is a fan, and it shows in this video pitch he made about how he'd do the Death and Return of Superman. He doesn't really say it's a comic or a film, but if Max had his way, this is the definitive Superman story he would tell. 

If only we could ignore Man of Steel and get this guy to helm a Superman movie or three.  I'd rather Zack Snyder talk to Max Landis instead of Frank Miller because after seeing this, I believe Max could save the Superman franchise. 

Holy . . . 

Look, I know this is an unofficial, fan-made opening for Man of Steel, but, my god, it gets everything right. 

Kudos to the artists at Will & Tale on this remarkable sequence they made from scratch. If the official opening is anything as awesome as this, we're in for a treat.