Disney's reboot of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen gives the company another big superhero franchise to replace the Avengers. Like the Avengers, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is known for teaming popular characters from various publications to fight a common evil. The 20th-Century Studios film, adapted from the comic series by Alan Moore, features characters from popular classic literary titles like Dracula and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The reboot of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen marks the first big-screen appearance since its 2003 adaptation starring the late Sean Connery.
Critics of the original film point out that the movie did not do justice to the material from the comics. Despite a somewhat successful box office showing, debuting at number two, problems with production led to the dissolution of a sequel. An initial reboot was planned in 2015 and was rumored to focus on the female characters of the series. Those plans were stalled when Disney purchased 20th Century Studios. The League's list of characters notably includes Mina Murray (Dracula), The Invisible Man, Captain Nemo (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea), and Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray). Interestingly, the 2003 version of the film shares the same director (Stephen Norrington) with Blade, another title being rebooted by Disney for the MCU.
The new film will release on Hulu, with Disney hoping the movie gives them another successful superhero franchise that could expand into its own cinematic universe similar to the Avengers. The reintroduction of these classic literary characters will showcase them to a new generation of fans unfamiliar with the early 2000s version. Fans can expect a series similar not only to the Avengers but also to the Justice League. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen might follow a similar path to the Snyder/Whedon Justice League by introducing many of its characters first before spinning off into solo films. However, the studio should be cautious of the mistakes made by DC before Justice League's release. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's expansive character list might not be as well-known to contemporary audiences compared to Marvel's and DC's, so introducing audiences to the team first may benefit the franchise.
Another benefit the reboot has is that it will be able to explore potentially bleaker themes than the Avengers. The reboot announcement comes when darker superhero content is very popular. Dark-themed superhero content like DC's Suicide Squad, Netflix's Umbrella Academy, and Amazon's Invincible attract numerous viewers to their respective platforms. None may be more polarizing than Amazon's The Boys, which Seth Rogen executively produces. Amazon just released The Boys season 3, a show that revolves around corrupt "superheroes." Some of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen members, like the Invisible Man and Dorian Gray, are morally corrupt characters in their respective universes. Through his evil half Mr. Hyde, Even Dr. Jekyll also toes the line between good and evil. The reboot's ability to explore that aspect of its main characters will be pivotal to its success. The success would greatly benefit Hulu and give the platform a significant superhero franchise to expand on.
The success of the MCU can be, in part, credited to its partisan loyalty to the comics and stellar cast of actors. There aren't any names announced for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's casting, but the name will be crucial to its success. The help of a strong cast could make a strong case for potential spin-off movies in the future, contrasting the way Marvel released individual films leading up to the first Avengers movie. Having two cinematic universes would place Disney even further ahead of the pack in the competitive superhero genre. One thing assured is that Disney and Century Studios will look to correct the mistakes made in the 2003 version and modernize the series.