SupermanHawaii.com

by Lawrence E. Pacheco

We are most definitely in the new golden age of the superhero.

Within the past several years, Marvel Comics has taken a bold leap into the world of motion pictures with Blade, X-Men, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk... the list goes on and on... and will keep growing. DC has followed suit and has made a very strong stand with the blockbuster film Batman Begins and the soon to be released Superman Returns.

But what about those that came before? What about those creators and actors who both participated and conributed to the legacy of many of these heroes? Shouldn't they be honored in the current movies and television series in some way? Perhaps... cameos? There are those who may believe that cameos are a sure way of damaging a movie. I tend to disagree. Sure, if you have an actor dance in the middle of the street saying, "look at me! I was a part of this once" then, of course, the whole production could be laughed off the screen. However, if done properly, this could be a great icing on the cake.

Back in 1978, Superman: The Movie did just that! Featured on board the Smallville train sequence was none other than Kirk Alyn, the screen's original Superman, and Noel Neill, the screen's first, and longest running Lois Lane! I often wonder, however, why there wasn't a cameo for Bob Kane in the 1989 Batman film. This would have been a perfect place for him. This got me thinking about other films:

Spider-Man: I wondered why there wasn't a scene given to Nicholas Hammond of TV's the Amazing Spider-Man. Even if a small role it would probably not have been noticed by the average movie-goer, but would have sent goose bumps down the spine of the hardened fan!

Daredevil: Okay, the 1989 TV Movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk got bad press for its Daredevil, but Rex Smith is still part of Hornhead's history and I thought it would have been great to briefly include him in the Ben Affleck film.

Hulk: Lou Ferrigno had a cameo... but what a throw-away that was! A security guard is fine, but think about what it would have been like to have him trying to help people to safety then turn around to suddenly stare up at the enormous Hulk?

Next summer, Superman Returns will open in theatres everywhere. From the early reports and releases it seems that the movie will feature many well planned cameos and mythos. I, for one, am thrilled by the news! (If you don't already know and/or don't want to know... turn away now!) The fans have been promised an appearance by the wonderful Noel Neill! Also appearing will be her once co-star Jack Larson who played Jimmy Olsen. (Yes, Jimmy will meet "Jimmy") It also seems like there'll be a heaping helping of Superman mythology sprinkled throughout the film. Even though Christopher Reeve is no longer with us, it has been mentioned that the film will be dedicated to him.

From a fan who loves the whole "Cameos and Mythos" aspect of Superman and other heroes... I can't wait!

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