So, trying to write an hour-long comedy series about an underachieving superhero, similar in tone to something like Peacemaker. I have a few ideas about my superhero, and wanted to get some thoughts on which you guys think is best. First idea is about a superhero named Doug. Doug is the new superhero on the block, trying to make a name for himself. He's a total deadbeat, and has nothing going for him, and he wants to change that and find purpose. In this iteration of things, he's recruited by a government organization to help recruit his ex-friend from high school to stop a large threat coming for everyone. In this story, Doug used to be best friends with this kid. His home life started to turn to shit, and he started taking it out on others by bullying, including his own friend. This sent his friend down a dark path. So, Doug must not only deal with the guilt he feels for turning his friend to darkness, but his friend must also learn to forgive and take responsibility for his own actions. This idea is the one that I'm most iffy on, because the logistics simply might be difficult. The next idea is that Doug is the former sidekick of a famous superhero, on the level of someone like Batman, or Superman. After this superhero tragically dies, Doug fades into complete obscurity, and he finds himself unable to make it on his own. Not only do others not believe he can do it, but he doesn't believe in himself either. After being recruited by the government to stop a large threat, Doug must regain his self-confidence, and become the hero that he was always meant to be. Perhaps this big threat is the superhero, whom everyone presumed dead. Alternatively, maybe Doug was instead replaced by the superhero. He's jaded, and hates the superhero, and feels like a loser and a failure because he never could make it big on his own. Essentially, like the awesomely-underrated movie The Rocker. After he's recruited by the government to stop this large threat, he really steps it up and becomes the leader he needs to be. In this story, perhaps he later has to cast aside his hard feelings towards the superhero, and team-up to stop something much more powerful than them all. Overcoming his self-confidence issues, learning to forgive, the whole nine yards. Perhaps there's moments in there where there's some sort of imminent threat, and the superhero reveals his true character by reveling in his own success to the press, while Doug is the bigger person, and gives up his desire to be revered and loved, opting instead to stop the imminent threat himself. Again, sorta like The Rocker, where the main character is the bigger man, wishing Vesuvius a great show, and they screw it up by lip-syncing. Perhaps he even learns that the superhero has actually been committing crimes in order to be the one to save people. A literal hero complex. Maybe he sets up a man to drown, so that he can be the one to try to save him (but "tragically" failing, obviously, so he wouldn't live to tell the tale). Maybe he hires a hitman to assassinate a public official so he can be the one to stop them. Perhaps the reason Doug was replaced was because he wouldn't go along with faking a (less serious) crime all those years ago, and no one would listen when he tried to tell them (not sure about that part). Thoughts on these three? Which do you like best? Is the third one tenable, and is there a way you think it could be better?
I don't know, but just reading this, it seems like the third scenario was the one you described the most enthusiastically. I like the "I tried to tell you years ago, but nobody believed me" bit, but that might work better with the ex side kick set up.
What makes Doug a superhero? What's his particular schtick? Super strength? Super speed? Some fancy-schmancy super weapon, a la Thor's hammer?
Sounds like the movie "Hancock." Every idea is great, every idea is stupid; it all depends upon your execution. From my perspective you could combine the first two ideas. Superhero dies (or is forcibly retired a la "The Incredibles"). Doug feels responsible, goes into a tailspin, then pulls out of it and comes into his own when the chips are down. Maybe he's assigned his own sidekick, which he doesn't want.
Why not have a series where he starts out with #2 replacing his mentor. By the time he reaches the end of the series, he becomes a mentor and jaded when he is replaced. Then the VERY end of the series, he comes to terms with losing the spotlight. I agree with Alcove. This all depends on the execution. Also, you don't mention his superhero abilities. Maybe somehow, there is only one person in the universe who can have those abilities at a time, so when it passes from one to another, it's gone from the first. That would make losing his status much worse. Imagine being able to fly like superman and then suddenly your pupil is flying and you're grounded.
Yeah, Hancock is definitely one on my influences, and a very underrated superhero movie. @Hummingbird Alley He doesn't actually have any super powers, he's just one of those guys who can fight well, is athletic, and who is principled. In it's current iteration, here's what I'm thinking: Doug used to the sidekick of a superhero. After he's replaced, the superhero and his new sidekick soon reach stardom after making a big criminal bust. Twenty or so years later, Doug is now retired from crime-fighting, and is a deadbeat loser who delivers pizzas. No self-confidence, and always regretful, thinking what could have been. On the eve of the 17th Annual celebration of the superhero -- who is now world-famous, and has huge book and movie franchises about him -- Doug is coaxed out of retirement by the government to help stop a threat unlike anything the city has ever seen before. He's reluctant to join, yadda yadda yadda, eventually does, stopping a couple small crimes gets his confidence back, and they start investigating this large, imminent threat, and how to stop it. Eventually, it leads to him having to team-up with his now-arch nemesis, the superhero that replaced him. However, throughout his investigation, he soon learns that the big crime bust that elevated the superhero to stardom was orchestrated by the superhero himself. Not only that, but all of his busts have been faked by the superhero, and this large, looming threat will be his grand finale, where he will finally cement himself as the greatest superhero of all-time. The only one who can stop him is Doug, who must step-up, and become the hero that he was always meant to be. Essentially, the superhero has a literal hero complex, wherein he creates situations so that he can be the one to save people from them. Planting drugs to be the one to bust them; hiring a hitman to kill a political figure, but "saving" the politician from him; setting up a man to drown so that he can save him. Stuff like that. Think The Rocker meets Nightcrawler meets Peacemaker. Honestly, probably sound more like a feature film, but I'm really wanting it to be an hour-long series. So, I'd need to think about what would drive the story engine forward following the big revelation about the superhero, and the ensuing battle, and triumph, of Doug. The above could definitely cover the pilot and then an outline for the rest of the first season (any more than that, and producers won't take you seriously because you're too ahead of yourself [plus, inexperienced writers wouldn't get in on the writer's room anyways]), but I need to figure out what could drive 2, 3, 4 seasons of story. After Doug restores his confidence, it could certainly get rattled at times, but that couldn't be the main plot. But that's probably also me getting way too ahead of myself. The real question is, does the above sound interesting -- an ex-sidekick coming out of retirement, being forced to work with the superhero that replaced him, and finding out he's evil?
That doesn't qualify as a superhero in my lexicon. Your expansion of the story idea sounds quite viable, except for your use of the term "superhero." I don't see anything "super" about any of the characters you have described.
Guess it depends on what you consider a superhero. Because there are tons of characters everyone considers superheroes that have no powers. Batman, Rorschach, Kick-Ass, Punisher, Green Arrow, Star-Lord (at least in the first movie), the Green Hornet, etc. Former and latter may be given exceptions for their use of technology only reserved to those who have the significant financial means to afford it. But those are just a handful of examples off the top of my head; there are many more that I didn't list, and many others I just couldn't think of off the top of my head. Technically, you're right, the MC isn't "super" without actual powers, but people use the term superhero pretty loosely nowadays. Now, if you're thinking more along the lines of, even without superpowers, he would need to be the best fighter and very athletic to be consider "super" in that regard, that's definitely a good point. Guess I'm wanting him to be on the level of someone like Peacemaker. He can kick some ass, but does so in a goofy way, and he's not some unstoppable force. Thought about giving him some sort of gauntlet with brass knuckles that have (very) short claws on it, because wombats have claws, and he's The Wombat, but not sure if that'd make him overpowered in a more grounded world that doesn't have people with actual superpowers. But definitely leaning towards him having custom brass knuckles to aid his hand-to-hand combat. And, of course, some kind of gun. Perhaps some sort of double-barreled pistol, or a double-barreled shotgun pistol (like a 12-gauge pistol)? Not sure yet. Just something to keep it a bit realistic, while giving Doug a chance to fight off dudes with guns. The villain (superhero who replaced him) will most likely be someone augmented by tech, perhaps a fair amount of biohacking, as well (here's where it gets unrealistic, lol). Strong, athletic, advanced weaponry, someone like Batman.
Batman has his bat belt, with an array of both low-tech and high-tech tools to supplement his human strength. Green Arrow has his trick arrows to accomplish the same thing. That's what I had in mind when I asked what your character's "schtick" is. The Green Hornet isn't classified as a super hero in my view, and Wikipedia doesn't refer to him as a superhero. Rorshach and the Punisher aren't superheroes, they are anti-heroes. Kick-Ass has a sort of "super" power -- he is basically immune to pain as a result of his medical reconstruction. In fact, isn't his story fairly similar to your character's back-story?
Gotcha. That makes sense. As for Kick-Ass, are you referring to Red Most? He *did* trick Dave, but I wouldn't necessarily say that he was orchestrating crimes specifically so that he could become famous and beloved for solving / stopping those crimes. Actually, I see it more like — but still different from — DA Scanlon from Green Hornet. Regardless, just trying to come up with a catchy premise that gets my script read; I believe my writing itself can do the rest, so long as I can get eyes on it.
Unfortunately, the screenwriting medium doesn't really allow one to plan that far ahead, unless it's a mini/limited series. Generally, when writing shows, it is expected that you write the pilot, have an outline of the first season, and then it's not a bad idea to have a series/pitch bible. For movies, just the screenplay for the movie, with no mention of subsequent films. Makes sense from the perspective of those in charge of financing, but kinda sucks for creatives. If only I had the skills and friends of Tarantino, so I could just make my films myself, lol. Hell, I'm doubly-boned because it's pretty damn rare for original IP superhero content to actually get optioned, never mind made. Only ones I can think of in recent history that aren't animated are Hancock (awesomely underrated movie), Sky High, and Super by James Gunn (also wrote Guardians of the Galaxy, and Peacemaker, two of my favorite superhero movies/shows ever, and easily by biggest writing influence). Even among animated films, The Incredibles, and Megamind are the only two I know of. Ones like Chronicle and Kick-Ass are all based on existing IP. Honestly, if I write stuff good enough to genuinely get made someday -- but it doesn't because it's not existing IP -- I'll probably write books, and try to sell the screenplays later on.
