Glass: It’s time for a new universe of superheroes and villains

Glass is set to open in theaters on Friday, Jan. 18. With all the speculation about the future of the Marvel and D.C. universes could we be ready for a new world of superheroes and villains?

The Time Has Come

Glass, the highly anticipated release from M. Night Shyamalan is opening on Jan. 18. This is the third installment in the director’s comic book series. While Unbreakable, Shyamalan’s sophomore effort (after the stellar success of The Sixth Sense) was deemed a box office disappointment, could the critical acclaim of Split and the optimistic predictions for Glass help to usher in a new universe of superheroes and villains?

I know that it sounds crazy since we already have successful Marvel movies and spin-offs galore. D.C. is struggling to gain the same status as its rival but with the terrific performance of Aquaman in theaters maybe it is their time to shine. However, I think there is room for another franchise and it could be M. Night Shyamalan’s turn to make a move.

As everyone knows, the central theme in every comic book movie is good vs evil. It is pretty basic. Batman has his foils such as the Joker and the Penguin, etc. Spiderman has the Green Goblin, Doc Ock and an assorted array of colorful antagonists.

In each movie, the heroes must square off against the forces of destruction to save the world. As an example, in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos decimated almost every crusader for good. That was a serious case of flipping the script.

Glass has the potential to create a new world. Gone are the disguises and the power suits, instead they are replaced with regular people. Individuals that blend in with the rest of society. Sure, Clark Kent does that but he is still an alien. Bruce Wayne does that as well except he has gadgets that help him with his vigilante activities.

A Case for New Heroes and Villains

David Dunn, on the other hand, the hero in Shyamalan’s world is someone that we can easily identify with. Yes, he is very close to Superman but Dunn is not from another planet. He could be your friend or your brother.

When we meet him in Unbreakable, he is a security guard. When you think about it, that is a fitting occupation for a man like him. Upon meeting Elijah or “Mister Glass” (Samuel L. Jackson) he has no idea of what he is or what he can become. But Glass knows and in fact, he manipulated a tragic accident to force David’s abilities into the light.

The reason why Dunn gravitated toward security is to protect people. He has a gift that he can “see” when someone is going to commit a crime. Think of him as Johnny Smith from The Dead Zone with superhuman capabilities.

Much like Superman and Kryptonite, David finds out that his is water. Yet another parallel with superheroes. If we take a look at Glass, one could almost see the possibility for an X-Men like universe. Instead of Professor Charles Xavier, perhaps Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) could stand in as the leader.

There might be other “Davids” out there. Naturally, Elijah, “Mister Glass” would be Magneto to Staple’s X-Men. I would also boldly suggest that one of Kevin Wendell Crumb’s multiple personalities, “The Beast” (James McAvoy) is comparable to Magneto’s former son-in-law, Vision.

Yes, Vision is a synthezoid but he is one of the most powerful weapons that Magneto has and let’s face it who can harness solar wind????! While The Beast can’t do that, he is definitely to be feared and a force to be reckoned with, no doubt.

Glass is the perfect set up for M. Night Shyamalan to create his own superhero and villain cosmos if he chooses to do so. Is the world ready for an alternative to Marvel and D.C.?  I say, “bring it!”

Are you ready for Glass on Jan. 18? Do you think M. Night Shyamalan could create a new comic book universe? Let us know your thoughts in the section below. We want to hear from you.