Arnold: Born to Play Super Heroes!
Who's Next After the Ice Man and Conan?
Reported By: ABking
Friday, May 26, 2006

Comic book properties are very hot at the box-office in today's world of cinema. There's BATMAN, SPIDER-MAN, SUPERMAN (by Richard Donner) and this summer's version by Bryan Singer and the upcoming last chapter of the X-MEN trilogy titled X-MEN: THE LAST STAND. It's very funny a comic book looking mega star like Arnold Schwarzenegger has only starred in two comic book properties so far in his very successful career.

The first comic book character Arnie played was CONAN THE BARBARIAN!
Schwarzenegger knocked that one out of the park in his portrayal. The plot for CONAN THE BARBARIAN goes like this: Conan was still a child when he saw his parents murdered and his village burned by a horde of savages, lead by the semi-god Thulsa Doom. They took him to the north, where he grew up working like an animal, and was later sold as a slave. His master trained him to be a warrior, and made a fortune by using him in fights. But there comes one day, when he gives Conan his freedom, and the chance to take his revenge after so many years.

A barbarian trained in the arts of war joins with thieves in a quest to solve the riddle of steel and find the sorcerer responsible for the genocide of his people in this faithful adaptation of Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery adventures. This film briefly sparked a wave of fantasy films including the sequel, Conan the Destroyer, in the early 80s.

Released in 1982, the action/fantasy/adventure film became a box-office hit opening up with 9.6 million in it's first weekend. The barbarian epic directed by John Milius went on to gross 39 million domestic, 29 million foreign and an amazing 68 million worldwide. Two years later, Arnie made CONAN THE DESTROYER solidifying himself with the Conan character forever. "Destroyer" opened with 6.9 million in it's first weekend and went on to making almost as much as "Barbarian" domestically with 31 million.

The only other comic book character Schwarzenegger portrayed was Mr. Freeze in the ill conceived 1997 summer disaster BATMAN & ROBIN. In Arnie's defense, it was the script and direction that killed the film and left a bad taste in audiences mouths. Schwarzenegger actually did a very decent job with what he had. If Tim Burton had directed Arnie as Mr. Freeze, the character could have become iconic for the oak.

Still, the WB wanted Arnie for the role because they knew he would bring in the foreign box-office audience. Batman films never were as big outside the United States so they signed Arnie for a record breaking 25 million for 6 weeks work on the film. It worked too because BATMAN & ROBIN stilled opened with 42 million for the weekend. The superhero film went on to make only 107 million domestic (compared to BATMAN FOREVER's 184 million domestic) and a powerful 130 million foreign (thanks mostly to Schwarzenegger). BATMAN & ROBIN made a still impressive 238 million worldwide.

Over the years, Arnie was linked to SPIDER-MAN (he would have played either Dr. Octopus or Venom under the direction of James Cameron), SUPERMAN V (the WB wanted Arnie to take on Christopher Reeves as a super bad guy), JUDGE DREDD (that project went to Planet Hollywood pal Sylvester Stallone), THE WATCHMEN (action producer Joel Silver wanted Arnie to play blue action hero Dr. Manhatten in 1989... this film is now in production without Arnold), and SGT.ROCK.

SGT.ROCK was a baby project for Arnold back in 1988. It was going to re-unite the PREDATOR team of Arnie, director John McTiernan and Joel Silver. For various reasons, the film never got made. Arnie has moved on and might one day do a bigger and better WWII epic titled WITH WINGS AS EAGLES. This war film would have Arnie playing a good German character whom saves numerous P.O.W's during the closing days of the war. SGT.ROCK is now in pre- production without Schwarzenegger.

DOC SAVAGE is another comic book property Arnie once had. No one knows what has happened to it or who owns the rights, but Aint-it-cool's Moriarty once said it would have alleviated Arnie's career had he played the character. Moriarty even claimed the film could have matched Steven Spielberg's masterpiece RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK! What a bold statement huh!

The only comic book film Arnie really really needs to do at this point in his career is KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON. Comic book/Conan fans as well as Arnie fans in general want this film to be the oaks first film when he leaves office. If Arnie does KING CONAN first, it will have fans and the regular movie going audience anticipating it like a LORD OF THE RINGS type EVENT. It's all up to Schwarzenegger though!

In this day and age when comic book films are doing boffo box-office, maybe it would be a great career move if Schwarzenegger played a few of them. But maybe the oak doesn't need to, because Arnie is a real comic book character on and off screen. With his muscles, he can take Superman and Batman and day of the week.

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ABking