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Superhero movie that does not have the superhero as the protagonist?

I am trying to help a friend on his superhero-ish (masked vigilante with skills, but no superpowers) script.

The problem I am running into is:
the vigilante is a bit far-fetched to have a compelling and believable "origin story" -although with them already established in their vigilante persona, they are intriguing and entertaining... from a distance. If I delve too much into their world, especially their non-vigilante life, I fear things may fall apart and the intrigue and believability will be lost. I don't want it to descend into a cartoonish caricature of a superhero movie.

I'm trying not to change my friend's characters too much though, as this is his baby. I may have to, but I'm trying to think of a way to work with the characters he originally conceived.

I have thought about focusing the events around another character (as the main protagonist). One who interacts closely with the vigilante through much of the script, but has a story of their own, too.

I cannot find any reference of this being done in a superhero-type script though (at least any successful ones). Most of the movies I have seen that are popular in this genre have the superhero/vigilante as the protagonist, and many also dive into their origin story.

I am not opposed to trying to "break the mold" but I also realize some things aren't done for a very good reason -no one will want to watch/they make no money.

Can anyone think of an example of a film of this type in which the protagonist is NOT the superhero?

What are your thoughts on this possible approach?

Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you.
 
The first thing that comes to mind is KICK ASS, but that story, while following the development of a non-superpowered protagonist, still focusses on him as the central character.

It's entirely possible that the "best" story model you're looking for is one that focuses on the second fiddle or support person rather than on the strongest "character" in the story.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA focusses on the relationship development between the co-assistant and her powerful and demanding fashion magazine editor boss.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_Wears_Prada_(film)

This is much akin to the UGLY BETTY format.

Think of how the (lowly) mortal Bella Swan interacts with all of the supernatural vampire nation and werewolf tribe.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND or even WIZARD OF OZ follow a similar path: Human protagonist overcomes/interacts with a fantastical world of characters.

For crying out loud, AVATAR is actually about a pissant grunt amidst a bunch of people more than a few pay grades above him.

In each of these "the protagonist is NOT the superhero".

Think of the "superhero", that you really don't want to significantly interfere with, as a freight train rolling down the tracks. Your story is about the cowboy protagonist on a horseback that rides up to the side of the train for a mile or so, non-verbally communicates with the small child passenger inside, then pulls away as the train continues down the track.

What would Alfred's or Lucius Fox's story be while Bruce Wayne / Batman goes gallavanting about?
 
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If any piece of this is "intriguing and entertaining, FORGET any other ideas and rebuild around what's good and why it's good.

What would Alfred's story be while Batman was out doing amazing things? Nobody cares.
 
I have to say that rayw you're thinking of movies in which unexceptional people do something exceptional which, far from the originality the OP is looking for, is actually one of Hollywood's top cliches and is evident in loads of blockbusters...

I can think of an example of what you're looking for (except perhaps V for Vendetta?) but I'm figuring something working along the lines of The Great Gatsby which is Gatsby's story, but the main character is really Nick Carraway...

Anyhow it's an interesting idea.
 
What would Alfred's story be while Batman was out doing amazing things? Nobody cares.
You challenge my devious mind to create a 90min spectacle of The Amazing Adventures of Alfred.
- Alfred debates with himself "Shall I wear the dark blue socks or the charcoal with a blue-ish hue to them?"
- Alfred drops the cap to his toothpaste, mesmerized by its sink spiraling he distractedly knocks the toothbrush off the counter which bounces behind the toilet. He curses his osteoarthritic knees in the most gentlemanly way possible.
- A 3/4-drop of clear nasal drainage dangles precariously from his nostril as he bends over grunting to retrieve his toothbrush. The suspense is deafening.
- later, his eyes follow the worn elastic waistband of his boxer shorts around his ankles as he grunts and huffs sitting on the toilet while he pinches a bitter dirt-snake into a sequence of discrete quanta of poop into the toilet.
- His efforts result in lightheadedness which leads to flashbacks of the day he purchased the boxers and his sublime flirtations with the lady at the register.

Hell.
I could go in for hours doing this.
I could shoot it in shaky-cam to add that extra bit of organic, pulp drama.

;)
 
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Haven't seen it, but I think "Megamind" is this way, the villain is the protagonist.

It's a pretty cool movie, actually. I thought of mentioning it, but the villian isn't the protagonist. The protagonist is a one-time villian who turns into a hero. I think that's an important distinction, cuz I gathered that the OP is talking about a villian that is bad-guy from start to finish, yet the protagonist (in that the audience views everything through their experiences).
 
There are some interesting posts here and things to think about. Thank you all.

To clarify, the character I was thinking about focusing on in my friend's story would be (using the batman example) closer to Commissioner Gordon rather than Alfred.

Thank you for the thoughtful replies. This was my first time posting a question here.

I may give an alternate outline a try... and I may try again to talk my friend into beefing up/altering his superhero if I don't find a compelling way to get his story across as is.

Thanks again for your input.
 
To clarify, the character I was thinking about focusing on in my friend's story would be (using the batman example) closer to Commissioner Gordon rather than Alfred.

That sounds cool. I think that kind of story could absolutely work. At the moment, there's one thing that catches my mind -- the protagonist, at least in a story like this, has to be a do-er. The protagonist must be the one to take action, get the job done. So, if our protagonist is Commissioner Gordon, we need to see that he is filling some rather important holes that loose-cannon Batman has missed. If it weren't for Gordon, Joker wins! The protagonist may not be the Superhero, but the protagonist still needs to the the Hero. Ultimately, somebody's gotta save the day, and that's our protagonist.

Sorry if this post sounds simplistic and (hopefully not) patronizing; I just wanna make sure you aren't creating a protagonist that stands on the sidelines watching the action go by.
 
Cracker Funk: I agreed wholeheartedly with your post, appreciate your comments and the spirit they were presented in.

As it is, this character would not stand idly by anyhow. He's a proactive sort. ;) No worries.
 
That sounds cool. I think that kind of story could absolutely work. At the moment, there's one thing that catches my mind -- the protagonist, at least in a story like this, has to be a do-er. The protagonist must be the one to take action, get the job done. So, if our protagonist is Commissioner Gordon, we need to see that he is filling some rather important holes that loose-cannon Batman has missed. If it weren't for Gordon, Joker wins! The protagonist may not be the Superhero, but the protagonist still needs to the the Hero. Ultimately, somebody's gotta save the day, and that's our protagonist.

Sorry if this post sounds simplistic and (hopefully not) patronizing; I just wanna make sure you aren't creating a protagonist that stands on the sidelines watching the action go by.

I would imagine you could use the idea of that protagonist sitting on the sidelines so often as one form of motivation. Right?

I think if the story is good people could get into Alfred (I love how Batman seems to be the reference point over and over again) being the one who saves the day. Batman is not the only interesting protagonist on Batman. He might be the most interesting to most people (including me), but he doesn't have to be the one in the center of the stage every time. Comic books and cartoons have proven that constantly over the years, and you can apply the notion to your own original characters and story.

"Mystery Men" is another good example of people from the sidelines stepping forward to take over a role normally filled by a more traditional hero.
 
You know, the first thing I thought of was the episode of the "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" series, "The Zeppo". It focuses on the one member of the group that seems sorta useless, with no powers to speak of (in a world of super-strong vampire slayers and powerful witches). In the background, the rest of the world is facing an "end of the world" type disaster, that we only see bits and pieces of. As the plot moves forward, despite being sorta pushed to the side for being useless, he has his own challenges to face, that the rest of the group never become aware of. It's mostly played for laughs, but contains some great character growth and development of someone who was mostly seen as comic relief before that point.

Anyway, even if you weren't into Buffy, it's worth taking a look at. I'm not sure if it's on Hulu these days, but it is on Netflix instant. I'm also vaguely remembering an episode of the mid-90s Batman cartoon that DID focus on Commissioner Gordon in a similar sort of way, but it's been far too many years to pull up a specific reference for you.

Definitely an under-used approach to a superhero story, and I can't wait to see what you do with it!
 
CF -
You outlined a fine approach to developing a secondary character protagonist as an active hole-filler for the loose cannon.
(I caught your "spirit of contribution" just fine, FWIW.)

Sticks -
Another approach would focus on the protagonist's character arc as a direct involvement with the loose cannon.
Perhaps although the protagonist was functioning just fine in his/her role prior to contact with the super hero, there are a series of events where the two are working together where the protagonist comes to a new understanding of either his own actions/motivations/job description or those of the super hero.

Alternatively, and this is one some people are going to like or b!tch about, the roles are reversed: The protagonist's interactions positively influence the super hero, thus character arc via proxy.

It could even be done where both come away stronger people, but that's going to be some humdinger of a writing sample there.

Everyone loves a buddy movie.

GL!
 
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I am trying to help a friend on his superhero-ish (masked vigilante with skills, but no superpowers) script.

The problem I am running into is:
the vigilante is a bit far-fetched to have a compelling and believable "origin story" -although with them already established in their vigilante persona, they are intriguing and entertaining... from a distance. If I delve too much into their world, especially their non-vigilante life, I fear things may fall apart and the intrigue and believability will be lost. I don't want it to descend into a cartoonish caricature of a superhero movie.

I'm trying not to change my friend's characters too much though, as this is his baby. I may have to, but I'm trying to think of a way to work with the characters he originally conceived.

I have thought about focusing the events around another character (as the main protagonist). One who interacts closely with the vigilante through much of the script, but has a story of their own, too.

I cannot find any reference of this being done in a superhero-type script though (at least any successful ones). Most of the movies I have seen that are popular in this genre have the superhero/vigilante as the protagonist, and many also dive into their origin story.

I am not opposed to trying to "break the mold" but I also realize some things aren't done for a very good reason -no one will want to watch/they make no money.

Can anyone think of an example of a film of this type in which the protagonist is NOT the superhero?

What are your thoughts on this possible approach?

Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you.

It is a difficult issue trying to work with someone else's characters that are fragile. Good luck with that. In reading your description and the other comments, I was struck by the focus on 'super powers' even though your character is more a vigilante.

As you and others have suggested, you could use a chronicler, someone brought into the character's confidence. Watson is the chronicler for Holmes. Holmes background is always kept rather secluded in the original stories. Later embellishments have enlarged his origins. In 'An Interview with a Vampire', the journalist is receiving from Louis information about LeStat. In all these cases, "memoirs" allow for gaps in actual backgrounds.

One way to approach it, is to have a journalist who is interviewing different people about the exploits of the vigilante from their persepectives. Each of these different views will give only selective pictures but as a composite, you get a closer sense of the vigilante at work. From the views of those he saved, those he thwarted, those who worked with him. My own personal take would be to see the vigilante engaged in some final heroic act, and the building collapses on him/her. S/He is presumed dead. A reporter is assigned to unearth the life of this individual from newsreels, print articles, and interviews. And perhaps at the end, the reporter finds the 'secret lair' and reads the diary. And a new 'vigilante' is born.

The story is not about the events themselves, it's about the human dynamics. Starting with the uninvolved chronicler, who becomes more engaged. The 2D vigilante who is seen from many angles and becomes more 3D as a result.

It's a challenge. Best wishes.
 
Maybe an argument can be made for the cartoon "The Tick".

The Tick has a sidekick named Arthur who has no super powers, but often the story seems to happen from his observation of The Tick. You could look this up on YouTube.


Also, there have been some depictions of Sherlock Holmes told from the viewpoint of Watson. (I didn't see the recent movie, so I can't refer to it)

One more, Samurai Jack, another cartoon, Samurai Jack has no powers but he's smart and has a sword. Everything happens around him, if I remember correctly. Check YouTube.


Interesting premise for a story...


-- spinner :cool:
 
"It is a difficult issue trying to work with someone else's characters that are fragile. Good luck with that. In reading your description and the other comments, I was struck by the focus on 'super powers' even though your character is more a vigilante."

Thanks, FantasySciFi. It is a difficult issue indeed, but I really want to help out my friend. He has some good ideas and I want to help him develop his writing skills.

The focus on "superpowers" here is understandable: The mention of batman repeatedly is not a coincidence. Batman is a person without superpowers. He is a vigilante, but very much fills the "superhero" role by accomplishing fantastic things. That also applies to my friend's vigilante character.

I appreciate your comments (all of the comments here have been helpful). Thank you. I will think about how best to tackle this and may use the posts here to show to my friend.

Again, thank you all.
 
From the comics side, you might want to check out Thunderbolts. It's a comic about a team of supervillains that pose as superheroes as part of a diabolical plot for world domination. But they start to like being heroes along the way.

There's also some recent Marvel stuff where you get lots of stories with villains (not villains with hearts of gold) but I can't remember the name of the arc ATM.

Then there are the old standby anti-heroes like Wolverine and Punisher if that's your thing.
 
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