So far, Valiant fans have only seen a sneak peek of what's to come on the big screen. While Bloodshot certainly opened a few eyes, Valiant Entertainment has a lot more in store for movie-goers. Leading the charge is Dan Mintz, Valiant's new CEO after its acquisition by Mintz's company, DMG Entertainment.
Dan Mintz has revealed quite a bit about what fans can expect from future Valiant films in various interviews. The news is quite encouraging, and it sheds considerable light on upcoming film projects that DMG Entertainment is producing under the Valiant banner. Here are 10 new things DMG's Dan Mintz has revealed about upcoming Valiant films:
10 The Valiant Cinematic Universe Will Be More Diverse
Today, we see a lot of comic book heroes "reimagined" as more diverse characters. In the case of Valiant, rewriting characters in this way isn't actually necessary, since the Valiant universe already includes characters of various backgrounds and ethnicities.
In a recent interview, Dan Mintz, DMG CEO underlined this point, saying "When Valiant was incepted, they had Japanese, Latin American and all kinds of characters where you didn’t really have that before — from the beginning anyway. It’s a sense of, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we saw this story through these people’s eyes?”
9 DMG & Valiant Are "Wrecking Crews" For Superhero Flicks
Under Dan Mintz, DMG is set to shake things out for the Valiant Cinematic Universe. It's clear that he isn't about to follow in the footsteps of other film studios, and Valiant will strive to carve out its own path and identity.
The CEO stated in the aforementioned interview: "Honestly, man, we are the wrecking crew. It’s no disrespect to anybody else. They’re great and they’re going to continue to be great. Great is great, but there is a lot to explore in this. This is not about comic books being a single, one-note, one-trick pony."
8 Faith Will Get Her Own Movie
Faith is one of the most popular characters in the Valiant world, and comments from Dan Mintz suggest that she is a big focus going forward. As early as 2018, a Faith movie was already confirmed, with screenwriter Maria Melnik signed onto the project.
Dan Mintz says DMG is focused on bringing characters like Faith to life on the big screen, and he stated in the interview: "Again, Valiant is a product of this time. So Faith, for instance, is a plus-size, superhero woman. It sometimes takes 30 years sometimes to get up to a certain level. That character has been around for over 25 years. Only now, with the movements that are happening is that character relevant. 20 years ago, Marvel and DC wouldn’t have touched something like that."
7 DMG Thinks Hollywood "Gets Comic Book Movies Wrong"
Many people have opinions about Hollywood superhero movies, and they're not always the most generous. Some people feel that superhero movies are too repetitive and that they seem rather formulaic. Dan Mintz is not afraid to criticize Hollywood's take on the comic book universe, suggesting Valiant movies will take a different approach.
DMG Dan Mintz made his opinions known in the recent interview, stating: "I think Hollywood really gets comic books wrong. I think perhaps they get fooled by the format. They look at it and they say it’s a bunch of drawings with some little people talking in bubbles."
6 Disney Can't Be "Anti-Establishment," But Valiant Can Be
Although fans have come to accept it, the fact that Disney owns Marvel is surprising on many levels. When thinking about all the risque and gory stories that Marvel Comics tell, it's hard to imagine how Disney will capture these themes with their kid-friendly image. In contrast, DMG's acquisition of Valiant doesn't come with the same kinds of limitations, as Valiant is free to stay true to their identity as storytellers.
Dan Mintz expressed doubts that Disney can create the edgier narratives of the comic book world, explaining: “Disney is the IBM of the entertainment industry…it’s just really big and very difficult to be,” Valiant boss Mintz told Deadline. They can’t stand on anti-establishment. They’re not raising the pirate flags, so to speak.”
5 Valiant Would Let Martin Scorsese Direct A Movie
Scorsese famously stated that in his opinion, comic book movies were "not cinema." He backed up his statements by explaining "nothing is at risk" with superhero movies. Dan Mintz may agree with part of this sentiment, but he feels that superhero movies don't necessarily have to be this way. In fact, he suggests that if Scorsese were to direct a comic book movie, it'd be a Valiant film.
Dan Mintz was quoted as saying: “If there was a [comic book] movie he was going to direct, it would be a Valiant movie, because the characters relate on that level.”
4 Ivar Timewalker Will Get The Spotlight
Characters like Ivar, Timewalker are especially interesting because they traverse time. Movies about characters such as these would be amazing, and they leave the door open for intricate, clever plots. Judging by recent statements from Dan Mintz, it seems as though an Ivar, Timewalker movie could come sooner than fans think.
Speaking of possible future films, DMG CEO Dan Mintz stated: "There’s Archer and Armstrong, The Eternal Warrior and Ivar, Timewalker. These are 10,000-year-old characters that are not only connected horizontally but also through time. So they see everything that’s happened. Not only is it wide in the sense of diversity the worldview is also deep that sense. Valiant not only has stories horizontally connected characters, but they are also through time."
3 Bloodshot (2020) Is Valiant's Blade (1998)
According to Dan Mintz, Blade was the movie that helped Marvel become so successful. Initially, the company had a rocky start with a few flops, but in many ways, Blade was their turning point.
Dan Mintz says DMG can leapfrog off the success of Bloodshot in the same way: "One of my jobs is to take what took Marvel 20 years and compress that down. That’s in defining who you are — more importantly who you’re not — and really, really hammering on that differentiation. I see Bloodshot as our Blade."
2 Valiant Movies Will Feature Relatable Characters
One thing's for sure: Valiant fans can expect to see a much larger emphasis on characters and interaction rather than massive, CGI-enhanced battles on a galactic scale in their movies. This is largely due to the identity of Valiant comics, as they've always focused on making their characters relevant and relatable.
In another interview, DMG's Dan Mintz stressed that Valiant's characters are "more human than superhuman," which makes them more relatable to today's audiences. He also reminds movie-goers that Valiant Comics started out in the '90s, which makes many of the themes and narratives inherently more relevant.
1 Valiant Is Not Trying To Compete With Marvel & DC
While many people may assume that DMG and Dan Mintz are gearing up to challenge DC and Marvel, it's probably not as straightforward as that. At the end of the day, DMG's acquisition of Valiant means that fans will see comic book stories told in an entirely new way. Because Valiant is so different compared to Marvel, they don't really need to compete.
In the aforementioned interview, DMG's Dan Mintz dismissed suggestions that he was trying to compete with Marvel and DC, saying: "I never wanted to get to a point in my business where I felt I didn't enjoy other people's work. So, I don't look at people like competitors, I look at them as fellow artists and I feel that I also get to enjoy what they do."