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Disney's dark superhero story resurfaces amidst Marvel/DC boom

As Superman and the Fantastic Four come flying into theatres, one of Disney's shadowy superhero sagas slinks to the surface again.
ByZach Gass|
London Landmarks During London Fashion Week
London Landmarks During London Fashion Week | Jeremy Moeller/GettyImages

WithSupermanrising to the top of the charts andThe Fantastic Fourlikely following close behind, we might be staring down the barrel ofa superhero boom. As both Marvel and DC get back to their roots, another wave of heroes has resurfaced on social media.

Suppose there was a series that pulled the masks off beloved superheroes and exposed the flawed, corrupt, and even predatory natures of the people beneath the tights and spandex? No, we're not talking aboutThe BoysorInvincibleon Amazon Prime, but rather a DVD featurette that gave viewers an intense look into the world ofThe Incredibles.

A different side of Pixar

For those who remember the age of DVDs,the footage abovecomes from a featurette that shows the backstories of the superheroes killed off by Syndrome inThe Incredibles, while some of these entries come with goofy names and awkward line delivery (listen to Downburst's), many have some ratherproblematic backstorieslike Gamma Jack and Psychwave. Not exactlyPixar's usual schtick.

Clips and interviews from these superheroes began showing up more and more on TikTok this week, and it feels like a piece of lost media resurfaced to reveal a different side of a much-loved film. Although we'll still have to wait a long while before we see the first glimpses ofIncredibles 3,there's something here that Disney and Pixar truly need to revisit.

In this writer's opinion, The Incredibles laid the foundation for the cinematic superhero teams that followed; eventhe MCU's own Avengershave parallels to something like this. Pair that with the social commentary of the world the Supers inhabit, and that's precisely why the film continues to resonate even years later.

Why this matters now

Marvel Studios' “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”- Arrivals
Marvel Studios' “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”- Arrivals | Emma McIntyre/GettyImages

With the themes of family and post-modern/pop art designs of the 1960s, there's no denying that there are more than a few similarities between the Incredibles and the MCU's variant ofthe Fantastic Four. It gives off the feeling that the DVD bonus feature resurfacing might not be a coincidence.

If Disney and Pixar are smart, they could use this nearly-forgotten piece of media as the cornerstone of, not another sequel, but a prequel series on Disney+ to ride the superhero hype train. Moreover, this could be something Disney makes as fan service for adults, but without plunging itself into a ridiculous budget. Of course, this is also still wishful thinking from a very dedicated fanbase.

BothIncrediblesfilms can be found on Disney+.

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