Way back in 2004, post-X-Men and Spider-Man but pre-MCU and comic book boom, Pixar released The Incredibles. The beloved tale about a super-powered, crime-fighting family still stands as one of the best superhero movies ever made and easily the best Fantastic Four movie that isn't the Fantastic Four. Like many superhero movie sequels, this summer's Incredibles 2 will expand the universe of the first film and part of that means introducing more superheroes. But bringing in these new Supers is more about fleshing out the world than following the Marvel model, as director Brad Bird explained:
Well, I mean, they're in there, but that doesn't mean that they each have backstories and storylines. They might just be in a shot. They might just represent the fact that superheroes are starting to feel like society will accept them more, so they're coming out a little bit. But I wouldn't take it literally that there is, like, we're trying to outdo the Avengers or something by having more heroes than have ever been seen together. It's definitely not that. We're focusing on our guys and the rest are just in there a little bit, but only in so far that it helps the main story with the Incredibles.
Iit sounds like the potentially dozens of new heroes debuting in Incredibles 2 will be primarily used not as characters with backstories and arcs, but more as elements there simply to tell us something about the Parr family and the world they inhabit. As Brad Bird told Fandango, Incredibles 2 is not an MCU team-up movie and it isn't about building up tons of different heroes so that they can all come together. This is a story about the Parr family and their place in a world that is beginning to accept Supers again. The focus will continue to be on the family we fell in love with in the first film and all these new superheroes will be there to advance their story, not distract from it.
While we love seeing team-ups and these massive crossover events in most comic book movies, keeping the focus on the characters from the first film is the right move for Incredibles 2. With a bunch of new superheroes making appearances, it would be difficult and counterproductive for each of them to have sizable roles. Introducing a bunch of characters we've never met and asking for us to care about them in a team-up movie doesn't work. We don't need an Incredi-verse, we just need the Parr family. But part of the story of this film will see Elastigirl being a one-woman crime-fighting public relations machine as Supers attempt to be accepted in public once again. Seeing that happen beyond just the Parrs really helps to establish that this is a fully populated world with other super-powered people in it.
We already know that some of the new superheroes in Incredibles 2 are part of a group of B-Team heroes called The Wannabes. We don't know too much about their role yet, but it sounds like lots of individuals with powers who never became superheroes will be giving it a go now that it is becoming accepted again. Even though some of the new heroes may only show up in a shot, it will be really interesting to see what unique, fun and visually awesome super powers the crew at Pixar equip them with. They'll need all the powers they can get too if they're going to defeat the villainous Screenslaver.
Absence has done nothing to diminish enthusiasm for the Pixar property as Incredibles 2 is expected to deliver a huge box office when it super-speeds its way into theaters on June 15th. For everything hitting theaters this summer and the rest of the year, check out our release schedule.
