Why Won’t Hollywood Spin Wolverine Off Into Canada’s Alpha Flight?

A movie based around a Canadian team? Not only did Canada bring you things like maple syrup, good beer, hockey, and basketball, it has brought some pretty awesome characters to the comics.

I ask you, why not a movie based on a Canadian Team or at the very least, a Canadian character not named Wolverine? With comic book movies raking in money like never before, there is no better time to experiment than now.

I point to the biggest gamble of all, Guardians of the Galaxy. Before that movie, nobody had heard of Star Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot or Drax. If you were one of the lucky few, you knew the ride that the viewers were about to go through. If you weren’t of that group, you experienced the ride of your life. Guardians proved that movies didn’t have to start with Captain America, Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman to be wildly successful.

With great risk, comes great reward. Marvel Studios was willing to take a risk on Guardians and boy did it pay off (to the tune of 800 million).

Who then?

Canada’s Alpha Flight debuted in 1979 in X-Men #120. The team worked for Department H which is a fictional branch of Canada’s Department of National Defence. Led by their Canadian Flag suit-wearing leader, Guardian, the team consists of Vindicator, the sorcerer Shaman, the small-sized Puck, the changing Snowbird, the Hulk wannabe Sasquatch, and the mutant twins Northstar and Aurora.

Yes, they are the guardians of the Great White North.

Adamantium, Cigars, and beers…

Canada has already proven its viability with arguably comics most popular character, Wolverine. His ties with Alpha flight go far and deep.

Originally it was dreamed that he would lead the team, Wolverine instead opted to join the more popular X-Men. Interestingly, I don’t believe that Wolverine would have reached mainstream popularity had he stayed a member of Canada’s Alpha Flight. That team never achieved what the X-Men did.

If the movie industry were to launch anything Alpha Flight, the time would be now. Wolverine is the most popular character in comics and they could use him to smoothly transition to an Alpha Flight spinoff.

How?

The question is, “How could they transition the characters?”

With a few months to go until Hugh Jackman’s last appearance as Wolverine in “Logan”, there are many ways to spinoff into Alpha Flight.

1. There can be a flashback scene in which they are shown
2. X-23 (believed to be in Logan) begins asking questions about her past. Her questions lead her back to Canada and to an encounter with Alpha Flight
3. Alpha Flight might go looking for the Wolverine clone and stumble upon X-23.
4. An International Event occurs leading Canada to get involved

Battles

The last point above could set the stage for an event that fans are always clamoring for: Heroes vs Heroes.

Look no further than the success of Batman v Superman or Captain America: Civil War. In both of these movies, the storyline was made to be, and sold as Heroes vs Heroes.

Let’s say that the International Event occurs and Canada deploys Alpha Flight to investigate. What happens when they come face to face with the Avengers? Better yet, what happens when they come face to face with the X-Men? What side would Wolverine stand on? His base team, the X-Men, or his home country, Canada?

Even better, what would happen if he stood pat and didn’t do anything?

Canada’s Alpha Flight

Maybe being a Canadian has me living in a pipe dream. Canadian comic book team turned into a big budget Hollywood movie? Naw, never. Not in my lifetime.

Maybe just maybe, after seeing the success of Guardian and ultimately Guardians 2, Hollywood will give Canada’s Alpha Flight a much-deserved shot at the big time. Until then, I’ll just have to sit back and enjoy the movies that we do have.

With that, here’s to the Red and White.

Cheers

Jeff

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