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Holy Rusted Metal Batman!

Warner Bros. Hires Men In Black 3 Director For DC Comics’ Next Superhero Project

by Jill Pantozzi | 2:03 pm, June 21st, 2012


Warner Bros. made a huge announcement not to long ago that they’ll be restarting their Justice League film project but that’s not all their working on. Adding to their rather large list of current productions, we’ve just found out about another. The Metal Men (and women) are coming to a theater near you from Men In Black 3 director, Barry Sonnenfeld. No idea who the Metal Men are? I’m not surprised. Allow me to explain. 

The Metal Men are not as popular as the Justice League in the DC Universe, that’s for sure. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t a really interesting team. The characters were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru back in 1962. They are artificially intelligent, liquid metal robots who were invented by genius Dr. William Magus (aka Doc Magnus). His invention, the Responsometer, is what’s responsible for bringing them to life and giving them unique personalities that relate to their metals.

Gold is the leader of the group, Iron is the muscle, Lead is a bit slow buy loyal, Mercury has a temper and a huge ego, Tin is incredibly insecure, and Platinum, who usually goes by “Tina” or “Platina,” believes she’s a real woman and is in love with Doc Magnus (Tina was his first creation and the one who suggested he make the Metal Men in the first place.). Their powers also relate to their dedicated metal (Gold can stretch, Mercury can melt, etc.). A new sarcastic member named Copper was added recently and there were even evil Metal Men called, wait for it…the Death Metal Men. That group was Uranium, Strontium, Thorium, Radium, Lithium, Polonium, and Fermium.

While they’re certainly useful characters in the comics, they’re mostly played for laughs. They’ve made several animated appearances but this will be their first film.

Vulture had the exclusive announcement that Sonnenfeld would be directing the film. The director had been coy about his follow-up to Men In Black 3 but was giving hints. ”You know, I’m talking to Warner Bros. about doing a franchise based on a comic that hasn’t been around since the 60s,” he said. “But it’s too early to talk about it. But possibly, yes.”

There hasn’t been an official announcement from Warner unfortunately so we have no idea how a Metal Men film would work but I like the idea. The Metal Men comics I’ve read have been fun and plus, they do things like this:

And this:

Done well, I believe Metal Men could be a really big win for DC.  Are you familiar with the metallic team? How would you like to see them developed for the big screen?

(via Movies.com)

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  • Nick Gaston

    Sounds good; I’ve always kind of liked this team, and I’d love to see more of it in detail!

    Hopefully, DC lets this get at least until the early concept art stage before they cancel it.

  • Anonymous

    I want this.  I want this so much I can taste it. From the moment T2 walked on screen, I knew the technology for Metal Men was ready, we just had to wait.

    I have a LOT of thoughts about the cast, and it’s gonna take a while for me to get them all down.  I know that the perfect voice for Tin is no longer available; John Fiedler (Piglet) has been voicing Tin in my head since I first read the character.

  • Anonymous

    Can I wish for a Pixar version of this instead?

  • Katie Marinelli

    I never read them but my dad did as a kid. Whenever I go to comic conventions I look for any issues I can find to give him. 

  • http://shiftercat.livejournal.com/ ShifterCat

    Ohh… that’s the guy who made Robotman’s body!

  • Anonymous

    I am super unfamiliar with the metal man (though I feel like I saw them appear in Crisis on Infinite Earths…?) so this article mostly gave me flashbacks to the cartoon show Silverhawks.

    Interested in seeing how this goes at any rate.

  • Anonymous

    Can we have more than one token female?

  • http://twitter.com/BeccaBlast BeccaBlast

    I’m still having nightmares of that B&B episode where Platinum twisted into a chair — so Batman could sit on her — and yes, her face was in the seat. 

    Has Warners done a CGI animated feature yet?  This would be perfect for that!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501983222 Matt Graham

    I hope this pans out, I love Doc Magnus and the Metal Men.

  • Robert Jazo

    Well, if the movie includes Copper, then it would have two female members.

  • Anonymous

    Do you know the character or are you making false assumptions just to make an issue? For her to be “token” she would need to be a stereotype.

  • http://www.facebook.com/beverly.nelms Beverly Ann Abbott Nelms

    I was so young when I read the first Metalmen comics that I got confused by why Dr. Magnus was building robots when he and Leeja were supposed to be destroying them. It looks like Metalmen came out a year earlier, but Magnus was the first one I read and my first love. I would have been about five.  Comics and Heinlein were how my brother taught me to read.

  • FAHQ

    Make them all politically correct, gay and be sure to have action figures, stupid prequels and lousy sequels. Use a lot of boring CGI, UK accents, spandex clothing and most importantly, use the same crappy actors who are between rehab stints and clubbing, or fresh out of jail for assaulting their own family, Thanks!

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