Will MARVEL’s Alternate Movies Be As Ubiquitous as Variant Covers?

Yesterday, Unleash The Fanboy’s superstar, Steve L posted the news that Marvel Studios will release two versions of Iron Man 3– A special edition released only in China, and a standard edition released everywhere else. The special edition will feature additional footage filmed in China including an appearance by the Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, who has the greatest name ever!

Friday morning, Marvel also unveiled the stunning Paolo Rivera variant cover to Guardians of the Galaxy #2. Alternative covers are a great strategy to increase comic sales, even the most ridiculous gimmick covers sell like hot cakes (not regular hot cakes either, super addictive crack filled hotcakes with alcoholic syrup on top).

I myself am a fiend for Scotty Young variant covers featuring my favorite superheroes and mass murders as adorable wittle babies. I also have been known to shed tears at Paolo Rivera’s beautiful variants.

Variants make so much money in the comic industry, and Marvel Studios making variant editions of their movies is a sure fire way to rob us of all our money! I say use additional footage filmed in Asgard for Thor: The Dark World, then have a limited release fit for the G-Ds! Why stop with special editions targeting foreign markets? Marvel Studios could have different versions with alternative teasers at the end, hyping what is coming next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You know a lot of you would rush to the theater to see them all.

Other ideas for Iron Man 3 variants: The Underpants version (with more scenes of Tony and Pepper in their underpanties. How many of you paused the Iron Man 3 preview fifty times to glimpse Gwyneth Paltrow in her skivvies?), The Robot Wars version (more footage of robots beating the living crap out of each other), or the Sober Tony Remembers What He Did Last Night version.

There is money to be made here baby! I’m talking Scrooge McDuck crapload of money. The kind you can fill a room with and swim in. I just want everyone to know it was my idea so I can get my share! _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Jay Deitcher, LMSW(@mrdeitcher) is an educator on comic history and runs successful Free Comic Book Day events yearly.  You can see a listing of his incredible articles and his highly energetic videos here.