M. Night Shyamalan's 'Glass' Could Be The Shake-Up That The Superhero Movie Genre Needs!

Samuel L. Jackson has been one of Hollywood’s most prolific actors for as long as anyone can remember. He has had solid roles in every film he has been in. But for all his efforts, he has yet to be the titular character in a big budget Hollywood film. Now that has finally changed with the unveiling of the latest trailer for the follow-up to 2016’s hit film Split. The world anxiously waits to witness what sinister plans Jackson will unfold when he becomes Mr. Glass.

From the looks of the latest trailer, this is not your everyday masked vigilante film. M. Night Shyamalan, director of Split and 2000's Unbreakable (which Glass combines), looks to have his latest film shake up the genre and bring fans a completely new experience. Let's face it, there is no shortage of superhero films being released these days, and audiences everywhere are used to seeing heroes defeat the villain dozens of time. But what sets Glass apart is how grounded the film is in reality. These characters are much different than the likes of Batman, Spider-Man, or any other popular comic book hero. The preview does a great job of introducing audiences to each of the three players involved in the film.

Bruce Willis is The Overseer.

James McAvoy is The Beast.

And of course, Samuel L. Jackson is The Mastermind.

Some people will recognize these characters from previous films. That is because Glass attempts to have the worlds of the 2016 film Split and the 2000 film Unbreakable collide in what promises to be an epic showdown between the three characters. All three are in custody under the care of Sarah Paulson’s Dr. Ellie Staples. She believes she can treat them and rid their minds of the idea that they are something out of a comic book. But unfortunately for the good doctor, Mr. Glass has different intentions. After his first run-in with Willis’s character, he had lost all hope. But now the bad guys are going to team up for a battle that has been so many years in the making.

Unbreakable fans have been waiting since the dawn of the new Millennium for a follow-up to the unique take on the superhero genre. This dark, brooding film saw Bruce Willis once again team up with Shyamalan after their successful run with The Sixth Sense. Instead of seeing dead people, Willis sees the bad in everyone by touching them and has a weakness to water. After being the only survivor of a horrific train crash, Jackson’s Glass, who caused the accident, had finally found a hero that could match his villainess ways. Fans everywhere thought that there would be a rematch between Glass and Willis, but unfortunately it never came to fruition.

Fast-forward 16 years to a film called Split. This film was to be considered Shyamalan’s comeback after some less than stellar releases. The film was a psychological thriller about a man with multiple personalities, one of which altered his body into a killing machine called the Beast. McAvoy gives an exemplary performance as the man with many voices in his head. After devouring two of his victims and escaping custody, fans were given one of Shyamalan’s best twists to date: a shot of Bruce Willis in the closing moments of the film confirming that this film exists in the same universe s Unbreakable.

Now it seems the two will finally meet face to face at the behest of the underestimated Mastermind. Anya-Taylor Joy, who was the only survivor of the Beast’s rampage in Split, also returns to witness all the mayhem that will undoubtedly go down. This reunion could be the start of a brand new shared universe with the twist-happy filmmaker at the helm. I am more than excited about this film and what possibilities it could lead to. Shyamalan could’ve made a basic sequel to either Unbreakable or Split and fans would have been excited for that. The filmmaker is attempting something far more ambitious here. Glass looks like the cure for the common comic book movie, and a much-needed change the genre needs overall.

Glass looks to change the game when it releases January 18, 2019.

(Image via Universal Pictures)

- D.J. Rivera, YH Contributing Writer