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THEDARKHORSE and STEVERODGERS talk ORTON, TEBOW, IRON MAN 2, and THOR!

The Dark Horse and Steve Rodgers sit down for the next (slightly disheveled) installment of a season-long fireside chat (which may be of no interest to the public).

This time ’round, they wander far from the well-mowed gridiron–and Kyle Orton’s future–to discuss “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” and the state of the comic-book-movie genre (oh, and “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2″).

THEDARKHORSE: SteveRodgers, talk to me about the following: (1) Is this the year the Patriots finally level off? Also, who wins the AFC East, and has it become as interesting a division as the NFC East? (2) Give me your thoughts on “Iron Man 2.”

STEVERODGERS: I think the pats are undervalued. There is a good chance they will stay right where they’ve been. My issue with New England is that they don’t have a strong defensive front to worry a good, opposing quarterback. So, when they get to the playoffs and have to deal with a decent QB, they have to be perfect everywhere else. So, unless a young stud steps up, I really don’t see them making any noise when it counts.

I haven’t seen “Iron Man II,” but I am positive it will be awesome. The great thing about those movies is that they’re fun. Recent comic-book movies, with the exception of “Kick-Ass,” have been heavy Russian novels, which I like, but you need to catch your breath. “Iron Man” keeps things fun, while still doing what a comic-book movie needs to do—put your hero up against impossible odds, yet somehow have him save the day at the end. The best comic book on film this year is the opening sequence of “Watchmen,” which was jaw-dropping, comic-book goodness. What has been your favorite comic-book movie? And what can you tell me about the NFC East?

THEDARKHORSE: While the NFC East is regularly the most-hyped division in football, it deserves credit for often living up to that hype. We have seen our share of strong NFC East matchups late in the season and into the playoffs over the past few years. The total dissembling of the New York Giants in 2009 makes this an critical year for the club. No matter what people think of Eli Manning, any pro team has a closing window of time where the quarterback position is set in stone, and you don’t want to waste that. I expect the Giants, who have been really quiet this offseason, to work from within to get back to where they need to be. This is a team that’s suffered off years before, and bounced back strong. The Cowboys are as talented a team on paper as any around—in my book, they have to be the division favorite heading into the summer. The Redskins and Eagles are interesting, simply by the addition and the subtraction, respectively, of Donovan McNabb. When a big quarterback moves within his own division, the league fawns over the scenario it creates between rivals. I really didn’t care much for the Redskins/Eagles rivalry, but now there’s something to watch.

My favorite comic book movie of all time? That’s a tough one. I loved the 1989 “Batman” with Michael Keaton. Perhaps the new installment is a better series (so far, easily), but the reason I liked Keaton’s Batman is the reason I like Downey Jr.’s Iron Man–they played against type, to some degree. Someone who looks like George Clooney would never be Batman. You already look like George Clooney–you can have anything you want. Why be holed up and angry in a cave? Batman’s journey is about pain and revenge and overcoming the demons of life—overcompensating for all of that, to create this vigilante—this equalizer persona. Question: Why are they making a “Thor” movie? I don’t know a whole lot about the character, but am I right? He’s a Norse god who comes to earth and lives as a medical student in Norway? And it’s being directed by Kenneth Branaugh? I like Branaugh’s work—but I’m a little lost as to how this will work. Or, is it his initial mythology, minus the “hanging out in Norway” part?

Another question for you: Who wins the quarterback derby in Denver? I’m hearing backroom talk that Orton may be traded.

STEVERODGERS: Love Keaton in the first “Batman.” Wildly underrated and forgotten-about movie that doesn’t get enough love. Most likely because they forgot about the things that made that story great in doing the next four movies, or so. The best thing, now, is that people who like and understand comics are making them. In the old days, the only one who did that was Donner with “Superman II,” which is still one of the most kick-ass comic-book movies ever. “Thor,” I am afraid, may not be for you. On the flip side, “Iron Man,” when it was green-lit, was in the same WTF category, so maybe they’ll pull it off. Thor has his issues: he is the son of Odin, and goes to Midgard (Earth) to be with the people. He is the god of thunder, and has to be a human—one with a disability at that. He is a god of war, but a healer on Earth. The most interesting thing about Thor is his relationship with Captain America. Cap is the super-hero with the least powers, but he commands Thor in “The Avengers.” Thor’s hammer can only be lifted by one who is worthy of its’ power. The only one on Earth who is able to do that is Cap. There is a great scene in one comic where Cap is riding point on a disaster in midtown, and the caption reads, “He has a voice that could command a god… and it does.” In the next panel, you see Thor creating rain to put out fires. A goose-bumps moment for Cap fans.

I love Orton. Losing him now seems like a big mistake. He’s like Trent Dilfer, but better, and a million-times more likable. He fits Denver like a glove. I love the Eagles and Redskins going at it in 2010, but, in general, those are two franchises that don’t do a thing for me, for the most part. One, the Eagles—like the Jets—have uniforms that match the turf, making them unwatchable for me. Secondly, the name “Redskins” is heinous—and if the owner had any stones, he would change it.

Would you rather have Orton, Delhomme, Tebow, or a healthy third-year Tim Couch running the offense for the Townies this year?

THEDARKHORSE: I’m slowly warming up to the idea of a “Thor” film. If they can craft “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” they can make “Thor.”
Between Orton, Delhomme, Tebow, and a third-year Couch, I think the Browns are best off with Delhomme; the primary reason being that this team has essentially been under the direction of young, inexperienced quarterbacks since 1999. Other than Dilfer and Garcia—who were unsuccessful in bad situations—it’s been a laundry list of half-baked rookies and draft busts. Certainly, someone like Couch was put into a terrible position with the Browns. We never got to see what Couch might have been, if he’d been patiently coached and prepped, instead of being thrown into the fire. Still, in 2010, Delhomme (who is no guarantee) brings a steady hand to a team desperately in need of leadership.

Question: Why haven’t they made a film version of “Superman vs. Batman”?

STEVERODGERS: There is a “Superman vs. Batman” animated film—“Public Enemies,” I think—based on the comic.

It’s stalled because they can’t seem to make “Superman” into a movie that anyone wants to see and Donner has either fallen out of fashion or won’t leave his gentleman’s farm in Arcata to save the franchise. The last “Superman” movie was a terrible. He is a creepy stalker/deadbeat dad, and Luthor wants to create real estate out of crystals in the ocean. Luthor, one of the best villains of all time, is reduced to being a kooky real estate agent. So boring. That is how you kill a franchise. So, no, I don’t think they’re going to have a “Superman vs. Batman” movie anytime soon. However, if they were to do one, have it be in the future, maybe the sun is blinking out so Superman has less power, so there would be real danger, and Batman was older—an old man—one last hurrah to stop a truly evil Luthor using some of Batman’s enemies as pawns.

That would be a comic book movie. Get Donner!