In 2000, Bruce Willis was “Unbreakable” with his character David Dunn being reborn as a superhero. In 2017, James McAvoy was “Split” in more ways than one as Kevin Wendell Crumb and his multiple personalities that includes the Beast. Now, Samuel L. Jackson, known as to Marvel fans as super-spy mastermind Nick Fury, is the 2019 mastermind Elijah. But we can call him Mr. Glass, and he’s the third and final chapter of director M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero trinity
“Glass” brings everything full circle with the Overseer (Willis), the Beast (McAvoy), and the titular mastermind committed at a psychiatric hospital, where all three are under the observation of a doctor (Sarah Paulson), who specializes in “curing” patients from their beliefs that they’re classic comic-book archetypes. To her, superheroes and super-villains don’t exist in the real world, but the world does need heroes more than ever, for this is indeed the age of superheroes, where all things can and will be possible. And Mr. Glass is intent on making sure that is going to happen.
But if you’ve seen any M. Night Shyamalan film, then you know nothing is what it seems with the surprising twists and turns during its climax.
Still, “Glass” does have bits of “Batman v. Superman” with him as Lex Luthor, the Overseer with the characteristics of Superman and Batman, the big, bad Beast as Doomsday and the battle between hero and villain for the whole world to see. Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy) has also become a superhero herself: soaring like a bird since Split by empowering her inner Wonder Woman
“Glass” has yet to break the comic-book superhero ceiling. But it will … in time.