Man, it’s been a long, long road for the DCU, hasn’t it? Remember all those years ago when DC and Warner Bros looked to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and said, “Hey, we want that” and then did everything in their power to NOT get that? Remember how they mimicked the model of the MCU and hoped for the success, only to release several incredibly lackluster films that were met with a tepid response and weak box office returns? Remember how they screwed up Justice League, a film that should have been nothing but a runaway success? Batfleck, Dawn of Justice, the long-delayed Flash film, the now-canceled Cyborg film — the list of DC and WB’s missteps goes on and on.
But now it might finally be coming together.
Variety released a lengthy article this morning about he future of DC Films. After the success of Joker, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Shazam!, things are actually looking up for the studio. They have Matt Reeves’s The Batman on the horizon along with sequels to the aforementioned hits. The painful memories of Justice League and Batman V Superman are fading.
The Variety piece is well worth your time but here’s the odds and ends you should know:
DC/WB aren’t afraid of making R-rated films after Joker (both Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad will likely be rated R)
They’re actively trying to find ways to bring JJ Abrams into the mix (Superman? Green Lantern Corps?)
The Batman will NOT take place entirely in Arkham, despite some speculation.
They firmly believe that any of the new villains in The Batman could spin-off into their own films
They had discussions with Michael B. Jordan about him suiting up to play Superman but that seems unlikely though they are planning to revitalize the character for a new film in the early 2020’s.
They’re moving full speed ahead on the Flash film.
No, they have no plans to release the Snyder Cut of Justice League so please stop asking.
There’s much more to the article and you really should read it. All in all, it seems that things are on much sturdier ground than before. They have a long ways to go before they’re on the same level as Marvel but it seems that DC is finally recognizing and coming to terms with the fact that that’s okay. They don’t need to be on their level. In fact, they are doing things that Marvel is not and that is where they are finding their successes. And with success comes excitement from creators and collaborators and performers. They’re finally creating something that people want to be a part of.
Make no mistake: DC is aiming for the stars and they want to create films that rival Marvel in terms of box office. They are finally figuring out that they can go about that in different ways. The model that Marvel follows works for Marvel but DC and WB are (finally) figuring out that it doesn’t work for them. And they’re becoming much stronger due to that realization.
Their films are consistently dark and moody but the future of DC Films is starting to look bright.