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After a prospicient period of false starts , behind the scenery struggles , director replacements , bad press , and other disastrous bombination , before last appear to his sway bottom withJustice League , Warner Bros. has finally started gaining adhesive friction for the next phase of the DC Extended Universe .
TheDCEUhas been mired in trouble since its origination . As Warner Bros. attempted to keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe while putting their own stamp on the iconic franchise , they repeatedly stumbled . The disastrous reviews forBatman v. Superman : Dawn of Justicecreated an image problem for the dealership , not helped by the muddled muss ofSuicide Squad . Wonder Womanbrought the series its estimable reviews and gave the studio apartment some much - needed shine , but it did n’t last foresighted thanks to the hugely spoilt domestic and international box office numbers forJustice League . Before the moving-picture show reportedlylost Warner Bros. between $ 50 - 100 m , its production was knee joint - deep in publication of re - shoots , a manager replacement , and hearsay that its lead actor want out . big headline have come the franchise from the get - go .
No film production is perfect , and in an age where everyone has access to deal news , it ’s more wide discussed than ever . Still , what the DCEU has been through is bad to ignore . Even the most gonzo rumors seemed credible in the context of the franchise because the mood beleaguer each flick was so negative . Even its most ardent fans had to acknowledge that something was up : Bad reviews , directors being swapped out regularly ( The Flashfilm has reckon no fewer than three directors signalise up to various iterations of the project ) , pricy re - shoots , producer drama , and the world-wide mother wit that the franchise would always be playing catch - up to Marvel . What was intend to be the darker , grittier , more grounded and more auteur - drive access to the superhero genre has become a failing foolishness with a gargantuan damage - tag . The PR could not have been worse .
However , positivist change seems to be on the visible horizon . The studio and enfranchisement that used to be unable to escape from bad headline has acknowledge its many job and started moving frontward with a more focused agenda . The leading change seems to be for the unspoiled , the buzz around coming projects is more cocksure than ever , and after a few year of wander in the wilderness , the DCEU seems to be finding its feet .
The Right Leadership is Finally in Place
When Zack Snyder was fetch into the DCEU fold , he was yield immense creative restraint over the upcoming franchise . As the primary managing director on the slate , as well as the most publically recognizable , he was able to put his stamp on both Batman and Superman . While his work certainly has its fan and is often dazzling in its execution , it quickly became apparent that this was n’t the correct glide slope for making blockbuster with mass charm as Warner Bros want to compete with Marvel . By having such influence over the franchise in terms of vogue , tone and persona , it became difficult for WB to implement changes when critic and audiences question the net product .
AfterBatman V. Supermanwas tear apart by critics , Warner Bros. tried to make changes toSuicide Squad , add a neon finish and more jest in re - shoot . at last , that created more problems . Wonder Womanmanaged to get away from this with greater success , butJustice Leaguecouldn’t . After Snyder was pushed out and Joss Whedon take over , the last filmbears the fingerprints of two distinctive film - makerswhose vision never really line up . There ’s a reason fans keep asking for the near - mythic Snyder cut .
Related:Zack Snyder’s Cut Of Justice League Was More Complete Than You Realize
Snyder was never supposed to be DC ’s equivalent of Marvel ’s Kevin Feige , but he was given that hefty responsibility mostly because Warner Bros. had nobody else to satiate the chore . Warner Bros. tried to change track by having funny book writer and DC ’s President and Chief Creative OfficerGeoff Johns serve as carbon monoxide gas - runner of the franchise , hoping he would create a robust narration for the enlarge universe . While he has numerous storey and screenplay credits , admit the upcomingAquamanandWonder Woman 2 , it never feel like a undecomposed fit to have Johns in such a major role . He ’s a author , and a good one at that , but there ’s a conflict between running a risible book universe and a comic book version dealership worth billions of clam , and with Johns ' experience as a film manufacturer being mostly confine to the disastrous Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern movie , he may not have been the best burst on the film side . While Johns will still have a role to fiddle in the DCEU , themain duty have been handed over to Walter Hamada .
The summation of Hamada to the board seems to be the hike the DCEU needed . While exercise at New Line Cinema , he process as an executive producer on various films , most notably horror franchises likeThe conjury . He ’s also credit onLights OutandIT . While not every film in his roster was a striking , he established himself as a savvy player in genre fabrication with wise budget controls . The Conjuringis its own strange enlarge creation , albeit on a way little scale than that of the DCEU , but it demonstrated Hamada ’s business organisation art and power tocreate hits that turn a profit , likeIT . What the DCEU need is that sturdy manufacturer force behind the scene .
Page 2:The Leaks are Under Control and the Future is Bright
The Leaks Have Been Replaced By Good Buzz
leave up to the release ofJustice League , the buzz was never good , and the matter was n’t help much by confused lagger and a now infamously distressing lookingBen Affleck . DC ’s next celluloid , Aquaman , has had none of that . While the marketing blitz has yet to start , the undertaking is n’t mired in scandal or the inevitable sensory faculty of failure . Instead , people seem really hyped for James Wan ’s film , and there ’s inflammation to see something in truth unique in the DCEU .
WhenShazamwas announced as the next production , most sports fan seemed confused by the option , but now there ’s some growing enthusiasm at the prospect of the franchise embracing a more esoteric and faint - hearted prop . There ’s nothing else likeShazamon the market right on now and that ’s profit DC . After a few too many mega - budget disappointments , a film likeShazamsignals a more interesting originative endangerment that ’s also reasonably proportion in terms of cost and expectation . Notably , bothShazamandAquamanare direted by Walter Hamada confederate , David F. Sandberg ( Annabelle : founding ) and James Wan ( The Conjuring ) .
The obvious jewel in the crown of good DC buzz isWonder Woman 2 , which starts output soon . Patty Jenkinsis return to the director ’s chair andKristen Wiighas signed on to encounter the main villain in the ' 80s readiness sequel . Building on the critical treasure of the dealership can only be a dear idea and it ’s hard to deny how genuinely enthused that buzz is from fans and critic likewise .
DC’s Future is Bright
DC ’s upcoming slate of projects is markedly different from what preceded it . There ’s less concern with adhering to the restrictions of a shared universe fashion model , and more focus on creating the kind of unequaled fabric that Warner Bros. always wanted from the series . Rather than trying to keep up with Marvel , these project signal a hunger to do the variety of work that the other superhero franchise is n’t . There ’s the more focused auteur push , with none other thanSteven Spielberg attached to direct an adaptation ofBlackhawk , andMartin Scorsese still attached as a producer for Todd Phillips ' bruit Joker moving-picture show .
The latter is of particular involvement because it shows how Warner Bros. is less concerned in tying every cinema together in the same narrative . A film like The Joker could permit them to search various timelines and iterations of iconic characters , which is certainly unique compared to Marvel ’s elaborated long - term creation plan . Ava DuVernay’sNew Godshas similar potential to be young soil for the DC universe of discourse with its epical space opera house approach . They now have the ability to point at these project and show them to the public press as serious artistic try deserving taking risks on . It ’s a hell of a slew better for press than a 9 - name smash hit whose re - shoots are ostensibly never - ending .
This advance has also allowed for more input signal from DC ’s roster of sensation . Margot Robbie , whose carrying into action as Harley Quinn was one of the few things critic liked aboutSuicide Squad , has been working extra time as a manufacturer to make cool matter happen behind the aspect at DC . A late report says aBirds of Preymovie is coming with relative newcomerCathy Yanattached to direct , a move that was reportedly pushed for hard by Robbie . DC ’s roster of female persona has always been one of its most exciting elements , but the films have never fully bosom it until everyone on the spur of the moment recognize how much consultation lovedWonder cleaning woman . project an all - female team - up , to be directed by the first Asiatic - American woman to helm a superhero movie , is the stuff of which ripe buzz is made of .
Even previously messy task seem to be come together neatly . The drama surroundingTheBatmanwas immense for many months , between Ben Affleck ’s book being scrapped and him perpetrate out as manager to be interchange by Matt Reeves , and that does n’t even number the constant rumors that Affleck wanted out of play Bruce Wayne altogether . Now , new rumors suggestAffleck is interested in stick around in the persona after all , and Reeves is the kind of secure , talented conductor who invigorate both Leslie Townes Hope and hype . Even if the rumors are true and this is the swansong of Affleck - earned run average Batman , at least the Puerto Rico around it is ready for the best tale possible .
The DCEU can not and never will be the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Any effort to replicate that example have only resulted in disappointment for Warner Bros. , and effort made to re - install themselves as a unequaled creative force have taken Brobdingnagian hits from the medium and fans alike . That ’s not to say that they can never get back on the right cartroad , and it ’s clear-cut that the right moves have been made to see a unbendable journeying going forwards . They ’ve locked down their problem , keep the leaks at bay and may be on the path to greater success .
