Arrow DC Boss Diane Nelson Talks Superhero Strategy Vs. Marvel

[ZIPBAGS]

Ok...I understand what she is saying. But, I think its part B.S. If this was true...."Arrow" would still be able to use characters from Suicide Squad. For that matter if each medium (movie, tv, etc) were allowed to do what they wanted creatively. Then Arrow-Flash-verse would be allowed to use Bats, Supes and WW.

Here is a short part of the story talking about this..

DC leaders have opted to keep its character worlds highly distinct in order to offer maximum creative flexibility to the writers, producers and directors that Warner Bros. works with in translating new and vintage DC properties in all manner of media. Creatives would otherwise be limited in tailoring projects for specific buyers. She noted the wide tonal differences between “Gotham” and “Supergirl,” not to mention “Teen Titans Go” on Cartoon Network. DC’s focus has working with Warner Bros.’ exec teams and creators at the various division levels, in recognition of the expertise they bring to developing products for their markets.

“We’re so talent driven,” Nelson said during the Q&A with Variety co-editor-in-chief Andrew Wallenstein. The focus on a single universe of characters with connected storylines “could end up handcuffing our creators into trying to work with the same storyline or force them to hold back characters or introduce certain characters. Ultimately it hinders the ability for someone like (showrunner) Bruno Heller to come in and create ‘Gotham.’ “

She noted that Fox’s Batman prequel has no creative constraints regarding “Batman vs. Superman” and vice versa. The single universe approach “has worked beautifully” for Marvel, she added, but didn’t make sense for WB.

Here is the full article....
http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/dc-diane-nelson-batman-vs-superman-marvel-flash-arrow-1201595124/

 

[king666]

Ok...I understand what she is saying. But, I think its part B.S. If this was true...."Arrow" would still be able to use characters from Suicide Squad. For that matter if each medium (movie, tv, etc) were allowed to do what they wanted creatively. Then Arrow-Flash-verse would be allowed to use Bats, Supes and WW.

Here is a short part of the story talking about this..

It's just way too hard to work this stuff out. We get a new Flash/Arrow story every week... We get new DC films every few months or so. It could easily become a mess.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Movie dates are set way in advance. It would be easy to let them use certain characters in tv that the movies are using and just tell the shows to wrap up the character 3 months before the movie comes out and put like a 5 month ban on a character.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

I'd say it's not that they don't want to handcuff the shows to the movies (because like you said, they already do limit the characters they can use), but rather they don't want to handcuff the movies to the tv shows, specifically to certain actors that were cast on these network tv shows when they see a lot more potential for the characters, like Viola Davis as Amanda Waller and Will Smith as Deadshot. I'm all for it.

But an exec is not gonna say that though, as it would suggest that the shows and the actors on those shows are of lower quality. So I don't really care what reason they state for pr purposes.

 

[metaphysician]

She says that DC is going to keep their movies and TV separate. That doesn't contradict the idea of embargoes at all. If anything, having the plan be "separate TV from movies" would be a good cover for embargoes, as "it will help keep them separate".

 

[Gintoki]

So they want to keep the universe separate, for 'creative flexibility'.
What a load of crap. That doesn't mean to put restrictions on your characters, like Deadshot, who have been in Arrow since season 1, and other characters like Katana, and Harley Quinn.
Somebody please tell Diane Nelson, how flawed and ridiculous her logic is.
If you're gonna put restrictions like this, then don't separate the universe in the first place.

 

[super85]

Seems more like she is saying "talent driven" becouse it sounds a lot better than "Since we didn't do anything with DC Comics besides the Nolan Batman movies,we just started selling licences to everyone and every possible network becouse we wanted to show the DC brand"

 

[Syncos]

We now live in a world where Flash has a multiverse.
Technically even having different worlds, doesn't limit the ability for shared canon anymore.

 

[jonathancrane]

Way back when Geoff Johns said that he saw film and tv universes as independent. Which is fine...but, I wish they would not restrict the presence of characters in one medium in favor of another. Multiple interpretations is perfect....kind of like a comic universe. Johns writes Batman differently than Snyder...and each of their Batmen exist in a wibbly wobbly timeline. The Justice League ongoing does not connect with the Batman ongoing.

 

[Primal Slayer]

My thing is, I am fine with them embargoing certain characters.....for like 5/6 months. The Suicide Squad doesn't come out until August 2016, so what's the use of putting an embargo on not only Deadshot but SS in general when Arrow not only finishes filming before the move comes out, they start filming again when it comes out and doesn't even return until that October.

So I would be fine with them saying "hey, you can't use these characters from May-November" since thats when the hype for the movie will be biggest, but to put a stop all together when the two versions wouldn't even cross one another is ridiculous.

 

[dnno1]

Way back when Geoff Johns said that he saw film and tv universes as independent. Which is fine...but, I wish they would not restrict the presence of characters in one medium in favor of another. Multiple interpretations is perfect....kind of like a comic universe. Johns writes Batman differently than Snyder...and each of their Batmen exist in a wibbly wobbly timeline. The Justice League ongoing does not connect with the Batman ongoing.

You kind of step into legal issues then. If the character in one medium performs poorly or is favored over the other then it could hurt a film producer's and his film's potential value. Since you usually sell the IP when you option the film rights the producers have the right to say who can and can not be in other (film related) media.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

It's just way too hard to work this stuff out. We get a new Flash/Arrow story every week... We get new DC films every few months or so. It could easily become a mess.

yeah i know what you mean, i mean remember when agents of shield continued the story told in the winter solider movie it was such a garbled mess


ohh wait im mistaken it added to and made the series interesting again, this is just standard dc practise they cut themselves off at the knees everytime. they did it to the timmverse and now to the tv shows, and a s a big dc fan im getting sick of it

 

[Flint Marko]

I get where they're coming from, but I agree with ultimate evil here. It seems like they didn't have all of their ducks in a row when the TV shows were originally conceived, so they sort of had no choice. Arrow originally premiered in 2012, which happened to be the same year that DC announced that they'd have a JL crossover at some point in their films, so my best guess is that they just didn't ever think to crossover the two mediums until it was too late and Marvel showed that it was possible.
Since they see TV and films as separate, why not introduce Batman into Arrow? Or Superman into Supergirl? Why can't they use characters in Suicide Squad? It seems this is almost the worst of both worlds.

 

[vantheman77]

Unfortunately this thing with keeping the movie and TV universes separate to allow creativity is a myth because the restricted use of the characters is still there.

Example such as the Suicide Squad when Deadshot in Arrow was killed just so they can have him for the Suicide Squad movie played by Will Smith.

Only way around the use of the same character for both film and TV is to have them be portrayed from different points in their lives. In 2006, both Smallville and Superman Returns saw Clark Kent being portrayed in different points in his life. Now in 2015, we have young Bruce Wayne for Gotham TV series while we have the older Batman for Batman v Superman movie.

 

[Batsfan1]

So I have her to thank for the arrow writers not ruining Harley Quinn.

God bless everyone!

 

[jonathancrane]

Arrow could have possibly created a rival, or potentially superior Quinn.

Bummer.

 

[Boy Scout]

Eh. I dunno about that. I can't say if SS's Harley will be great, but I can almost guarantee that's Arrow's Harley, had she debuted in S3, would've been lackluster.

 

[Snow Queen]

Arrow could have possibly created a rival, or potentially superior Quinn.

Bummer.

Yeah...with the writing dive last season, doubt it. Cupid was essentially Harley-lite anyway

 

[Gintoki]

So I have her to thank for the arrow writers not ruining Harley Quinn.

God bless everyone!

You must write for the Arrow staff. Because that's the only way you would know they would ruin Harley Quinn.

They could have make an superior version.

Yeah...with the writing dive last season, doubt it. Cupid was essentially Harley-lite anyway

Hmm, how is she Harley-lite though? They seem different characters, with different personalities. Harley is more of psycho in all things, and cupid is crazy about love.

Arrow could have possibly created a rival, or potentially superior Quinn.

Bummer.

Exactly. They could have make her awesome, like Deathstroke.

 

[Snow Queen]

You must write for the Arrow staff. Because that's the only way you would know they would ruin Harley Quinn.

They could have make an superior version.


Hmm, how is she Harley-lite though? They seem different characters, with different personalities. Harley is more of psycho in all things, and cupid is crazy about love.

Psycho fangirl characters who are put on the Suicide Squad and have a pseudo-romance with Deadshot. It's not a 1:1 comparison, but I don't think it's hard to see where the comparison is. This show isn't really the place for her either. Characters like Deadshot make sense, but Harley's too steeped in the Batman mythos for a Batman-free universe.

 

[Gintoki]

Psycho fangirl characters who are put on the Suicide Squad and have a pseudo-romance with Deadshot. It's not a 1:1 comparison, but I don't think it's hard to see where the comparison is. This show isn't really the place for her either. Characters like Deadshot make sense, but Harley's too steeped in the Batman mythos for a Batman-free universe.

You're only focusing on the romance part, yes both of them are psycho, and have romance with Lawton, but personalities wise they are different...As i said, Cupid is more of a love dog, while harley is one crazy girl, doing crazy stuff all the time, and a comedy character, that's why i'm saying Cupid isn't a harley quinn-lite. Unless I'm missing something, like Cupid is more like Harley in the comics, as i haven't read much of the comics sadly.

Yeah, Harley is a heavy batman character. With connections to Joker and stuff, but they could take content, and inspire her character from the Suicide Squad comics, and Joker wouldn't have to exist in the Arrowverse.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Harley is a direction extension of the Joker. Her character is to the Joker, what Robin is to Batman. She literally can't exist without the character. Would you create Robin on a show where Batman never existed?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

My thing is, I am fine with them embargoing certain characters.....for like 5/6 months. The Suicide Squad doesn't come out until August 2016, so what's the use of putting an embargo on not only Deadshot but SS in general when Arrow not only finishes filming before the move comes out, they start filming again when it comes out and doesn't even return until that October.

So I would be fine with them saying "hey, you can't use these characters from May-November" since thats when the hype for the movie will be biggest, but to put a stop all together when the two versions wouldn't even cross one another is ridiculous.

The question is if Will Smith would allow this. I think they are bit more concerned with having Will Smith in their big production then Arrow. It might be sad, but it is definitely true.

 

[Bizarro!]

Please, don't blend this lame show with the movie universe.

 

[Gintoki]

Please, don't blend this lame show with the movie universe.

What are you doing on this so called 'lame show' forum section then?...