Do you think DC movies now are trying to ape Nolan and the 90s Dark Age of Comics?

[Hordakfan]

Some comic geeks think so.

So while Marvel is going for the silver/bronze age (60s/70s/80s) of comics, DC seems set to go for the Dark Age of comics (1990s to 2000)?

They do remember what happened to all that right? comic makers of the 1990s tried to imitate Alan Moore, Heavy Metal magazine and Frank Miller without understanding what make them good in the first place.

Do you think it's the same thing happening with Nolan and his imitators by taking the wrong lessons from Nolan's trilogy?

That's what one of my friends said.

 

[Yowza]

I think DC should try and do something to differentiate themselves from Marvel movies. A more gritty tone or grounded approach I think is likely to be the best best so long as they don't make families uncomfortable. We don't want parents boycotting McDonalds due to having Batman figures in the Happy Meals now do we? Why not go the Batman Forever route? Well, to be honest I think not. I think a lot of these films won't be too gritty. If anything, they'll ape the tone of the Nolan movies and Man of Steel movies making tweaks as they go...

Already, they've gone the opposite direction with Green Lantern and less gritty direction with Superman Returns and what they've had going recently seems to have worked out well. They'll go with what's been working for them.

I think that if they can create movies that young adults like to see while maintaining a balance for a mom and dad not to be too uncomfortable sitting with friends and family through it, that's what WB will still maintain.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

The comments from The Rock and the producers of Shazam make it seem like that movie is definitely not heading in a Nolan direction.

Same with WB getting Lord & Miller to do the treatment for Flash.

So no.

 

[Hordakfan]

The comments from The Rock and the producers of Shazam make it seem like that movie is definitely not heading in a Nolan direction.

Same with WB getting Lord & Miller to do the treatment for Flash.

So no.

Do you think Nolanism worked for Batman but not Superman or other heroes?

 

[Boy Scout]

I think the studio is just trying to build off of what made Nolan's films so successful, when appropriate. It probably doesn't hurt that their chosen approach is very different from what Marvel's doing.

Do you think Nolanism worked for Batman but not Superman or other heroes?

"Nolanism" can work for Superman. MOS just needed a more competent creative team behind it. It had a very solid foundation, and could've ended up being a film that rivaled TDK.

 

[BlueLightning]

"Nolanism" well, if by Nolanism you are referring to taking the core concepts of a character and create a world with verisimilitude that he can habit, then yes.

But Nolan sensibilities doesn't lend to tackle a film for characters like Flash or Captain Mar...err Shazam. That tone works for some characters, but not all like on the surface DC has been doing.

 

[Flint Marko]

They're clearly sticking with what made TDKT so successful (Nolan's name being all over MoS' marketing made that clear as day), but I'm hoping they deviate from that tone when necessary.

 

[Visualiza]

It appears that way so far, but for all the wrong reasons IMO. For the time being, it seems that WB believes that Nolan's movies were successful for no other reason than tone and style, either forgetting or outright ignoring effective tenets of storytelling. Even Nolan had some pretty ropey dialogue from time to time, but nothing that was quite as ill-conceived or as vapid as what was present in Man of Steel.

Even so, this is a bit of a difficult question to answer, since movies thus far is really only one movie.

 

[John Locke]

No, they are done emulating Nolan. Everything we've seen from BvS looks like a Zack Snyder film and everything from Suicide Squad looks like a David Ayer film. Snyder may be using the same source as Nolan (Frank Miller) but he's not trying to make a Nolan film like he did with MoS.

 

[4thWallBreaker]

Doesn't feel very Nolan-y. I understand the darker tone, but it's way different tone in Man of Steel and the trailers for BvS.

Plus, as it progresses, I've noticed that not all will be the same director and cinematographer or writer with each film, so yea. Heck, we've only seen promo pictures of WW and Aquaman, doesn't mean the movie is gonna be that broody 90s GAP ad look. Idk. I just think as it progresses, we will get a god-slaying Wonder Woman, a non-corny Aquaman, and a funny Flash. Light-hearted SHAZAM. Mission Impossible meets Robocop Cyborg movie. The first GL movie ever with Green Lantern Corps. And whatever else is to come with the Justice League universe that is the DCCU. (I refuse DCEU. It's not expanding on anything, it's...guh. Haha!)

 

[Jake Cassidy]

The 'E' is for extended.

 

[Flint Marko]

I don't mind "DCEU". The double C in DCCU is a little bit awkward so it makes sense, at least to me. Plus it helps further set them apart from the MCU.

 

[Yowza]

Man of Steel did have elements similar to the Nolan Batman movies structure wise even though it felt different. Where things have deviated is getting rid of Goyer and steering the direction away from a Superman trilogy (I didn't get the impression Man of Steel was made with an extended universe in mind) into an expanded DC universe. This makes the answer lean more towards a no as far as "aping" the Nolan films

As far as 90's trends, my point above was that WB was around developing comic movies before the dark 90's trend comic trend caught on. I think they're not trying to ape 90's comic trends. Their movies followed the trends of the past and if anything are building along the trends now. This makes the answer more of a solid "no" as far as "aping" 90's comic trends in the overall extended universe goes. Like any adaptation material though, they may mine fragmented aspects of stories from the 90's to create an echo effect of certain poignant moments but all in all indications seem to be that they're aiming to build on more current past successes as well as taking a cue from what's been working for other studios.

In all fairness, this is a very simplistic question that really can't get a very nuanced response. Attitude more like it.

 

[metaphysician]

What do you mean "now"? They've been doing it since early in the production of Man of Steel. As movies go, they've yet to *stop* "aping Nolan".

 

[CaptainWagner]

What do you mean "now"? They've been doing it since early in the production of Man of Steel. As movies go, they've yet to *stop* "aping Nolan".

See below

No, they are done emulating Nolan. Everything we've seen from BvS looks like a Zack Snyder film and everything from Suicide Squad looks like a David Ayer film. Snyder may be using the same source as Nolan (Frank Miller) but he's not trying to make a Nolan film like he did with MoS.

 

[ernesth100]

No, I think the DCCU is trying something completely diffwrent from what we see in the fomics. While managing tk throw in references to the originals that inspired them. And I like that. Infact I did a video detailing my thoughts on the DC Live Action Adaptions.

https://youtu.be/F3L__8awVGs