Joss Whedon Explains Why DC Heroes Lack Movie Appeal & How He’d Do A Batman Film

[The Major]

One has to openly question why it seems (Batman aside) no other creative talent hired to write and direct DC's other big-screen properties seems to be bothering to look at all aspects of the source material closely.

From Bryan Singer ignoring the last 20 years worth of Superman comics to form a new interpretation just so he could film a continuation to the Donner films to Whedon claiming that he had no idea how to write an allegedly 'godly' character in WW.

As fans we know what good/great stories there've been for our favourite characters and yet I'm getting the feeling that an unfortunate consequence of Batman's rejuvenation in the 80s is that, in the public eye, it fully benefitted Batman as there are stories from that period (THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, THE KILLING JOKE) which have been namechecked as inspirations by the likes of Burton and Nolan (20 years) that even people who haven't read them identify Batman as a 'quality' character.

Whether it be sales(for certain characters) or a complete lack of publicity(ditto like WW) the rest of the DC pantheon haven't had the benefit of that kind of exposure(where the modern tales of Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow etc are seen as equally worthy of being adapted onto the big-screen as Batman's) and in Superman's case the one story EVERYONE seems to know (THE DEATH OF..) is purely sensationalistic.

Whedon is talented but (with IRON MAN being a better example) methinks WB really try and find (or hope) that there are talented proffessionals who don't, once they're aboard, dismiss any source material simply because they haven't read or heard of any of it.

Agreed.

 

[BlackLantern]

a couple years ago David Goyer was bought in to write a script for 'The Flash'....he wanted to acknowledge previous Flash's and the mantle of the Flash in Keysone...WB didn't want that, they just wanted a fun superhero movie....

same thing with Whedon, he wanted to acknowledge that Hippolyta had once been 'Wonder Woman' and the whole WW2 parts of it and WB was not interested in that...

 

[Panthro]

One has to openly question why it seems (Batman aside) no other creative talent hired to write and direct DC's other big-screen properties seems to be bothering to look at all aspects of the source material closely.

From Bryan Singer ignoring the last 20 years worth of Superman comics to form a new interpretation just so he could film a continuation to the Donner films to Whedon claiming that he had no idea how to write an allegedly 'godly' character in WW.

As fans we know what good/great stories there've been for our favourite characters and yet I'm getting the feeling that an unfortunate consequence of Batman's rejuvenation in the 80s is that, in the public eye, it fully benefitted Batman as there are stories from that period (THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, THE KILLING JOKE) which have been namechecked as inspirations by the likes of Burton and Nolan (20 years) that even people who haven't read them identify Batman as a 'quality' character.

Whether it be sales(for certain characters) or a complete lack of publicity(ditto like WW) the rest of the DC pantheon haven't had the benefit of that kind of exposure(where the modern tales of Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow etc are seen as equally worthy of being adapted onto the big-screen as Batman's) and in Superman's case the one story EVERYONE seems to know (THE DEATH OF..) is purely sensationalistic.

Whedon is talented but (with IRON MAN being a better example) methinks WB really try and find (or hope) that there are talented proffessionals who don't, once they're aboard, dismiss any source material simply because they haven't read or heard of any of it.

I think you're on to something there baerrtt.

 

[baerrtt]

a couple years ago David Goyer was bought in to write a script for 'The Flash'....he wanted to acknowledge previous Flash's and the mantle of the Flash in Keysone...WB didn't want that, they just wanted a fun superhero movie....

same thing with Whedon, he wanted to acknowledge that Hippolyta had once been 'Wonder Woman' and the whole WW2 parts of it and WB was not interested in that...

Acknowledging continuity is far different than acknowledging and looking for good stories as a source to build your film upon.

 

[AnorexicBatman]

Whedon wanted to acknowledge that Hippolyta had once been 'Wonder Woman

No No No! That was alternate continuity of the 1940's
Diana Prince was ALWAYS the 1st Wonder Woman

 

[BlackLantern]

I don't know the particulars, I just know he wanted to include some WW2 stuff and WB wasn't having that

 

[baerrtt]

I don't know the particulars, I just know he wanted to include some WW2 stuff and WB wasn't having that

A piece of modern comic continuity wouldn't have helped him if he couldn't get a handle on the character in the first place though WB I'll admit, historically, hasn't always helped.

 

[BATZARRO WWD]

I think it's a dumb and cynic thing to say. WB's commitee moviemaking has so far only managed to get(excerpting Vertigo and such) Catwoman(wich is neither good nor faithfull to the material) Superman Returns(wich failed because it was a chick flick about Superman, when all the chicks where busy lusting after Johny Depp and Orlando Bloom in Pirates. PIRATES! A DISNEY RIDE!) And the Batman films(I think Batman is the only character that has been in constant exposition to the GA nonstop in some form since at least the 60's.) in the last decade. Maybe people didn't connect with Catwoman because she was too godlike. Or maybe the movie was a terrible movie. because the people chosen for it where mediocre? Really, do people not connect to Steel because he was too good? Or maybe because it was starring Shaq in straight to video garbage? ANY group of franchise can be done, if the proper people do it. But you can't give Superman to Paul S Anderson and expect him to deliver even a summer hit. THIS is what WB has yet to fully understand. It's not the characters. It's what you do with them. And who does it.

 

[BlackLantern]

A piece of modern comic continuity wouldn't have helped him if he couldn't get a handle on the character in the first place though WB I'll admit, historically, hasn't always helped.

I remember Whedon did an interview shortly after leaving the project and he said he had never worked with people who showed less enthusiasm for a project....something about the joy being sucked out of a room

 

[Evil Twin]

I remember Whedon did an interview shortly after leaving the project and he said he had never worked with people who showed less enthusiasm for a project....something about the joy being sucked out of a room

Was he talking about WB or himself? The guy from practically the beginning was talking about how hard it was for him to get a handle on the character.

Seriously, what about the project sounded like Whedon got WW? At all?

Frankly, the article that started this thread sums up why someone with that type of attitude towards the DC characters is a completely wrong fit for trying to bring them to screen.

 

[BlackLantern]

He was talking about WB....Whedon is good at humanizing his characters and some characters don't need to be humanized IMO

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Even the writers on Green Lantern mentioned how tentative the WB is about fully greenlighting a project, so they can pull the plug quietly I assume.

 

[The Major]

Was he talking about WB or himself? The guy from practically the beginning was talking about how hard it was for him to get a handle on the character.

I think that is probably not the feeling the producers wanted to have. Though honestly, that could have been their favorite thing. I don't know, because when I asked Joel Silver, point blank, "Well, if they don't want what I'm doing, what do they want?" he said, "They don't know."

That's the quote.

[FONT=&quot]http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/joss_whedon[/FONT]

He may not be the perfect writer for the project but how's he supposed to do anything if he's given no direction from the producers?

 

[Evil Twin]

I think that is probably not the feeling the producers wanted to have. Though honestly, that could have been their favorite thing. I don't know, because when I asked Joel Silver, point blank, "Well, if they don't want what I'm doing, what do they want?" he said, "They don't know."

That's the quote.

[FONT=&quot]http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/joss_whedon[/FONT]

He may not be the perfect writer for the project but how's he supposed to do anything if he's given no direction from the producers?

So, now, carte blanche freedom is a bad thing?

I swear, Whedon has been more creative in his excuse making than he has been in his writing. He's reused the "girl with remarkable powers must conquer her greatest challenge, discovering who she actually is" theme to the point of exhaustion. Coupled with a group of quirky, pop culture spouting individuals must work together as friends. That's probably why the Whedon fandom hasn't grown at all this decade.

He's had one project where he was in charge and actively involved that was an artistic and commercial success. Yet, he apparently thinks that he should be treated like a Spielberg. When a television show goes south, the fault lies entirely with the network. When a movie goes south it's the director's fault, or marketing's fault, or the studio's fault as well. The studio interfered too much. The studio gave him too much freedom. The actress misread his lame line. It's never Whedon's fault.

Forget that it's Whedon in that interview. What does Whedon describe in his WW treatment that sounds like a good and exciting idea that expresses that he "gets" WW? Whedon cites a couple of things concretely, quote what's good.

WB didn't do anything wrong by Whedon. They didn't mislead him into thinking that they had any ideas for WW. They gave him carte blanche. What did he do? He took the money, publicly complained about how hard it was to get a handle on the character, took a long time, and then after WB decided that they didn't like his approach, he complained about them and claimed that basically noone should be interested in WW and DC heroes in general, because they're unrelatable. Except for Batman.

Does that sound like someone you would want to hire?