Justice League (how to?)

[Flash525]

Even though I'm posting this in the DC zone, I'm just going to take a moment to praise everything Marvel have done; from the first MCU film, to the first Avengers film, Agents of Shield, the Netflix series (RIP) through to Endgame. Short of the Netflix series which ended well before their time, Disney and Marvel have done everything right.

The same, obviously, cannot be said for DC, that's not to say they haven't done everything wrong, far from it; the Arrowverse alone has a damn strong following, regardless of whether people here like, or loathe it. Despite the long seasons, there are some solid episodes, and if we excuse Iris and Felicity, most of the other characters are at the very least, likeable. We've also got the likes of Titans, Doom Patrol, and Swamp Thing (although that's another RIP).

It's the expanded universe of DC that I'd like to discuss though, and not so much in the Marvel sense, where they've had solo films leading into the team ones. Dawn of Justice, and Justice League obviously weren't (generally) received well by critics or fans alike, in my mind, that boilds down to a bad script, a rushed release, and questionable direction and chaos on set (specifically Snyder leaving before the film was complete); I don't particularly blame him for the fail of the film, he and Weldon obviously have different visions.

Wonder Woman, Aquaman and to a slightly lesser degree, Shazam have done well at the box office, and I have no doubt that Wonder Woman 2, and the upcoming Batman film, in addition to many others will do well also (though I'm honestly not holding out much hope for the Joker solo, but that's more to do with my lack of interest in it).

I would like a Justice League film though, and I mean a proper one, or at least one that brings many of these characters together, even if it is on opposing teams. I can't quite fathom how the (current) world building is going to allow for that again in the future, so we'd either need a reboot, or a separate universe.

This leads me to a CGI concept, simply because, having seen what can be done these days, and knowing how epic the Injustice storyline could be in a three-part big screen (CGI) adaption, could DC/WB make that work? If not Injustice, then a stand alone elseworld trilogy or something, or maybe even a stand alone Flashpoint trilogy? It's the same characters, the same world(s), just a slight twist on everything we know.

A CGI series of film would be something Marvel haven't done (at least i don't think?) and if they're self contained stories, they don't have to connect too, or interfere with anything else. Don't get me wrong here either, I'd love to see a live action Justice League that isn't a fail, but with the current direction as it is, I just don't see that happening any more.

Thoughts?

 

[-JKR-]

Simple. By not trying to compete with Marvel. One day enough time will have passed for the Justice League to make their big screen appearance once again. Personally, I'd start with Maxwell Lord and the Justice League International iteration, and later switch to the 'big league' roster. Similar to how it was done in the 1990s in comics.

Not that big crossover movies are strictly necessary. Right now I'd prefer them to focus on the single characters and give each one of them enough room to breathe, and most importantly their own, singular space and style, unlike the MCU where the standalone still need to work like episodes in a TV series.

Don't follow the CW stuff, either. Please. The proof that superhero fanboys are easily pleased, as long as you pander to them. Even if everything else sucks or is, at the most, mediocre.

 

[FunkMiller]

Keep every DC franchise separate until you have enough popular characters, then do a crisis movie across the multiverse, and fold them all into the Justice League that way.

DC should never have tried to copy Marvel’s shared universe. It should have concentrated on what it’s been historically more successful at than Marvel: the multiverse.

Who doesn’t think a Crisis On Infinite Earths type story featuring Battinson, Gadot, Mamoa, new Lantern, new Superman etc would be a huge success, if done well? It’d make Endgame look like a children’s tea party.

 

[-JKR-]

No, please. No crisis/multiverse stuff in these movies.

I'm sick of it already.

 

[metaphysician]

The best way to do JL, is to just do it: make a bunch of movies about individual superheroes, make them as good as possible, and then once you have a bunch of popular heroes, make a movie in which they team up. All you really need to do to make it work is tell the writers and directors you hire "Your characters are not alone in the world, don't write them as if they are".

 

[Flash525]

The best way to do JL, is to just do it: make a bunch of movies about individual superheroes, make them as good as possible, and then once you have a bunch of popular heroes, make a movie in which they team up. All you really need to do to make it work is tell the writers and directors you hire "Your characters are not alone in the world, don't write them as if they are".

Would you say though that Aquaman has been written as though he is? The world building in that film (I think) opens up a lot of ... questions about the larger world.

 

[Kuwolski]

I would wait and see what Marvel does with the X-Men. Then follow that to a degree. The Avengers model has already passed and wouldn't even work for the mutants.

I do love the Crisis/multiverse idea.