No Shared Universe for DC Films

[Rockstar]

This is old news, but very relevant to many of the discussions we're having.

Christopher Nolan (who is pretty much the messiah of WB right now and behind the Batman and Superman properties) said this:

Nolan reiterated that you won't be seeing a Batman/Superman crossover in his movies. "Marvel are doing what they do and people will respond to that really well, or they won't," said Nolan. "It's not something I ever really applied a blanket rule to, but Marvel characters are very different to DC characters, and the key DC characters are very different to the minor DC characters. You've got to go back to that element of, 'What do I see when I close my eyes and think of Batman? What do I see when I close my eyes and think of Superman?' And for me a big part of that is their individuality. They are extraordinary beings in an ordinary world. And the reason I think the two are fascinating is because Superman is very specifically superpowered and obviously otherworldly; Batman is very human and flawed. They're two very different characters, but there's an elemental feeling of power in the iconography of those characters. To me that's originally because they stood alone. I need to hang on to that in my imagining of them."

http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/102090-christopher-nolan-on-batman-and-superman


His preference is for each DC character to exist seperately in their own universe, and he seems very adamant about this approach.


After the failure of Green Lantern to launch a DC shared film universe, would you be content with Chris Nolan's approach to Batman and Superman?

With Nolan as producer, there will be no "World's Finest."

Are the DC films forever destined to remain disconnected?

 

[ЯɘvlveR]

 

[Rockstar]

I guess that works for the Marvels, but the core DC characters work better in their individual worlds according to Nolan.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree... but then again, I can understand why tossing characters like Flash, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter (for example) into the world of the Nolan Batman completely ruins that world.


According to Snyder, Superman will be handled the same. He will be contained in his own world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uEgIONT2vo

 

[Primal Slayer]

Thats Nolan. WB could deciede otherwise and probably will once Avengers comes out and its a hit. I see them doing it after the current Batman and Superman ends.

 

[ЯɘvlveR]

I've known what these guys have felt about the shared universe. I'm pretty sure WB won't feel the same way if the avengers does what everyone thinks it will do. WB isn't going to give 2 ****s about what nolan thinks unless he's directing the films.

 

[KRIM]

Until they get a single figurehead/team that has the vision to manage multiple franchises while letting each property prosper within its own boundaries, I've no interest in the Marvel approach. Their films speak for themselves. No unique identity, by the numbers, and in many ways wasted potential.

While there's plenty of talent being scooped by Marvel, they don't have a voice. They're essentially hired guns. Worse, Marvel have shown that they have no problems booting you and finding another replacement. It's ridiculous how many cooks they have in the creative department. And how hectic the schedules seem to be. The films suffer greatly because of it.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Let's be honest here, if The Avengers rakes in, at least, 750 million at the box office, WB will be looking to return fire with a JLA or WF or Trinity film. That much is guaranteed but like Nolan and Snyder publicly stated their versions and universes of the Batman and Superman will not be featured in them.

"They'll be off doing their own thing with a different Batman and Superman, and will be over here doing our own thing."

 

[Lily Adler]

If TA is a hit, then they'll most likely try again at a shared universe. Of course, they'll have to wait to reboot Supes and Bats.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Until they get a single figurehead/team that has the vision to manage multiple franchises while letting each property prosper within its own boundaries, I've no interest in the Marvel approach. Their films speak for themselves. No unique identity, by the numbers, and in many ways wasted potential.

While there's plenty of talent being scooped by Marvel, they don't have a voice. They're essentially hired guns. Worse, Marvel have shown that they have no problems booting you and finding another replacement. It's ridiculous how many cooks they have in the creative department. And how hectic the schedules seem to be. The films suffer greatly because of it.

Post-2008, Marvel Studios has garnered a reputation.

 

[jaymes_e06]

Yeah I can't imagine Nolans words are that powerful that he's the end all be all. It's more than likely going to happen sometime in the next 15 years at the very most 10 years more probably.

And I love Nolan but his words I couldn't dissagree more with.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

His words are directed towards his version of Batman, not WB's/DC's future.

 

[jaymes_e06]

Oh okay I thought he was speaking in general.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Regardless, we'll get a team film in future, just not now.

2017 could be the year, assuming MoS, Batman relaunch and Flash are made/successful.

 

[Tobias]

Nolan is WB's golden boy and the fact he is staying on to re-launch Batman pretty much means he gets what he wants.

In particular, his new Batman will not appear in a team film.

Now a way around that is to have a concurrent JL continuity which features a different Batman from the one in the new Nolan Batman franchise.

Will Nolan accept that? I dunno. Maybe, cause as at one point after the SR fiasco WB chose to go in a new direction and was moving forward with a JL film. It would have featured a different Batman, but apparently Nolan was cool with that.

One thing I think is a given though, WB will not move on a JL film until after Nolan's new Batman franchise is launched. Say 2016 for the next Bat flick. WB will accordingly not develop a JL until after the 2016 Batman theatre run.

So, most optimisitc, JL will not be out before 2019. No matter how well TA does.

Nolan is calling th shots. He is brilliant, but on this issue he has the same kind of tunnel vision the much less brilliant Singer had with SR. That film had to be a total homage to the Donnerverse and he would not countenance disagreement and WB let Singer have his way. Though it proved to be the death knell for the Superman franchise.

So given how much more credibility Nolan carries with WB, anyone hoping to see JL anytime soon is in for a major disappointment.

 

[Rockstar]

Nolan is still producing and controlling Batman AND Superman, and Snyder (the Superman director) agrees with Nolan's stance that Superman exists alone.

Willing to bet the director that Nolan choses for Batman will feel the same way.


Nolan IS in a position of control when it comes to this issue.



You can't have a World's Finest or Justice League without Superman and Batman.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Yet, Nolan isn't holding a JLA/WF/Trinity film back at all. Nolan and Snyder just want their versions of Batman and Superman not to be included into these films.

WB, though, won't release a team film (they've been hesitant for years) until they analysis how The Avengers does on May 4th.

 

[Rockstar]

Nolan held back Justice League Mortal from happening.

He wasn't happy with another version of Batman (Armie Hammer) on film while Christian Bale was still Batman.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Nolan wasn't against it until he read the script and realized that the film was basically a pseudo sequel that was connected to his Batman films.

 

[ЯɘvlveR]

lulz. what a G.

 

[Tobias]

Nolan is still producing and controlling Batman AND Superman, and Snyder (the Superman director) agrees with Nolan's stance that Superman exists alone.

Willing to bet the director that Nolan choses for Batman will feel the same way.


Nolan IS in a position of control when it comes to this issue.



You can't have a World's Finest or Justice League without Superman and Batman.

Yeah. That's what I said above.

Nolan's control ain't changing anytime soon.

Which means the best fans of a team-film can hope for is that Nolan gives his blessing to WB doing a concurrent JL film which does not use the Nolan Batman actor.

I think he might agree to this given he apparently agreed to the aborted JL Mortal film which would not have featured Bale.

But I can pretty much damn well guarantee you Nolan will not allow WB to move on a concurrent JL franchise until after the new Batman is launched.

In terms of when a parallel JL franchise might actually appear on screen - 2019 at the earliest.

Nolan is wrong on this, but WB is not focused on DC films to begin with. Nolan has given them their only success with a DC film and is content to let Nolan call the shots.

It is what it is.

 

[jmc]

I created a thread for this very topic in the Misc comics forums but it hasn't caught on. Big fat no from me in terms of shared universe for DC character films. I want DC character films to be organic. Oh and JL doesn't do any of them any favours.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Except Nolan isn't calling the shots on whether or not a JLA/WF/Trinity film being made. Justice League: Mortal was just piggybacking on Nolan's Batfilms, and he did not like it at all. The 2007 Writer's strike and Australia's taxes is what doomed this film.

That's all WB, not Nolan's dictatorship.

 

[solidsnake86]

None of the avengers related movies have made as much as The Dark Knight. So WB doesn't need to respond to it. Avengers will make money, no doubt, just how much remains to be seen. If the dark knight rises manages to make more than the avengers this summer, WB made the right choice in sticking with Nolan.

As for justice league mortal, it was a sequel to Nolan's batman movies and was using talia, which we all know is showing up in the new film. I don't blame nolan for being upset.

 

[jmc]

It's not so much how much money has been made it's the quality. Marvel Studios film have felt handcuffed at times due to their dogged desire to ensure the films look and feel like they're from the same universe, the results are competently made films that reek of blandness, with the exception of IM1. The biggest issue for GL was WB looked at Marvel, IM in particular, as a formula to a successful B-lister. What baffles me is that they had a better example of what to do in their own freakin library yet ignored it.

 

[solidsnake86]

It's not so much how much money has been made it's the quality. Marvel Studios film have felt handcuffed at times due to their dogged desire to ensure the films look and feel like they're from the same universe, the results are competently made films that reek of blandness, with the exception of IM1. The biggest issue for GL was WB looked at Marvel, IM in particular, as a formula to a successful B-lister. What baffles me is that they had a better example of what to do in their own freakin library yet ignored it.

Well apparently money and quality go hand in hand to the posters here. If anything marvel should be striving to have their dark knight, not the other way around.

Your absolutely right, with the exception of Iron Man 1 they have been bland. The only reason for that is, when you listen to interviews from favreau, those shield easter eggs were just that, nods to the fans. There wasn't this master plan, although they would have liked the idea, it didn't really become a reality until iron man exceeded expectations which no one could have predicted, not even marvel.

There was an interview with latimes hero complex at their festival where they talk about throwing in the samuel l jackson cameo. What marvel has done is a combination of luck and flying by the seat of their pants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaCI46bNLWM

and here is the video before people start saying it was this master plan