The Daily Planet - Superman News and Speculation Thread (🚨SPOILERS🚨)

[dhandler01]

I truly wonder who pushed Muschetti for a Batman movie. Was it Gunn or Zaslav?

I would bet Zazlov...in fact I would bet HARD it was him. The guy is completely out of the loop on everything that isn't involved with anything but ruining his news division or trying to merge with another studio and only someone completely uniformed would make that decision.

(and I , like Gunn, enjoyed the film...but he definitely should not direct a big fim)

I think they wanted to announce something and he was a name they had on roster and used it to pump the idea. He will never make it and honestly I doubt we see it in the next 4 years. I get the feeling Gunn will want to make the universe work without Batman so when Batman shows up it blows the doors off the thing.

 

[solidsnake86]

This may be a hot take, but on a corporate level I think zaslav is making the decisions that other executives refused to make. He inherited a pile of debt which is almost impossible to dig out of, the IP was not being used properly so he set up DC studios etc., you had the previous regime sidelining main characters, you had same day movie releases on streaming or the 45 day window which completely cut off the legs of movies at the box office.

I know people get up and arms about Batgirl, but to me, you sometimes have one shot at these characters on the big screen (see green lantern) so it better be good. The whole Keaton batman coming back was just confusing.

Trying to merge with another studio is a matter of survival with today's media landscape. Streaming has proved to be futile in everyone's chase to become Netflix and you see with them cutting back on the spending for new series.

The goal is to make money and run efficiently. Wb was not doing that at all.

Do I think all his decisions have been stellar, absolutely not, but you need a CEO willing to act and he is definitely swinging for the fences.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

This may be a hot take, but on a corporate level I think zaslav is making the decisions that other executives refused to make. He inherited a pile of debt which is almost impossible to dig out of, the IP was not being used properly so he set up DC studios etc., you had the previous regime sidelining main characters, you had same day movie releases on streaming or the 45 day window which completely cut off the legs of movies at the box office.

I know people get up and arms about Batgirl, but to me, you sometimes have one shot at these characters on the big screen (see green lantern) so it better be good. The whole Keaton batman coming back was just confusing.

Trying to merge with another studio is a matter of survival with today's media landscape. Streaming has proved to be futile in everyone's chase to become Netflix and you see with them cutting back on the spending for new series.

The goal is to make money and run efficiently. Wb was not doing that at all.

Do I think all his decisions have been stellar, absolutely not, but you need a CEO willing to act and he is definitely swinging for the fences.

Question: why should a single human being give a damn about whether or not Zaslav is making WB money? The precedent established with Batgirl is far, far worse than any sort of "brand damage" it could have done. It's one of the most appalling decisions a studio has ever made - nothing else about that decision matters. I'm not a WB shareholder, I could not possibly care less about WB shareholders and I can't imagine why anyone would.

Zaslav is everything wrong with the industry. People like him are a cultural cancer.

 

[dhandler01]

I defended Zazlov from a fiscal perspective because AT&T was going to full on bankrupt WB they were so bad. The problem is he hasn't pivoted even after his actions have continued the downward trend.

Take Batgirl...yeah it made sense to take the write off because of the (at least) $2 billion hole but a smart exec sees the backlash and fixes the problem. He could have reversed course and rode a wave of goodwill. Maybe saving it makes people like it more (like The Snyder Cut which critics liked more after than they would have if it had been released) and it leads to something or if it bombs it's not on him or the studio but proof that fans were never going to like it. Especially in lieu of how they bent over backwards for Flash it just is such an easy choice to make. Instead he and WB stay on course and they look stupid and sexist and their stock continues to decline.

Obviously there has to be some fiscal responsibility but if decisions are made solely to appease the shareholders it's doomed to fail in the longrun.

And merging in and of itself is not a bad decision but it is killing the industry. I don't mind if he wants to do it but maybe pay attention to your own house before you buy the one next door in hopes of making a bigger and better one. The foundation is not solid enough for this yet.

(The fact that he is a right wing nutbar also doesn't help any of this)

 

[AndrewGilkison]

The thing is... why is there a tax break that allows studios to do what Zaslav did in the first place. That shouldn't be a thing.

Its also not an entirely new thing. Avi Arad reportedly burned all the original negatives of the Roger Corman Fantastic Four movie. Its only because of the time period that happened in that it didn't get written off for a tax break, and that VHS copies got leaked to comic conventions and people were able to see the actors work. If that movie was shelved by an executive like Avi Arad today, you wouldn't see a single frame of it.

 

[Frodo]

My Hope is that Gunn can temper and persuade Zaslav to leave Battinson out of the DCU .

Let Reeves finish out his vision , and don't get hung up on connecting everything .

Let Superman , Lanterns, Paradise Lost etc ,play out before even worrying about Brave And The Bold and a DCU version of Batman.


While I don't think there should be two concurrent Batman franchises, there doesn't have to be .

Let The Batman trilogy finish, then work on introducing a Batman for the DCU for The Brave And Bold .


I get there are people in fandom who may want to see The DCU Batman asap, but as far as GA are concerned, they're fine with The Batman at the moment.


There's no point in shoehorning in Battinson into The DCU, just for the sake of saying, that the DCU continuity has a Batman to point to.

 

[OrbOfConfusion]

I don't expect Pattinson to crossover into the DCU but I am surprised by the lack of movement on TBATB since the announcement of Muschietti as director. Seems like Gunn would've been ordered to get a DCU Batman movie out ASAP regardless of what Reeves is doing.

Speculating, but I get the feeling that a. maybe Gunn, Zaslav, or someone at Warners don't want two Batmans at the same time (Reeves probably doesn't care since he's got his own sandbox to play in). I know, it sounds ridiculous when we've had multiple Flashes, Jokers, Batmans, and so on, so it can't be that. But with the DCU trying to have a mapped out plan, perhaps Gunn would rather focus on what's immediate.

It could be the same reason why he hasn't commented on the recent Green Lantern casting or the Deathstroke/Bane film announcement- his priority is Superman (with a side of Peacemaker Season 2 and Creature Commandos). So he may just be focusing on what's happening around the corner and not down the line, because we've been down this road with Warners announcing projects and then pulling the plug. So maybe not until cameras will roll on The Brave and the Bold would Gunn, Zaslav, or anyone at the studio is confident that it is, in fact, going to be a reality. I'm not saying it won't, but compared to how WB treated the DCEU, it seems like they're just focusing on the immediate projects, rather than promote something that might not happen or, heaven forbid, become another Batgirl.

 

[SupermansPal]

In all fairness, most of the DCEU projects that never saw the light of day such as Nightwing, Plastic Man, Gotham City Sirens, Lobo, Static, etc were not announced by Warner Bros themselves, they were scooped by the trades.

 

[OrbOfConfusion]

In all fairness, most of the DCEU projects that never saw the light of day such as Nightwing, Plastic Man, Gotham City Sirens, Lobo, Static, etc were not announced by Warner Bros themselves, they were scooped by the trades.

No, that's true, and that was more Warner's blunders, but there also wasn't anyone, like Gunn now, who could come and say 'Yes, that's happening,' or 'No, this is inaccurate.' Now not every studio needs that. Feige certainly doesn't come out and confirm or deny every MCU project announced by trades. But for those projects to just be put out there only raises fan expectations, only for them to be let down when they never happen. Which is why I think Gunn isn't talking about projects beyond Superman.

 

[dhandler01]

I think it is more paranoia than anything. They want yo know who is leaking stuff.

Projects get announced and thrown away all the time. How is Patty Jenkins Rogue Squandron film coming around? Any tangible update on Blade? Hey remember when Channing Tatum was going to be Gambit? No not that time the other time...no not THAT time the OTHER TIME!

Most people don't pay attention or even know about most of the projects announced and then disappear into the ether we just care more

 

[dhandler01]

My Hope is that Gunn can temper and persuade Zaslav to leave Battinson out of the DCU .

Let Reeves finish out his vision , and don't get hung up on connecting everything .

Let Superman , Lanterns, Paradise Lost etc ,play out before even worrying about Brave And The Bold and a DCU version of Batman.


While I don't think there should be two concurrent Batman franchises, there doesn't have to be .

Let The Batman trilogy finish, then work on introducing a Batman for the DCU for The Brave And Bold .


I get there are people in fandom who may want to see The DCU Batman asap, but as far as GA are concerned, they're fine with The Batman at the moment.


There's no point in shoehorning in Battinson into The DCU, just for the sake of saying, that the DCU continuity has a Batman to point to.

I think if Zazlov had the inclination he would have forced Gunn's hand when rumors circulated the last time. Or he would have retaliated after they both shut it down.

 

[SupermansPal]

 

[dhandler01]

I hope it is like "Tiny Titans" which was one of the best children's comics ever! Darkseid as a Lunch Lady was sheer brilliance!

 

[Lily Adler]

In all fairness, most of the DCEU projects that never saw the light of day such as Nightwing, Plastic Man, Gotham City Sirens, Lobo, Static, etc were not announced by Warner Bros themselves, they were scooped by the trades.

IIRC, Gotham City Sirens got turned into Birds of Prey.

 

[Sawyer]

Embrace the future *posts picture taken a full 13 years ago*

 

[Sverdlovski]

Twitter is banned in Brazil, so I can't see what you guys/gals are posting

 

[dhandler01]

Its a picture of Reeves for "The Past" and Cavill for "The Future".

 

[Lily Adler]

Twitter is banned in Brazil, so I can't see what you guys/gals are posting

It's a good thing. The US needs to catch up.

 

[Rick190293]

Twitter is banned in Brazil, so I can't see what you guys/gals are posting

We're suffering with those twitter posts

 

[Lily Adler]

Embrace the future *posts picture taken a full 13 years ago*

Dammit, Sawyer.

 

[Sawyer]

Dammit, Sawyer.

If I have to see this stupid ****, we all do.

 

[DCDAVE]

I certainly hope the Pattinson/ Reeves Batman being retroactively apart of Gunn's DCU, doesn't happen, though I buy that Zaslav may consider it a good option.

Hopefully, Gunn can persuade him that it wouldn't be a good idea, assuming Gunn himself doesn't like the idea, and wants to do his own thing with a DCU Batman.

I don’t understand the issue with having the best Batman in movie history in a new DC universe who actually fits the age of what appears Gunn wants in his Bruce Wayne. It would eliminate the confusion of having two Batman at the same time. Plus I can’t see anyone taking the Batman roll with any skins on the wall fresh off of Pattinson. Marvel is about to bring in Iron Man to play Dr. Doom, the X-Men are about to enter the Marvel Universe, and the Fantastic 4 from the 60s will be in the next Avengers movie. Reeves’s Batman can certainly be in the DCU.

 

[DCDAVE]

I don't expect Pattinson to crossover into the DCU but I am surprised by the lack of movement on TBATB since the announcement of Muschietti as director. Seems like Gunn would've been ordered to get a DCU Batman movie out ASAP regardless of what Reeves is doing.

The lack of movement is because WB probably is not sure about the the prospect of having two Batmans at the same time. With the popularity of Reeves universe growing by the days, it would be stupid to ruin that momentum with another Batman movie without Reeves’s vision. I don’t think Pattinson will be in the DCU but I don’t think we see the DCU Batman until Reeves’s trilogy is complete. Sadly I don’t see the DCU Batman until 2030 at the earliest.

 

[Frodo]

I don’t understand the issue with having the best Batman in movie history in a new DC universe who actually fits the age of what appears Gunn wants in his Bruce Wayne. It would eliminate the confusion of having two Batman at the same time. Plus I can’t see anyone taking the Batman roll with any skins on the wall fresh off of Pattinson. Marvel is about to bring in Iron Man to play Dr. Doom, the X-Men are about to enter the Marvel Universe, and the Fantastic 4 from the 60s will be in the next Avengers movie. Reeves’s Batman can certainly be in the DCU.

Well, I can't speak to who the best Batman in movie history since that's a subjective judgement , but , I agree, his Batman has received near universal praise.

The issue I have, is that his Batman, and more over , Reeves's world, doesn't fit into Gunn's vision of a DCU , very intentionally so .

If the concern is two Batman's at the same time, and audience confusion, then wait for Reeves trilogy to end , then introduce the older, Brave And The Bold version which has had several Robins, A Bat Family, etc.

Cater that Batman to a world where Supergirl, The Lanterns, The Authority etc all exist, and give that Batman his own story that isn't bound to what Reeves is doing.

As far as someone new taking the Batman role for Brave And The Bold : if the actor is good, General Audiences will except him.



I actually I'm part of the faction of fandom that Considers RDJ as Doctor Doom, totally lame , so , that example doesn't persuade me.


I understand how alot of fans would like Battinson to be the DCU Batman and for him to interact with other DC heroes.

But I prefer Reeves vision for his Batman world remains: a world without Amazon's , Metahumans, Aliens, and Lanterns .

I prefer Battinson stays in that world where he takes on freaks, serial killers, mobsters, and corrupt officials and where he doesn't go to an outer space space station to interact with Metahumans and Aliens.

The idea that while Oz is out there trying to survive ala Carlito's Way , in addition to his own interpersonal relationships , Darkseid or Mr. Mxyzptlk could be out there somewhere as well , just doesn't sit right with me. .

 

[DCDAVE]

Well, I can't speak to who the best Batman in movie history since that's a subjective judgement , but , I agree, his Batman has received near universal praise.

The issue I have, is that his Batman, and more over , Reeves's world, doesn't fit into Gunn's vision of a DCU , very intentionally so .

If the concern is two Batman's at the same time, and audience confusion, then wait for Reeves trilogy to end , then introduce the older, Brave And The Bold version which has had several Robins, A Bat Family, etc.

Cater that Batman to a world where Supergirl, The Lanterns, The Authority etc all exist, and give that Batman his own story that isn't bound to what Reeves is doing.

As far as someone new taking the Batman role for Brave And The Bold : if the actor is good, General Audiences will except him.



I actually I'm part of the faction of fandom that Considers RDJ as Doctor Doom, totally lame , so , that example doesn't persuade me.


I understand how alot of fans would like Battinson to be the DCU Batman and for him to interact with other DC heroes.

But I prefer Reeves vision for his Batman world remains: a world without Amazon's , Metahumans, Aliens, and Lanterns .

I prefer Battinson stays in that world where he takes on freaks, serial killers, mobsters, and corrupt officials and where he doesn't go to an outer space space station to interact with Metahumans and Aliens.

The idea that while Oz is out there trying to survive ala Carlito's Way , in addition to his own interpersonal relationships , Darkseid or Mr. Mxyzptlk could be out there somewhere as well , just doesn't sit right with me. .

You make very good points. I guess I am reacting to what is about to happen with the new Joker movie. DC’s crown prince of crime appears to be a bomb ready to go off and I don’t think they ever saw this as a possibility. Zazi is going to want the DC universe to work, I personally think Reeves next Batman movie will challenge any of the next Avengers movies at the box office. Two Batman’s is just going to tough for the general movie goer to take. I think the DCU Batman stays on the back burner until the trilogy is over. Maybe we get the DCU Batman in the Robins movie. I think Reeves will have a say in the DCU Batman as well.