What is DC Entertainment doing? What is their plan?

[TheVileOne]

Because honestly I really don't know. They made this big show of re-aligning DC as DC Entertainment and basically copied Marvel's model after they already started. Now I'm not really sure what they are doing or the direction they are heading in.

Now I know we got Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern all coming out. That's great and all. But I mean, the Batman franchise was re-started in 2005. Superman was rebooted a year later and failed to relaunch the franchise. Now we have yet another Superman relaunch attempt in the works. But how is this going to all work?

For years WB has expressed interest in doing a Justice League movie. They failed to beat Marvel at their own game and beat them to the punch as Avengers will hit first. Marvel has two new huge comic movie franchises now in Iron Man and Thor. Batman successfully re-started but I'm just not sure what the direction of DC Entertainment is and what we truly have to look forward to.

Geoff Johns and Diane Nelson just seem extremely vague in their statements. It's to the level where I think they really have no idea what they are doing or what they want to do and that they are simply waiting to see what Marvel does first so they can come in second.

I don't get the apparent plan for Justice League. All the franchises are separate. OK. But that's until Justice League is apparently going to be the starting point of spin-off movies for the Flash and Wonder Woman. OK . . . how the hell is that supposed to work? So you recast Superman and Batman for these movies . . . if they are even in the movie at all, but you make sequels to the movie featuring Flash or Wonder Woman in their own things? And what about Green Lantern which they want to be a franchise as well? Here is what I don't understand is how they can honestly plan on making Green Lantern a success and then just dropping him in a Justice League movie and continue making Green Lantern movies starring Ryan Reynolds/Hal Jordan after that. It doesn't jive to me.

I think it's clear they are waiting to see what Marvel does and how well everything turns out but they don't want to be accused of doing this or copying their model so they are taking this guise of being "different" and "everything is its own thing."

What disappoints me about all this is that Time Warner has owned DC for a long time it really shouldn't be this freaking hard to get things off the ground. Marvel has had all this success and that is with their big heavy hitters spread out to other studios for years. Thank goodness they were able to get Iron Man back and make the movie themselves while New Line stalled with it for years.

I want to have an honest, serious discussion and debate here if we can.

 

[dnno1]

@TheVileOne, Back in September of last year Dianne Nelson, president of DC Entertainment, indicated that they and the WB had a very different approach about how they were going to build their slate of superhero films that wasn't going to follow the Marvel model of placing them in the same universe and in the same films. At last year's New Your City ComciCon, Geoff Johns confirmed that statement adding his own personal felling that the DC characters were "bigger than Marvel's" and that DC would work on building up their individual characters in their own comic book universe rather than "smashing them together". Currently, DCE and WB have "Green Lantern" coming out next month and plan on releasing two DCE films every year. We expect to see a third Batman film directed by Chris Nolan and rebooted Superman next year to be followed by a Green Lantern Sequel and a possible Flash adaptation in 2013. This does not seem extremely vague at all to me, but rather straight forward. DC is not Marvel, they are bigger than that.

 

[TheVileOne]

They don't act like they are bigger. Not to mention they spent all that time on a Green Arrow/Supermax movie that never happened.

They are already rebooting Superman again after the failure of Superman Returns.

I don't understand how they are building individual universes when the same characters are supposed to be in Justice League and doing them all at the same time.

 

[MadVillainy]

I honestly think DCE doesnt know what theyre doing. And I know there are some people out that say "DC isnt Marvel", which is just an obvious point, but I think DC could learn some things from Marvel's strategy. Mostly how to put out movies

There have been some moves that really make me question their decisions. First of all, why the hell would they discuss/make a JL movie in a seperate universe? It's like:
Suit: "Hey you liked RDJ as Iron Man right?"
Movie Goer: Yeah
Suit: Well guess what
Movie Goer: What?
Suit: He's not going to be in The Avengers movie
And to add to the fact that there would be different actors, the movie would have to introduce 7 main characters, give them all decent screentime, and give them at least somewhat of a back story that ideally wouldve been explained in each solo movie.
It's fine if they want to make a JL movie, but I dont see why they dont build up to it; it just seems like theyre trying to keep up with Marvel/The Avengers. Also why dont they get a crew that doesnt mind having the heroes crossover? I dont know if Snyder was misdirecting but he said his Superman doesnt interact with other heroes. Then Martin Campbell said there were no references to the rest of the DC universe in GL. And as we know Nolan doesnt want his Batman interacting with other heroes. I'm sure there are actors, writers, directors, etc. that are willing to make a great stand alone film as well as leaving the door open to a JL movie

But I would be fine with keeping the solo hero universes seperate if: 1) They didnt try to make a seperate universe JL movie and 2) if they put out more solo movies. Even though I'd love a JL movie, I would actually prefer them getting solo characters right first. But I dont see what's taken so long to get Flash, Green Arrow, or Wonder Woman on the big screen. Superhero movies are having their "renaissance" now (have been for at least 10 years), SFX are at a great place, the general audience at least somewhat knows Flash/GA/Wonder Woman...I dont see what's the hold up. Theyve had talent like Shawn Levy, David Goyer, and Joss Whedon interested and working on movies only for the plans to fall through some of them saying that DC didnt have enthusiasm or didnt know what to do.
The times that they do take the step forward it usually is a decision that leaves people baffled. Like the Green Arrow: SuperMax movie, was that really the best way to introduce GA on the big screen (also I read they had another GA movie in the works at the same time). And then recently this Wonder Woman tv show, which for most people looked and sounded really bad. And to me a big character like Wonder Woman is too big for the small screen.

To make a mini rant short, I dont see what's taking so long for some of these solo films. The Green Hornet could get a 120 million dollar movie made; I dont see why Green Arrow, for example, couldnt be right behind it.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

DC isn't making the movies, Warner Brothers is. Marvel Studios is able to make all their movies because the only thing they make is superhero movies. WB has much more on their slate and can't spend all their time, focus, and money on comic book adaptations.

 

[TheVileOne]

Did WB or did WB not set up DC Entertainment and enable that re-alignment?

Also Marvel Studios is now a Disney subsidiary the situations now aren't all that different. That basically means Disney is financing all the future Marvel movie efforts.

 

[HighFivingMF]

The first post-formation movie hasn't even come out yet so... Wait and see?




And we get one of these threads like every other month. Just because they don't lay their plan out doesn't mean they don't have one. They could just be going with the motions, or they could have a grand plan. The only thing that's for certain: None of us know.

 

[dnno1]

They don't act like they are bigger. Not to mention they spent all that time on a Green Arrow/Supermax movie that never happened.

They are already rebooting Superman again after the failure of Superman Returns.

Supermax was a very ambitious project that would have used villains from the other franchises. Since there were film rights issues associated with those characters and the fact that DCE recently said that each of the superhero properties would be in their own universes, it was doubtful in my opinion that a film like that would ever be made since it could easily confuse the properties and/or have fans and audiences favor one version of the character over the other.

As for Superman Returns, you know, they just as easily could have Made another Superman film with Brandon Routh, but they were disappointed with the amount of money that was spent on the production of that film and what they got back in return for it. The change now is because we have a different producer and director who wants to take a different approach to the character. Keep in mind that this new film may still very well respect the work that was done in the past be previous directors.

I don't understand how they are building individual universes when the same characters are supposed to be in Justice League and doing them all at the same time.

Justice League (if that ever happens) would be in its own universe as well.

 

[The Batman]

oh fantastic. Another "DC vs Marvel" d*ck measuring thread.

 

[HighFivingMF]

oh fantastic. Another "DC vs Marvel" d*ck measuring thread.

[YT]ZvxbZTP6-ak[/YT]

 

[TheVileOne]

Justice League (if that ever happens) would be in its own universe as well.

That makes no sense.

 

[The Batman]

[YT]ZvxbZTP6-ak[/YT]

LMAO

Threads like this would be taken more seriously if it didnt read like fanboy envy/trolling/whatever.

"Look what marvel's done! They've done blah, blah, blah, DC's done nothing!"

Just a bunch of people with "grass is greener on the other side" mentality.

 

[MadVillainy]

I really dont see fanboy envy/trolling/whatever at all. People are comparing the DC strategy to the Marvel strategy because it's the only thing they can compare it to. I dont see why a person would come in this thread if this thread doesnt interest them

 

[dnno1]

Did WB or did WB not set up DC Entertainment and enable that re-alignment?

Also Marvel Studios is now a Disney subsidiary the situations now aren't all that different. That basically means Disney is financing all the future Marvel movie efforts.

Yes, DC Entertainment is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Entertainment (although it is wholly owned by Time Warner Inc.). Just to keep the record straight and for everyones information, DC Entertainment is responsible for bringing the DC Comics business, brand, and characters from the comics to other media such as film, television, video games, and other consumer products. The one distinct difference between DC Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment is that DC's properties that do turn into films are solely distributed by Warner Brothers. Marvel Pictures are distributed right now through a third party (like Sony, Paramount, or Universal).

 

[dnno1]

That makes no sense.

It certainly does between the comics and the animated content they put out. I don't see why it couldn't work with the live action films. In fact it is being done with Batman right now. Tim Burton's Batman is certainly not Christopher Nolan's, so they must be in different universes.

 

[ClarkLuther55]

I've gotten the impression that DCE is more talk than anything else as well. If they had their **** together, the David Kelley Wonder Woman fiasco would've never gotten started. That was some "name" producer with a vague understanding of their character at best, doing something that would've ruined her brand for years to come. Yet DCE didn't do a thing to protect their own property.

All the talk about a Justice League movie sounds like they're stumbling around without any real idea. The earlier statement that they'd like to rush a Justice League movie out by 2013 (why, just to play catch up with the Avengers?) was just stupid. And yet, for that to work it led to even more stupid ideas, such as recasting Superman and Batman for the Justice League movie even while those characters' individual movie franchises are still running.

Corporate synergy is a very basic idea. Yet they don't seem to get it. It's like they're envious about the Avengers, but unwilling to commit to the proper setup that the Avengers have been getting.

 

[ClarkLuther55]

It certainly does between the comics and the animated content they put out. I don't see why it couldn't work with the live action films. In fact it is being done with Batman right now. Tim Burton's Batman is certainly not Christopher Nolan's, so they must be in different universes.

What are you talking about. Tim Burton's Batman was dead and buried long before Nolan came onboard. Even then, many in the general audience assumed that Batman Begins was a prequel to the Burton movies, or part of the same series that led to the awful Batman and Robin. Because the idea of multiple continuities is automatically unintuitive, and confusing to people. Movies stick in people's heads. Batman Begins paid the price for Schumacher's failure. It just happened to be good enough to overcome, and set up the TRUE mega blockbuster The Dark Knight.

The comics are one continuity. The direct-to-DVD movies have different continuities and voice actors, but they are total small fry. Made to pay homage to various famous stories or runs in the comics, and selling to an very niche fanboy audience.

That's not the same as trying to sell these characters to mainstream audiences, many of whom don't know these characters and are seeing them for the first time. It's not the same as investing hundreds of millions of dollars into a series of blockbuster movies. You don't confuse or divide the audience when there's so much at stake.

 

[MadVillainy]

Im just waiting for fraking Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and Flash
F*** Jonah Hex

 

[The Batman]

People are comparing the DC strategy to the Marvel strategy because it's the only thing they can compare it to.

or maybe they dont need to be compared. Because those running DCE have already said they're operating differently from how marvel does things.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I don't understand why Marvel fanboys even care what DCE is doing. Or are my suspicions correct in thinking it's a "We're better than you" argument?

 

[MadVillainy]

I dont see why if this topic doesnt interest a person, why do they come into the thread? If comparing DC and MArvel bothers you why come in? Ignore it, it's simple. People compare Coke and Pepsi. People compare PS3 and Xbox. You can love both, but there's nothing wrong with comparing them especially when it's not like a Marvel fanboy went into a DC thread just to talk about how good Marvel is.

Even taking Marvel out of the whole equation, I still like to talk about DC/WBs strategy. Like why did they spend money on something like Jonah Hex and The Losers when there are some other better known, probably not that expensive, heroes sitting around. Will we know for sure? No. But it's interesting to speculate to me and some other people

 

[JeetKuneDo]

I do wish DC would get moving on something....GL and Flash should already have movies out and be working on sequels in my opinion.

But then, I love the Jonah Hex character and he's ruined forever...so maybe DC doesn't know what they are doing. GL better turn out better than that.

I don't care if DC get's accused of "copying Marvel". Marvel is pulling it off. Why not pay heed to that? It's not worth blowing it just to be "not like Marvel".

Batman might be a problem with the common universe thing. Movie Batman can't hope to exist in the same reality as the other DC heroes. He would be mopping floors at JLA headquarters.

 

[MadVillainy]

Jonah Hex was a wasted opportunity. It's sad that it turned out the way it did.
But I think Jonah Hex is better suited for TV than movies. He is a smaller character who even among comic book fans isnt extremely popular. Putting him on TV wouldve been better. Big characters like Wonder Woman or The Flash who have huge blockbuster potential shouldnt be on TV. They should use TV for its lower budgeted C/D list characters like Jonah Hex, The Question, or even The Spirit (not sure about live action but an animated The Spirit show would be cool).

 

[dnno1]

What are you talking about. Tim Burton's Batman was dead and buried long before Nolan came onboard. Even then, many in the general audience assumed that Batman Begins was a prequel to the Burton movies, or part of the same series that led to the awful Batman and Robin. Because the idea of multiple continuities is automatically unintuitive, and confusing to people. Movies stick in people's heads. Batman Begins paid the price for Schumacher's failure. It just happened to be good enough to overcome, and set up the TRUE mega blockbuster The Dark Knight.

The comics are one continuity. The direct-to-DVD movies have different continuities and voice actors, but they are total small fry. Made to pay homage to various famous stories or runs in the comics, and selling to an very niche fanboy audience.

That's not the same as trying to sell these characters to mainstream audiences, many of whom don't know these characters and are seeing them for the first time. It's not the same as investing hundreds of millions of dollars into a series of blockbuster movies. You don't confuse or divide the audience when there's so much at stake.

The comics are a single continuity, but even that seems to change every 20 years or so with a crisis. Like I said before. Burton's Batman is not Nolan's and they are different universes. That's what I am talking about. They could have never been the same else Batman would have never known commissioner Gordon (They just met each other in Batman '89, but yet he met him at the end of "Batman Begins"). That's a miscontinuity, and hence, your different universes. The whole notion that the film was going to take place before the events of "Batman '89" was just an excuse to allow the writer and director change the character without pissing off any fans of the previous films. The same thing is going to happen with the new Superman film.

 

[dnno1]

I do wish DC would get moving on something....GL and Flash should already have movies out and be working on sequels in my opinion.

But then, I love the Jonah Hex character and he's ruined forever...so maybe DC doesn't know what they are doing. GL better turn out better than that.

I don't care if DC get's accused of "copying Marvel". Marvel is pulling it off. Why not pay heed to that? It's not worth blowing it just to be "not like Marvel".

Batman might be a problem with the common universe thing. Movie Batman can't hope to exist in the same reality as the other DC heroes. He would be mopping floors at JLA headquarters.

You don't call a Green Lantern film next month, A Batman and a Superman Film next year another GL, and a Flash film in 2013 moving on something. For that matter, they've now committed themselves to 2 CBM's per year so that's a step in the right direction for comic book fans.