WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY: CEO David Zaslav said many things during an August 4 open call with shareholders. But when it comes to DC Films, sounds like the DC brand may become their own studio, like Marvel Studios. And in addition, this new DC Studio will develop a 10 year plan, that includes Superman, and it will adopt a new quality-over-quantity approach. Here’s what Zaslav had to say…
“There will be a team with a ten-year plan focusing just on DC.” He added that the new approach will be “very similar” to the strategy that Disney has taken with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Zaslav, the hope is to capitalize on the world-wide appeal of iconic characters; Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, encouraging sustainable long-term growth. “And as part of that, we’re going to focus on quality,” Zaslav said. “We’re not going to release any film before it’s ready. We’re not going to release a film to make the quarter.”
The CEO doubled down on that fact as the company is currently working on Black Adam, Shazam 2, and The Flash. “We’ve seen ’em,” Zaslav said. “We think they’re terrific, and we think we can make them even better.”
“We can make then even better” – Considering the fact that Black Adam, Shazam 2 and The Flash have already wrapped production, what does this mean? Are there re-shoots in their future? Do special effects need to be re-fined? Zaslav wasn’t all that clear. But we do know that Ben Affleck recently filmed some additional scenes for Aquaman 2 as Bruce Wayne/Batman, so who knows what else is in store. So if the release date for any of these films get pushed, at least now you know why.
The biggest revelation for me is that Superman is back in the mix, after being ghosted for the past 5 years! So does that mean Henry Cavill will be putting on the tights again? That remains to be seen. But the Man Of Steel will flying back into theaters to save the day, and that’s good news! They are finally recognizing the fact that that they’ve got the most well-known Superhero on the planet in their stable. They just have to find the right creative team to launch him successfully back into cinemas. (#HenryCavillSuperman) And since The Batman 2 has already been green-lit, And Aquaman 2 is set to release in 2023, this also bodes will for a Wonder Woman 3.
But what about the Blue Beetle film, that recently finished shooting, and the proposed Supergirl and Black Canary films? I think that under this new regime’s quality-over quantity mandate, Blue Beetle better be damned good, if it doesn’t want to get Batgirl-bounced. And as Zaslav seems to have refocused on the DC big guns; Superman/ Batman/ Wonder Woman. The Supergirl and Black Canary projects appear to be on the theatrical back-burner for now, or they will be cancelled completely. But only time will tell…
