Just days after Discovery shelled out $43 billion for Warner Media, word has surfaced that the new owners, particularly CEO David Zaslav, are looking to overhaul its DC Comics brands. This includes the films in development at Warner Bros. Pictures Group and the streaming series at Warner Bros. Television, most of which will stream on HBO Max. While Warner Bros. has seen some successes with DC-based projects, it has also seen some pretty big failures. These have always been seen as an attempt to catch up to Marvel which has seen almost all massive successes. (Eternals aside.)
Finding A Feige
One step that would seem to more closely align with Marvel is the installation of an overseer, similar to Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios. Reportedly, Emma Watts, a former executive at 20th Century Studios and Paramount, is in the running for this role. Although, an insider states that Zaslav isn’t interested in finding a creative director but rather someone with a strong business background that can make the DC properties more harmonious.
After all, even the shows on The CW don’t all take place in the same continuity, with Stargirl set in its own reality. On HBO Max, Peacemaker takes place in the DCEU, but Doom Patrol and Titans take place in their own continuities, and the upcoming Arkham Asylum and The Penguin shows take place in the reality of Matt Reeves’ The Batman which was not set in the DCEU.
Rumor has it, The Flash (the movie) will redefine the DCEU. That production, however, now has a major problem following the arrest of Ezra Miller. It wouldn’t be surprising for WB/Discovery to distance themselves from the troubled actor.
It’s Not All Connected
According to the report, Discovery feels that some of DC’s top-tier characters, like Superman, have been left to languish. However, it was pointed out that Joker, which isn’t set within the DCEU, was a megahit and shows that even second-tier characters could prove successful.
There is also mention that Discovery wants to push the DC characters into video games.
As it stands, WB/Discovery has several DC movies already in the pipeline. Black Adam is set to begin reshoots even though it is scheduled for release on October 21. That’s cutting it kind of close. There is already online chatter as to just what these reshoots entail.
Black Adam will be followed by Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, which will be released on December 16. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will wash ashore on March 17, 2023, while The Flash races into theaters on June 23, 2023.
There is also the stand-alone CGI family movie League of Super-Pets which will hit theaters on July 29.
The DC properties seem to be scoring successes with the likes of Joker and The Batman, which are not connected to a larger cinematic universe. But Marvel is killing it with interconnected movies and now streaming shows on Disney+.
What do you think? How should Discovery deal with its DC properties? Would you like to see them connected more… or less?
