If you have been a fan of DC Comics films over the past decade or so, then the name Charles Roven probably sounds familiar to you. He has been a producer on every DC film since Batman Begins, which also includes The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, as well as next year’s Wonder Woman and Justice League.
Along with Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman, Roven also produced Warcraft: The Beginning, bringing his box office totals to over $2 billion in 2016 alone. Needless to say, despite the criticisms of some of his films (i.e. BvS and SS) the man knows how to produce successful adaptations for film.
In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, where he was awarded Producer of the Year honors, Roven talks about his career and his path, but also sheds some light on the upcoming Wonder Woman and Justice League films.
In regards to what will set Justice League and Wonder Woman apart, Roven said this:
“Wonder Woman is an origination story, so the whole dynamic and the plot moves are different than other DC movies. There’s also a great relationship between her and the guy (played by Chris Pine) who crash-lands on her island and is the trigger mechanism for her going back to man’s world.”
And on Justice League:
“We knew we were making a very serious, compelling, driving film with Batman v Superman. Now the bell has been rung and the whole tone of the movie is lighter.
A nice little references to some of Lex Luthor’s last lines in the film. He, among others involved with these DC projects, have always said BvS was like the Empire Strikes Back of the DC movies. They had to go to a dark place in order for it to make sense for Batman and Superman to fight and that Justice League was always meant to be lighter and full of hope.
When asked about the not so great returns at the box office for Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, Roven said:
“Suicide Squad made almost $750 million. Batman v Superman did $873 million. Those two movies were huge hits.”
While I agree with him that Suicide Squad certainly passed my expectations in terms of box office money, even with its bad reviews, I think the first ever meeting of two of the most popular and iconic comic book characters should have topped $1 billion. Especially since Batman has done it twice solo now (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises).
So there you have it, from one of the top dogs in DC Films. What are your thoughts on this well respected producer’s words regarding DC films? Do you think he’s being naive to only look at box office numbers? Are you hopeful for the future of DCEU? And if so, which DCEU movie are you looking forward to more next year? Let us know!