The venerable entertainment industry rag, Variety, has published an exclusive story floating the notion that DC Entertainment could be in line for a complete overhaul following the Warner Bros./Discovery merger.
Second Fiddler
Comic fans and studio suits have been debating for almost twenty years now how and why DC Entertainment has consistently lagged behind Marvel Studios’ ability to capture the imagination of pop culture and print giant piles of money. DC properties have certainly had their share of commercial and critical success on the big and small screen, but the overwhelming perception on internet message boards and Hollywood board rooms is that DC Entertainment is still playing Robin to Marvel’s Batman.
If you’re not first…
A $43 billion dollar merger, like the one recently consummated between Discovery and Warner Media, is going to come with high expectations for new content and large profits. According to the article, Warner Bros./Discovery CEO David Zaslav is concerned that assets, notably DC’s portfolio of iconic heroes and villains, are not being properly maximized. Why is it that Ant-Man is about to have his third feature film yet Superman languishes?
The hunt is on for:
Candidates with experience in creating and nurturing blockbuster intellectual property with a goal of potentially finding someone to serve as a creative and strategic czar similar to what Marvel has in Kevin Feige
The sincerest form of flattery
The Variety article certainly gives the impression that Warner Bros./Discovery will be staring down the barrel if they don’t find a way to wring more money, a lot more money, out of DC Entertainment and this could have far-reaching effects for:
DC feature film development in the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, streaming series at Warner Bros. Television, and the creative arm within DC proper
While this could be welcome news for fans of DC feature films, should lovers of DC Comics and DC TV series be worried? After all, when the Marvel Cinematic Universe blew up, the Fantastic Four and X-Men were practically written out of the comics because other studios owned the film rights to those properties. Could a new vertical alignment between media lead to yet another reboot of the DC Comics Universe? Would something like the Arrowverse be allowed to take root and grow without cinematic tie-ins? Nothing is certain when the suits get involved and the most important consideration is the bottom line.
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