Why We Don't Have An On-Screen DC Universe Yet

Why we've e yet to see a fully fleshed out cinematic DC universe. My thoughts below....

Editorial Opinion
By ironpool007 - Sep 20, 2012 03:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Fan Fic

We live in a post Avengers world when it comes to comic book movies. There is no deneying it. What Marvel Studios accomplished with their 5 solo films and 1 epic team-up all exhisting in one cohesive universe was pretty amazing. But with all the sucsess Marvel has had, many comic fans are wondering how DC did beat Marvel to the punch.

Yes you could bring up how WB is only interested in Batman and Superman, how Green Lantern flopped, and that WB likely has very little faith in other DC comics characters to carry their own movies. All of those things factor in to us not seeing a cohesive cinematic DCU, but to me the reason why is very different.

As you all know, DC is owned WB. WB is a studio that is responsible for making all sorts of movies, and not just ones based on comic books. So when they reach into the vast catologue of DC characters, they really are looking more for a new franchise to milk more than they are looking to use it build th rest of the DCU. I even remember when WB was prepping Green Lantern, it was because they knew the Harry Potter franchise was coming to a close, and so soon would Christopher Nolan's rebooted Batman series. They needed a new franchise to make money year after year for them.That is also why we keep seeing reboot, direct sequels etc for Batman and Superman. Those are franchises WB does not want to lose.

It's different over at Marvel Studios. I'm not saying that Marvel is against making franchises, because their movies are a franchises. But each of those franchises exhists to further build the Marvel universe on film as much as it exhists to be it's own thing. You also have to remember that Marvel Studios was created directly by Marvel for the sole purpose of making their characters into movies. While WB has an entity called DC Entertainment to help make their movies, I think at the end of the day, it's the WB big shots making the decisions. Yes, you could point out that Marvel Studios is now a Disney studio, but I think that even though Disney gets involved to an extent, they realize that Marvel knows it characters best.

Basically, Marvel has a more fine tuned razor focus. Comic book movies are their thing. For WB, comic book movies are only of their things.

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themidnightking
themidnightking - 9/20/2012, 4:18 PM
2nd and DC really needs to get the ball rolling
lokibane2012
lokibane2012 - 9/20/2012, 4:46 PM
Stop with the numbering...

And the reason Green Lantern failed is the same as why every other DC film from WB will fail, including Justice League.

They're manufacturing movies. They're putting out products that are heavily tampered by Executive interference, and thus ends up dry, soulless and without it's own unique identity.

When they made Green Lantern, they tried to make "a superhero movie" and crammed it with all sort of shit that they though made a good superhero film, without caring to have the elements mesh well together.

MCU succeeded because outside of Iron Man (who is now Marvel Studios' Batman in terms of flagship hero), they put in the effort to make "a CAPTAIN AMERICA film", and "a THOR film". They built the films with the hero at the core, unlike WB.
kong
kong - 9/20/2012, 4:50 PM
Pretty good points! I still think they should go the marvel route.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 9/20/2012, 5:15 PM
Problem is, WB doesn't take CBMs very seriously. Like lokibane2012 said, they were manufacturing movies. WB isn't the only culprit though, which is why even with the Avengers, CBMs still have a ways to go.

The Amazing Spider-man was a formulaic re-run and didn't even give us a Spider-man from the comics, just a kid who gets powers, steals shit, and fights a mutant monster.

Ghost Rider, talking about the first one, because I have ZERO interest in Spirit of Vengeance.... was a cardboard superhero movie. It was not daring, and it will only be remembered 10 years from now, as a flop.

It's no secret I REALLY didn't like or appreciate The Dark Knight Rises, and the most nerve-racking bit was that they made Batman a quitter - someone anxious to cash in his 401K (or in his case, 401B) - and the movie went way out of its way to provide the opportunities for that to happen. It was not Batman, but Nolan finishing up.

Not to say that Ghost Rider is to be compared to The Dark Knight Rises, but there is that similarity.

In truth, DC doesn't have enough influence for WB to pay much attention to what they say, and DC isn't wasting their time with naysayers.
ironpool007
ironpool007 - 9/21/2012, 4:12 AM
@FIRG: that is exactly what I'm saying.
nihcamja
nihcamja - 9/21/2012, 9:07 PM
Im done with numbering you all should all to.
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