These changes come after many fans and critics bashed the dark tone the new DC films had following ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’. And while the movie made over $800 million at the box office, there is no denying that Warner Bros. was taken aback by the critical and fan reaction to the film.
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“Mistakenly in the past I think the studio has said, ‘Oh, DC films are gritty and dark and that’s what makes them different.’ That couldn’t be more wrong”. Amid all the chatter, one thing was abundantly clear: WB needed someone like Marvel’s Kevin Feige to help creatively steer the DC ship. “Even Batman has a glimmer of [optimism] in him. If he didn’t think he’d make tomorrow better, he’d stop”.
It is no secret that Batman V Superman wasn’t what anyone wanted it to be.
Johns also says that Justice League won’t have any of Snyder’s “controversial flourishes”, like the nightmare apocalypse sequences (I can just hear some exec shouting, “And none of that flowery film school crap!”); instead, they’ll keep the focus on plot and characters – which addresses another major concern, as both Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad were criticized for their meandering, occasionally incoherent plots.
Johns and Berg’s influence over the upcoming DC films will be seen in 2017’s Justice League, which the pair have worked on with Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio.
The comic writer turned movie executive later adds: “We’re trying to take a really hard look at everything to make sure we stay true to the characters and tell stories that celebrate them”. He has a heavy hand in pretty much every DCEU project, including Justice League, that Warner Bros. has going right now and has even been writing numerous scripts for the movies, such as Wonder Woman, which is due out next year. Set to The White Stripes’s “Icky Thump”, the trailer showcased a much lighter tone with Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne bantering with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Ezra Miller’s The Flash.
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Recognizing fan complaints about Henry Cavill’s Superman never smiling and Ben Affleck’s Batman killing people, the idea going forward is to start changing things up tonally – and that begins with the huge blockbuster that is now in the midst of production: director Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Johns acknowledged this as well, saying that Justice League will address the topic head on.
