The newly minted Warner Bros. Discover is reportedly exploring overhauling DC Entertainment, the company behind the DC Comics superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League. Variety reports multiple sources close to the situation state Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav met with top executives before the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery to find someone to increase the profile of DC Entertainment while also bringing its comics, movies, TV shows, and video games into a better alignment. Zaslav has reportedly met with different individuals to find someone to be a central voice and figurehead with its DC content, similar to how Kevin Feige oversees Marvel Studios.
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Changes of this magnitude would affect DC Films under Warner Bros. Pictures, streaming projects on HBO Max, and weekly comic books at DC Comics. Franchises that would be affected include upcoming films like Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Wonder Woman 3, The Flash, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on the big screen, and HBO Max original movies such as Batgirl, Blue Beetle, and Zatanna. TV projects in various stages of development on the streaming service include Green Lantern, Strange Adventures, and a Penguin spinoff of The Batman starring Colin Farrell.
Former 20th Century Studios and Paramount executive Emma Watts was reportedly one of the individuals Zaslav was eyeing to spearhead this initiative. However, sources said Watts declined the position. A source indicated Zaslav wanted someone who had a business mind to keep all of the different DC verticals intertwined, and less of a creative voice behind the projects.
Insiders also claim the CEO believes WB’s DC film slate hasn’t reached its maximum potential, even with successes like Todd Phillips’ The Joker and Matt Reeves’ The Batman. One term used is that the DC brand “lacks a coherent creative and brand strategy.” Also, A-list characters like Superman haven’t been used to their greatest potential, and are in need of rejuvenating. However, WB has done a good job of lifting up overlooked characters like Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
This report comes as DC’s remaining 2022 and 2023 slate of films have been pushed back. The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were both delayed from 2022 to 2023, DC League of Super-Pets will now be released on July 29th, the release date originally held by Black Adam, while Black Adam
will be moving to October 21st. Jason Momoa’s Aquaman 2 will now land on March 17, 2023, while Ezra Miller’s multiversal adventure as Flash races to June 23, 2023. Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the sequel to Zachary Levi’s 2019 film, is moving from 2023 to Dec. 12, 2022.
What do you think this report means for the future of DC Entertainment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
