While Warner Bros. has been attempting to make their own shared universe of superheroes on the big screen, each of their films has managed to maintain their own identity from the branding, marketing, and visual makeup.
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That might be changing with Justice League.
Warner Bros. released a updated versions of the movie’s logos to the media as part of their preview for Fall 2017 movie releases, and the fact that they’re including the DC Comics logo so prominently could be a cause to celebrate.
The DC Comics-based movies have not done much to establish the universe. The branding has been all over the place, and aside from cursory mentions of characters or cameo appearances from actors, there’s not a lot to go on to buy into the shared universe of superhero films.
The DC logo being featured so prominently isn’t exactly a promise that Warner Bros. is going to bring the movies closer together, but it is an indication that they’re trying.
Marvel isn’t exactly shy about their movie connections. In fact, sometimes it feels like they’re beating viewers over the head with references. Not to say that DC should do the same thing. At this point, fans would complain about Warner Bros. copying their competition. But there are lessons to be learned from Marvel’s success if a shared universe is the end goal.
Then again, recent developments seem to indicate that Warner Bros. is trying something different when it comes to their films based on DC Comics. With rumors of Batman Beyond, Red Son, and other Elseworld movies, combined with the reports of their plans for a Joker origin movie, the studio might be planning beyond a shared universe.
If they’re planning an umbrella of movies based on various storylines much like their animated division, this could be the first step.
Justice League premieres in theaters on November 17.
[h/t] Heroic Hollywood
