A prime example of mishandling characters was on full display in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Those of us who follow production of comic book movies were well aware of the reshoots that went down, the result of which led to Joker and Harley Quinn coming across as a cute couple, thereby inspiring countless “RelationshipGoals” hashtags on social media.
The secret’s out: We know David Ayer shot footage of Joker slapping Harley. And while I understand that domestic abuse in a tentpole is some thin ice to tread, going back and making the Clown Prince of Crime appear both loving and heroic was inexcusable. The guy, while colorful and flamboyant, is supposed to represent the worst humanity has to offer.
Call me crazy, but you all need to find your equivalent of Kevin Feige. In other words, someone with intimate knowledge of these properties that’ll serve as quality control. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to continue doing the shared universe thing – which I’m going to discuss in a moment – but if you were to let someone like Bruce Timm or Paul Dini run the show, you’ll probably be printing money before you know it.
Okay, those two gentleman might not want such a gig, but I’m sure they’d pen a screenplay or two if you asked nicely. And I’m sure a multitude of fans will agree with me in saying that not allowing them to do so already is criminal, perhaps thinking that animation is an inferior medium and guys from “a research division” have no place at the grown-ups’ table. But if that were true, why do they – not to mention Greg Berlanti and the fine folks putting together The CW’s Arrowverse – put the big screen stuff to shame? The answer is two-fold: They’re passionate about the material and they probably don’t have as many suits breathing down their necks.
When it comes to the whole shared universe concept, I can understand why it was attempted. Hey, it worked wonders for Marvel Studios, and it only seemed natural to attempt it with DC characters. The problem that even the most casual of moviegoers could see was that a game of catch-up was being played, in addition to the entire thing being very much rushed. Compound that with the negative word of mouth that we spoke of earlier, and you’re left with a film like Justice League bombing at the box office. Hmmm, imagine just how differently history would’ve gone had George Miller’s Justice League Mortal been released nearly a decade ago….
Unfortunately, the DC Extended Universe has failed to resonate with audiences at large, barring Wonder Woman, of course. And therein lies your solution: Focus on standalone movies made by great filmmakers and, trust me, the success will come. That doesn’t mean another crack at Justice League can’t be taken in ten or twenty years, but for now, just play to the strengths of the characters and let the directors do their thing.
I know the Zack Snyder situation didn’t work out quite the way you wanted it to, but my gut tells me that James Wan is going to find Wonder Woman-like success with Aquaman in 2018. The man is a highly competent filmmaker and Jason Momoa is a perfect fit for the titular role, so if that ends up being an over-edited stinker, we’re all going to know who is to blame.
