If you log onto Twitter any day of the week, there’s a distinct chance you’ll see at least a pocket of DCEU fans lambasting Warner Bros. for how the shared superhero universe is being handled.
It’s a recurring problem that dates back years, one that was exacerbated by the whole Justice League debacle, and then the relentless support that’s backed the SnyderVerse ever since. Of course, the studio is hardly free from blame, having interfered in far too many of its big budget comic book adaptations, but there could be cause for cautious optimism moving forward.
The Batman is swimming in critical and commercial acclaim, while Peacemaker got the franchise’s episodic expansion off to a superb start. DC League of Super-Pets takes the brand into the realm of family-friendly animation, Dwayne Johnson debuts in Black Adam, The Flash is poised to rewrite the rule book, and that’s without mentioning sequels for Aquaman and Shazam!, never mind HBO Max’s Batgirl and the in-development Blue Beetle.
Reflecting on The Batman‘s instant success in an interview with Deadline, WB chairman Toby Emmerich claimed that the future slate of projects will be defined and determined by quality above all else.
“The secret of the movie business is quality. It’s the best business strategy for both theatrical motion pictures and superhero movies. The movies don’t have to all have the same tone, or interlock with other DC movies, or have an Easter egg that sets up another film. Quality is the most important factor for a studio, and the biggest thing you can do to influence quality is the filmmaker that you hire.”
Naturally, some SnyderVerse enthusiasts and general skeptics will have plenty to say, but 2022 is going to be a defining year for the continued collaboration between Warner Bros. and DC Films, with an intoxicating slate of film and television titles covering virtually every aspect of the mythology.
