I’m not in love with Warner Brothers’ push to do their upcoming DC adaptation slate as shared universe. It reads so transparent and reactionary in light of The Avengers. Fans don’t need shared universe movies, just good movies – and just because it works for Marvel doesn’t mean the same model should be applied elsewhere, especially now. It’s not all that surprising anymore when a Marvel character makes a cameo in another hero’s movie and it’ll be even less satisfying now that everyone will be doing it. It won’t be long before Hasbro properties start cohabitating within movies, and then we’ve gone too far.
Still, my shared universe fatigue hasn’t hampered my anticipation of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, a film that attempts to reboot Superman for the second time in seven years. Where I was once interested in seeing a Supes movie in the filmmaker’s trademark kinetic style, the trailer suggested a more restrained effort from the director. But of course, Man of Steel’s place in a greater DC filmography looms large over the proceedings, and Synder hints that his film will have implications for Justice League. Via his sitdown with New York Times:
“We approach the film as a single endeavor. There are a lot of gears that have to turn in the world of commerce and the world of the mythology we create to facilitate more adventures for this character. We’ll see what happens…”
As to whether there’re more popular DC characters housed within Man of Steel‘s universe:
“Um, how can I answer that? I can’t really say anything to that, because that’s a big spoiler. I will say, yeah, they trust me to keep them on course.”
The implication there seems readily apparent, that Man of Steel‘s not only a new Superman launch but also a launch for a shared universe among DC characters on film. The question now is how such a thing reveals itself in the film. Will it be small, like an offhand mention of Gotham or Coast City? Or grand, like a cameo from another DC property?
My two cents: put Sam Jackson in a lady wig as Amanda Waller and have him ask what if anybody’s heard anything about the Justice League initiative.
Source: via Slashfilm
6 comments
That trailer just about sold it to me as Terrence Malick’s Superman, which felt like these are two flavors I enjoy but just might taste fucking weird together. I just gotta see this.
The Joker in Metropolis. That’s all I have to say.
It’s cynical and near-sighted to automatically assume that a JL movie is “transparent and reactionary in light of The Avengers.” Especially considering a JL movie (as well as a Superman vs. Batman movie) were in some stage of development long before The Avengers. Just because one came after the other (Avengers before JL)_ does not prove causality. Sure, The Avengers’ success does make JL a safer bet, but it’s not a blatant cash grab given the risks involved (if it fails, it sets back all DC movies). And I don’t get your gripe with shared universe movies. The characters all share a universe in the comics, why not on film if the story warrants?
The main issues right away start with that 1st quote. Snyder seemingly was willing to work with WB to make a film that cow-tows to $$ while making concessions concerning mythology. While it makes sense from his stand point, that doesn’t bolster much hope from me. If you were gonna be willing to make a movie like this, make it however you want, they’d just restart again. Though the filmmaking world we live in pertains to people being worried about longevity, and marketability, and lowering their work effort. This could all be hot air, and his movie could be HIS movie, but WB most certainly had a direction they wanted to go in, that was probably the abject opposite of RETURNS.
As for the second part…..WB has been about piggy-backing off Marvel’s success, and last time they tried that we got Green Lantern.
Call me crazy, but after seeing what Zack Snyder does in “his” movie with Sucker Punch, hearing that there’s some significant studio involvement in Man of Steel‘s direction actually inspires more confidence in the film rather than dread.
Must be hard to live a life where fatigue sets in for something that’s barely happened
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