DC Movie Universe

[thenammagazine]

That's not a bad idea. Would be a classic, 1960s-style JLA with those guys I think, but I could dig it.


The retconned history of the JLA a few years back (it may have been re-retconned since then, as DC tends to do every couple of years) had the original team consisting of GL, the Flash, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, and Aquaman. I think it's kind of cool to think of the core JLA as not including the "Big Three," but in reality they were there at the beginning, and when people think of the JLA they almost inevitably think of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman as being a part of it. And the potential drawbacks financially of not including them would be too high for WB to risk, I bet. So, I don't see it happening.

You're absolutely right. They're not going to put many asses in seats marketing a JLA movie with GL, Flash, J' onn, Black Canary and Aquaman. WB needs Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman to guarantee massive enough ticket sales to cover what the budget would be, needing a world ending event to even call up the JLA. Otherwise, they'd have another GL on their hands.

Quesada is apparently ashamed of nothing, though.

Understatement.

 

[Bullseye]

DC Universe consists of Superman and Batman. They have no faith in their other super heros. Green Lanthern was poorly written, directed and acted. It was like WB didn't really care.

 

[Natrix]

I also think they can do the movie without batman, they did Avengers without Spiderman,
for the Justice league just get two lesser known not important characters like Hawkeye and Black Widow were for Avengers and problem solved

Apparently someone hasn't read any comics older than 5 years or so.

 

[thenammagazine]

Apparently someone hasn't read any comics older than 5 years or so.

 

[The Mike]

Not reading what has been posted before:

WB isn't really giving much in terms of hints here other than they want more heroes and an eventual JLA movie.

There were three potential schools of thought based on what was released.

1: The Marvel Avengers route: Originally Green Lantern was supposed to be the FIRST hero, his movie was supposed to kickstart the new Film DCU, where Superman wouldn't come into the public conscious until after the events of Coast City. This would have lead to a Superman, new Batman, Flash and Wonder Woman pic that would have pushed into a JLA movie eventually. One problem is Joel Silver still owns the Wonder Woman film rights and is being a ____ about them. Since GL didn't perform as well as liked, no sign that this is even the plan they're on.

2: A standalone JLA film that would introduce the team to the public and then spin off into their own flicks. This was the plan with Justice League: Mortal, the problem was it recasted everyone into younger roles but was supposed to maintain current continuity. The project fell through and plans to redo it have been tough. There was also a plan to do this with the founding members of The Justice League which was Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and Aquaman. leaving Batman and Superman in their own worlds for awhile until they could be added later once Nolan and crew or Snyder and crew were done. This idea has been continuously floated with nothing coming of it, but was the leading thought for a long time even back when it looked like Singer might continue his attempts at Superman. Supposedly many think this is the plan they are currently on and even some who say that Jim Lee/Geoff Johns' New 52 Flagship arc would be the template.

3: DCU will sacrifice The Justice League film but instead have their character cameo in each other's films until the core is established and then eventually do it. The original premise was that the JLA movie would have been the first time they met/worked together. So there wouldn't be cameos in others other than secondary characters like Amanda Waller to weave everything together but then not officially have the heroes met until the JLA film. Instead of that have the characters who naturally interact (Flash and GL, Batman and Superman, Superman and Wonder Woman) cameo enough to get the idea and then do a big film.

Realistically WB had this opportunity when Marvel announced they were doing The Avengers back in 2009, what happened was many of the top brass at WB said it was impossible and a pipe dream for Marvel to do so, they balked and now they are playing catch up. What is probably is motion is option 2 which would pull heavily from The New 52 and with Johns completely ____ing up the Green Lantern movie with his last minute changes and additions I wouldn't put it past them.

 

[karamazov80]

There was also a plan to do this with the founding members of The Justice League which was Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and Aquaman. leaving Batman and Superman in their own worlds for awhile until they could be added later once Nolan and crew or Snyder and crew were done.

But Supes and Bats were founding members in the Brave and the Bold 28, they were just too busy to help the others with Starro, right? Or is that just what some of the DC brass want to consider the founding members in the movie-verse (going the retcon route but keeping WW instead of Canary)?

 

[IrishJedi]

But Supes and Bats were founding members in the Brave and the Bold 28, they were just too busy to help the others with Starro, right? Or is that just what some of the DC brass want to consider the founding members in the movie-verse (going the retcon route but keeping WW instead of Canary)?

Correct. Besides, it's already been retconned numerous times hence. Batman and Superman have been founding members of the JL for decades now in the status quo.

 

[thenammagazine]

Correct. Besides, it's already been retconned numerous times hence. Batman and Superman have been founding members of the JL for decades now in the status quo.

Which is why it would be a huge loss to make a JLA film without them. Given how quick they were to write off the GL sequel, despite it making it's money back post DVD sales, if they ran with a JLA film absent of Batman and Superman, I can see the other characters suffering collateral damage as far as independent films that would follow.

 

[intothevoid]

A JLA film minus Supes and Batman would be a colossal mistake IMO

 

[The Mike]

But Supes and Bats were founding members in the Brave and the Bold 28, they were just too busy to help the others with Starro, right? Or is that just what some of the DC brass want to consider the founding members in the movie-verse (going the retcon route but keeping WW instead of Canary)?

They weren't originally. It was still in the Silver Age when they were retconn'd to be part of it. Then it was continuously redone even to the point where their first mission wasn't Starro.

The reason why the sans Bats/Supes team was considered was to not ____ with Nolan or Singer. Now that they are going full tilt DCU, I don't see why they wouldn't, it'd like doing The Avengers without Cap just because he wasn't in the first issue even though he was given founding member status later.

 

[karamazov80]

They weren't originally. It was still in the Silver Age when they were retconn'd to be part of it.

Was there some JLA appearance before BandtheB 28 that I'm not aware of?

 

[The Mike]

Can't see the pic but it was commonly accepted that they weren't considering founding members. Too busy used to equal too busy for the team especially since there were a few issues without. It's a moot point either way simply because DC says they are and so they are whether it was from the beginning or not.

 

[karamazov80]

That's weird. I know that DC has retconned the hell out of it, but the original issue seemed very clear on the matter (assuming the reproduced version I read years ago hadn't been modified somehow as part of this ruse!).

My picture was the opening splash page of BNB 28, which shows all the members including Supes and Bats. There is also a shot of the group sitting in the situation room, with 2 empty chairs.

 

[IrishJedi]

Doesn't matter. The bottom line is that a Justice League film without Batman and Superman is a non-starter.

 

[intothevoid]

Doesn't matter. The bottom line is that a Justice League film without Batman and Superman is a non-starter.

Audiences will laugh, be confused, or both.

 

[karamazov80]

It's a moot point. . .

Doesn't matter.

I agree of course. The idea of building up to the inclusion of Bats and Supes in later films only works if handled very carefully (which DC/WB seems incapable of), and the potential drawbacks in terms of lost revenue on the front end makes it seem like a no-brainer.

 

[thenammagazine]

I agree of course. The idea of building up to the inclusion of Bats and Supes in later films only works if handled very carefully...

Not really. Most people wouldn't care about JLA until they included Batman and Superman anyway and it wouldn't get that far. If the first film didn't make back it's budget in the theatrical release, WB would can it and the characters, and move on to something else.

 

[karamazov80]

I'm talking if they had a vision that was leading to a fuller JLA team, where the hype building up to later movies would make the potential losses of the earlier films(s) more a long-term investment with greater potential overall dividends. Avengers is an example of this. If it were released before building up the characters in it in different films, it would no doubt have been less successful than it is.

A JLA film excluding the big 3, but released alongside films including them separately, and leading up to JLA 3 or something with Supes and Bats finally joining up, would very likely not fare as well as a JLA film with all those guys right out the gate. But if you think of it as an investment on the front end akin to the Thor film being a build up to Avengers, then it could work, and maybe that theoretical JLA 3 would make a billion dollars as opposed to 3 movies with Supes and Bats each making 250 mil. a piece.

I don't think WB/DC has the wherewithal to try such a thing, and I'm not sure I would in their shoes. But it could succeed if done correctly, the same way people were willing to see a Thor film without Iron Man, were more hyped up about the Avengers later for having seen Thor first.

 

[Kamandi]

The brass at WB need to secure the long term rights to Superman or a JLA movie is pointless.

 

[The Mike]

A JLA movie is an easier sell IMHO than an Avengers movie was, people are more accustomed to the idea of them thanks to cartoons and comics over the past few years.

WB just has to get their ducks in a row with serious filmmakers that are going to want this to succeed. One of the things with Nolan, love him or hate him, the Batman films feel like Nolan films. Green Lantern didn't feel like a Martin Campbell film, it felt like Martin Campbell attempting to do a superhero film, trying to channel the spirit of Jon Favreau. They need more directors and writers who are going to treat these characters as they would with any other project and putting that slant/spin/stamp on them instead of trying to replicate what the box office is giving.