Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly considering a DC Entertainment overhaul. This news comes a week after the merge between Warner Bros. and Discovery was made official. Now sources are telling Variety that CEO David Zaslav and other top leaders are ” toying with the idea of turning DC into its own solidified content vertical.” Discovery insiders believe that while DC has had success with movies such as Aquaman and The Batman, it has suffered from “coherent creative and brand strategy.” They believe characters such as Superman need to be revitalized and that second-billed DC characters can and should be further exploited. Todd Phillips’ Joker is cited as an example, as is Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn.
Warner Bros. Discovery Separates DC From Warner Bros.
The A.V. Club explains this “content vertical” phrasing, saying that this DC Entertainment overhaul would separate them from Warner Bros. and turn it into something similar to Marvel Studios. This would affect all future film and streaming development of the DC Universe at Warner Bros. This is all to maximize DC’s potential in the superhero-film medium, as they are consistently fighting an uphill battle against Marvel. While DC has struggled in the last decade, the last few years have had projects that went in a better direction. The Batman was a major critical and commercial success, and The Suicide Squad garnered highly-positive reviews. While the latter was a sleeper at the box office, it did open the doors for the Peacemaker series, which is now the highest-rated DCEU entry on Rotten Tomatoes. Zack Snyder’s Justice League also brought hope back to the franchise, with one scene winning the most cheer-worthy moment at the Oscars.
What Does the DC Entertainment Overhaul Mean for the Future?
As stated, Zaslav and teams are looking into making more films similar to Joker, giving second-billed characters more time to shine. Time will tell what sort of projects this overhaul would mean, although nothing has officially been announced.
DC has many upcoming projects, including Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Black Adam, a third Wonder Woman film, The Flash, Batgirl, and the second season of Peacemaker.
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