Cancellations and calendar shifts in theDC ExtendedUniverseare a sign of concern for fans, and there have been speculations about several other DC projects following the sudden and surprising end of theBatgirlmovie. Various reasons have been cited for the cancellation, including tax-related issues and just the fact that the project didn’t align with the company’s vision. However, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav does not seem concerned at all and is in fact looking forward to the future of the DC Universe, while trying to “protect” the brand.
During the conglomerate’s Q2 earnings call (via comicbook.com), Zaslav spoke about theDC Universe, and how he plans to expand it in the coming decade. “We have done a reset. We’ve restructured the business. There will be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC,” he announced. His strategy is quite different from the one used during former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar’s era, and his main focus is on theatrical releases in the future. At one point, Warner Bros. was working towardssimultaneous releases on HBO Maxor direct-to-streaming films, all of which will come to an end under Zaslav’s rule.
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Zaslav hopes to raise the DC Universe to the same level as theMarvel Cinematic Universe. In his talk about repositioning the brand, he referred to the structure “Alan Horn and Bob Iger put together, very effectively, with Kevin Feige at Disney.” He confirmed that films likeShazam! Fury of the Gods,Black Adam, andThe Flashare a part of this new plan, and with more projects in the future, the DC Universe could be transformed. “DC is something that we think we could make better, and we’re focused on it now,” he said.
This entire fiasco began when the $70MBatgirlmovie’s cancellationwas announced a few days ago. While the news came as a shock to the cast, crew, and fans of the character, it was just a piece of a much larger puzzle. The project had completed filming and was entering post-production. But, as Zaslav explained, the expensive direct-to-streaming movies do not make economic sense. “It’s no comparison to what happens when you launch a film in the theaters,” he said, and reiterated their commitment to theatrical releases moving forward. One thing, he did however suggest, is a shorter theatrical window, which means that the films would arrive on HBO Max not too long after their premiere in theaters.
As part of his talk, Zaslav referred to the big DC brands, such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The heroes have each been given their own space to shine with standalone projects, and even appeared together in multiple projects, such asBatman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeandJustice League. “These are brands that are known everywhere in the world. The ability to drive those with great stories is a big opportunity for us,” he said. So, it seems like the focus in theDC Universewill shift towards the more popular heroes moving forward, with Zaslav promising to elevate their stories.
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