Producer Promises ‘Justice League’ Will Be Different Than ‘Batman V Superman’
Despite grossing over $1.62 billion, the poor critical response of both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad left many to declare that Warner Bros’ DC Extended Universe was actually in crisis.
During his recent chat with the Hollywood Reporter, producer Charles Roven, who was being named as the publication’s producer of the year, made sure to insist that the studio still regarded Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad as successes.
However, he also teased that Justice League, which is due out in November of 2017, will be much “lighter” in tone than Batman v Superman while also explaining that the superhero hybrid did its job in laying the foundation for the franchise.
Charles Roven explained, “We knew we were making a very serious, compelling, driving film with Batman v. Superman. Now the bell has been rung and the whole tone of the movie is lighter.”
But when it was suggested that Warner Bros might have been a little disappointed with the amount that Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice grossed, Charles Roven did some quick calculations to insist that they were rather happy with the amount they returned.
Charles Roven responded, “Suicide Squad made almost $750 million. Batman v. Superman did $873 million. Those two movies were huge hits.”
Charles Roven isn’t the first member of the DC Extended Universe to insist that Justice League will have a much lighter than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was roundly criticized for its overly morbid tone and dark color palette.
Screenwriter Chris Terrio, who penned Batman v Superman and has provided the script for Justice League, told the Wall Street Journal back in March that he expected Justice League to be “tonally not quite as dark” as its predecessor.
Zack Snyder, who is directing Justice League after working on Batman v Superman and Man Of Steel, made the same assertion to IGN, insisting, “One of the things that lightens it is having The Flash or having characters that are more optimistic.”
Following the poor critical response to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the DC Extended Universe quickly looked to perform damage control on the franchise. That’s why they quickly released a trailer for Justice League that was packed with comedic quips, while they also informed everyone involved in the film to say that it’s lighter.
It was also rumored, via the Hollywood Reporter, that Warner Bros. heavily altered Suicide Squad in the editing process so that the film was more comedic and playful. But when Suicide Squad was eventually released, its choppy editing and erratic rhythm were cited as the main reasons for its downfall.
Of course, 2017 won’t just see the addition of the Justice League to the DC Extended Universe canon. Wonder Woman is set to get her own origin story, too, and during the same interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Charles Roven explained how the blockbuster itself will differ to previous installments in the series.
Charles Roven remarked, “Wonder Woman is an origination story, so the whole dynamic and the plot moves are different than other DC movies. There’s also a great relationship between her and the guy [played by Chris Pine] who crash-lands on her island and is the trigger mechanism for her going back to man’s world.”
Wonder Woman will arrive in cinemas before Justice League, with the Gal Gadot-led blockbuster arriving on June 2, 2017. Gadot stars opposite Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, and Lucy Davis in the film, which is directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster). Justice League will then follow on November 17, 2017, and it will focus on Batman and Wonder Woman bringing together the Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman to form the eponymous team.
[Featured Image by Warner Bros]
