So, it appears that a Justice League movie is on it's way... and it's not actually the Man of Steel sequel set for release in 2016. Who would've guessed?
According to the Wall Street Journal, the President of Warner Brothers, George Silverman, has confirmed that a Justice League movie is in the works. It appears that it will be the WB's next big release after the Man of Steel sequel, or Batman vs. Superman, or World's Finest, or Justice League Light, or whatever you want to call it, in 2016. That means that it will be at least 2018 before we actually see this happen.
So, to say that I'm excited, would be an over-statement of huge proportions. Does that mean that I don't want the movie? Hell no! I think it'll be amazing to see these characters on the big screen together for the first time. I mean, Super Friends was a huge part of my childhood. (But please, regardless of my title, no Jayna and Zan!) And, if this all works out, is going to be a huge, huge, epic movie.
But here's where the problems lie... First off, this will be the third... count 'em, third... DC movie to be directed by Zack Snyder, in a row. You've got to be a huge Zack Snyder fan to welcome this news, and in case you missed it, I'm not. Sure, Zack Snyder is a great visual director, but I need more than great visuals in my comic book movies. What's the point of putting all of these great characters together, if you're not going to do anything with them, except throw them through buildings? One of the reasons that The Avengers was such a great movie, in my opinion, is because Joss Whedon is really great at creating and building character dynamics. (All you have to do is watch a season of Buffy or all of Firefly to see this... which, if you haven't, I highly recommend!) And, what makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe so great, and diverse, is that they have chosen a different director for each of their movies so far. While each of the movies in the MCU have the same overall "feel", if you will (because they are all overseen by Kevin Feige and need to head in the same direction to eventually get where they need to go), each character and film has their own unique tone and style, brought on by the different directors that helm each project. It will be interesting to see what happens with The Age of Ultron and Captain America 3, as these will be the first Marvel properties, aside from the first 2 Iron Man movies, that are directed by the same directors. But again, I digress...
Secondly, although we are now talking 2018, for some reason this feels rushed to me. I mean, the WB couldn't even manage to get the Man of Steel sequel out on time, after the big announcement at last years Comic-Con. Once they realized how premature it was to actually announce it, solely in a effort to one-up Marvel, they were forced to push the release date back almost a full year. It seems to me that, instead of having a distinct plan and acting on it, that the WB is flying by the seat of it's pants, trying to do anything to stop the juggernaut that is Kevin Feige and his MCU vision. What they seem to forget is that, unlike their own situation, Kevin Feige set course to this vision back in 2008 and has methodically been ticking off the boxes as we go along. I mean, between now and May 6, 2016, when the WB is set to release the Man of Steel sequel (the second move in it's Cinematic Universe), Marvel will have released four... again, count 'em, four, new movies! (And that's not including the fantastic Captain America: The Winter Soldier from earlier this month!) That, my friends, is why, in my opinion, it's not possible for the WB and it's DC properties to ever catch Marvel. Marvel keeps chugging along, full speed ahead, while DC is spinning it's wheels.
While I am intrigued by the idea, and I do wish the WB and DC well, I can't say that I am overly excited at the whole prospect. While it would be very cool, as a comic book fan and a self-proclaimed geek, to have an epic battle of Marvel vs. DC on the big screen (numbers wise, I mean... I'm not a fan of the cross-over idea at all!), I will reserve judgement until I actually see what they do with the Man of Steel sequel. If it's anything like the original, for me, this just might be a short ride.
Below are some links to the original article, and the opinions of some people, who are way smarter than me!
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/04/27/warner-bros-details-plans-for-justice-league-movie-exclusive/ Original Wall Street Journal Article
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/04/28/admit-it-youre-pumped-for-the-justice-league-movie/?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Speakeasy&mod=WSJ_ArtsEnt_Speakeasy Second Wall Street Journal Article
http://schmoesknow.com/zack-snyder-is-officially-directing-justice-league/22130/ Schmoes Know Article
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