There it was, the silver screen. I was seated once again for a movie at the theater. This time, it was the new DC movie, Black Adam. I was skeptical about the quality of the film before going in, but I still held onto a little hope. Once I left, I realized that my expectations had still been too high.
(Behind the scenes of The Suicide Squad (2021), directed by James Gunn)
The Problem
After getting back from the theater, I felt that my interest in DC films was almost completely gone. The movie was an entertaining one, but nothing more than that. The writing was laughable and the visual effects were subpar.
This was one of a few recent incidents where I finished a DC film and felt disappointment.
DC has been going through a rough patch with their movies, aside from some gems, such as The Batman and The Suicide Squad (2021). The Flash has been delayed countless times and Batgirl was cancelled, despite filming being complete.
Controversies surrounding actors from multiple upcoming DC films have resulted in multiple delays for their entire schedule of release dates. Ezra Miller might be facing over twenty years in prison for their crimes over the past year. Warner Bros. has still yet to release the movie in which Ezra is the protagonist.
The other movie that is releasing next year is Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, which originally featured Amber Heard has one of the main characters. After all of the information that came out about Heard during the recent trial, her screen time was cut down significantly.
Recently, the former head of DC Studios, Walter Hamada, stepped down. Fans of the films were unhappy with his leadership skills, with many production issues occurring under his supervision.
The parting of Hamada from DC caused David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, to look for new names to lead the crumbling film studio.
The Solution
(Peter Safran at premiere of Annabelle Comes Home)
A few days after watching Black Adam, I was sitting on the couch of my suite. Suddenly, my friend sent me a Tweet from a movie news Twitter account. I looked at the article and learned that James Gunn and Peter Safran have been hired to lead DC Studios.
I had been disappointed with the leadership, but Gunn is a brilliant storyteller that seems to know what the fans want.
James Gunn has directed movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad (2021), and even the Peacemakerseries. He truly seems to care about the projects that he works on. Gunn does a perfect job of blending dark comedy and heartfelt moments between characters.
Peter Safran has worked with Warner Bros. as a producers for years now. He has produced films in The Conjuring universe and DC films as well.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn and Safran were spotted multiple times at the Warner Bros. lot. One can only assume that they were discussing the change in leadership for DC.
In Good Hands
The two new CEOs have made a statement discussing how they are excited to move forward with the DC Universe. Gunn and Safran promise to respect the characters and what they represent.
The addition of Henry Cavill coming back as Superman in the DC Universe gives even more hope to fans around the world. Cavill seems to be beyond excited to be stepping back into the suit. He was teased at the very end of Black Adam, something that fans have waiting for for many years.
When Zack Snyder left as the director for Justice League, his vision for the universe was shattered. Joss Whedon was the choice for a replacement, which ended up being a downgrade.
Snyder fans are more loyal than almost any fanbase. People have been pushing for Snyder's original vision to be fulfilled once and for all. With the recent change in leadership, this may be able to happen.
The Future
(James Gunn on the set of The Suicide Squad (2021))
Going forward, James Gunn will be focusing on the creative side of films and television, while Peter Safran is going to focus on the business side.
Movies such as Joker: Folie à Deux and The Batman 2 are confirmed to be moving forward. Joker is currently set to release in 2024, while The Batman 2 will come out in 2025 at the earliest.
It is unclear what may happen for some projects that were already planned or what new projects may begin production. All that we know is that the future seems bright for DC Studios.
“The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change.” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson