Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC Movies

  • James Gunn and Peter Safran Almost Weren’t DC Studios’ New Heads

    James Gunn and Peter Safran Almost Weren’t DC Studios’ New Heads

    DC Studios will shape the future of an entire franchise with James Gunn and producer Peter Safran at the steering wheel. It’s an exciting prospect to see what the future has in store for the franchise, even as they leave behind some of the landmarks that defined the franchise throughout the last few years. Yet, it seems that they almost weren’t in the leading position as Warner Bros. Discovery had their eyes set on someone else.

    As it turns out, their big hope was for Todd Phillips, the director behind the surprise billion dollar box office hit, Joker, and The Hangover trilogy. An insider shared just how far they went in trying to get him involved with the project, after “the whole town turned the job down. It was almost Todd Phillips. They begged him.”

    Everyone was aware of the impossible task set upon them taking over a role that Kevin Feige managed to master against all odds. Gunn was a fitting choice considering he’s worked under Marvel Studios’ leadership to get a glimpse at what it means to run a cinematic franchise. Still, there does seem to be some concern, especially with him not having been in such a position before.

    I wonder if big filmmakers will work for another director with zero experience guiding movies through a huge grinder of a system. He’s not Kevin Feige [of Marvel].

    Though it should be noted that the same issue also would’ve been with Phillips if he was given the position. He only has the additional caveat of having no real interest in the DC universe or any understanding of what makes it tick. Yes, Joker was a success but that doesn’t mean every film he touches would have the same effect. Plus, he has openly mocked the genre in the past and who knows how the DC Cinematic Universe would look like under his leadership.

    Source: New York Post

  • A Brief History of James Gunn’s Love of Superman

    A Brief History of James Gunn’s Love of Superman

    Weeks after ascending to the top of DC Studios, James Gunn made a major statement about the future of the DC Universe when he announced that he was writing a treatment for an all-new Superman film. Gunn’s project, which he may ultimately direct, has no ties to Henry Cavill‘s Man of Steel or the Snyderverse and should be a signal to fans about the direction of the newly minted studio. Superman is a priority for DC Studios and by taking it on himself to write the script, Gunn is making sure his vision is the one that defines the character.

    Telling a good Superman story isn’t easy in the 2020s which means Gunn’s taking a lot of responsibility in his new role as co-chair. If fans don’t respond well to the new project, Gunn will take the heat. That’s a long way off, however, as the script is obviously just being developed now but that doesn’t mean that Gunn hasn’t had Superman on his mind for quite some time. In fact, he’s been very vocal about his love for and interest in the character over the last several years and has come close to either developing a Superman or Superman-adjacent property more than once! Here’s a look, albeit a brief one, at Gunn’s love of Superman.

    For Gunn, it likely all started in 1978 when, as a 12-year-old, he saw Richard Donner‘s Superman at a theater in Des Peres, Missourri. Gunn called Superman a “great movie” that “rivaled Star Wars” for him and, in a 2021 interview, credited it with getting him “really excited about the genre.”

    Before becoming the driving creative force behind Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn wrote and directed 2010’s Super, a black comedy about a hero with no super powers which may or may not be a part of a cinematic universe where the “evil Superman” character from Brightburn exists, but even while he was tied up at Marvel, he remained a fan of Superman. In a long Twitter thread from 2016, Gunn made it clear that he enjoyed 2013’s Man of Steel despite some of his criticism about how it portrayed the hero, citing a lack of empathy as an issue.

    Gunn has always kept up a major presence on social media and in 2016 during a live Facebook Q&A, he was asked who would win in a fight between Hulk and Superman. At the time, Gunn was very much believed to be one of the architects of the future of Marvel Studios, making his response a bit surprising.

    Hulk vs Superman, who wins? Probably Superman, right?“He’s much more powerful than Hulk.

    James Gunn via Radio Times

    In 2017, after congratulating Zachary Levi for landing the lead role in Shazam!, Gunn was besieged on social media by fans for even mentioning a DC property. His response was pretty epic as he urged fans to drop the “Marvel vs. DC” mentality.

    Every time I mention anything DC, no matter what, my feed becomes an endless screaming match about BvS. You guys are never going to convince each other – it’s just a bunch of wasted energy. At least when you’re screaming at each other about Trump, it’s something of international importance. But it’s a 2 year old movie that some people like and some people don’t. Why is someone else’s opinion so important to you? As Marvel and DC super fans you have way more in common with each other than you do with the rest of the world. So why do you spend so much time raging at each other? It’s silly. Please just stop it. Stop engaging in that way.

    James Gunn

    Less than a year later, Gunn had been fired from Marvel and hired by the old guard at DC to direct The Suicide Squad. Interestingly enough, before moving forward on The Suicide Squad, Gunn had his pick of projects including a Superman film that he turned down. Gunn also indicated that while he ultimately chose not to direct it, he briefly considered a project centered around Superman’s dog, Krypto. Though he passed on the Superman project, Gunn later revealed that he nearly ended up including the character in The Suicide Squad…as the bad guy until he settled on Starro.

    I thought that was a very interesting story. But when I came up with Starro…he’s a character I loved from the comics. I think he’s a perfect comic book character because he’s absolutely ludicrous, but he’s also very scary in his own way … He used to scare the crap out of me when I was a child, putting those facehuggers on Superman and Batman and stuff. So, I thought he was one of the major DC villains that was probably never gonna be put into another movie. And if they did, they would do it like the ‘black cloud’ version of Starro — not a giant, walking starfish that’s a kaiju, that is bright-pink and cerulean blue. Just a ridiculously bright bad guy.

    James Gunn via Script Apart Podcast

    It’s safe to say that Superman, and the state of DC’s films, has been on Gunn’s mind for some time now. In that sense, it’s no surprise that he’s decided to make the character a priority in his early days as the co-chair after seeing him mostly sidelined by the previous regime. It looks like Gunn is going all in on that character as one of the building blocks of the DC Universe and given his love for the character, fans should look for a return to the character’s roots as a symbol of pure goodness and hope.

    Sources: THR, HH, Radio Times, Deadline, SYFY, Flickering Myth, Script Apart

  • Villain for the Scrapped ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Reportedly Revealed

    Villain for the Scrapped ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Reportedly Revealed

    As news came this week that Henry Cavill‘s tenure as Superman had officially come to an end, fans lamented what could have been for his version of the character who first appeared in 2013’s Man of Steel. A scrapped sequel for the film had been in the works at Warner Bros. Discovery, but as James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped into their new roles as co-chairs of DC Studios, that project was scrapped. Now a new report has revealed who Cavill‘s Kal-El would have squared off with in the sequel.

    According to THR, Man of Steel 2 would have pitted Superman against one of his classic foes: Braniac. Braniac and Superman have been going at one another since 1958 with his vilest plot being the miniaturization of Krypton’s capital city of Kandor which he then kept in a jar! The sick bastard!!

    Braniac has a pretty long history in live-action,ost notably as an ongoing antagonist in Smallville where he was played my James Marsters. The character was also a major player in Superman: The Animated Series.

    While fans mourn the lack of Brainiac in the Snyderverse, keep in mind he’s far too important of a character in Superman’s story to stay out of a long form story about the character in Gunn’s all-new DC Universe.

  • UPDATED: Newly Spotted DC Studios Logo Debunked

    UPDATED: Newly Spotted DC Studios Logo Debunked

    UPDATED: Earlier today, we’ve shared a post from producer Patrick Schumacker that had a curious DC Studios logo. What caught everyone’s attention was that he deleted the post quite swiftly which made many think that perhaps there’s more to this image. Now, The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzalez has shared that the logo may have the title on it but it’s simply a holiday gift that was handed out.

    Source: Twitter

    Well, here’s a sudden surprise but it seems like producer Patrick Schumacker, who has worked on the DC series Harley Quinn and Powerless, has shared an interesting new post on Social Media before swiftly taking it offline. That action has sparked quite a bit of interest as @FlashFilmNews was fast enough to get their hands on the image that reveals DC Studios new logo. As the division is new, formerly known as just DC Films, we’ve long wondered if they’d unveil one in the near future. It seems it may have found its way online faster than anyone may have expected.

    What makes this logo stand out is that it’s taking cues from Jim Lee‘s redesign as part of the New 52. The fact it includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and The Flash may also be our first look at what could be the slate. Though, we still have to say that perhaps its not the official logo and just one version they played around with but why would there be a sweater printed? It could also be something he purchased as a fan but DC Studios didn’t exist before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-CEOs, as it was always known as DC Films under Walter Hamada.

    We still can’t say this is the final design but the fact that Schumacker swiftly deleted it before it went online is a bit telling. Perhaps a reveal was planned for today and he just accidentally scheduled it for the wrong time, but with James Gunn teasing a slate reveal in January, perhaps a logo reveal is something they want to offer as a little holiday gift. We’ll see if something follows in the coming days.

    Source: Twitter

  • How to Watch ‘Black Adam’

    How to Watch ‘Black Adam’

    Dwayne Johnson‘s 15 years of dedication and passion to Black Adam didn’t result in the type of box office he or Warner Bros. Discovery hoped for and any of Johnson’s future plans for the character seem to have been blown to bits by the change in leadership at DC. However, if you didn’t catch the film in theaters and still want to see it, it’s now as easy as ever.

    Black Adam, which had previously been available on VUDU for a $24.99 rental, is now available on these platforms at these prices:

    • HBO Max: free with subscription
    • VUDU: buy for $19.99
    • Prime Video: buy for $19.99
    • Redbox: buy for $19.99

    The film was not well-received critically, compiling a 39% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 41 Metascore on Metacritic. Audiences seemed to enjoy it a bit more, giving it a B+ Cinemascore. If you already subscribe to HBO Max, you can enjoy what looks like Dwayne Johnson’s one and only DC film appearance for free starting today!

  • Justice League Meets RWBY in New Animated Project

    Justice League Meets RWBY in New Animated Project

    No, you did not read that title wrong but it looks like the multiverse is opening up in unexpected ways. The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled that DC is partnering with Rooster Teeth for the project Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One. Besides a bizarrely long title, the story will see Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Vixen, Cyborg, and Batman transported to the world of Remnant. Now once again stuck as teenagers, they work alongside the heroes Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang to take down Grimm before he destroys everything.

    The project is based on a script by Meghan Fitzmartin with RWBY director Kerry Shawcross set to helm the project. The project has a massive cast that includes the following:

    • Chandler Riggs as Superman
    • Nat Wolff as Batman
    • Natalie Alyn Lind as Wonder Woman
    • Ozioma Akagha as Vixen
    • Jen Brown as Pyrrah
    • Aaron Dismuke as Oscar
    • David Errigo Jr. as The Flash
    • Shannon McCormick as Professor Ozpin
    • True Valentino as Cyborg
    • Jeannie Tirado as Green Latnern

    The original RWBY cast is also back with Lindsay Jones as Ruby, Kara Eberle as Weiss, Arryn Zech as Blake, and Barbara Dunkelman as Yang. There are no further details on this project and it’s uncertain if this might be something they’ll release for Direct-to-Video or Streaming. It surprisingly marks the second time these two worlds collide, as there was also the comic line published by DC from 2021 until 2022. Perhaps, there were already plans for this release around that time, building up to the adaptation.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Dwayne Johnson Turned Down a Cameo in ‘Shazam 2’

    Dwayne Johnson Turned Down a Cameo in ‘Shazam 2’

    You know what’s weird? That the Shazam franchise has seemingly no real direct connection to the Black Adam franchise even though those characters are famously rivals in the original comics. During San Diego Comic-Con, Warner Bros. had a panel promoting both next entries, especially with Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ original release around the corner, but they didn’t use the chance to have these obviously connected characters interact with each other to hype up fans. There was no Zachary Levi squaring off against Dwayne Johnson eventhough that would’ve been the perfect build-up for these two characters. Now, it seems that Dwayne Johnson has even turned down a potential cameo in the upcoming Shazam sequel.

    The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzalez took to Twitter to react to a post highlighting that these two characters won’t likely ever meet due tot he DC Studios’ shake-up with its new co-heads very likely rebooting the entire franchise. There, he highlighted that Johnson passed on a cameo in the upcoming sequel and was approached directly to join in. It would’ve made sense to also build up to an eventual confrontation in the third entry but it seems even more apparent that Johnson‘s interpretation of the character is purely as Superman’s rival.

    The actor hasn’t been subtle about it, especially trying to sell his film on the return of Henry Cavill to the role; who ironically now also won’t return again after all that work threatening Warner Bros. executives to get him back. He’s been hyping up the character’s involvement quite a bit and their “big clash” which isn’t really Black Adam’s usual M.O. to beginw ith. Characters change in adaptation but one can see that he chose a character he personally liked and wanted to turn him into a Trinity level character. You have to respect the hustle but also it’s sad that he’s also the reason Black Adam was taken out of the original script for the first Shazam film only to completely move the character away from his base mythology.

    Source: Twitter

  • Ben Affleck in Talks to Direct a DC Movie

    Ben Affleck in Talks to Direct a DC Movie

    Ben Affleck is back. The actor and director is said to be in talks to direct a movie for DC Studios. The news was revealed by Deadline on Wednesday evening following the news that James Gunn was penning a new Superman movie, which will not star Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel. Deadline reports that Affleck is currently in talks with Gunn and Peter Safran about potentially helming a future film.

    Unfortunately, it’s unknown what project Affleck is in talks to direct. While Superman is the first to officially be announced for DC Studios, it’s unknown if Superman will be the project Affleck will direct. More details regarding DC Studios’ future are expected to be revealed in January, however, Gunn and Safran are said to be meeting with various talent as they seek to firm up their plans.

    Affleck has had a rocky past with DC on the big screen. After appearing as Batman in Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, and Justice League (both cuts), the actor is next set to portray the caped crusader in next summer’s Flash. The actor was originally set to star in and direct a solo Batman film but eventually dropped off the project as the director before opting to leave the role as a whole shortly thereafter.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Dwayne Johnson’s Team Reportedly Leaked the ‘Black Adam’ Profit Report Based on “False Assumptions”

    Dwayne Johnson’s Team Reportedly Leaked the ‘Black Adam’ Profit Report Based on “False Assumptions”

    Who would’ve ever guessed that the profitability of Dwayne Johnson‘s Black Adam may end in a big controversy. A first report dropped pointing to the film potentially losing around $50M to even $100M, rivaling Strange World‘s reported losses at the box office. Yet, a sudden article by Deadline dropped revealing that the film will turn a profit of around $52M to even $72M. Johnson even went out of his way to post a tweet that they he was waiting “to confirm with financiers” ahead of sharing the news.

    Now, while some latched unto this news as a confirmation, it did raise many eyebrows. Not only did he compare the film’s box office to Captain America: The First Avenger from 2011 with a much lower budget, but the profits shared include everything beyond its pure box office income. Not only did it include the VOD and Blu-ray revenue streams, but even a payment for its release on HBO Max, an in-house streaming service.

    Now, Puck’s Matt Beloni, who has shared quite a few stories in the past, revealed that according to “several Warners executives” the numbers are based on “false assumptions” and were purposefully leaked by Team Dwayne Johnson. The actor’s tweet seemingly adding to the accusations and added some doubt of the film making the revenue it projected for its home release. He does go on to state that “nearly all movies of this size will ultimately pencil out” but does point that this doesn’t mean they’ll just move forward with the franchise. Some profits are better than others.

    There are already reports that we won’t be seeing a sequel to Black Adam, but there’s also the factor of the newly formed DC Studios mapping out the next ten years that may or may not include whatever Dwayne Johnson has set out for himself in the franchise. He’s no stranger to wanting to create his own roadmap and get his way but we’ll have to see if DC’s future has any plans for Black Adam moving forward. Going over Warner Bros. heads might not have left a good impression if this report turns out to be true.

    Source: Deadline, Variety, Twitter, Puck via The Direct

  • First Synopsis for DC’s ‘Blue Beetle’ Revealed

    First Synopsis for DC’s ‘Blue Beetle’ Revealed

    Amidst all the talk of cancellations and reboots of varying rigidity as James Gunn and Peter Safran ascend to the DC Studios throne, some properties seem to remain on track despite the changes. One such project is 2023’s Blue Beetle, starring Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Mariduena and helmed by Angel Manuel Soto. Warner Bros. Discovery recently rolled out a new poster for the film reaffirming its August 18, 2023 theatrical release and now, via WB’s 2023 slate preview, the first synopsis for the film has been revealed.

    The film will focus on Mariduena’s Jamie Reyes, who is canonically the third character to have gone by Blue Beetle in the comics but became widely popular after appearing in the animated series Young Justice. While the most well-known Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, is absent from the synopsis, rumors suggest Kord’s existence is acknowledged and certainly play a key role in the film.

    Recent college grad Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armour capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle.

    So far only set photos of Reyes’ Blue Beetle suit have made their way online and those were met mostly with high praise. A first look at the film should be forthcoming in the first quarter of 2023, perhaps with Shazam! Fury of the Gods.