Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: dc studios

  • The Sunday Paper—December 18, 2022

    The Sunday Paper—December 18, 2022

    dc studios slate

    The newly-formed DC Studios has continued to cause pure chaos and make the DC Entertainment brand messier than ever—which is hard to do. But perhaps better days are on the horizon for the studio, as co-CEO James Gunn told Twitter this week that DC Studios has a new slate set, and he plans to unveil the first part of it in early 2023. With that announcement, though, came the news that Superman actor Henry Cavill will in fact not be returning to play the character in the future. Cavill announced his return in October with his post-credits scene cameo in Black Adam to much fanfare. Black Adam, for a few reasons now, has become a fairly awkward moment in DC’s history. It probably does not help that Dwayne Johnson’s team reportedly leaked the film’s profit report based on false assumptions to try and prove to the public that the movie was profitable.

    Cavill Superman fans have much to mourn. To dream about what could have been, Walter Hamada’s original DCEU plan for the character was revealed. We also learned that the officially dead Man of Steel 2 would have placed Cavill against classic Superman foe Braniac. Now, fans will have to wait and see what Gunn’s new Superman script will look like.

    With everything happening at DC Studios, it begs the questions of whether the four remaining DCEU films with scheduled releases will actually happen, or alternatively, matter. If The Flash does go forward, it apparently cut Cavill’s and Gal Gadot’s cameos in its most recent cut, which would suggest that DC’s flagship characters across the board will likely get recast in a hard reboot situation. In that reboot scenario, it is very unclear how films like Blue Beetle will play any role in the studio’s grand new plan, but you can read the first official synopsis of the film here. It could be all we get.

    spiderman spinoff
    antman and the wasp cassie

    While DC is having a difficult time, Marvel—through Marvel Studios and Sony—is all business as usual. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania director Peyton Reed this week discussed how the film will be a major and important movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rather than a palate cleanser like many perceive the first two Ant-Man films. He also discussed how crucial Bill Murray’s mysterious character is to the story. Of course, Quantumania will be our first significant foray into Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conquerer. With him in mind, a wild new fan theory is circulating that fans have already watched the ending of Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Many speculate that the Deadpool 3 film will feature Deadpool and Wolverine annihilating the Fox Marvel universe. If you read into a specific word director Shawn Levy used in an interview, it lends a lot of support to that theory. The previous Fox universe of course includes two iterations of the Fantastic Four. While fans eagerly away who the MCU’s Fab Four will be, it seemed confirmed this week that John Krasinski will not be playing the proper Reed Richards in the 2025 Fantastic Four film.

    On the side, it was unfortunately confirmed that the Disney+ Hawkeye-spinoff Echo is delayed after murmurs about the show’s team not being satisfied at the end of production. Thor: Love and Thunder apparently cut Galactus from the film, and Elvis actor Austin Butler is personally gunning for a major MCU role, notably the Human Torch.

    Lastly, Sony keeps getting weirder and bolder with their Spider-Man universe. Yet another obscure villain is getting the solo film treatment in line with Morbius, Venom, Kraven the Hunter, and El Muerto. However, Hypno-Hustler will be produced by and star none other than Donald Glover.

  • What We’d Like to See From DC Studios Initial Slate

    What We’d Like to See From DC Studios Initial Slate

    As Hollywood gets ready to go on break, James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s initial vision for the first wave of DC Studios film in the all-new DC Universe has been communicated with the big bosses at Warner Bros. Discovery. Since then Gunn revealed that a Superman film, written by him, will be a top priority for the new studio while indicating that he and Safran plan to share part of the new slate with fans sometime early in 2023. While we wait to find out what the game plan is, here’s a Christmas-time wish list of what we’d like to see.

    Richard John Grayson

    For too long DC’s takes on Batman have made the mistake of robbing Batman of one of the most important relationships he’s ever forged. Dick Grayson hasn’t made an appearance in a live-action Batman film since 1997’s Batman and Robin and instead has been shuffled off to streaming land where some half-assed version of him exists on Titans. Gunn has said Batman is an important part of the stories DC Studios wants to tell. Dick Grayson is an important part of Batman’s stories. If DC Studios wants to be taken seriously by fans of Batman, this is a huge first step.

    The Brave and The Bold

    The Brave and The Bold is the Marvel Team-Ups of DC Comics, but to a lot of readers, it calls to mind one of DC’s most beloved pair of bros: Barry Allen and Hal Jordan. 2023 will see the oft-delayed The Flash film finally hit theaters, CW’s The Flash is ending following its 701st season and there’s been exactly one terrible live-action version of Hal Jordan to date in 2011’s Green Lantern film. Given that it’ll be a few years before DC Studios’ new slate starts rolling out, pushing out a new version of Barry Allen might not be as big of a deal as it seems in 2022. Even though he’s been out of the spotlight for a while, Hal Jordan probably doesn’t need an entire film’s worth of origin. Give these two a buddy film and get them involved in the bigger narrative ASAP.

    J’onn J’onzz

    The Snyderverse certainly could have used more J’onn J’onzz, a character who was nearly criminally underutilized over the last decade. J’onzz, better known as Martian Manhunter, has been around since the Silver Age and is an OG Justice Leaguer. Moreover, including him in the first wave of films allows DC Studios with someone who can narrate whatever version of the history of the DC Universe they wish to tell because, over his 225 million years, J’onn J’onzz has seen some things.

    The League, the Whole League and Nothing But The Leauge

    If Gunn is making a shared cinematic universe, there will ultimately be a Justice League. Not too many people outside of Gunn and Safran know what they have in mind for the first wave of films, but it’s likely that at some point, a League will come together and there’s no reason that it can’t be comprised of the original 7. Aquaman, Batman and Wonder Woman may or may not need solo projects ahead of a Justice League film because they’ve all been more recently present than Superman, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern; alternatively, maybe all 7 original members need solo projects. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the 7 OG JLA members have NEVER shared the screen in live-action and that’s something we’d like to see Gunn remedy in the near future.

    The Hall of Justice

    The Justice League is coming and they need a sick HQ. The Hall of Justice, which is based on the real-life Union Terminal building in Cincinnati, Ohio, has never been in a live-action DC film. By the time the new slate reaches the end of its first arc, it would make sense for the heroes to have established an HQ and this one is as iconic as it gets.

    Some Off-Beat Heroes

    The Trinity will likely be the foundation of the DC Universe. Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern will likely be there, too. Hopefully, Martian Manhunter makes the cut. However, if there’s one thing Gunn should be proud to carry over with him from his time at Marvel Studios, it’s the fact that he took a group of off-beat, unknown heroes and turned them into a globally recognized brand. So bring on Metamorpho! Throw Red Tornado into the mix. Plastic Man probably has some free time on his hands. What’s Animal Man up to these days? With the ability to introduce characters not only in films but also through streaming series, get some of these off-beat heroes into the mix. 3 years ago, nobody knew who Peacemaker was and now fans are eagerly antipating the second season of a streaming series starring John Cena as the butt of an ongoing joke.

    The OG Leaguers can’t do it all themselves (they totally can, but they never do), so throw some of these guys into the mix and give them a shot at becoming beloved by a new generation.

    A Lex Luthor That Can Be Taken Seriously

    This one is tough because while Gunn and Safran will want to break away from the stigma of the Snyderverse’s absurd take on Luthor, there’s arguably no more sensible villain for DC Studios’ first wave of films than Luthor. The character has been done to death on TV and in films, but never in a way in which he posed a threat to the entire Justice League. He doesn’t have to be the villain of Gunn’s Superman; in fact, he probably shouldn’t be. However, establishing him and then letting him grow into the type of character that could be powerful enough to threaten the entire league would set him apart from any previous version. And that version of the character probably includes…

    The Legion of Doom

    If anyone has the balls to bring this ridiculous team of villains together, it’s James Gunn. Though numerous iterations of the team have since appeared in the comics, the OGs first appeared in 1978 in the 16-episode Challenge of the Superfriends animated series that aired on ABC. The original team, which operated out of Darth Vader’s helmet, aka the Hall of Doom, was led by Luthor and consisted of rogues from all of the principal Leaguers galleries. Bizzaro, Black Manta, Brainiac, Captain Cold, Cheetah, Giganta, Gorilla Grodd, Riddler, Scarecrow, Sinestro, Solomon Grundy and Toyman all plotted to take over the world and failed again and again. DC Studios may not be able to pull all 13 of these baddies together and it doesn’t have to. But a JLA vs Legion of Doom movie would certainly garner some attention and one-up Marvel Studios in the sense that they have somehow failed to put together a live-action Masters of Evil 14 years in.

    There’s so much more that Gunn and Safran should try to accomplish as they build out the DC Universe, but the hope is that they’ll have the time necessary to do so. Great live-action versions of the JSA, The Question, The Spectre, the Green Lantern Corps and Damian Wayne all deserve to exist. But those characters probably don’t get the treatment they deserve without a solid foundation in the first wave of DC Studios’ slate. A safe, solid slate with some surprises thrown in. Let’s get it done, DC Studios.

  • 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

  • DC Studios New Slate Coming Together Ahead of an Early 2023 First Look

    DC Studios New Slate Coming Together Ahead of an Early 2023 First Look

    New year, new DC. In the weeks since James Gunn and Peter Safran have been transitioning into their new roles as co-heads of DC Studios, fans have had a front-row seat to the death of the Snyderverse as Man of Steel 2 and Wonder Woman 3 have been scrapped, then end of Dwayne Johnson‘s brief tenure as the self-appointed man in charge and the announcement of a brand new direction for Superman that does not include Henry Cavill. It’s been a busy time for Gunn and Safran and quite a roller coaster for fans but it looks like it’s just getting started.

    As part of a Twitter thread in which he announced his involvement with DC Studios’ new Superman film, Gunn indicated that he and Safran, who were expected to pitch their new slate to Warner Bros. Discovery recently, will kick off 2023 by rolling out at least a bit of what fans can expect from the future of DC Studios.

    Just what that might mean outside of Superman is completely unknown at the moment, though in recent social media responses, Gunn has potentially given some clues as to what characters and stories might be part of what’s next. As fans wait to hear what the long-term plan is, the immediate future includes the 2023 releases of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom, the 2024 release of Joker: Folie à Deux and several projects set within Matt Reeves‘ Gotham-verse, including a sequel to The Batman and a streaming series focused on Colin Farrell‘s Oswald Cobblepot.

  • 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.

  • James Gunn Quickly Debunks Battinson Rumors

    James Gunn Quickly Debunks Battinson Rumors

    James Gunn is nothing if not consistent. Much to the fear of online leakers and scoopers, Gunn never hesitates to correct misinformation about his projects. Now that he is co-chair of DC Studios, a lot of projects have become “his projects” as he now oversees what he hopes to build into a massive inter-connected cinematic universe.

    True to form, Gunn took to social media just hours after a report from Variety indicated that he and co-chair Peter Safran were considering making Robert Pattinson’s Batman and Matt Reeves‘ Gotham-verse part of that larger connected cinematic universe. Gunn wasted no time in dismissing the report, calling it “entirely untrue.”

    The debunk by Gunn comes as a bit of a relief as it means Reeves won’t have to compromise his vision of the character in order to fit other characters into his growing universe. It also means that as Gunn and Safran start the process of building a new DC Universe, presumably, from scratch, they’ll have a chance to bring creators in who won’t feel the need to match Reeves’ vision. It’s a win-win.

  • DC Studios Reportedly Considering Battinson as THE Batman in Their New Shared Universe

    DC Studios Reportedly Considering Battinson as THE Batman in Their New Shared Universe

    As James Gunn and Peter Safran continue their transition into the newly incorporated DC Studios, rumors and reports of the inner workings of the new company are all the rave. Last week’s news of Wonder Woman 3 and Man of Steel 2 being on the chopping block is still reverberating throughout Hollywood and now a new report has popped up that might cause an even bigger stir. According to Variety, DC Studios is considering finding a way to tie Matt Reeves‘ The Batman into the new, larger universe they are looking to build.

    The Batman was a financial success for Warner Bros. Discovery in March 2022, raking in $770M, making it the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year despite releasing when audiences weren’t yet completely comfortable returning to theaters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While not necessarily a critical darling, the film was generally well-received by critics and audiences gave it an A- Cinemascore. In the months since its release, a sequel and several spinoffs that look to build out Gotham have been announced. Under the previous regime, it seemed that Reeves’ Gotham-verse was going to be its own, standalone branch, so the news that Gunn and Safran might look to tie their new vision to it is interesting.

    Of course, as Gunn himself said recently, there are more questions than answers about the future of DC Studios at this point. The interest in tying into Reeves’ very successful The Batman is logical as it’s one of the only IPs greenlit under the old regime that seems safe moving forward. On the other hand, there’s the question of just how easily other heroes and other stories might tie into what Reeves has and continues to develop. Until official word comes from Gunn and Safran, we’re all left to debate amongst ourselves.

    Source: Variety

  • 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.

  • The Sunday Paper—December 11, 2022

    The Sunday Paper—December 11, 2022

    dc studios future
    superman cavill

    This week the news fell into an alternate reality where DC is making all of the headlines. A huge report pointed to several shakeups in the newly-formed DC Studios. The report indicated that not only did they pass on Patty Jenkins‘ third Wonder Woman film, but also won’t move forward with a Black Adam sequel; even as Dwayne Johnsondesperately crunches the numbers to prove it’s a success. The biggest shock was also the fact that Henry Cavill may have returned briefly as Superman but is unlikely to do so once again. The upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may be the last we see Jason Momoa in the role, though news coming out of that film’s test screening will disappoint both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton Batman fans apparently.  

    For his part, co-CEO James Gunn took to Twitter to vaguely half-confirm the report. Though it is probably safe to say that even the top of the totem pole does not have all the answers. While the studio’s“lack of communication to talent reps and content creators” is reportedly “creating a riot”, Gunn did take the time to confirm to fans on Twitter that the character of Superman is a big priority for DC Studios going forward.

    daredevil born again cast

    In Marvel Studios news, we’ve gotten a couple of potentially big rumors about Avengers: The Kang Dynasty this week, including who the first Avengers to fall to Kang might be and a very interesting potential ally in the fight against the Big Bad. In the spirit of the first-parters to major MCU crossover events, we also saw some interesting concept art of a character mash-up between Iron Man and Doctor Strange that was cut from Avengers: Infinity War. 

    This week, we learned that actresses Margarita Levieva and Sandrine Holt have joined Daredevil: Born Again in major roles. While the roles are not confirmed, there is a chance Holt could be portraying Tyger Tiger, a character with more links to Madripoor than Hell’s Kitchen, but could tie together some criminal enterprises. 

    guardians of the galaxy nova

    As Black Panther: Wakanda Forever remains in theaters, we keep learning interesting tidbits. Michael B. Jordan opened up about what it took to keep Killmonger’s return in the film a surprise, and new concept art reveals alternative Namor designs. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on the near-ish horizon, we speculate which characters might meet their untimely fate in the film which is promised to be an emotional last outing for the team.  Whether or not there will be more adventures for a new iteration of the team is a decision that Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, and his trusted Parliament have to make but in-universe, Guardians or not, the galaxy still needs heroes—and we have just the suggestion.

    In the gaming world, it appears Marvel’s Avengers video game experiment is coming to an end. Developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix, Marvel’s Avengers was an ambitious attempt at launching Marvel’s biggest superhero brand in the digital marketplace. Marvel’s Avengers will reportedly “sunset” in 2023 with support for the game and new content slowly ceasing to exist. 

  • James Gunn Confirms Superman as a “Priority” for DC Studios Future

    James Gunn Confirms Superman as a “Priority” for DC Studios Future

    As fans continue to move past the chaotic week of news within the world of DC Studios, questions are beginning to arise about what direction the studio will take with its DC heroes on film. The news of Wonder Woman 3 not moving forward and rumors of various sequels to old-guard projects being canceled has led to the thought from some that there’d be a distinct lack of these characters in the future. However, new Co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn has confirmed at least one of the characters will remain a priority. In a tweet today, Gunn has made the point that Superman will be a marquee part of the relaunch of DC Studios.

    This shouldn’t come as any bit of a surprise. Superman is one the most recognizable characters in fictional media and it’d be wildly foolish to not have him as a centerpiece. The big question will be whether or not it will be the Henry Cavill take on Clark Kent. After his return for the post-credits of Black Adam, many assumed him to be a lock for a probable sequel to Man of Steel. However, it seems that it may not yet be that far in the works. And with the turnover at the WarnerMedia subsidiary, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that James Gunn and Peter Safran take the character of Superman in a different direction.

    Ultimately, it will come down to a decision of prioritizing a true fresh start for DC in the cinematic landscape or holding onto at least one (fairly well received) remnant of the under-utilized previous generation. Either way it certainly will be an interesting story to follow.

    Source: Twitter.