Anyone else scared for the DC Cinematic Universe?

[Idiot Savant]

Hi Nerds and Nerdettes,

With Man of Steel having done well and we'll be getting at least one more movie, is anyone else scared for the DC Movie-verse?

Yes MoS made loads of dough but the story was severely lacking, even with having 4 minimum possible stories in the movie...they just didn't pick any of them that seemed like a logical choice (but instead let Micheal Bay direct the last 40 minutes):could've mentioned or shown Brainiac as the Kryptonian computer bank either on Krypton or aboard Kal's or Zod's ships...would've been easy to do not to mention already tying the movie into something more.

Regardless of how you may feel on Ben Affleck as the seasoned Bat (personally I think he'll do great as Bruce but I'm skeptical on Batman), I think this is the best way to open the DC movie-verse.

I like the idea of an older/wiser Batman but I really hope they don't try to reference "The Dark Knight Returns" storyline, based on their 2013 SDCC panel; the reason is this: in that storyline, Bruce and Clark already have that history to how the books play out; this Batman and Superman do not.

Some on other forums, have argued that Batman should be the first one to figure out what Kryptonite is and can do to Superman...I think lex should discover it by and educated guess/accident and somehow alerts Bruce Wayne to it during a US defense contract meeting...which could also be another way to showcase Bruce's detective skills in and out of costume.

That's another thing that's been sorely missing from every single bat-movie; actual detective work, we need to see that because THAT'S what makes Batman a member on the powerhouse JLA team; his brain.

I'm just scared that DC/WB will treat this movie as the obvious cash cow it is and just CW the hell out of it...

Thoughts?

[Anarky]

I think the fact that we're getting a movie presented as a batsupes teamup instead of a mos sequel where Batman shows up in the after credits scene means someone wasn't happy with mos toy sales. Doesn't necessarily mean it will be a bad movie but even if it is, may I remind you of 1997? In 1997, we got things like the first figures based off Azrael, Huntress, Parallax, Black lightning, Connor Hawke, etc. And the movie helped make all that happen. You know, I have decided not to see Michael bay's TMNT but as a longtime fan I do forsee a silver lining in the merchandise one gets from a movie year.

[Crazy Jetty]

I think the fact that we're getting a movie presented as a batsupes teamup instead of a mos sequel where Batman shows up in the after credits scene means someone wasn't happy with mos toy sales. Doesn't necessarily mean it will be a bad movie but even if it is, may I remind you of 1997? In 1997, we got things like the first figures based off Azrael, Huntress, Parallax, Black lightning, Connor Hawke, etc. And the movie helped make all that happen. You know, I have decided not to see Michael bay's TMNT but as a longtime fan I do forsee a silver lining in the merchandise one gets from a movie year.

The merchendise we get in a movie year varies from company to company. Hasbro has a tendency to kill everything that competes with the movie. Transformers and Joe have both suffered greately from this. To the point where it's nearly killed Joe as a franchise altogether. They'll kill competing toylines. Competing cartoons. Hasbro's Marvel stuff seems to get treated well during movie years, though, as they use movie lines to get more comic stuff out. But that's the exception for Hasbro, and not the rule.

Mattel seems fairly inept at this, and the only time a movie helped push anything was when DCUC launched the Green Lantern Classics based on the growing popularity of GL, and the hype the movie was creating. Otherwise movie lines are movie lines, comic lines go one as normal, oblivious to movie product.

It remains to be seen how Playmates will handle TMNT during the movie.

Also, the Batman/Superman teamup has nothing to do with lackluster toysales of MoS toylines. The decision was made before the first toy was sold. In fact, the actor was probably contracted to it when he signed up for MoS.
I know Christan Bale and Branden Routhe were both contracted to do a Batman/Superman team up movie, when Routhe was cast for Superman Returns.

As for the thread topic, what worries me is WB has absolutely ZERO confidence in any property that isn;'t Batman or Superman. I'm shocked that GL actually got made. I mean, I'm absolutely blown away that it exists.
WB had Wonder Woman lined up and Joss "I am your God" Whedon contracted to write and direct it. Then they let it go, and allowed him to go on to do THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BLOCKBUSTER EVER MADE.
WB are IDIOTS!
Seriously, DC is full of star characters. Green Arrow, as has been proven thanks to Arrow, was just dying for a chance. Wonder Woman is every bit as iconic as Superman and Batman. Flash almost.
if WB would have the confidence in their properties that has been shown to Marvel characters since X-Men, Spiderman, and Ironman changed the face of comic adaptations, and would get A-list writers and directors, then The Dark Knight trilogy wouldn't be such an annomoly for them.

As for MoS, I think it falls in with Green Lantern. Nowhere near as good as it could have been. In an odd way, it was the reverse of GL. GL had too many plots going on, to the point that no one got any real characterization. MoS didn't really seem to have enough plot, and was so focused on how inspiring Superman is supossed to be, that no one got any real characturization beyong Jor-el, and the 20 minutes he was on screen. (Seriously, the little bit of krypton at the start of the movie was way better than everything that followed).
WB needs to hire people that know what they're doing to make a good movie, and then have faith in the strength of the concepts. And not meddle. And the fact that they do not have these instincts is why I'm scared for the DC Cinimatic Universe.

Also, I think Batman was recast because this has nothing to do with the Nolen Batman. Superman really doesn't fit well in that continuity, given how heavily reality based it is.
And I sorta feel that this Batman/Superman movie may be WB wanting/trying to pull an Avengers move that Marvel did through all their movies, and set up a Justice League.

[Caleb]

The decision to make SuperBats was probably a multitude of factors, chief among them an "Us Too!" reflex by Warner once The Avengers shattered 95% of the box office records in existence. More superheroes = More ticket sales. That seems to be the thinking, anyway. Never mind that Marvel spent 5 years planning The Avengers. I know WB is a business, but I think they're more focused on the end product than how they get there. Honestly, I'll reserve all judgments until I see SuperBats. But when a movie is this rushed - and I think the Fast movies are an exception here, since they're pretty goofy anyway - it rarely results in a quality product. Case in point: Iron Man 2.

My problem with Batman being in here is pretty much related back to the first Man of Steel. Yeah, it was entertaining, Michael Shannon was (as he always is) phenomenal, and Cavill didn't do a bad job as Superman. But they never really got into the character of Superman. Oh, we know what he's supposed to represent. But, dramatically speaking, he's not a very interesting character. I hoped a sequel would develop this, but if Batman's gotta be developed as well? Eh, it'll likely be a case of Spider-Man 3 all over again, only with the heroes as opposed to the villains. It'll sure have some cool action scenes, though.

I say this a lot, but WB really needs to figure out how to market the DC characters who aren't Batman. They kind of nailed down Superman this year, but they still have no idea how to market Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern (everything with the GL movie was marketed in an overcomplicated D&D way), the JSA, Aquaman, etc.

So, yeah, color me a little worried.

As long as they don't make a sequel to the Reynolds GL, I can probably deal, though.

[packerbacker180]

Just wait until Ryan Reynolds is in the end credits of Supes/Bats talking about a 'Crisis', lol.

[Caleb]

Is the crisis that they have to travel back in time and help Josh Brolin's Jonah Hex battle Darkseid in the Old West?

[packerbacker180]

Is the crisis that they have to travel back in time and help Josh Brolin's Jonah Hex battle Darkseid in the Old West?

"Hmmmm...."

[Bo-rilla Grodd]

Didio is such a chump!!!!

[Crazy Jetty]

What's the alternative? Geoff Johns?

The man can write like a dog, but he's the only viable alternative I can think of, and if he took over DC, it'd collapse and revert into a Silver Age 2.0.
We know that'd happen because he's already done everything in his power to get it back to the silver age.

At least DiDio isn't Joe Quesada.

[Bo-rilla Grodd]

Silver age is cooler than 1995. But, Didio would be fine, if he had someone to govern over him, like Paul levitz did.