Justice League, DC's answer to the Avengers eyes a director Options

[Psychosyndrom]

According to reports coming through today, it looks like DC are eyeing Ben Affleck to direct the big screen group outing for Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern.

Apparently he's the only director in the running, and also wants to star.

He's a comic book fan and decent director, but I really dont see anything on his resume that says he can pull this off, his Daredevil was only good via the director's cut and while he has experience of ensemble cast work on films like 'The Town' guns and gansters are hardly superheroes. Counting in the rushed nature on this film and the memory from Nolan's Batman still being very fresh but a new Batman showing up here and I dont think DC has an Avengers beater here......

[Astron]

DC needs to get it's Super Hero flicks in order first before they can even begin to think they can scratch on Avengers with a JLA film.
Nolans Batman, the only proper hit for DC in recent years is over now and not available for any crossover which sets them back to...zero.
If they really gonna shoot out another Batman straight away (which it's already been said they will) I doubt it will go down well with audiences (look at how many eye brows were raised at Spiderman and that had a 10 year gap and a less than loved third part before the reboot).
If anything they should make Superman as good as possible and then slowly go from there.
Maybe instead of rebooting GL give it a sequel with a better script and you may have two franchises up and running.
That's a big maybe though.

[Psychosyndrom]

I agree, but they are apparently going the other way.

Superman may have some sort of stinger that teases the JLA, then there will be the JLA, then spin films out from that for individual heroes based on demand.

[Mister R]

I'd just like to point out that Nolan basically gave Warner Bros. a new Batman (and left the door open for them to try and tempt Bale back).

I would think the much bigger problem (from the Batman perspective) for linking the DC universe together on screen is where the hell was Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern etc. during the events of The Dark Knight Rises? An entire city is under siege and none of them turn up? Even if they overtly make it clear that the Superman reboot is set after Rises that's a problem for them.

Maybe, just maybe, DC might be better off leaving Batman out of a Justice League film and contending that the Nolan films aren't part of the same universe? Batman always felt like a hella awkward fit in the Justice League anyway. Especially on screen.

[Mister R]

Also Ben Afleck's 'people' are apparently saying he's in no way connected to Justice League and won't do it.

In general I suspect Warner Bros. are going to have a hell of job finding someone to helm this. Whilst it sounds like a great job its actually a pretty horrible one when you stop and look at it. Not least of all because anything you do is going to be compared to The Avengers and if they insist on using Batman Nolan's Batman trilogy as well. Unless Will Beall pulls a great script out of the bag I have a feeling this might stall in development hell.

This post has been edited by Mister R: Aug 9 2012, 01:39

[daikaioshin]

One theory I've heard is they could use the plot of Infinite Crisis... That could work as a way to skip over any inconsistencies. Use Earth 2 Batman instead and it explains why it's not the Nolan Batman. Maybe mush it together with Darkseid... Or use the story in which the Justice League believed Batman to be dead, so Dick and Damien were in place.

[Astron]

I would think the much bigger problem (from the Batman perspective) for linking the DC universe together on screen is where the hell was Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern etc. during the events of The Dark Knight Rises? An entire city is under siege and none of them turn up? Even if they overtly make it clear that the Superman reboot is set after Rises that's a problem for them.

That's not really a problem.
The Dark Knight Rises draws heavily from Batman's No Man's Land, where Gotham was cut of from America after several catastrophes like a disease outbreak and earthquakes, left to itself - meaning in the hands of the escaped Arkham patients.
The League wasn't involved here either.
You could bring that argument up for every comic storyline, even more so for Marvel were pretty much all of them live in the same City. It's just something you have to take as a given.

[Psychosyndrom]

News filtering through that he's turned them down

[Mister R]

I already said that!

Anyway...

I wasn't a huge fan of No Man's Land partly because the idea of everyone just abandoning an entire city and those left there was fucking ridiculous. I will however say that Nolan's work missed out some of the important stuff that sort of made No Man's Land work. In regards to the Marvel stuff they've yet to have a prolonged story of that nature in the films so it hasn't really come up. Its not like they've had New York under siege for months with only Iron Man showing up to help.

Plus with CapAm and Thor they've given themselves reason why they wouldn't have previously shown up. And why Thor wouldn't show up again.

[Psychosyndrom]

That's because Marvel have played he long game, where as DC just want to rush a reactionary competition film through.

[Mister R]

Warner Bros. and DC are a little screwed on this really.

The way they're attempting to do the Justice League as an introduction to the vast majority of their characters is being shit over as a reaction to The Avengers success that can't work. But if they went the opposite way and went for stand alone films for each of these heroes that built toward a Justice League film they'd also have people shitting on them for just copying Marvel's approach. Its a little unfair really.

To be fair to them I don't think the idea of using the Justice League as the hub to launch most of their stand alone features from is a bad idea. The problem is that their timing on this just sucks balls. And really they have no one to blame for this. Unlike Marvel their characters have all been under one roof for years now. They could have done this years and years ago and not faced any of these problems.

I suppose the real problem for the Justice League at this point is how on earth do you structure it so that it doesn't just look like a complete Avengers rip-off. I wonder if they might be able to pull together some kind of riff on the Identity Crisis arc although I'm not sure how well that would work as an introduction to a lot of these characters. It would be interesting to see them go smaller and more contained rather than trying to go bigger though.

[Astron]

I think if they would just do individual movies and then do a JLA movie it would work best.
Sure it would be a Marvel copy but what isn't in this business?
Everything that is slightly successful gets mass produced within minutes.
Besides a JLA movie will always be compared to Avengers, that's a given.
Why not put a few years inbetween them (with a big chance that Marvels flicks tire out with weak sequels) in which you launch your own Franchises and then bring them together.
Starting with a JLS film wouldn't work. There isn't enough time to give every member adequate airtime and with no previous movies to establish background and character that would be a mess.
people wouldn't get invested enough in the characters to support their individual films later.

[Psychosyndrom]

The adavantage that DC has on this is that their character, unlike Marvel, are really well known. Everyone knows Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and even Flash.

Their issue is Nolan, or more his films. His films are really well received and they dont exist in a universe where other heroes can. People are going to hate on any Batman that follows those three films, and JL wont be JL without Batman.

They screwed up, and they wont be able to cover it in time here. In my opinion, there best bet would be to try and launch individual franchises for their signature character now, while the Superhero bubble is hot, and then do JL once Avengers has run its course and after they have set up for it.

Running straight in to it, unless they really, really hit the nail across the board, will serve them just more Green Lantern level flop pie

[Jonnycondom]

Do you think they'll mention Green Lantern's new found gayness?

[Mister R]

The adavantage that DC has on this is that their character, unlike Marvel, are really well known. Everyone knows Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and even Flash.

I'm not sure how big an advantage this actually is for them. People know the 'big three' for sure but I'm not convinced that's going to help them especially not when it comes to Batman and Wonder Woman. Superman remains a big question mark until we see how the film goes down but that could really sink them. The memory of Batman for example is going to be Nolan's take on the character (and as you mention that'll screw them over) and the memory of Wonder Woman is going to be a campy television series. I think Wonder Woman more than any other character is the one that needs a stand alone film leading into a Justice League film. She needs to be reintroduced.

Its hard to judge on the character front though until we know what line-up they're planning to use.

Their issue is Nolan, or more his films...

I agree with this to an extent but there are ways around this. If they get the casting and director right they can calm people down on the whole Batman issue. Equally by doing what they did with Superman and throwing Nolan an exec producer credit they can calm the Batman issue. The real issue for Warner Bros. at this point is the new Superman film. There is now a huge amount of pressure on that to work and to connect with audiences. If it gets a similar reaction to Superman Returns or Green Lantern then this whole project is dead in the water. The new Superman has to give them the momentum to be carry a Justice League film forward.

[Astron]

Go Henry, go Henry!
This is your chance to become Hollywoods next leading man.

[Mister R]

I'm not sure I'd hold out much hope for that its a pretty crowded market with a lot of guys making a bid for that big new leading man title and Superman has never really been much of a star making role. Jeremy Renner, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Channing Tatum, Chris Hemsworth, Andrew Garfield, Chris Evans, Ryan Gossling and others are all being groomed for the spot. Plus presumably one or both of Josh Hutcherson or Liam Hemsworth will be pushed up into this band as well with the success of The Hunger Games (because apparently the studios will learn nothing from the Twilight disaster) although actually Jennifer Lawrence thankfully looks like she'll end up being the big star from that.

Its an interesting time in Hollywood. Who would have predicted that Joseph Gordon-Levitt would have three action films out in one summer? He's had a substantial role in The Dark Knight Rises and he's got Premium Rush and Looper still to come both of which look at least good. Plus he's part of Spielberg's Oscar baiting Lincoln at the end of the year.

[daikaioshin]

Do you think they'll mention Green Lantern's new found gayness?

Probably not as it's not the mainstream Green Lantern. Also, that GL is part of the Justice Society; an alternate earth (Earth 2) version of the Justice Leage.

His character has been well received, but I don't know if DC would "turn the Green Lantern gay" for the movies.

That said, each incarnation of the JL has had the "Trinity" in them; Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. The question is, which of the lesser known members do they use? Martian Manhunter? Cyborg? Aquaman? Hawkman? OR which Lantern/ Flash do they use? :-/

Perhaps DC should just go for a JL movie as if the League is already in existence? The audience aren't stupid. The majority of people excited about this are people who KNOW the League in some form. Most of them don't even need their Origin's explaining...

[Astron]

Jeremy Renner, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Channing Tatum, Chris Hemsworth, Andrew Garfield, Chris Evans, Ryan Gossling

I can't see any of those fill the shoes of the likes of Brad Pitt, Jonny Depp and co. anytime soon tbh.
Jeremy Renner is too old, Channing, Chris and Chris need to focus more on character roles and less on roles depending on their looks as their are all crossing the 30 line now or already have and Andrew looks far too young to be playing a proper man role in the what, next 10-15 years (?).
My money would be on JG and Ryan to be the next Brad and Jonny but they have so far completely flown under the radar, despite some high profile roles.
I'm not saying Henry has a better chance but I think he has as good a chance as any of them, I don't believe in a Superman curse and if the next Supi flick proves successful I think many more doors will open for him.

[Mister R]

Jeremy Renner is too old, Channing, Chris and Chris need to focus more on character roles and less on roles depending on their looks as their are all crossing the 30 line now or already have and Andrew looks far too young to be playing a proper man role in the what, next 10-15 years (?).

Jeremy Renner is part of 3 potentially 4 money making franchises and sits well in the Oscar baiting stuff as well. That he's old isn't really reason to discount him. Channing Tatum meanwhile has had a fantastic year with The Vow, 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike all over performing and taking more than $100 million domestically. The studios are looking at him as someone that can open a film so again he can't be ignored. Next year's White House Down will probably be his big test. If that opens big then he'll be locked in. Hemsworth meanwhile has the Peter Morgan scripted and Ron Howard directed Rush on the horizon that'll be an important one for him. And whilst Andrew Garfield looks young he can act and with Amazing Spiderman proved himself a charismatic on screen presence. How Amazing Spiderman 2 shapes up will be important for him and what, if anything, he does before then. His run in Death of a Salesman will have opened up a lot more doors for him as well.

My money would be on JG and Ryan to be the next Brad and Jonny but they have so far completely flown under the radar, despite some high profile roles.

Worth remembering here that Johnny Depp didn't really become a major star until the first Pirates film and he would have been about 40 when that opened. And whilst Brad Pitt is a major star its never been entirely clear that he's been all that interested in being a major leading man or that he can open a film in a big way. Troy was supposed to be his big coming out party on that front and it seems to have stopped him from trying again (and again he would have been about 40 when Troy was released). It'll be interesting to see how World War Z does.

For what its worth I think Ryan Gossling absolutely will be the 'next Brad Pitt'. What happens with Joseph Gordon-Levitt is going to depend on how Premium Rush and Looper do.