Justice League flopped...what next for the DC Extended Universe?
The reason for Justice League's box office disappointment can be attributed to multiple factors: the franchise has released two dud films (plus Man of Steel, which didn't exactly set the world on fire) to poor responses; the film itself has had nothing but bad publicity since Batman v Superman's huge box office drop last year (including extensive re-shoots with a new director, Henry Cavill's mustache, budget inflation, etc.); and, put simply, Justice League just didn't impress. It's not a terrible film, and I have to admit that I quite enjoyed it, but its hardly made an impact, considering the money involved. Was anyone expecting a flop? Not really, the film was set to make a dent in the box office regardless of quality, but this lackluster performance has caused major tensions.
There's a good twenty films or so "in development", but no strong franchise to fit these entries into. We have over a year until James Wan's Aquaman is released, but that's a whole year of potentially major re-shoots, re-edits and all kinds of bad press to kill that entry before it even swims to shore. What can DC do? At this point, just let Wan make his movie. Leave him to it. After all, WB execs spent $25 million on Justice League re-shoots, and what happened to that film? That's basically $25 million down the drain, so why risk that sort of thing again? There's no indication as to Aquaman's quality, but vice versa there's no reason for it to fail. It just needs to be a great film, with or without a strong DC franchise to support it.
Shazam! is probably still in pre-production at New Line, and given how far that project has come in recent months, I'd be surprised to see it cancelled. After all, recent reports suggest a more Guardians of the Galaxy-type approach, not really a surprise after Thor: Ragnarok made big numbers a couple of weeks before Justice League's release. Even now its gained $820 million at the box office, so if Shazam! can appeal to that same audience, DC may have another Wonder Woman-style hit on their hands.
Speaking of Diana Prince, her second solo outing tentatively titled Wonder Woman 2 is still set for a November 1st 2019 release. This is no surprise, given the huge success of WB's previous entry, which gained big numbers on a modest $150 million budget. Everyone seems game for a sequel, especially with Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot back on board. All sorts of rumours are flying around about a story, but as long as it involves another fun adventure for Princess Diana, I think we'll all show-up again.
Flashpoint appears to be our next entry in the DCEU after Wonder Woman 2, if recent reports are to be believed. Despite going through multiple directors, Ezra Miller's Flash has impressed most audiences and WB execs, and given this story would not only serve as a cross-over with Aquaman and Wonder Woman - not to mention an alternate Batman - as well as an in-continuity soft-reboot, this seems a likely option. Ben Affleck has reportedly signed on for this as his last Batman flick, and given Jeffrey Dean Morgan would be playing Bats for most of the film, he wouldn't be under so much pressure this time. The problem? Well, if Aquaman's a dud, that's one selling point lost, but the real issue is the budget. WB need to make a film under $300 million, and even better would be one under $200 million. Given the story, a $200 million flick sounds like a strong investment, although a less CGI-heavy installment could save much-needed cash.
After that, it appears to The Batman, the Matt Reeves-directed solo flick originally to be written and directed by the man himself Ben Affleck. With Affleck seemingly out, rumours suggest either Jake Gyllenhaal (yawn) or Jon Hamm (oooooh) as the new dark knight. Reeves' two Planet of the Apes entries make him a strong visionary for this new(ish) reboot, while Hamm as Bruce Wayne could open-up all sorts of possibilities. Deathstroke? Perhaps. Jared Leto's Joker? Urgh...please, just don't even try. Just recast. Let Reeves do his thing, cast Hamm in the lead role (seriously, I would pay good money to see that) and maybe a 2020 release could be met.
As for the rest of the franchise? I have absolutely no idea. Cyborg and Green Lantern Corps haven't been officially moved from their respective April and July 2020 release dates - although Flashpoint and The Batman could easily take those - but there's been no movement on Cyborg's solo outing. A Justice League 2, Suicide Squad 2, Batman Beyond, Gotham City Sirens, Nightwing, Batgirl, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Harley and Joker (Mad Love?), Superman, Superman: Red Son, Black Adam, Justice League Dark, Lobo and Birds of Prey film are all "in development", but such ideas are simply that: ideas. At this point, the franchise needs to regain balance, and try and ride the high of Wonder Woman until something comes along as a clear winner in their sea of mediocrity. This isn't a failing franchise, but a flailing one nonetheless. I have my own ideas of where to take it, but the five main entries I've mentioned sound pretty cool as the next steps for this universe.
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