It is becoming increasingly apparent that Warner Bros and DC really don’t have a plan in place. The DCEU, DC’s answer to Marvel’s immensely successful MCU, is off to a rocky start. Of the four movies in its catalog, thus far, only one has been met with praise almost across the board. Still, Warner Bros. just announced that they would be adding two more films to the DCEU lineup in 2020. This brings the number of to three, potentially four films that year. The standalone Cyborg movie is set for an April 3rd premiere (which seems like an odd date, but whatever). Meanwhile, the Green Lantern Corps film has been rumored to be slated for July.
Anticipation is high for this fall’s Justice League, especially following the success of Wonder Woman. Still, one has to wonder (no pun intended) if the recent success has emboldened Warner Bros. a bit. Boosting the frequency of their films certainly, exudes confidence.
Obviously, DC has quite a ways to go in order to catch up to Marvel’s catalog, in terms of volume. But one could argue that they do have a clear advantage. Marvel’s initial plan has just about reached fruition. Infinity War is fast approaching. DC can easily observe their competition to see what’s working, and what isn’t. The DC Universe also has the added advantage of being something fresher to moviegoers. This is the 10th anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By comparison, DC’s efforts to compete haven’t been around for half as long. Some moviegoers would like to see something a bit different.
Of course, it could also be a disadvantage. The broader audiences may not care about the distinction between one superhero movie universe to another. And with Marvel reigning for so long, it’s possible the investment will fizzle out far sooner than DC hopes as those audiences grow tired of superheroes. It would be especially tragic if DC sets all of these films in motion, only for audiences to have tuned out by the time they hit theaters.
Hopefully, Warner Bros. and DC have a plan for implementing all of these movies. Otherwise, there’s a strong probability audience will start seeing some ham-fisted efforts at tying things together. Until Justice League releases, it’ll be difficult to really tell the direction things will be going. The movie’s set up to be the first building block in something much larger. With any luck, it’ll be the hit DC’s hoping for.
Justice League arrives in theaters on November 17.
