Considering Warner Bros. Justice League film has a writer and release date, many of us assumed it was a done deal. Apparently not. Word on the interwebs is, if Man of Steel does poorly at the box office, Justice League could be postponed. Meanwhile, Man of Steel writer David S. Goyer calls his take on Superman more of a “first contact” type story.
Variety posted an article today that said:
Further out, the studio’s planning a “Justice League” tentpole — encompassing DC Comics mainstays Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and the Green Lantern — on the order of Marvel’s “The Avengers.” Will Beall is scripting but no director has been attached yet.
Stakes are high for “Man of Steel.” Other than Nolan’s Batpics, Warners has not been able to effectively exploit the DC library. Its 2011 “Green Lantern” underperformed, and a “Justice League” film wouldn’t likely be in theaters before 2015, as Warner’s top brass has indicated that they are awaiting the results of “Man of Steel,” which opens June 14, before moving further ahead.
That first part about the characters coincides with the rumor we heard last week. It makes the most sense for Warner Bros. to go with heroes they hope viewers are already familiar with. But the part about it not likely being in theaters before 2015 confuses me considering Warner officially announced the 2015 release year. It made us tilt our heads because it’s the same year The Avengers 2 is set to be released but perhaps that didn’t even cross their minds. Perhaps they just needed to put it far enough out to give them breathing room from Man of Steel returns. Either way, another Superman dud would not bode well for Justice League.
As to its chances, Goyer spoke with Collider on his approach to Superman.
“We’re approaching Superman as if it weren’t a comic book movie, as if it were real,” he said. “I adore the Donner films. Absolutely adore them. It just struck me that there was an idealist quality to them that may or may not work with today’s audience. It just struck me that if Superman really existed in the world, first of all this story would be a story about first contact.”
It’s an approach I can understand but not one I necessarily agree with. To me, Superman is hope. Above all other heroes, he’s the one that exudes positivity and inspiration. I’ll be honest, I’m longing for a superhero film that allows the audience to suspend disbelief and accept a film where superheroes are already a natural part of the world.
Goyer went on to say, “He’s an alien. You can easily imagine a scenario in which we’d be doing a film like E.T., as opposed to him running around in tights. If the world found out he existed, it would be the biggest thing that ever happened in human history. It falls into that idea of trying to humanize the inhuman. He’s made out of steel, he’s not made out of flesh, metaphorically speaking. We are portraying him as a man, yet he’s not a man.”
Whether you agree with Goyer’s vision or not can we, as fans, just make a pact to make Man of Steel a success? I know it’s selfish but I really, really, really need to see a Justice League movie happen.
(via Collider, MTV Splash Page)
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