What the hell is happening at DC Studios?
One minute Henry Cavill is Superman again, the next, he’s not. It’s hard to keep up with the hard restart that’s happening at DC Studios. As of right now, James Gunn (director of Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy) and Peter Safran (producer of Shazam and Aquaman) are the new co-chairpersons and CEOs of DC Studios. They’re already working on a Superman movie, which is not exactly an origin story but will explore the early years—sort of an elevated Smallville with Gunn’s signature tone and imagery.
Some, myself included, feel anxious about a quirky director becoming the ringmaster for a studio. It’s not an easy task, especially when fans don’t know the direction DC Studios is headed in. Everyone is still reeling from HBO Max canceling multiple TV shows and movies, which has left a sour taste in a lot of mouths. How can someone trust a studio that doesn’t know its own identity?
After all, DC fans have tolerated unconnected, disjointed visual storytelling for a decade. It’s been exhausting as a fan to say, “the animated movies are actually good, not like the live-action.” While it’s an easy way to gauge a casual fan from a fanatic, it started to feel embarrassing defending the failing franchise.
Well, it looks like things are changing. What’s that old saying? Be careful what you wish for.
Patrick Schumacker, the writer and producer of HBO’s Harley Quinn, may have accidentally leaked the new DC Studios logo. While showing off a Batman figure, Schumacker can be seen wearing a DC Studios logo that hasn’t been seen before, surrounded by members of the Justice League.
The graphic is new and fresh and, if legit, it’s promising that the studio is trying to revamp its image in as many ways as possible. Warner Bros. and DC Studios have yet to confirm the new logo, which we’ve so far only seen on Schumacker’s hoodie. It’s entirely possible that the design was made exclusively for the hoodie, which may have been a gift for studio creatives.
In any case, here’s to the next era of DC, when Henry Cavill is no longer our Superman and Lady Gaga is (a version of) Harley Quinn. Anything is possible. There will be some bad moments and probably some good moments, but if DC Studios is rethinking its image even to the tiniest detail (like the studio logo), this overhaul is probably a sign of better times ahead for DC fans.
Here’s to experimentation and DC Studios finally finding a new direction.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
