Will the Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Revitalize the DCEU?
Sources report that DC’s film productions will undergo an overhaul after the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery.
Warner Bros. Discover will be giving DC Entertainment a major reorganization. Earlier this week, Discovery closed a $43 billion deal for WarnerMedia. And according to Variety, that means the DCEU will undergo some changes in production focus – namely, some streamlining. And this could be good, because DC’s film and TV continuity looks a little like this:
The Future of DC & Warner Bros.
According to Variety, CEO David Zaslav and company leaders “have been toying with the idea of turning DC into its own solidified content vertical”. That likely means they’ll be tidying up their universes a la another certain comic-book cinematic universe. In order to do so, they’re also searching for their own master-of-ceremonies, similar to Marvel’s Kevin Feige.
But what does that mean for the stories? Which universe will become “the main timeline” – and what does that mean for the others? Matt Reeves’ The Batman has garnered plenty of interest in furthering the universe with GCPD and Penguin-centered spin-off series. If the universe is going to continue, will it have to be folded into the main DCEU?
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
The Flash Could Be the Key
Finding a narrative through which Warner Bros. can connect all of its DC properties has already seemingly been in the works. After all, next summer’s The Flash, which is in post-production, is set to further explore DC’s multiverse. As illustrated in Spider-Man: No Way Home, introducing a multiverse is a theater-filling method for consolidating your universes. Of course, if the MCU is the example to follow, there will be a series or two left on the cutting-room floor when it comes to canon.
Ezra Miller as The Flash via Warner Bros.
As far as projects moving forward, it’s hard to say what this merger means for Matt Reeve’s new Batman series. I, for one, am holding out for multiverses to merge, too. I’m living for the possibility that I’ll see Zoë Kravitz and Margot Robbie on screen together in a Gotham City Sirens feature.
A DC Overhaul Means More DC Characters
One major complaint fans have with the DCEU is its limited use of comic book characters. DC has a rich lineup of heroes, villains, and every archetype in between – and most of its most exciting characters have yet to even be mentioned on screen. Although James Gunn is truly doing his best.
Zaslay will also look to create $3 billion in gains thanks to the recent merger. The goal is ambitious, but not unattainable – after all, Warner Bros. owns a massive library of characters. And its newly introduced characters have been incredibly popular, from Harley Quinn to John Cena’s Peacemaker.
Courtesy of HBO Max
Which DC comic book characters would you like to see introduced into a new, unified DCEU? Do you think DC will go multiversal and streamlined?
