Collider: DC Films Is Going to Try Building an Interconnected Universe… Again

[.Detective.]

In an alternate timeline, we're currently in the midst of a robust run of interconnected DC films that's building towards a Justice League 2, all spearheaded by filmmaker Zack Snyder. But the thing about plans is they can change rapidly, as they did when Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters back in 2016 to disappointing box office and critical reception. And once Snyder left Justice League in post-production, Warner Bros. pivoted hard towards removing the connective tissue between their DC films. But what's old is new again, as a new report suggests the studio is going to attempt just that one more time – they intend for their upcoming slate of DC movies to be part of an interconnected universe.

According to THR, DC is "plotting its films and shows to share the same universe," which includes upcoming projects like Aquaman 2, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The one big outlier here is Matt Reeves' The Batman, which reboots the titular character with Robert Pattinson filling out the role, but THR says this film is set on an alternate Earth known as Earth-2.

Indeed, key to this plan going forward is The Flash, which finally begins production this month under director Andy Muschietti with Ezra Miller reprising the titular role. That movie will introduce the idea of the multiverse – the notion that other versions of Earth exist with different realities. To that end, the film will find Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman from the Tim Burton movies and Ben Affleck reprising his Batman role from the Snyder films, exemplifying how two different Batmen can exist in two different realities at once.
So going forward, there will be outliers like The Batman and Joker which exist in different realities, and potentially that J.J. Abrams-produced Superman movie that Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing that will introduce audiences to a Black Superman, but films like Aquaman 2 and Black Adam will occupy the same reality and will have stories that are interconnected.

Key to this plan is HBO Max, and Warner Bros. is keen on crafting TV spinoffs for each of their DC films. James Gunn's The Suicide Squad – which will be part of this interconnected universe when it hits theaters in August – has an HBO Max spinoff called Peacemaker starring John Cena, and even The Batman has an HBO Max spinoff in the works revolving around Gotham P.D.

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Don't fuck this up... again.

DC Films Is Going to Try Building an Interconnected Universe… Again

Except for the Robert Pattison reboot The Batman, upcoming DC movies will be part of a strongly interconnected universe.

collider.com

 

[BasilZero]

I hope its as successful as the MCU.

 

[JigglesBunny]

If at first you don't succeed, throw shit at the wall until something sticks.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Just bring over the TV series universe

 

[Fatmanp]

Faith..................none.

 

[Guy Legend]

Ok. Now when's Henry Cavil's Superman coming back. And the snyder cut should be cannon - we need more Darkseid.

 

[platocplx]

Just take cues from their animation series. That's literally all they need to do. They make amazing animation.

 

[apocat]

If at first you don't succeed, throw shit at the wall until something sticks.

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They've been doing it for so long it's a wonder the wall hasn't collapsed from the sheer weight of all the shit by now.

 

[MadLaughter]

"The movies that already shared a universe will continue to share one" is what this sounds like, since they are primarily talking about existing characters and sequels.

I think Shazam, Birds of Prey and Aquaman are pretty good, with WW84 being the only recent miss. So I think they should keep going. Suicide Squad and The Batman look promising.

It really shouldn't be as hard as they've made it seem. Just..don't hire weird edgelords to architect your universe and you're halfway there.

 

[MouldyK]

So...is Aquaman part of both Interconnected Universes?

 

[Yourfawthaaa]

I hope its as successful as the MCU.

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me too.

 

[Orange Piccolo]

Just make good movies. That should be their one and only goal.

Not every studio needs to (or even can) replicate what the MCU is doing.

 

[EvilChameleon]

So they're kicking off this second go at it with The Suicide Squad?

 

[Penguin]

I mean isn't this just taking out the information from the New Gods/The Trench article and repurposing it?

Collider isn't reporting anything new.

 

[Soap]

With Batman the expectation had long been set for different actors to play Batman (and the joker), so I don't think audiences will be that confused. The main issue is if the interconnected universe feels like some weird b-tier shit that doesn't get people excited.

 

[Strike]

Just focus on putting out good movies first.

 

[maximumzero]

I wish studios would stop trying to do this. Just make good films, for fuck's sake.

 

[HStallion]

Just bring over the TV series universe

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Just do a live action DCAU

 

[.Detective.]

Just take cues from their animation series. That's literally all they need to do. They make amazing animation.

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This is all they needed to do from the beginning.

 

[Rosebud]

Just keep making movies like Joker, not everything needs to be MCU.

 

[buttzilla]

Sounds confusing.

 

[TheHunter]

So DC is doing multiverse right as MCU is bringing it up.

Just like they tried to follow up Avengers without doing any of the build up.

 

[DeathbyVolcano]

Just fucking erase everything, fuck. Start fresh with a new Batman movie with a good director and a producer with a clear vision and go from there. Nobody wants this shit

 

[Grimmjow]

If they do they need to actually give it some time to develop. Give everyone a solo movie before you try the big team up.

I do think a DCEU can be successful but you can't speed run this stuff.

 

[pvin626]

I am not believing anything DC says until they actually release trailers at this point.

With this multiverse thing now, lets just go ahead and give Snyder an HBO series or movie tbh.

 

[Scuffed]

This is the only way to do it these days but it's extremely hard and requires people at the helm who love and know the material.

 

[thecowboypoet]

Good. DC is the only other brand besides Marvel that could realistically have an interconnected cinematic universe and it's a shame the way it's been handled so far. I'll never get over what a mess they made when they were in such a rush to catch up to Marvel after The Avengers. Marvel created their universe without most of their popular heroes while also building a new studio at the same time. DC were already a part of Warner Bros and had the rights to all their heroes. Imagine the hype and the build up if we had Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and The Flash all meeting for the first time after we had seen them in their own movies first? It's not like everything in Marvel phase 1 was a 10/10 but they at least seemed confidant in their direction.

 

[Boxy Brown]

This explained nothing

 

[Violence Jack]

The people who were in charge of Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, and Legends of Tomorrow need to be promoted to helm this universe.

 

[Azerth]

Sounds like they want the best of both wrolds. They want to keep making the non connected movies but still try and get that avengers money

 

[Fisty]

From that writeup, I will make an educated guess that this attempt will go as well as the last one

 

[Trike]

I'm wary but their quality overall has definitely risen since the beginning of the DCEU and we're definitely due for a good DC connected universe

 

[Freezasaurus]

The people who were in charge of Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, and Legends of Tomorrow need to be promoted to helm this universe.

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More likely, they'll get the people who worked on Universal's Dark Universe. 😂

 

[Buckle]

I hope its as successful as the MCU.

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It won't if Zack Snyder comes back.

Hopefully they've learned their lesson. New films seems good so heres hoping.

 

[UnderSiege]

It sounds like they're just making sequels to succesful movies and call all the other disperate stuff part of a multiverse. Okay, I guess. It's handy way to say you're building an interconnected universe without actually doing it. Might be for the best though.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Side note, Keaton is sounding rather unsure about him appearing, which would drop my interest in a Flash movie to zero.

 

[Dalek]

Just take cues from their animation series. That's literally all they need to do. They make amazing animation.

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Exactly.

 

[Tagyhag]

Maybe make more single movies so I give a damn about the characters first.

I was excited to see Iron Man interact with Star-Lord.

I didn't give a shit what Aquaman had to tell Cyborg.

 

[Neece]

So DC is doing multiverse right as MCU is bringing it up.

Just like they tried to follow up Avengers without doing any of the build up.

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Yeah...

Who knows how either will be executed but on paper it looks like the MCU is doing the multiverse because it'll be fun to do multiverse stuff while DC is doing the multiverse to salvage the continuity of their loosely connected films.

 

[platocplx]

Maybe make more single movies so I give a damn about the characters first.

I was excited to see Iron Man interact with Star-Lord.

I didn't give a shit what Aquaman had to tell Cyborg.

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Yup I agree they need a good build up with small connective pieces as they build up.

 

[Officer Big Mac]

I didn't give a shit what Aquaman had to tell Cyborg.

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cyborg, I'm force sensitive...

 

[Deleted member 3093]

(it'll be fine, Thanos lost)

 

[Kevers]

They just Days of Future Past'd the Whedon Justice League entirely. Fox got to try over again, why the hell not?

 

[Ruisu]

Just make individual series of movies be interconnected instead of trying to tie down ALL movies. We really don't need this sort of commitment.

 

[Deleted member 8579]

I kinda feel like they shouldn't bother, they are trying on shoddy foundations with not much love for the characters. Just play them out in solo films and start over fresh.

I'm really only interested in Keaton for the pretty awesome moment it would be but don't waste that and the multiverse on a DC Universe anchored to what they attempted so far.

 

[cognizant]

This explained nothing

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They're making an interconnected universe! Uh..except for The Batman...and The Joker...and Superman...

 

[Kevers]

Where do the entirety of the justice league even go from here? Isn't Darkseid and Doomsday like the big bads of those comics? Does Batman go back to beating up people stealing from warehouses?

 

[breakdancing duck]

Crazy thought, but let Snyder make JL2 since his movie was well received and the cast enjoyed working with him.

It makes sense for Pattinson to play street level Batman, and Affleck to play alien fighting Batman. Both are based on years of comics but some people only like one of those.

 

[carlsojo]

This explained nothing

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"we are making movies"

 

[Dabanton]

Whose in charge over there for their comic movies? Walter Hamada?

Its seems Warners has way too many fiefdoms and everyone protects their territory despite the mess it leads to everywhere else in the company.