For years we have heard that Marvel and DC are in tough competition with each other. The online fan wars are certainly an indication of this. But trade pundits have always known that DC still hasn’t reached its full potential. However, this time new WBD CEO David Zaslav along with its named CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran want to change that. How? By making it more like Marvel.
David Zaslav comments on DCU’s future
David Zaslav
According to The Hollywood Reporter, David Zaslav has this to say about the DCU they’re building:
“I think over the next few years you’re going to see a lot of growth and opportunity around DC, there won’t be four Batmans. And so part of our strategy is to kick the hell out of DC, what James and Peter are going to do. I think they’ve thrilled the fans. I think they’re going to thrill you for a while.
His words, “there won’t be four Batmans” in the DCU going forward are particularly interesting. That’s because it looks like he’s aiming for a simplified Marvel-like universe with DCU where there’s only one version of a character.
As for the MCU multiverse, it’s something that wonder only recently started exploring. It’s not similar to DC’s current random situation where it’s unclear which version is the original and which is part of the multiverse. As such, it’s a great idea to streamline the DCU first.
Which Batman will be DC’s main Batman?
Selina Kyle and Batman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman
DC released Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader this year. He is therefore the current DCU Batman. But there have been rumors that Matt Reeves doesn’t want his Batman universe merged with the main DCU planned by Zaslav.
Meanwhile, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck are both reprising their Dark Knight roles in the upcoming The Flash movie. They are therefore also in the running to become the main Batman of the DCU. But if you ask us, we think that while Keaton and Affleck played iconic versions of the character, Zaslav might end up choosing a younger Batman.
WBD Boss Says DC Is Extremely Underrated
james gunn
David Zaslav added that:
“Disney has done a wonderful job with Marvel. But if you looked at Marvel and DC ten years ago, you would have said DC was as good or better. But Marvel is a connected universe. It has a ‘bible’. The key was to have one person following everything. All of Marvel is one place. You don’t wake up and find that there was a Batman TV show somewhere.
He also said of DC’s value to the company that:
“DC is one of the biggest opportunities for this company [has]. Our business is a creative business so we found two great guys. You will see a lot of growth around DC. We haven’t made a Superman movie in 13 years.
Zaslav therefore has a clear vision: to put everything under one roof with a driving force that oversees everything. Similar to Kevin Feige controlling the MCU. And it looks like its appointed DCU CEOs, Gunn and Safran, are also busy finding a similar bible for DC.
Recently, james gunn posted photos of Lobo and Mr. Terrific on his Mastodon account. Many fans took this as a sign that these characters would be incorporated into DC’s future plans. DC fans will therefore be pleased to know that the DCU is in development.
What do you think? Ring below.
