DC Head Gives Glimpse Into The Future Of DC Films

For so many years, DC had been trying to play catch up to Marvel. A Cinematic universe, crossovers, interconnected stories and all in a shorter space of time. As we know their efforts on the most part did not work, meaning a rethink was in order. After multiple leadership and structural changes, it finally seems as though DC/Warner Bros are starting to get their act together, and Head of DC Films Walter Hamada has been instrumental ins steadying the ship.

Under his leadership, DC has taken a step back on their shared cinematic universe ambitions, instead focusing on individual heroes and stories. Aquaman, Shazam, Joker, Birds of Prey, and Wonder Woman 1984 are all positive steps in the right direction, and its clear DC is starting to finds its groove. And I don't care what anyone says - I thought Birds of Prey was great (a real shame it didn't perform at the box office).

But looking to the future, there's a lot more to come from the comic book giant, Walter Hamada revealed earlier this week in an interview with the New York Times, as he gave us a glimpse into DC's future ambitions. The most notable piece of news to come from the article was DC's intent on having two different Batman franchises running at the same time. We know Robert Pattinson will have his own franchise, and I'm personally assuming (because its not confirmed) that the second Batman will be Ben Affleck's replacement in the DCEU. It's ambitious to say the least, and the danger of confusing audiences could hinder perceptions and more importantly box office potential. But Walter Hamada is confident it can work. He said "I don't think anyone else has ever attempted this. But audiences are sophisticated enough to understand it. If we make good movies, they will go with it.", and I think he's nailed it on the head. The most important thing is to make the best movie possible, and if you make good movies, people will go see them.

It's also important to note that DC are going to push forward with their cinematic universe (DCEU), a good move as I feel they have a settled roster of characters that audiences have been able to explore. The long in development Flash movie looks set to introduce the "multiverse" concept and will be a great (and easy) way to explain the different worlds and multiple characters to the general audience.

Also in the article, Hamada spoke about DC's plans to expand its productions, with more films and shows in the works in the coming years. From 2022, their goal is to release 4 films a year theatrically meaning there is much to look forward to for all comic book movie fans. Not forgetting about streaming, they also plan to release 2 films a year on HBO Max, with these films being seen as more "riskier" projects such as Batgirl. Spin-off series are also planned for The Batman and Suicide Squad, with Hamada saying "With every movie that we’re looking at now, we are thinking, ‘What’s the potential Max spinoff?". It's clear DC will play a huge part in pushing users towards HBO Max, with Zack Snyder's Justice League mini-series being released in 2021.

It's exciting to see (and actually believe) DC having clear plans for future content, because they have too many well known characters and stories to draw from which I know audiences are dying to see bought to life. I'm also really happy they're committing to theatrical releases, but wouldn't be too surprised if the importance of HBO Max changes any of those plans. Hamada has shown he is truly capable of leading DC into the new decade, paving their own path to success and not just copying Marvel/Disney. As he said, if the content is good, audiences will watch, so all he needs to do is ensure they make good films and shows...which is easy right?

It's exciting times for DC/Warner Bros right now, but I'd wish they'd just announce a Man Of Steel 2 so I can sleep in peace!

You can read the full New York Times article here.