In terms of size and importance,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicewas arguably the biggest film of 2016. And while the movie made over $800 million at the box office, there is no denying that Warner Bros. was taken aback by the critical and fan reaction to the film. This was a major gamble for WB, especially given that by the timeBatman v Supermanwould be unveiled to audiences, production had already been completed onSuicide Squad,Wonder Womanwas in the midst of filming, and theZack Snyder-helmedJustice Leaguewas weeks away from beginning production. So when there was considerable pushback over the joyless quality ofBatman v Superman, not to mention harshly negative reviews, Warner Bros. had a problem—all of these films had left the station with the assumption thatBatman v Supermanwould be universally embraced.
Major adjustments have since been made at the studio, and while the more lightheartedSuicide Squadis performing above expectations at the box office, Warner Bros. appears to remain intent on switching things up for the DC Extended Universe to come. One of the studio’s biggest moves was installing DC Comics Chief Creative OfficerGeoff Johnsas the head of a new arm at WB, DC Films. In this role, Johns—who consulted heavily on the previous DCEU films—was given a far bigger leadership role in the universe to come.
And while the first trailer forJustice Leaguepromised that the characters of the film will indeed crack a smile, in a new interview withWSJ(viaCS), Johns revealed that the timetable of bringing the DCEU “into the light” was moved up in the wake of theBatman v Supermanreaction:
“Mistakenly in the past I think the studio has said, ‘Oh, DC films are gritty and dark and that’s what makes them different.’ That couldn’t be more wrong. It’s a hopeful and optimistic view of life. Even Batman has a glimmer of that in him. If he didn’t think he’d make tomorrow better, he’d stop.”
Johns also revealed in the interview thatJustice Leaguewill indeed address the fact thatBen Affleck’s more grizzled Batman tried to murder Superman and is handling himself in a much more violent way. Moreover,Justice Leagueis said to include fewer of Snyder’s “controversial flourishes” like the extended Knightmares sequences inBatman v Supermanin favor of focusing on the film’s plot at hand. That Knightmare sequencemay have been a prelude to Darkseid’s arrivalin the DCEU. Or maybe it was just an excuse to get visually creative with Batman having bad dreams.
Whatever the case, it’s clear that there has been a marked shift in direction onJustice League, and Johns is leading the charge in making sure that these comic book movies are joyous in addition to taking their characters seriously. And withJoe Manganielloconfirmed to be playing the villain Deathstrokein Affleck’s standalone Batman movie, things are certainly about to get interesting.
I’m curious to see if, in hindsight,Batman v Supermansticks out like a sore thumb in the DCEU. There’s been enough time to address issues withWonder Woman, andThe FlashandAquamanare in development under the tutelage of Johns, so the DC Comics veteran’s influence is sure to be felt. We’ll find out for sure whenJustice Leagueopens in theaters on July 11, 2025.
