As plans for the mega-franchise were pulled together, executives were keen to emphasize that they were taking a different approach to Marvel. A Warner Bros. insider described the studio’s plan as “filmmaker-driven,” a nod to their success with Nolan, and a slap at Marvel, where Kevin Feige has long been said to essentially operate as a showrunner, and as the main creative force behind the movies. Producer Deborah Snyder reiterated this just before the release of ‘Batman v Superman,’ telling The Hollywood Reporter, “We want to hire directors who still have a point of view and that have latitude because we don’t want all the movies to feel the same.”
Perhaps this filmmaker-first approach was true of ‘Batman v Superman’; the problems with the film are common in Snyder’s work, and the movie doesn’t appear to be anyone’s fault but his. But beyond that, the idea of the DC Movies as a safe haven for filmmakers appears to be a false notion. “Wonder Woman” had as many as five different screenwriters penning first acts simultaneously, while “Aquaman” had three. The studio stressed its desire to work with acclaimed filmmakers, then hired the guy who wrote “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” and who’s never directed a movie, to helm “The Flash” (he’s since been replaced on the project). Michelle MacLaren was hired to direct “Wonder Woman,” then fired.
And though Ayer was said at one point to have “broad creative control” on “Suicide Squad,” that may not have lasted for long. Warner Bros. initially flipped for Ayer’s pitch for the project, so much so that they rushed it into production, giving him just six weeks to pen a draft that could then go into pre-production, as the studio were trying to make sure they’d beat Drew Goddard’s Spider-Man related “Sinister Six” movie into production (that film was scrapped when “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” was critically savaged and underperformed, with Sony’s eventual team-up with Marvel to reboot the character looking like an increasingly smart move ever since).
If Ayer was left alone for the beginning of the “Suicide Squad” shoot, reports suggest that studio executives weren’t as hands-off once the ‘Batman v Superman’ reviews landed. Significant reshoots took place, and there appeared to be many hands in the editing room, to the extent that the company that created the film’s trailer were reportedly brought in by the studio put together their own cut of the movie. Ayer has stood by “Suicide Squad,” saying the version that’s in cinemas is his cut, but the sloppy storytelling, gaping plot holes and general mish-mash vibe suggests otherwise. Maybe the theatrical cut is better than what would have happened without the course-correction, maybe it’s not, but it definitely feels like a film that had too many cooks involved.
Similar to ‘Batman v Superman,’ it also feels like “Suicide Squad” is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what worked about “The Dark Knight” films. Those had a certain seriousness of purpose, but they weren’t grim-and-gritty for the sake of it: Nolan always has as much James Bond in his DNA as he does Kubrick, and was capable of sprinkling a little wit among the darkness, along with a thematic backbone to serve as a solid foundation. But ‘Batman v Superman’ and “Suicide Squad” along with being garish, dour, and grim, are also largely bereft of ideas.
And indeed, what the DC movies have had is a vacuum of vision. Reports from last year suggested that from the outset, there were a number of people at Warner Bros. weighing in on the superhero films, but no central, Kevin Feige-like figure to shepherd it along. However, following the reception to ‘Dawn Of Justice,’ that changed with DC veteran Geoff Johns (who inspired mixed response in the fan community) and Ben Affleck ally Jon Berg put in charge of the newly created DC Films banner (with Affleck given an executive producer credit on “Justice League,” suggesting he might be the franchise ambassador moving forward). And looking ahead, the messaging is pretty clear, with Johns aiming for more “hope and optimism” from the DC branded movies.
However, Warner Bros’ reactive approach is a fundamental misunderstanding of what made their competition so successful. The Marvel movies don’t work because they have jokes in them (though it does help that they’re able to poke fun at themselves, something Snyder or Ayer’s films can’t do), but because they’ve nailed a particular tone. Even for films as serious as “Captain America: Civil War,” they’re delivered with a lightness of touch, and an ability to still thread humor through the proceedings. It’s the kind of balance that sledgehammer directors like Snyder and Ayer aren’t capable of.
Tone is the most important thing, and this year’s DC films are simply all over the place so far. ‘Dawn Of Justice’ swings from Jesse Eisenberg giving Holly Hunter a jar of piss, to operatic and violent action sequences. It wants to deconstruct its heroes, and celebrate them, but it can’t do both. “Suicide Squad” endeavors toward a grimy, alt-superhero “Dirty Dozen” shoot-em-up, or a “Guardians Of The Galaxy”-style band of lovable misfits on an adventure, and in trying to do both, winds up being neither.
Warner Bros. boss Kevin Tsujihara has a franchise-first strategy (though ironically, his most profitable movies have all been originals like “Central Intelligence,” “Me Before You,” “Lights Out,” “American Sniper” and “San Andreas,” with franchise movies like “Tarzan,” “Pan,” “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and “Point Break” all losing money), and needs the DC Universe to work. And it’s why there’s nine more are scheduled between now and 2020. And only yesterday, it was confirmed that a new Superman movie is in active development, joining “Wonder Woman,” “The Flash,” “Aquaman,” “Shazam” and an Affleck-directed Batman movie in the lineup of DC Films on the horizon.
However, if they’re going to keep making these movies with the hopes of a long-term, sustainable franchise, they need to make them right. It will require some risk, an ability to firmly establish what kind of universe they want for these characters, formulating what will set them distinctly apart from their rivals, investing in the right kind of talent to see it through, all while making sure there is someone keeping an eye on the bigger picture. In many ways, WB has tried to run before they can walk, racing to follow the course that Marvel has already carved out, with far lesser results. But their greatest success might be found in forging their own path.
