Is there really a 'Justice League' film happening in 2013?
A major industry newspaper starts a crazy rumor... but is it possible it's true?
There will definitely be a moment when Warner Bros. decides to make a 'Justice League' movie, but it's a safe bet it won't be in the year 2013
Okay, let's be logical about this.
That's the first thing I'd say regarding any rumor you hear. Think about the logic of what you're reading or, in many cases, re-reporting, and ask yourself if it makes basic sense.
For example, when The LA Times does a major profile of Jeff Robinov, who has finally been promoted to the job of president of Warner Bros. after many years of working as one of their top execs and as a very powerful agent before that, one would assume that piece has been vigorously fact-checked.
As a result, when reading that piece and looking at the passage that talks about the way Robinov wants DC superheroes to step in and replace the "Harry Potter" franchise that's wrapping up this summer, it would be easy to accept everything in those two short paragraphs as simple truth.
If you haven't read the article, let me share those paragraphs with you so we're clear what we're talking about:
His most immediate hurdle is filling the void that will be left this summer when the multibillion-dollar "Harry Potter" series shepherded by Horn ends. Robinov is betting on DC Comics characters to take center stage starting in June with the $200-million-plus production "Green Lantern."
He's then aiming to release new "Batman" and "Superman" films in 2012 and "Justice League," a teaming of DC's top heroes, in 2013.
Makes perfect sense, right?
Only… it doesn't. Not on any level. "Superman" is a legal landmine for Warner Bros., and their attention is focused right now on just making one movie with the characters that works, something they haven't been able to do in 30 years. There are all sorts of issues that are involved in which characters they can or can't use, and right now, they're just hoping they make one movie with Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder that reminds audiences of what they love about Superman in the first place. That is a huge priority for the studio.
2012 will also see the wrap-up to Nolan's "Batman" films, and again… the studio's got a lot riding on the film, and they're taking care to give Nolan what he wants and to make him happy. He's spoken before about how he doesn't really see his version of Batman existing in a world with lots of other costumed heroes, and when you look at just the trailer for "Green Lantern," it appears that Warner is using that film to establish a very different type of comic-book universe. My guess is that "Green Lantern" is the first stepping stone on a long path to a possible "Justice League" movie down the road, but when I tell you that it won't be released in 2013, that's not guesswork. That's just a simple logistical truth.
Before they can bring Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman and The Flash and more of their iconic heroes together, they are going to have to set a tone that works for all of those characters, and then they're going to have wait for Nolan to finish with Batman so they can establish a different take on the character. Without seeing what Snyder has planned for Superman, it's impossible to guess if his film would be able to branch into a crossover film, but I can confidently say that they aren't planning to make two movies with that character within a year of each other. With either of those characters, frankly. It's just not happening.
And yet, because that showed up The LA Times, we're going to see hundreds of stories today that breathlessly announce it as a done deal. And if people would just think about the likelihood of Warner rushing into something as big as "Justice League" after already having a similar film blow up in their faces not so long ago, they'd realize that it doesn't make any sense. Before you ever see a "Justice League" film, you're going to have to see a successful screen version of "The Flash" and NBC's going to have to put a bullet in that insane "Wonder Woman" TV show they're going to spend too much money on and cancel quickly, and they're going to have to establish that some of the second tier DC characters actually work as movie characters, and so far, none of that has happened.
2013? Not a chance. Count on it.
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March 29, 2011 at 12:40AM EST Reply to CommentIt's a shame how we've all taken for granted that once Nolan finishes his time on Batman, there WILL soon be another take on the character. It's like everyone has grown accustomed to the fact that we'll keep on getting reboot after sequel after remake. Sigh.
Anyway, fully agreed. There's no way that we are getting a Justice League movie in 2013. Another aspect I'm surprised you didn't cover is that maybe DC/Warner will wait to see how "The Avengers" fares at the box-office before fully setting into motion their counterpart. I mean, we are easily talking about a $200million+ movie with "The Avengers", that too after Marvel locked in franchise-friendly deals with everyone onboard, spent close to $700million (and 4 years) laying the groundwork for all characters and we still don't know if the movie's a guaranteed blockbuster. Atleast, I don't take that for granted.
And finally, what's up with Wonder Woman's arms in this article's image? Are they always that muscular or is this from a steroid-filled universe of the comics?
it's the artist.
March 29, 2011 at 2:21AM ESTJack Flack
March 29, 2011 at 2:11AM EST Reply to CommentThey're not going to be able to do anything with Superman come 2013 once the Siegel and Schuster families secure 100% ownership of the character. The only way they could make Justice League is if they launch Superman, Green Lantern and then Flash and Wonder Woman before coming out with a new installment of Batman which sets the stage for the Justice League. But it won't be by 2013.
Mulderism
March 29, 2011 at 3:59AM EST Reply to CommentNot this shit again...
People clamoring for a Justice League movie should just go and rewatch the cartoon series. This is not a knock on Justice League or Justice League Unlimited. They are great, entertaining shows.
I never, ever, EVER want to see Nolan's Batman considered for a JL movie. Nor Snyder's Superman. Why would anyone in their right mind want to see them all shoehorned into a movie together? It would undermine everything they have set up. Nolan's Batman exists in a world without superheroes and Batman was the first. Nolan's Batman fights criminals and terrorists - not supernatural beings or aliens. Superman in Nolan's universe would make Batman redundant. Likewise Nolan's Batman would be redundant to Superman.
For the love of crumbcake DC, keep your heroes separate in their own universes with their own villains.
The Marvel experiment is filled with unknowns. Thor and Captain America are not guaranteed to be hits. Nor is an Avengers movie. The only successfully proven franchise that Marvel has is Iron Man. And while I wish them success and will see all the films I think they are taking a huge risk. They are counting that every single film is a success. If any one bombs than how does that bode for The Avengers?
I worry that Marvel is going to wear out their welcome with all the movies they are cranking out both within their own studio and all the others. Add to this X-Man:FC, Spider-Man, Iron Man 3, Ghost Rider 2 and eventually Wolverine 2.
Are people going to get sick of a non ending stream of super-hero movies?
Personally I prefer quality over quantity. DC is going slower and I am more excited about their projects than any of the Marvel offerings.
Except for "X-Man:FC" that is - the teaser trailer is excellent.
normangunston
March 29, 2011 at 5:25AM EST Reply to CommentI couldn't be less excited by Thor or Captain America or any of the upcoming superhero movies. Surely Kick Ass showed this tired form up for what it is?
And on another note. Movies should, in my opinion, concentrate on being single pieces of internally consistent and satisfying drama. Hooks are great of course - ESB, The Two Towers etc - but I couldn't be less interested in a series of superhero movies that all laboriously set up a movie in which all the superheroes get together. Yawn.
John W
March 29, 2011 at 10:09AM EST Reply to CommentGiven that DC Comics is owned by Warner Bros. You'd think it be easier to produce movies based on the characters. But they seem to be stuck producing the same two movies over and over: Superman and Batman.
March 29, 2011 at 10:09AM EST Reply to CommentFirst, I agree that logistics would preclude a JLA film hitting theaters in 2013. It Simply takes more time to get a film to the screen than two years and there is no way Warners could keep a script like JLA under the radar.
However, the assumption that a JLA film would have to include Superman and Batman could be incorrect.
One could very successfully argue that Batman has always been a misfit in the Justice League. And on film, Batman doesn't need the other characters. As bad as a couple of the films were. The character is without a doubt one of the biggest franchises of the last 25 years. Why risk spoiling a proven commodity in a JLA film.
Likewise, Superman should have similar clout but he doesn't because of 30 years of mismanagement. At the moment, from one point of view, the Man of Steel could be construed as poison to a JLA film.
Farfetched?
Probably. Conventional wisdom would be that Warners would want Superman and Batman in the film to draw an audience.
But what if the Green Lantern film is a success along the lines of Iron Man? That is a longshot, with so much Marvel competition this summer, but it could happen.
If so, wouldn't a JLA movie featuring Green Lantern and introducing say Flash, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Vixen, Zatanna and Black Canary, be a decent idea. Obviously, Wonder Woman would be in the group if/when the TV show flops.
Batman could stand by himself as a franchise and Superman, too, if the Snyder film works.
Flash and Aquaman films — or whichever of the characters seem more feasible — could spin out of the JLA film or not.
Again to some, the JLA is Batman and Superman plus other characters, but in the comics since around 1980 those characters have been out of the line up about as often as they are in it. In the late 50s the editors of Superman and Batman actually stopped the use of the characters in the book to avoid saturation until the publisher vetoed the move.
Any JLA movie is a huge gamble. If it flops, it could be disasterous, but if if flops without Superman and Batman, it doesn't damage those franchises.
Some would say, doing 5 or 6 origins in one film is way too much. Of course it is. But a JLA film doesn't have to explain every nuance of the Flash or Wonder Woman or whomever. It's enough to say the Flash is the fastest man alive, that Martian Manhunter has fantastic abilities because he's from Mars likewise Aquaman because he's from Atlantis. People will get it just like they do when they read comics. Every issue doesn't give all the backstory of a character.
Again, I personally think a JLA film could work as well with or without DC's Big Two. It might might even simplfy the process greatly.
reality. ctionte
March 29, 2011 at 11:49AM EST Reply to CommentWhy does WB have to take the path laid out by Marvel and "build towards" a JL movie?
I thought originally WB was looking at a JL movie to jump start up all these character and spin them off into their own movies.
Plus, it's not like they are totally starting from scratch - George Miller had a script ready to go, so there is at least a starting point WB likes. I think a Thanksgiving/Xmas 2013 release is possible, assuming we all survive 2012.
Kent
March 29, 2011 at 2:24PM EST Reply to CommentThe only way this movie could be made by 2013 and not stink to high heaven is if they gave Timm and Dini carte blanche on it. Otherwise, it's going to be awful and set back most of their potential franchise characters by years.
dyikini
March 29, 2011 at 6:53PM EST Reply to CommentDoesn't the fact they got so far along with Millers Justice League mean that they aren't against the idea of having multiple versions of the same characters existing in cinemas around the same time?
I'm not sure why in the end it was canned and maybe it has something to do with that. But given how far it seemed to get into pre-production, I'd say they're not totally against the thought.
Sure, if they want to milk it for all it's worth they'll go Marvel style and release an individual film for all each superhero and have them come together I know, but in the case of Wonder Woman, it's not like Smallville has had the same effect on Superman in the same way.
Anyway, I do actually agree with you Drew, it doesn't make sense, but I don't think it's so far out of possibility that it can be 100% written off.
amy lewis
May 9, 2012 at 11:54PM EST Reply to CommentI would love to see them come out with a justice league movie. And I know it will be a hit at the box office and the theater's will be packed. The avengers was a big hit at the box office and the theaters were packed.
james
May 10, 2012 at 11:35AM EST Reply to Commenti cant wait to see justice league in big screen
i mean in cinemas
fame
May 10, 2012 at 11:39AM EST Reply to Commenti cant to wait to see in the big screen.................