Warner Bros. has rebranded – and wants to give the DCEU a whole new look, too.
In a $43 billion deal, Discovery has merged with WarnerMedia to create Warner Bros. Discovery. According to Variety, CEO David Zaslav and other higher-ups at the newly joint company want to turn DC Entertainment into its own 'solidified content vertical.'
This could affect the future of DC movies, and it seems like Warner Bros. wants the brand to be a little bit more like Marvel.
Zaslav reportedly met and interviewed a number of candidates, including former top film executives at companies like 20th Century Studios and Paramount, in hopes of finding someone to serve as a 'creative and strategic czar' similar to Marvel's Kevin Feige. As the current president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of MCU movies since 2007, Feige has transformed the brand into a nonstop box-office blockbuster machine.
Warner Bros. Discovery insiders reportedly believe that despite the success of Aquaman and The Batman, DC lacks a 'coherent creative and brand strategy.' The company wants to revitalize class characters like Superman, and potentially give the hero a new series of standalone films that better re-establish his brand identity.
They also cited Todd Phillips' Joker and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn i.e. Birds of Prey as perfect examples of how 'second-billed' characters from the DC library can successfully be exploited.
Following the success of The Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker, DC has two new Batman spin-offs in the works: an Arkham Asylum-centered show about Gotham PD and one that follows Colin Farrell's The Penguin. Black Adam, The Flash, and a new Aquaman installment are just a few of the upcoming films DC has in the pipeline.
Though the fate of the DCEU seems up in the air, we're hoping this overhaul results in an even bigger and better DC.
For more, check out our list of new superhero movies and get up to date on all your favorites.
