With the successes of Nolan’s Batman trilogy and his involvement in the upcoming Man of Steel, it seemed like Nolan was going to be getting the Joss Whedon treatment with the DC movies moving forward. Though no director or producers have been formerly assigned to the Justice League movie, it was assumed that Nolan would have some level of involvement in it. But it seems that Warner Bros. faith in their own franchise isn’t as strong as the fans would hope to believe.
Variety has stated that “Warner’s top brass has indicated that they are awaiting results of Man of Steel, which opens June 14, before moving further ahead.” Now while this doesn’t specify the exact results they are looking for, it is a very worrisome statement to hear Warner already discussing Man of Steel in this way as well as the future of the Justice League movie with it.
The first part that stands out here is that it seems like Warner Bros. doesn’t have a lot of faith in Man of Steel. After the blunder that was Superman Returns, it is understandable that they be a little hesitant but putting it out there to the public makes me wonder about the overall quality of what they plan on giving us on the big screen. While the fan community as a whole has had a very positive buzz regarding the recent Man of Steel trailers, they don’t need to hear the studio behind it giving any indication of doubt regarding the Superman character relaunch.
It also sounds as though Warner Bros. is doubting the strength of the Justice League franchise. While members have individually had successful outings like the Nolan Batman trilogy and the WB’s Arrow and Smallville, there has been a share of flops along the way like the aforementioned Superman Returns as well as Green Lantern and even the failed launch of a Wonder Woman TV series.
One thing that Warner Bros. can’t attempt to blame is the comic book action genre. Last year’s incredible success for both The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises have proven that well done comic movies have the potential to be blockbusters.
While we obviously hope to see Man of Steel do well and lead to a Justice League of America film, we will be following news on both in the coming months. Stay tuned to the Flickcast for more on all your comic book movies including the new Super Bowl Iron Man 3 trailer as soon as we can get our hands on it.
