One thing that politicians and movie studio executives have in common is the ability to talk a lot without really saying anything at all. This ability is incredibly useful when it comes to deflecting superhero rumors. Take for example the recent comments by Greg Silverman, Warner Bros.’s president of creative development and worldwide production, who recently had to field questions about the possibility that Wonder Woman could possibly show up in Zack Snyder's upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie.
Silverman was asked about the possible superhero cameos at the Variety Entertainment & Tech Summit today, and in his response the Warner Bros. executive did his very best to show the studio's support of the Wonder Woman character while saying nothing definitive about her possible place in the untitled Man of Steel sequel. “We have been doing a lot of thinking for years about how to best use all those characters and we love them,” Silverman said. “Wonder Woman is an amazing character. I think it’s a great opportunity both for box office success, but also to have an amazingly powerful female superhero.”
This statement echos comments made by WB CEO Kevin Tsujihara earlier this month, who told members of the press that the Amazon Princess is a priority at the studio - though at this time it's unclear if they are looking to do something with the character on the big screen or on television. Digging further into the subject, a reporter from the trade asked Silverman about any specific plans for Wonder Woman, either in a solo film or an ensemble. Silverman's response?
“We are taking it all very seriously and are trying to do a plan that’s respectful to those characters and maximizes the stories as best they can. So everything that has been speculated are things that we’ve thought about.”
In other words, he can't say anything about it at this point in time and you would need a crowbar to pry the information out of him.
The most substantial comments that Silverman made regarding the Batman vs. Superman movie were about Ben Affleck's casting. In addition to praising the casting choice, he makes it sound like the decision was made because the folks making the film all know something that we in the audience don't. Said the exec,
“We knew going in that we had more information than the general public had. We knew what the take of the movie was, we knew what the character was going to be. We don’t take these decisions lightly. We thought about everybody — brand new people, established people. Ben is the perfect guy to play this role.”
The Man of Steel sequel is scheduled to go into production early next year and in addition to Affleck the movie will also star Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Diane Lane as Martha Kent. Look for it in theaters on July 17, 2015.
