There is no doubt that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a juggernaut in the world of blockbusters, able to accrue a crap ton of money while also being met with critical acclaim. And with the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, the DCEU has stepped up to the plate in an attempt to compete with its comic book rival. But while the MCU took their time developing a character at a time before Joss Whedon's The Avengers, the DCEU has ordered a ton of new movies to expand the universe, including Whedon's upcoming Batgirl film. So how does Marvel feel about Whedon jumping ship?
It turns out, they don't care all that much. Marvel president Kevin Feige recently spoke to THR, revealing how the Joss Whedon/DC situation went down. He said,
He called. A couple months ago, which he didn't have to do and was super cool of him and super nice of him... And we couldn't be more supportive. We want to see a Joss Whedon Batgirl film be awesome.
Well, this seems a lot less ugly than I was anticipating. Both Kevin Feige and Joss Whedon seemed to have taken the classy higher ground in this potentially awkward situation. Which is probably why we haven't heard much response from Marvel regarding Whedon's Batgirl announcement.
As far as logistics go, Joss Whedon's inclusion in the DCEU doesn't actually affect Marvel in any way. Whedon left the universe a few years ago, and the Russo Brothers have since taken on the responsibility of shaping the universe and helming the next Avengers films. So while Marvel's ego may have been hit by Whedon working for the enemy, virtually nothing changed due to his departure.
The other side of this equation is that comic book fans may be a bit weary of Joss Whedon after his work in the divisive Avengers: Age of Ultron. Whedon was the target of the trolls' fury, with fanboys seemingly forgetting how Whedon helped the Avengers come together in the first place.
And in reality, Joss Whedon may be the most appropriate and prepared director to help the untitled Batgirl movie. Whedon's bread and butter is strong female characters; many closely associate the director with his outstanding work in the long running series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since then, he's brought more badass female characters to life with his Eliza Dushku led show Dollhouse, in addition to his work with Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow during the first two Avengers movies.
And with Marvel's blessing, now we just have to wait and see what comes from Joss Whedon's untitled Batgirl movie. Unfortunately, the development is still in its earliest stages, so we'll probably have to wait a while before we get any official news.
The next trip into the DCEU is Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman, which will hit theaters on June 2, 2017. Check out our full premiere list and plan your next trip to the movies.
