There’s no denying that the two biggest comic book film franchises have been managed a little bit differently. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has relied on a cohesive narrative between all its films and TV spinoffs, while DC Films' approach has been a bit more wide-ranging. And as DC Films heads into a new era, the man in charge is confident that fans are sophisticated enough to understand Warner Bros.’s multiverse approach.
After films like Batman v. Superman and Justice League failed to resonate with fans, the team at DC Films knew it was in a quandary. There were popular TV series based on DC properties, and they’d found some success at the box office, but not on Marvel’s level.
Walter Hamada, who has beene the president of DC Films since 2018, was brought on board at the studio to help build its future. He believes that rather than starting over from scratch, the solution is to take what they already have and move forward with a multiverse. He told The New York Times that while he knows it’s a risky endeavor, he believes it will pay off:
I don’t think anyone else has ever attempted this. But audiences are sophisticated enough to understand it. If we make good movies, they will go with it.
According to Walter Hamada, what we’ll see in the coming years is a large swath of films and TV series. They will be largely connected to two separate storylines, World 1 and World 2. The Flash film currently in the works is intended to connect the two worlds -- and allow for the existence of two Batmans simultaneously -- but fans can also expect for them to operate as independent broader narratives. Walter Hamada also told the trade that fans can expect most major DC Films to be accompanied by a spin-off for HBO Max, to help solidify the storylines in fans’ minds and give them more opportunities to connect with the content.
That basically means we can expect to see a lot of DC stories in the next couple of years. In addition to The Flash, we’ll be seeing Black Adam, The Batman, and new installments from the Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman franchises.
This multiverse approach has already seen some support from people like Zack Snyder, who believes it’s a smart approach for DC to take -- and one that’s respectful to the fans and the characters alike. While it will take some time to assess how effective it is, both from a storytelling standpoint and in terms of how fans respond, it will definitely allow for more flexibility for the studio.
What do you think about DC Films’ multiverse? What movies are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!
