By now if you haven’t heard yet. Walter Hamada who is DC’s President film at Warner Brothers. He spoke to the New York Times yesterday and had a lot to say about the future of the DCEU and future films exclusively for HBO Max, and his thoughts on continuing the Snyder DC film universes continue.
Before I give you my two cents on Walter Hamada’s plans for the future of DC films. In my opinion Walter Hamada has done a good job since taking over. Behind his direction Aquaman was a huge hit, Joker film was a huge hit, Shazam was a big hit, and Birds of Prey was hit with the critics. He has done a good job this far. He is the one who hire Matt Reeves for The Batman and allowing him to tell his Batman story and direction. Even though Wonder Woman 84 is a mixed bag film is still watchable and fun I can say the same about Birds of Prey. Another thing I like Walter Hamada has done is allowing directors or creators tell their own vision for these character’s films. Here is the link to Walter Hamada’s interview with the New York Times Managing Movie Superheroes Is About to Get a Lot More Complicated – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
I know Todd Phillips recently said Walter Hamada didn’t understand his Joker story he pitched to him, but Walter still gave Todd the green light for his Joker solo film project because of the amount of trust and the reputation Todd Phillips has and continues to build as a creator he had for Todd Phillip as a creator. You can checkout the interview Todd Phillips did with Michael Moore in his Rumble with Michael Moore podcast which is a very good interview.
Now here is what I take way from his interview.
Four DC Films Per a Year
Walter said Warner Brothers is planning to release four DC Films per a year. Two in theaters and two on HBO Max Streaming Services. Walter Hamada mentions Batgirl and Static Shock being that risky films that will be exclusively on HBO Max instead of going into theaters because they are risky investment at the box office. I understand Batgirl make sense fore HBO Max because female superhero films have not been successful in theaters. Only Wonder Woman film, and Captain Marvel have been the only two successful female superhero films that has been a commercial success. We will have to wait and see about Black Widow movie whenever that movie comes out. There isn’t any announcement on who will be directing the Batgirl film, but I do remember it was reported by thewrap.com that screen writer Christina Hodson who wrote Birds of Prey, Bumble Bee and Flashpoint film was hired to write a Batgirl solo film. I enjoyed her work from Birds of Prey and Bumble Bee film and I am looking forward to see what she does with Flashpoint and Batgirl. Screenwriter Christina Hodson Hired to Write ‘Batgirl’ for Warners and DC (thewrap.com)
As for Static Shock film going to HBO Max instead of theaters in my opinion is a face palm, because Static has a huge following thanks to his animated series in the early 2000’s. With Michael B Jordan who is behind the Static Shock project this should go straight to theaters because fans who grew up with the series will come opening evening. Warner Brothers and Walter Hamada are defiantly unaware how popular the character really is and he should be in theaters. Risky project that should go to HBO Max is the Plastic Gil film that is rumored to be in development, or a Question Noire film. That would be risky and would go to HBO Max. I am curious to what else they will bring to HBO Max as a exclusively to the streaming service. DC has a huge category of characters that will make sense as risky project films.
Continuing Zack Snyder’s Justice League Series?
Walter Hamada said that there are no future plans with Zack Snyder’s Justice League as it is a dead end street, after his cut is release. For fans who loved Zack Snyder’s vision for the DCEU I am sure they are crushed hearing it. It is not surprising in my opinion AT&T is the one who paid to finish the Snyder Cut not Warner Brothers and to have it to bring more subscribers to HBO Max that all it is for. I am disappointed that nothing out of the Snyder cut will be use to continue that version of the DCEU. I do think if the Snyder Cut is success on HBO Max it is possible they will revisit some of that version with Zack Snyder. Jay Oliva from the DC animated department is a huge fan of what Zack Snyder was doing with his version of the DCEU I can see a Justice League 2 done as a animation fil m as a exclusive for HBO Max. That would be the closes thing of anything done after the Snyder Cut is released. Like I said if JL Snyder Cut is a success on HBO Max. In my opinion AT&T will try to work with Snyder again for something exclusively on HBO Max.
More DC Spinoffs Base from DC Films
Walter Hamada said they will be doing more spinoff base on their future DC Films that will be out in the next three years. As of now we have a Gotham spinoff series base from Matt Reeve’s The Batman film and a Peace Maker event series base from James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad film. I do think it is ambitious of Warner Brothers to make spinoff series base on their DC Films that is schedule to come out in the next three years. I am not sure what the excited level is with another Gotham series and a Peace Maker series. I am wondering who are these series are for, because I think as a fan I would rather see something that is new and not connect to a film that either will be a failure or a success at the box office. Since Warner Brothers wants to do more Batman related projects how about a Redhood series, or a Super Sons series that focuses on Damien Wayne and Jonathan Kent.
I wouldn’t mind a Blue Beatle series staring Jamie Reyes. I remember hearing rumors Warner Brothers was working on a Blue Beatle movie focusing on Jamie Reyes but nothing has been reported in recent memories. Warner Bros. Developing DC Comics Latino Superhero ‘Blue Beetle’ Film (bleedingcool.com) I think a Blue Beatle series staring Jamie Reyes is better on HBO Max than another spinoff series that fans might not want to see if the film it is attached to blows up at the box office. I do think doing spinoff series will be a bad idea to move forward with I think Walter should green light series for characters like Vixen, Black Canery, Blue Beatle, Rorschach, or a event series of Brandon Routh’s Superman Kingdom Come series that focus on the Superman he played in Berlanti’s Crisis on Infinite Earth main event crossover from the Arrowverse.
Two Batman film Franchises
This was the huge take away from the Walter Hamada interview from the New York Time. Walter Hamada mentions about doing a multiverse which will be away to have two different Batman from two different worlds. We know Ezra Miller’s Flashpoint film will introduce the multiverse and will co star Michael Keaton and a cameo by Ben Affleck who both will be returning as Batman from two different worlds. Walter said a new actor will replace Ben’s Batman. He did not say Ben will be replace during the Flashpoint film, but I do believe that is how they will pull the switch to remove Ben’s Batman out of the DCEU and have Michael Keaton be the older Batman that has been operating since 1989 in the DCEU.
I was very surprise how open Walter was about letting fans know we will see two different Batman on film from different franchises in the future. In my opinion this is unofficially confirms the rumor over the summer that Michael Keaton will replace Ben Affleck as the new older Batman in the DCEU making his Batman 89 and Batman Returns cannon with the DCEU’s Wonder Woman and Aquaman with Flash. Robert Pattinson will be the younger Batman in Matt Reeves Batman trilogy while Keaton will make appearances as a older Batman in the DCEU films. Again it is a RUMOR that is going around for a long time over the Summer that after Flash fixes the multiverse in Flashpoint film Michael Keaton’s Batman will be the new older Batman in the DCEU and will pop up in other DCEU films in the future.
It doesn’t confirm we will get a Batman Beyond film staring Michael Keaton yet, however with Christina Hodson is writing both Flashpoint and the Batgirl films so don’t be surprise if the Batgirl movie is some kind of Beyond movie that focus on Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne training his daughter to become the next dark knight as Batgirl. Right now Tom King is writing a Batman and Catwoman 12 issue series that focuses on Bruce and Selina’s relationship from present, and future. We already seen cameos of their daughter Helena Wayne becoming the new protector of Gotham as Batwoman. So I wouldn’t be surprise if DC Films President likes that story and uses it for the Batgirl series with Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne training his daughter to continue his legacy by starting out as Batgirl and becomes Batwoman when she is older. I hope the additional films that features Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne will be a Batman Beyond film. Why else would they bring him back.
My Final Thoughts
I guess time will tell if we see any of the future DC films and spinoff series that DC’s Film President Walter Hamada mentions to the New York Times comes true. We have seen DC and Warner Brother announce so many projects back in 2015 and we seen it blow up in their faces. While not announcing the directors and actors who is attached to the Batgirl and Static Shock film there is still a high possibility those films will not be made. It is disappointing no Superman film announcement or in development. I know Jon Peters still owns the Superman movie rights which is why they are doing another Superman tv series since they don’t have to pay Jon Peters like they did with Man of Steel and Superman Returns.
Secondly we can’t trust anything Warner Brothers says because they haven’t earned the trust yet since everything sounds like it is up in the air still. If they want to announce future movies have an actor and a director attached to any of these projects. Plus the showrunner from the Gotham spinoff left the project because creative differences. Who knows when these projects hit the ground an running because we are not out of the Covid19 pandemic yet. Warner Brothers will probably changes things up again by the end of 2021 because that is what they do. I don’t feel excited about any of the future projects besides Flashpoint, The Batman, and The Suicide Squad because two of the three movies are made and all three have writers, directors and actors attached to it. I thought Wonder Woman 84 was a fun joyful movie, but I understand the negativity from fans and the critics. It is great that Walter Hamada supports creative visions from directors, however Wonder Woman 84 is an example of allowing to much creativity from directors will hurt a film. It is clear Warner Brother is still learning how to bring a balance comic book movie that the general audiences and comic book fans will love or enjoyed.
My Comic Book Opinion 