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DC Movies - To Infinity and Beyond

I made a post about this earlier this year. I’ll share it here.


Ah! The age old dispute between Marvel and DC regarding the name Captain Marvel. To put a long story short. National Comics (DC before renaming itself) sued Fawcett comics in the 50s. They claimed that Billy Baston/Captain Marvel was a clone of Superman. He is, but that's cloning an archetype. A series of trials and appeals saw Fawcett winning, but court is expensive. So to settle things, Fawcett agreed to pay damages and stopped publishing comics. This left the original character in limbo. In 1967, Marvel and Stan Lee trademarked the name "Captain Marvel" and started printing their own character. Mar-Vell from the Kree Empire. He had a lot success and was very popular. In 1972, DC bought out Fawcett and gained the rights to their characters but couldn't sell books under the title Captain Marvel.

They could call the character Captain Marvel. However since Marvel Comics owned the trademark, DC would be in legal hot water if Marvel pressed the issue. It's why Billy and his family got so little exposure at DC for decades. Changing the name to Shazam sidesteps the legal issue. As Marvel has been more aggressive about protecting the trademark of Captain Marvel. As they try to make Carol the female face of their brand. Carol becoming Captain Marvel in 2012 during Marvel’s “Marvel Now” relaunch. Like DC’s New 52 which launched in late 2011. Marvel Now was a jumping on point for new readers.
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Correcto!

Captain Marvel comics was VERY popular when they first came out, outselling Superman in the 1940s. It's too bad that Fawcett comics got sued out of business.
 
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Correcto!

Captain Marvel comics was VERY popular when they first came out, outselling Superman in the 1940s. It's too bad that Fawcett comics got sued out of business.
Declining sales were a factor as well. The whole industry went into a slump after WWII.
 
I still don't understand how his name is Shazam. He can't introduce himself without turning into Billy? Or is he still called Captain Marvel but the book is titled Shazam?
 
I still don't understand how his name is Shazam. He can't introduce himself without turning into Billy? Or is he still called Captain Marvel but the book is titled Shazam?

That was the case for the first 40 years of DC's use of the character. But since the New 52 reboot a decade ago, he's actually called Shazam.

I gather the idea now is that he has to say "Shazam" with the specific intent of transforming, that it won't automatically transform him just by saying the name.

Although the question was always there for Freddie Freeman/Captain Marvel Jr., because his transformation call was "Captain Marvel." So it was never clear how he introduced himself.
 
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The previous thread was based on the slate up to 2020 which is basically thrown out the window now, and since the remaining films that were discussed in that thread have their own separate anticipation threads(linked below) I think it's time for a new thread about the future of DC movies.

I'm putting the wonderfully generic "DC Movies" in the title cause I doubt the "Worlds of DC" thing will catch on, and not limiting the thread to a certain year. ;)

What we know so far is that we currently have in production:

Aquaman - 21.12.2018 - Grading and Discussion Thread

Shazam! - 5.4.2019 - Grading and Discussion Thread

Joker - 4.10.2019

Birds of Prey - 7.2.2020

Wonder Woman 1984 - 5.6.2020

The Batman - 25.6.2021

The Suicide Squad - 6.8.2021

Black Adam - 22.12.2021

DC Super Pets - 20.5.2022

Aquaman 2 - 16.12.2022

The strongest rumors so far for movies likely to enter production are The Harley Quinn Girl Gang Movie a.k.a. possibly Birds of Prey, which should start shooting early next year, The Flash, rumored to no longer be based on Flashpoint, and Batman, with or without Batfleck. If any of those (or perhaps some of the other 20 announced to be in development :D) are hoping to hit the theaters in 2020 we should start hearing some more concrete stuff about them within the next few months.
Hmm...maybe we should update this, and see how things have gone since the thread was started.


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It would have been nice if Ezra Miller's antics were just method acting (or was the above level).
The sad part is that Ezra Miller was the MOST enthusiastic actor of the entire League. When the cast was first announced, way back when, when I thought there was still a creative possibility to integrate the Arrowverse (Flash had just started, and the 2 could have focused on "local" heroes rather than "big ones" like Superman and Wonder Woman would be involved in.), Ezra DID out out there "Multiverse, people!" I dismissed that thought, but when he appeared on TV's Crisis, I cheered and was excited. I also think, as art of the cats created for Justice League, he was a perfect fit (a stark contrast to the others) .

But all this stuff is sabotaging all of that effort, and it is pretty sad. And this just feels "in line" with the difference between Marvel and DC, movie wise. Also Ben Affleck had to drop out of his Batman movie because of personal issues. And the group has RARELY been shown together outside of a few things, as opposed to Marvel, where they seem to be hanging out a lot (from games on Talk shows, panels, etc.). Marvel people seem to WANT to be a part of the team, and are appreciative of all Marvel provided them. DC people seem like the kids forced to go to where their parents want them to go to.


I am curious what @TREK_GOD_1 thinks of this. Ezra is his favorite Flash, but while he has criticized Joss Whedon, he has been extremely silient on the Ezra issue.


We will see what happens... Discovery was quick to put the kibosh on CNN+, which only had been around a month. I wonder what kind of radical changes they will make.


It;s weird that Arrowverse actors have been used to promote the movies, but the movies don't support any other efforts. (Well, i still am looking forward to a mirror of the meeting of the FLashes in Crisis).

you guys say what you like about all this DC stuff is the variety.... but Marvel offers the same thing... different styles.... If you don't want to follow everything, that's cool. But you can if you want. Just lke the comics.
 
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The sad part is that Ezra Miller was the MOST enthusiastic actor of the entire League. When the cast was first announced, way back when, when I thought there was still a creative possibility to integrate the Arrowverse (Flash had just started, and the 2 could have focused on "local" heroes rather than "big ones" like Superman and Wonder Woman would be involved in.), Ezra DID out out there "Multiverse, people!" I dismissed that thought, but when he appeared on TV's Crisis, I cheered and was excited. I also think, as art of the cats created for Justice League, he was a perfect fit (a stark contrast to the others) .

Very few wanted to see the CW material (most of it schlock) integrated with the DCEU. The quality between the two is as stark as the Fleischer's Popeye cartoons and the horrible All-New Popeye Hour from Hanna-Barbera, with most of the CW DC series metering strongly toward the H-B cartoon's level.

And the group has RARELY been shown together outside of a few things, as opposed to Marvel, where they seem to be hanging out a lot (from games on Talk shows, panels, etc.). Marvel people seem to WANT to be a part of the team, and are appreciative of all Marvel provided them.

Its a job, not life. Sean Connery did not spend his free time hanging out with Bernard Lee or Desmond Llewelyn (or in promotional tours, interviews, etc.) to deliver the lion's share of the Bond franchise's greatest entries, or for millions to enjoy the movies. No one needs to see actors "palling around" outside of the films in order to enjoy their work. They are individuals and some play up antics during interviews more than others (see: 1970s-80s interviews with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford for the Star Wars movies--one was clearly phoning in his interest in even showing up to the pressers).

Performing cartwheels for interviews is not my concern--what the actors do on screen is the concern, and the DCEU's core cast have redefined their characters in wonderful ways rarely matched by other comic book adaptations in film history. As a lifelong comic fan, that's what I wanted to see.


I am curious what @TREK_GOD_1 thinks of this. Ezra is his favorite Flash, but while he has criticized Joss Whedon, he has been extremely silient on the Ezra issue.

Are you kidding? There's no comparison between Miller and a man--if you can call Whedon that--who (among a long list of offenses) was a sexual predator, denigrating the religious beliefs of Carpenter (and others), serial adulterer, racist and so much more. You seem to be trying to make this a tit-for-tat matter, but anyone honest with themselves is never going to attempt to make a false equivalency (in deed or reaction) between Miller and Whedon.

It;s weird that Arrowverse actors have been used to promote the movies, but the movies don't support any other efforts.

How often do you see movie actors supporting TV series, even if under the umbrella of the same IPs?
 
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you guys say what you like about all this DC stuff is the variety.... but Marvel offers the same thing... different styles.... If you don't want to follow everything, that's cool. But you can if you want. Just lke the comics.
So... maybe you should stick with Marvel and enjoy it instead of virtue signaling for them in a D.C forum?
 
Very excited for Black Adam and Shazam 2, hope to see more from each.

Speculation on The Batman getting a sequel seems odd to me. It's Batman. It did unsurprisingly well. And everything is a planned trilogy anymore. What's to speculate on?
 
I think it was pretty much a given that we'd be getting The Batman 2, but it's nice to get official confirmation.
idk man, it seems pretty effective sometimes for issues that would've otherwise been swept under the run
Sadly, that probably is true. I was thinking it was the kind of thing that would have been better handled through legal channels, but I guess you're probably right, and if he had gone that route, they probably have just swept the whole thing under the rug.
Very few wanted to see the CW material (most of it schlock) integrated with the DCEU. The quality between the two is as stark as the Fleischer's Popeye cartoons and the horrible All-New Popeye Hour from Hanna-Barbera, with most of the CW DC series metering strongly toward the H-B cartoon's level.
I completely, 100% disagree on the quality of the Arrowverse shows, and I would love to see those characters and casts in the movies.


Its a job, not life. Sean Connery did not spend his free time hanging out with Bernard Lee or Desmond Llewelyn (or in promotional tours, interviews, etc.) to deliver the lion's share of the Bond franchise's greatest entries, or for millions to enjoy the movies. No one needs to see actors "palling around" outside of the films in order to enjoy their work. They are individuals and some play up antics during interviews more than others (see: 1970s-80s interviews with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford for the Star Wars movies--one was clearly phoning in his interest in even showing up to the pressers).
Performing cartwheels for interviews is not my concern--what the actors do on screen is the concern, and the DCEU's core cast have redefined their characters in wonderful ways rarely matched by other comic book adaptations in film history. As a lifelong comic fan, that's what I wanted to see.
That may be true, but it definitely helps the on screen chemistry when the cast members are friends off screen as well.
The LOTR movies and Star Trek: TNG are perfect examples of that, the casts became really close during their productions, and it really shows onscreen.


Are you kidding? There's no comparison between Miller and a man--if you can call Whedon that--who (among a long list of offenses) was a sexual predator, denigrating the religious beliefs of Carpenter (and others), serial adulterer, racist and so much more. You seem to be trying to make this a tit-for-tat matter, but anyone honest with themselves is never going to attempt to make a false equivalency (in deed or reaction) between Miller and Whedon.
You are saying that Miller is the worse of the two, right? Whedon is an asshole, but Miller is violent and appears to possibly be mentally unstable.
 
I completely, 100% disagree on the quality of the Arrowverse shows, and I would love to see those characters and casts in the movies.

You are a member of a very small group, as one of the widely shared perceptions of the Arrowverse is that most of its shows are low rent, badly written, misguided cheap crap standing next to the DCEU. The majority of Arroverse series are to the DCEU as I mentioned in the Popeye comparison, and so many DC movies fans have been happy to see that not infect the movies that have been released so far.

That may be true, but it definitely helps the on screen chemistry when the cast members are friends off screen as well. The LOTR movies and Star Trek: TNG are perfect examples of that, the casts became really close during their productions, and it really shows onscreen.

A production does not need its perfomers to be friends off camera in order for the art to succeed. If any production's head makes that claim, then he or she is admitting that their stories and characters are inherently weak and unable to bring out what is necessary for the film or TV series. The Bond example is a gold standard for off-screen interaction not being necessary, and as for the DCEU, the plot progression of how and why the characters were coming togther worked perfectly. Its about their journey, not the influence of anything off-screen.


You are saying that Miller is the worse of the two, right? Whedon is an asshole, but Miller is violent and appears to possibly be mentally unstable.

"Mentally unstable" means he needs psychological analysis & treatment--a theory which suggests he has issues he cannot control. Whedon has no such defense--he was and remains a patently despicable creature in so many categories, practiced for decades. He's not seeking any sort of treatment, but defends his sickening life and beliefs--all conscious, deliberate choices. No, there is no equivalency between Miller and Whedon at all--the latter being someone who--at the very least--should have been kicked out of the industry (see: Trachtenberg's statements on her not being allowed to be a room alone with Whedon when she was a child--for one of innumerable kinds of charges against him), but its that business, with a horrifying track record of shileding abusers of every stripe, so he was allowed to remain employable.
 
You are a member of a very small group, as one of the widely shared perceptions of the Arrowverse is that most of its shows are low rent, badly written, misguided cheap crap standing next to the DCEU. The majority of Arroverse series are to the DCEU as I mentioned in the Popeye comparison, and so many DC movies fans have been happy to see that not infect the movies that have been released so far.

Opinion, not fact. The number of fans you believe in hating the Arrowverse has just as much people hating on the DC movies, who would also call many of the movies "badly written, misguided crap". The only difference is some (not all) of the movies are expensive looking badly written crap. Nothing in the world is without its detractors. I'd take the Arrowverse version of Flash or Superman over their DCEU counterparts without hesitation. Conversely I suspect the DCEU version of Batgirl will be superior to the Batwoman show since there's really nowhere to go but up from the quality of that.

"Mentally unstable" means he needs psychological analysis & treatment--a theory which suggests he has issues he cannot control. Whedon has no such defense--he was and remains a patently despicable creature in so many categories, practiced for decades. He's not seeking any sort of treatment, but defends his sickening life and beliefs--all conscious, deliberate choices. No, there is no equivalency between Miller and Whedon at all--the latter being someone who--at the very least--should have been kicked out of the industry (see: Trachtenberg's statements on her not being allowed to be a room alone with Whedon when she was a child--for one of innumerable kinds of charges against him), but its that business, with a horrifying track record of shileding abusers of every stripe, so he was allowed to remain employable.

Wait wait wait... why can't Whedon have that same defence? Honestly. There's obviously something wrong with him mentally as well that he can't seem to control. Otherwise he wouldn't make the choices he made.

You're REALLY showing a strange sort of double standard here to defend every element of the DCEU, oddly even defending a person who physically assaulted a women with a chair 1 week before an arraignment for another crime.

How about they're both awful for what they did and both have no excuses for the type of people they are. This isn't an either-or situation to protect the perfection of your precious jewel of a universe.
 
You are a member of a very small group, as one of the widely shared perceptions of the Arrowverse is that most of its shows are low rent, badly written, misguided cheap crap standing next to the DCEU. The majority of Arroverse series are to the DCEU as I mentioned in the Popeye comparison, and so many DC movies fans have been happy to see that not infect the movies that have been released so far.
Do you have any real proof of this? I mean the shows seem to be pretty popular, they keep getting renewed, and according to the midseason ratings on TVLive, they're still some of the top rated shows on The CW. The Flash was #3, Stargirl was #4, Legends of Tomorrow was #5, Supergirl was #7, and yes I will admit Batwoman is towards the bottom at #10, but there are still 6 more shows below it. Yes none of them get the numbers of the other big network shows, but none of The CW shows do.
And The Flash Season 7 DVD is the #7,766 on Amazon's Movies & TV sales ranking, which might not sound like much, until you take into account the fact that there are hundreds of thousands or possibly even millions of movies & TV shows on there. Supergirl Season 6 is #1,002, Legends Season 6 is #11,810, Stargirl Season 2 is #4,144, S&L Season 1 is #2,478, and Batwoman Season 2 is #21,918. And just to be thorough Zack Snyder's Justice League is #594, but a big movie like that is always going to be more popular than a TV series that only the most hardcore of fans are actually going to buy. For example there are only 3 TV shows in the top 48, Yellowstone (DVD) at #5, That '70's Show at #21, and Yellowstone (Blu-Ray) at #30, and Sanditon at #32.

A production does not need its perfomers to be friends off camera in order for the art to succeed. If any production's head makes that claim, then he or she is admitting that their stories and characters are inherently weak and unable to bring out what is necessary for the film or TV series. The Bond example is a gold standard for off-screen interaction not being necessary, and as for the DCEU, the plot progression of how and why the characters were coming togther worked perfectly. Its about their journey, not the influence of anything off-screen.
I never said they needed it, just that it helps to make the characters' relationships more believable. And I'm not sure if the Bond example really works, since I was never under the impression that Bond and Leiter were supposed to be close friends who hung out all the time when they weren't on missions together.
"Mentally unstable" means he needs psychological analysis & treatment--a theory which suggests he has issues he cannot control. Whedon has no such defense--he was and remains a patently despicable creature in so many categories, practiced for decades. He's not seeking any sort of treatment, but defends his sickening life and beliefs--all conscious, deliberate choices. No, there is no equivalency between Miller and Whedon at all--the latter being someone who--at the very least--should have been kicked out of the industry (see: Trachtenberg's statements on her not being allowed to be a room alone with Whedon when she was a child--for one of innumerable kinds of charges against him), but its that business, with a horrifying track record of shileding abusers of every stripe, so he was allowed to remain employable.
I'm sorry, but I'd say a person, and again Miller is a they, not a he, who has been arrested for physically attacking people, repeatedly, is a lot worse than someone who's a just a jerk.
 
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