Let’s take a closer look at what these changes mean for the DC series and HBO Max as a whole, and why Warner Bros. Discovery seems to be making one mistake after another with its core franchises.

DC is changing direction… Again

Regardless of which camp you’re on in the eternal Marvel vs. DC conflict, there’s no denying that Warner Bros. has struggled to achieve the same level of success with the DCEU that Disney has had with the MCU. Warners has often seemed unsure of how best to build a shared universe, first mimicking the MCU model with early films like Batman v Superman and Justice League and then pivoting to emphasize a multiverse of unrelated films and shows necessarily all. The DC franchise had begun to carve out a niche for itself with more independent, directorial work such as Todd Phillips’ Joker, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and James Gunn’s spinoff The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, with the first two don’t tie into the larger DCEU at all. But that all seems to be changing after the Warner Bros. merger. Discovery. As early as May 2021, Variety reported that CEO David Zaslav is pursuing a return to a more unified MCU-style approach to DC films, to the point that Zaslav is reportedly seeking a Kevin Feige figure to oversee the DC brand . Every DC movie and series is affected by the Warner Bros. Discovery merger This mentality seems to be at the root of why the Batgirl movie was cancelled. Batgirl was originally conceived as a relatively low-budget DC film that would head straight to HBO Max. It’s a smaller-scale film that clashes with Zaslav’s vision of what the DC film series should offer. An industry insider told The Wrap, “It wasn’t considered a big enough movie to warrant a theatrical release … and it was a growing risk just to get its budget back.”
Because of this, the risk-taking Warner Bros. Discovery decided it was safer to take a tax write-off on the film than spend more money on a theatrical release and marketing campaign. This appears to be the same reasoning that killed The Wonder Twins just before production began, as well as possibly the planned Supergirl movie starring Sasha Calle. DC fans are now fearing that any number of previously announced movies and shows could be on the block. If WBD canceled the almost finished Batgirl, will Blue Beetle (which is currently in the middle of filming) be next? Will Batman spinoffs like Penguin and the Arkham series still happen? Are any DC series currently safe on HBO Max – Doom Patrol, Titans, Young Justice, Harley Quinn? Can we be sure that Batman 2 will continue to move forward? It’s been nearly 10 years since 2013’s Man of Steel kicked off the DCEU, and there’s more uncertainty surrounding the DC line than ever before. At this point, the problem is less a specific strategy for building the DC cinematic universe than the simple fact that there never seems to be a consistent strategy. The many upheavals within both DC and the larger WarnerMedia corporate structure have prevented any kind of long-term, coherent approach to the DCEU. And while it’s still very early in the new era of Warner Bros. Discovery, there is no indication so far that the new status quo will be any less chaotic.

The 10 Year Plan for DC

There are some silver linings to be found amid the tumultuous situation in DC. First, the rumored Joker sequel now has a 2024 release date, suggesting that WBD isn’t completely opposed to the idea of ​​standalone movies outside the confines of the DCEU. For another, the company hints at a decade-long roadmap for restructuring the DC line. “We did a reset,” Zaslov said during Warner Bros.’ earnings conference call. Discovery. “We have restructured the business where we will focus [on], where there will be a team with a 10-year plan focused solely on DC. It’s very similar to the structure Alan Horne and Bob Iger put together very effectively with Kevin Feige at Disney. We believe we could build a long-term, much stronger sustainable business outside of DC. And as part of that, we’re going to focus on quality.” Zaslov’s comments confirm earlier reports that the company is looking directly to Marvel for inspiration on how to reshape its superhero universe. The hope is that, even as DC’s movie strategy is upended once again, at least a consistent plan is finally in place. That said, following the Marvel model is no guarantee of success. Every studio and every streamer wants their own MCU, but actually creating a cinematic universe and keeping an engaged audience is much easier said than done. Just look at Universal’s failed attempt at the Dark Universe monster movie series or Paramount’s ongoing struggles to expand the Transformers franchise. After so many years of fighting to gain ground against Marvel, can DC really turn the tide simply by replicating Marvel’s strategy? It’s possible, especially if the studio sticks to its commitment to focus on quality over meeting release dates. But it could also prove to be an extremely costly exercise in futility.
After so many years of fighting to gain ground against Marvel, can DC really turn the tide simply by replicating Marvel’s strategy? “

Christopher Nolan and the importance of relationships with creators

2021 has been nothing if not an experimental year for WarnerMedia, with the company’s entire 2021 film lineup hitting HBO Max and theaters on the same day. It was a move that no doubt boosted subscriber numbers for the fledgling HBO Max. But it was also a significant cost, both literally and in terms of WarnerMedia’s relationships with theater chains and filmmakers. “Clearly, Warner Media intends to sacrifice a significant portion of the profitability of its movie studio division and its production partners and filmmakers to subsidize the HBO Max startup,” said AMC Theaters CEO Adam Aron. “As for AMC, we will do everything in our power to ensure that Warner does not do this at our expense. We will aggressively pursue financial terms that preserve our business.” This release strategy also caused a very public dispute between WarnerMedia and director Christopher Nolan, who wrote: “Some of our industry’s greatest filmmakers and most influential movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the biggest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service ever.” While labeling HBO Max “the worst streaming service” is pretty harsh, the fact that those words came from someone of Nolan’s stature is telling. Nolan has since cut ties with Warner Bros. His upcoming biopic Oppenheimer will be distributed by Universal Pictures. Considering that Nolan has been responsible for some of Warners’ most successful and commercially successful blockbusters over the past two decades, his departure is no small loss for the studio. Zaslav has shown signs that he intends to make amends with creatives that were delayed by WarnerMedia’s previous HBO Max strategy. During a May 2021 conference call, he noted that building relationships with filmmakers and creatives is his “number one priority” going forward. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how creative will be reassured by Batgirl’s surprise cancellation. Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah seem as shocked as anyone to learn that their film will never see the light of day. We can only assume that other directors and actors are now anxiously wondering if their projects might be next on the block. This move sends a clear message that substance is all that matters to the heads of Warner Bros. Discovery. Entire films can and will be sacrificed if there is more money to write off taxes from ticket refunds. This can only have a negative impact on the Warner Bros. film and television series. How many directors and producers will see the cancellation of Batgirl and second guess if their passion project is safe at Warner Bros.? How many more Christopher Nolans will the studio lose in the next few years?

HBO vs. Discovery: A Clash of Philosophies

Few in the industry would have predicted that WarnerMedia’s streaming service would emphasize the HBO brand, but it’s pretty obvious why they did. The name HBO has built up a lot of cache over the years. Shows like Oz, The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire and Game of Thrones have earned the network top piles of awards and a reputation for quality. HBO helped pave the way for the era of Peak TV, with networks and streamers spending ever-larger sums of money on prestige shows. By calling the service HBO Max, WarnerMedia was clearly hoping to capitalize on that reputation and build on big-budget projects like House of the Dragon and The Last of Us to win the streaming wars. This is far from the strategy Zaslav has used at Discovery over the years. These networks emphasize unscripted content such as nature documentaries, home improvement shows, and various types of reality shows. With that in mind, the idea of ​​WarnerMedia and Discovery merging into one company always seemed a little strange. How can two companies with such contrasting approaches to content merge into a cohesive whole? Can Zaslav embrace the need for expensive prestige TV alongside familiar Discovery fare? In this new climate, even major blockbusters like House of the Dragon face an uncertain future. Like the original Game of Thrones, this prequel series is shaping up to be one of the most expensive television productions in Hollywood history.