Ever since it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran were taking over as the heads of DC Studios, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the future of the DC Universe. But the last 24 hours has seen DC playing a fast game of Good News/Bad News. Include last week's revelation that Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 3 has been shelved, and you could argue that it's a case of Bad News/Good News/Bad News. Yesterday Jenkins responded to all the speculation surrounding the move:
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) December 14, 2022
This latest wave of speculation began with a story from Variety, claiming that James Gunn and Peter Safran were considering bringing Matt Reeves' take on Batman (along with Robert Pattinson) into the wider DC universe; "A well-placed source says Gunn and Safran are exploring the possibility of incorporating filmmaker Matt Reeves’ iteration of Batman with actor Robert Pattinson into their wider universe." Here's the good news... James Gunn quickly responded to this article with a polite denial:
There are few reporters I love more than @adambvary - truly a good guy - but in this case he needs to get a new source as this is entirely untrue. https://t.co/a7cnbTfpSi
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 14, 2022
There's no denying that Batman can exist in a wider DC universe with his superpowered friends. This is evident both on the page and on the screen. I am a fan of the Snyderverse, and enjoyed seeing Ben Affleck's Batman working - and occasionally going up against - Henry Cavill's Superman, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa's Aquaman, Ray Fisher's Cyborg, and Ezra Miller's Flash. But it's also possible for Gotham's Dark Knight to operate in his own world, which is what Matt Reeves has established - brilliantly, I might add - with The Batman. It would be a shame to see this exciting new take on Batman ruined by yet another attempt to build DC's own cinematic universe. Which is why I'm glad to see that he's being left in his own dark and gritty world.
Which inevitably brings us to the bad news. Henry Cavill has reportedly met with Gunn and Safran to discuss his return as the Man of Steel, and despite being told by the studio very recently - but before Gunn and Safran took the top jobs - that he would be donning the red cape again, it is no longer the case. Cavill took to Instagram to inform his followers of the sad news:
This was then confirmed in a series of tweets from Gunn:
But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 15, 2022
2013's Man of Steel is a particular favourite of mine, as is Cavill's take on Superman. So after the excitement of hearing that he would once again get to play the Kryptonian, I am very disappointed that his time as Superman has come to an end. That said, Gunn also mentions discussing with Cavill future opportunities to work together, which is in itself an exciting prospect. I wonder if they had a particular project in mind, DC or otherwise. In the same series of tweets the Guardians of the Galaxy director also mentions possible directing opportunities for Ben Affleck - another exciting prospect - so it would appear that he's keen to work with the Snyderverse's major players, even if it's in entirely different roles.
It seems we will have to wait until "the beginning of the new year" to get some idea of Gunn and Safran's plans for shaking up the DC Universe, but clearly the pair are already making waves! Thankfully however, even though some of what we're hearing is rather disappointing, it's not all bad news.
What are your thoughts on the game of Good News/Bad News that's being played at DC Studios? Leave a comment below or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email us at moviemoustache@gmail.com.
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