For years, Warner Bros/DC Entertainment have been ridiculed by movie geeks, bloggers and journalists about their famous caution towards their DC film slate. First they cemented Batman as their most popular and successful superhero, and The Dark Knight Trilogy was one of the most successful of the 21st Century, but it was criticised due to the fact that they repeatedly refused to put him in with other superheroes. Green Lantern was supposed to launch a ‘DC Cinematic Universe’ but instead became an abysmal laughing stock and a stain on comic book movies in general.
Now, Man of Steel has come and gone (I didn’t like it, but hey-ho) and they finally seem as if they’re catching up to Marvel. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (POLL: Which title is worse, Dawn of Justice or Terminator: Genisys?) has just gotten a second release date change. It was originally scheduled for next summer, then moved back to May 6, 2016 where there has been a stand-off for the past few months between DC and Marvel due to the fact that they’d already put Captain America 3 on that date. There was a lot of debate about which movie would move first, but the former has finally ‘caved in,’ so to speak, and staked their big movie for March 25, 2016.
Is it still big news for a huge movie like that to be released in March?
The movie stars Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and is serving as a sort of prequel to Justice League. Basically, think of the entirety of Marvel’s Phase One of their Cinematic Universe – Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger – and roll it into one movie.
No, that isn’t The Avengers. That’s Dawn of Justice.
Even though I have my own judgements on director Zack Snyder, I’m actually strangely looking forward to DC setting up their own cinematic universe and finally catching up to Marvel. Plus, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman all on screen together. That’s AWESOME.
But the point of this post isn’t to rant about the movie.
That wasn’t the only piece of release date news Warner Bros put out.
NINE DC Comics movies have been officially dated between 2016 and 2020. Wow. That officially puts their movie plan beyond Marvel’s (their dates go through until 2019). Suffice to say, I’m stunned. Here’s the dates:
- Untitled DC Film – August 5, 2016
- Untitled DC Film – June 23, 2017
- Untitled DC Film – November 17, 2017
- Untitled DC Film – March 23, 2018
- Untitled Animated Film – Memorial Day 2018
- Untitled DC Film – July 27, 2018
- Untitled WB Event Film – November 16, 2018
- Untitled DC Film – April 5, 2019
- Untitled Animated Film – Memorial Day 2019
- Untitled DC Film – June 14, 2019
- Untitled DC Film – April 3, 2020
- Untitled DC Film – June 19, 2020
- Untitled WB Event Film – November 20, 2020
What are they all going to be? I wish I could run down some predictions.
Well, I could. But I’m tired.
The one certainty on that list is one of the dates is for a Justice League movie. Previously the date thrown around was sometime in 2017, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it goes for the July 27, 2018 date. It fits with WB’s previous success around that time and is a prime summer tentpole spot. With the inclusion of all these movies, it also means that the count for upcoming superhero movies from now until 2020 is a whopping 30. If you had told 5-year-old-me that, he would have danced around the room and sung ‘Livin La Vida Loca’ until he passed out.
Okay, I actually would have just said ‘That’s cool,’ but that version is less exciting.
Half of the Justice League cast and ten upcoming movies; are DC finally picking up the slack? I sure as shit hope so.
Jasper | CH 