I say this all the time, but Warner Bros. and DC are in a very weird position right now. After the relative critical and commercial failure of the epic-sized Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the smashing, revolutionary success of Wonder Woman, the studios realized that their game plan needed to change. It's rather sad that it took a hit film for this lesson to get across, but it's clear now that audiences like good, engaging stories and lovable characters over forced world-building and overly stuffed narratives. Shocking, right? So with the box office dollars of Wonder Woman and Fox's Logan in mind, it appears that DC is shifting to a strategy that embraces the solo nature of their characters. Hollywood has come to the realization that only Marvel can properly execute a cinematic universe and abandoning their futile attempts, which is good news for all of us. There's only one small problem for DC- they still have to deal with Justice League. The Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon-directed film has been a problem for the studio since the very beginning, and they've been forced to plan out their future while simultaneously prepping a release that represents the old formula.
As a result, things have looked a little messy at DC. Rumors of multiple Joker stand-alone movies, disarray on Cyborg and The Flash, development of Matt Reeves's Batman project, ongoing prep for sequels to Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad- things have been rather hectic, with no clear direction in sight.
Yesterday's news didn't make things any less insane, as The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez exclusively reported that Gareth Evans is in talks to direct a solo film centered around Deathstroke. This news threw me for a loop because I wasn't even certain if Deathstroke was still part of the DC Extended Universe. Joe Manganiello was cast as the villainous assassin when Ben Affleck was preparing to the Batman solo movie, but the actor was non-committal when asked if he would still play the part. But according to The Wrap's report, Manganiello is still going to play the character. Evans is best known for directing The Raid films, commonly regarded as two of the best action movies of the 21st century. He's in post-production on Apostle, a thriller about a religious cult with a cast led by Dan Stevens and Sing Street's Lucy Boynton. Per the article, Evans originally turned down the chance to direct Justice League Dark before pitching Deathstroke, a pitch that impressed DC executives. And now, Evans will have a chance to direct a movie that is practically right in his wheelhouse. He excels at big, highly choreographed action, and I have a feeling that he is going to kill it with this movie. I'm excited based on his attachment alone.
The DCEU will return to the big screen on November 17 with Justice League. And if you've never seen them, go check out The Raid films- they're awesome.
Source: The Wrap/IMDb
Image: Sony Classics/IMDb
As a result, things have looked a little messy at DC. Rumors of multiple Joker stand-alone movies, disarray on Cyborg and The Flash, development of Matt Reeves's Batman project, ongoing prep for sequels to Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad- things have been rather hectic, with no clear direction in sight.
Yesterday's news didn't make things any less insane, as The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez exclusively reported that Gareth Evans is in talks to direct a solo film centered around Deathstroke. This news threw me for a loop because I wasn't even certain if Deathstroke was still part of the DC Extended Universe. Joe Manganiello was cast as the villainous assassin when Ben Affleck was preparing to the Batman solo movie, but the actor was non-committal when asked if he would still play the part. But according to The Wrap's report, Manganiello is still going to play the character. Evans is best known for directing The Raid films, commonly regarded as two of the best action movies of the 21st century. He's in post-production on Apostle, a thriller about a religious cult with a cast led by Dan Stevens and Sing Street's Lucy Boynton. Per the article, Evans originally turned down the chance to direct Justice League Dark before pitching Deathstroke, a pitch that impressed DC executives. And now, Evans will have a chance to direct a movie that is practically right in his wheelhouse. He excels at big, highly choreographed action, and I have a feeling that he is going to kill it with this movie. I'm excited based on his attachment alone.
The DCEU will return to the big screen on November 17 with Justice League. And if you've never seen them, go check out The Raid films- they're awesome.
Source: The Wrap/IMDb
Image: Sony Classics/IMDb
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