Contrary to what many would believe, there seem to be no takers for the top position at the helm of Warner Bros. Discovery’sDCExtended Universe, despite an ongoing search for someone to take on the role, and with good reason. The search continues in the wake of the DCEU suffering setbacks in the wake of the Warner Bros./Discovery merger.
TheDCExtended Universe is a cinematic franchise generally accepted to have kicked off in 2013 with Zack Snyder’sMan of Steel,a reboot of the previousSupermanfilm series of 6 that ended withSuperman Returnsin 2006. Following the generally positive reception to the film and its fortunateisolation from Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, while still referencing other characters, it was seen as the right jump-off point for what would become the DCEU.Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicewas announced a month afterMan of Steeldebuted, and the extended universe kicked off in earnest with a DC Films division being created in 2016 with Warner Bros. exec Jon Berg and then acting chief creative officer of DC Geoff Johns jointly at the helm.
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Despite this careful consideration, the DCEU has consistently failed to meet the goals set by higher-ups, including those of new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who has been searching for a chief executive to helm a revamping of the DCEU for quite some time. The company was in talks withLego Movieproducer Dan Lin but continued tosearch elsewhere for a DC Films leaderafter talks broke down. According to those in the know who spoke toThe Wrap, one major reason why the top spot has remained vacant is that the job isn’t the glamorous deal it looks to be from the outside, with a top Hollywood exec anonymously admitting, “It is a very narrow group of people who can run and effectively get DC films back on track while handling the creative, business and — let’s be frank — the political minefields that come with that job.”
In addition to the difficulty and the implied backstage intrigues that seem to have qualified producers fearful to take up the position, Zaslav’s management style might also be turning people off from taking the job. One DC producer justified Lin’s decision to walk away, saying, “Why would Dan Lin want to take the job? DC is a huge priority for Zaslav, but who wants to come on board and lead a film division that’s already canceled a film that was ready to go. And have a micromanaging CEO?” The canceled ready-to-gofilm in question was theBatgirlproject, which has become a banner of sorts to rally Zaslav’s detractors, with some members of the cast expressing very clear displeasure with the CEO as well.
The press surrounding the DCEU has been more negative than those at the company should be comfortable with in recent times, with incidents ranging from the mass cancellation of highly anticipated projects tocontroversies surrounding stars likeThe Flash’s Ezra Millerleading to fan disapproval, all underscoring a distinct lack of direction. This last point is seemingly why Zaslav wants someone at the top, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Kevin Feige. However, he is unlikely to garner the same results due to his controlling management style. As another industry insider said, “There is no ‘other Feige.’ Warners will never give autonomy like that to one person.”
While the situation with the DCEU isn’t looking great, there is a lot of potential for creative success still held in the franchise. The positive reception of the recent filmThe Batmanseems to have given rise to new hope for theDCEU in the form of Matt Reeves, who successfully directed the latest cinematic iteration of the Dark Knight. While he certainly has the ability for storytelling on the right scale to bring moreDCproperties to life, Warner Bros. Discovery will likely remain committed to the search for a Kevin Feige-esque figure to handle the bigger picture.
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