Summary
- DC Studios will create a cinematic universe that is different from Marvel’s reshoot-focused approach.
- DC Studios plans to avoid last-minute film changes in order to maintain quality while keeping promising shows and films in the works.
- In contrast to Marvel Studios’ reshoot-focused strategy, DC Studios will focus on well-developed projects to avoid financial risks.
The DCU follows in the footsteps of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in many ways and will continue to exist in its shadow given its success for over a decade, not to mention that it is not finished yet. The reboot of the DC franchise officially begins with the animated Creature Commands this December, but all eyes will be on the solo Superman The film will be released next summer. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking a similar approach to Marvel Studios in many ways. DC Studios is launching a cinematic universe with a similar production name and logo associated with each project.
This all happens while supporters of superhero fatigue are waving that flag more than ever, with films like The miracles And Madame Web was a huge success at the box office. But Deadpool and Wolverine has proven that there’s still an appetite for superhero movies; they just need to captivate audiences and deliver quality. On social media, Gunn has slowly been revealing more details about his approach to upcoming DCU projects, which will be drastically different in many ways from Marvel and other superhero movies of the past. Here’s why that’s a very good thing.
Marvel Studios has become known for its reshoots
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Marvel Studios follows a film production approach that has brought much success over the years. Most notably, Marvel Studios works on a film until shortly before its release date and therefore relies on the post-production process. This method often results in many reshoots and takes place in the months and sometimes weeks before a film hits theaters. Reshoots are also partly due to planning; for example, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness filmed his cameo appearances just months before the film was released. Another reason for weeks of reshoots can be if a film is not well received.
“‘Reshoots’ was a bad word. ‘Oh, this movie is being reshot, there must be a problem.’ Reshoots are key to our movies, starting with Iron Man 1…’ At Marvel, we’re smart filmmakers, but we’re not geniuses, and the best way to make notes on a movie is to watch it. So we make the movie and we watch it and we say, ‘Oh yeah. No, that’s not right. That’s not working.’ And now we have a system that can be pretty precise and efficient.” – Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, on reshoots.
Saving a movie in post-production can dramatically increase the budget. Captain America: Brave New World is the latest example of this, with a reported budget of over $300 million. Reshoots can often save a film, and have done so at Marvel Studios over the years, but it’s not a guarantee. The miracles The film also required a long reshoot and was one of Marvel Studios’ biggest failures. Many other superhero films followed this model, such as Madame Weband this approach has not produced sufficiently successful results for every studio to follow it.
Justice League could be the biggest cautionary tale
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Warner Bros. and DC have also been guilty of copying Marvel Studios’ approach to filmmaking, which has done great damage to the brand. While Marvel Studios does reshoots on most of its films, the most notorious example of reshoots gone wrong occurred with Justice League. When the studio was not satisfied with Zack Snyder’s version, the filmmaker was fired and replaced by avenger Director Joss Whedon. The film turned into a Frankenstein monster and suffered critical and financial losses, although it should have been one of the most successful DC films of all time.
Of course, this all led to the Snyder Cut movement, as the exiled director revealed more details about his planned version. While Zack Snyder’s Justice League was far better than the film when it was released theatrically, but the controversy destroyed the DC brand. The Snyder Cut situation exposed how fragile DC was behind the scenes, and reactionary reshoots opened Pandora’s box. Years later, under new leadership, DC Studios appears to be learning from the Snyder Cut and other situations to ensure the integrity of the brand is maintained going forward.
DC Studios will take the opposite approach
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Superman Filming recently wrapped and Gunn told Threads that unlike so many superhero movies of the past, no reshoots will be required. The director revealed that this is due to several factors, including starting production and resolving any issues that may arise with the story. Gunn has also hired people he can trust to carry the project and work together to create the best version possible.
“(I) don’t start shooting until I have a finished script that my whole team is happy with. I hire actors and department heads that I know can do their job. I surround myself with people who challenge me, and not just say ‘yes sir’, but ‘everything’. I ask myself daily: are there small imperfections in the script or in what we’re shooting that could end up feeling like big imperfections when we cut the film together?” – James Gunn on how he avoids reshoots on these films.
DC Studios will likely keep this philosophy in place for all of its projects, and Gunn has hinted as much as the studio boss. For example, Gunn revealed that casting for projects will only begin once the scripts are ready. This way, DC Studios can bring in a Mahershala Ali-blade Situation where an actor has been cast, but the film itself remains in development for years after multiple director changes. DC Studios may have a slate of projects announced in 2023, but their development will happen organically, which is very encouraging.
Warner Bros. and the DCU cannot follow the Marvel method
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Why DCU’s Superman can’t afford to fail
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Warner Bros. Discovery is struggling financially and recently suffered a $9.1 billion loss in value of its TV networks. Unexpected reshoots can cost a film a lot of money and inflate a film’s budget to the point of no return. Some studios may see this as a worthwhile investment and can afford it, but DC Studios also desperately needs to deliver a hit next summer with SupermanMarvel Studios can continue to pour money into its projects because it deserves it, but that trust among audiences has slowly faded.
DC Studios is also developing projects and will move forward with those that are well-positioned enough to begin filming. While there might be concerns about not having enough production each year, DC Studios has already announced some of the shows and films in the works and can move forward with them when they’re ready because they exist as standalone products despite being interconnected. DC Studios is taking a different route with its production, which makes sense given the young studio and universe’s position under Warner Bros. Discovery. Success is at stake, and DC can’t afford to take reckless financial risks that can ruin a studio before it really gets going.
Filmmaking is not an exact science, and Marvel Studios has shown this with its reliance on reshoots to make the film better. While it was originally hard to argue with the studio’s results in its first decade, the MCU’s consistency has waned in recent years, and Disney saves money wherever it can. DC Studios seems to be properly emulating Marvel with a planned shared universe and a brand that will set it apart from previous DC projects.
However, Gunn also knows how the Marvel Studios machine works, having played a major role there, and is using his own experiences as a filmmaker to approach things a little differently. It’s an exciting time ahead for superhero movies, as Marvel Studios looks to get back on track after some failures and learn from past mistakes, while DC is forging its own path. These different approaches will ultimately help both studios, as they need to succeed for the superhero genre as a whole to remain strong, but for DC, not relying on post-production is a reason for optimism.
DCU
Get ready for a brand new DC experience! The DC Universe (DCU) is coming soon, bringing together familiar comic book heroes in a connected storyline across films, television shows, animations, and even video games. It is an upcoming American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications.
- Pour
- David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Milly Alcock, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan, Viola Davis, John Cena, Xolo Mariduena
- Where can you watch?
- Max
