Over time, we’ve seen the rise and fall, and sins, of many movie studios, however few have proved to be as enduring – or as iconic – as Warner Bros. The legendary studio has produced a few of the most memorable cinematic items in its century of enterprise, however you’d by no means consider that in case your solely reference had been the studio’s newer selections.
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From unexplained cancellations to questionable enterprise practices, the Warner Bros. we all know in the present day seems to be nothing prefer it did half a century in the past. As we have a look again at a few of the most questionable decisions made by the studio in latest reminiscence, we will’t assist however surprise how a lot will this media big stumble – and if we are going to ultimately witness its fall.
We’ve compiled a listing of essentially the most egregious “sins” Warner Bros. has dedicated lately, as we have a look at how this studio’s centennial legacy has modified through the years.
1. Simultaneous Releases
Whereas the follow of releasing a film on streaming providers near its launch in theaters is nothing new, Warner Bros. tried to make the perfect out of the pandemic by releasing a few of its high-profile movies on HBO Max on the similar time they hit theaters. The end result was a devastating field workplace efficiency for the flicks concerned within the debacle, which included The Matrix Resurrections and Marvel Lady 1984.
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Whereas each movies weren’t obtained favorably by critics, the choice to launch them digitally similtaneously they did so in theaters was seen as a low transfer by some followers. 2021 was a harsh yr for theaters – that’s plain – however Warner Bros. solely made it worse for the leisure trade by selecting to downplay its personal releases on this method.
2. Batgirl’s Mysterious Cancellation
The DCEU could be Warner Bros.’s favourite pet mission of the previous decade, however that doesn’t imply the entire affair wasn’t abysmally mismanaged. In truth, we’ll be seeing a whole lot of the DCEU on this listing – however proper now, we’d wish to focus our consideration on a movie that by no means truly noticed the sunshine of day: Batgirl.
In a transfer that also baffles many followers of the studio, Batgirl acquired canned near launch. All we acquired had been some excuses about how the film didn’t replicate WB’s imaginative and prescient of the DCEU shifting ahead, coupled with some insider information that proclaimed that the studio lacked confidence within the mission as a complete.
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Contemplating Warner Bros.’s observe document in relation to the DCEU, Batgirl definitely couldn’t have been that unhealthy for them to resolve to not launch it. In spite of everything, this is similar studio that determined Birds of Prey was a film actual folks would take pleasure in.
3. Matching the Tone of the MCU
One factor followers liked concerning the DCEU is how distinctive it felt in comparison with its direct competitor, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whereas Marvel’s heroes had been all quippy jokesters who couldn’t hold a straight face for greater than 5 minutes straight, the DCEU supplied comedian guide followers a extra nuanced and maybe even melodramatic tackle the superhero style.
Nevertheless, sooner or later in the course of the Justice League movie, Warner Bros. determined they wished their motion pictures to compete on the identical degree as Marvel. That’s how we ended with a mismatch of comedy and colourful designs that don’t actually mix effectively with the remainder of the cinematic universe.
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Maybe the worst instance of this development is the unique Suicide Squad. The film was so hideously butchered on the manager degree that no quantity of artistic enhancing couldn’t salvage the footage that was left. The result’s simply one of many worst movies within the DCEU and one which one way or the other nonetheless manages to be the one with a chronology that appears to stay unchanged as we transfer into James Gunn’s DCU.
4. Letting Joss Whedon Take the Reins After Zack Snyder
In the identical vein as what we mentioned earlier than, Warner Bros. introduced Joss Whedon aboard as soon as Zack Snyder was compelled to depart his position within the Justice League movie. Whereas followers wished some extra of Snyder’s attribute somber tone within the franchise’s first correct team-up occasion, what we acquired was an “Avengers lite” type of deal that felt diametrically against what the remainder of the DCEU stood for.
The worst half is that you may inform which components had been directed by Whedon and which had been crafted by Snyder with only a cursory look. Whedon’s tone and humor are an ill-fit for Snyder’s universe – and it exhibits. Seeing characters like Ben Affleck’s Batman abruptly cracking jokes about being wealthy, or how Superman was only a mere accent to the plot, felt like a whole betrayal to each piece of lore created by Snyder.
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As soon as we lastly acquired the Snyder Minimize, we may lastly see what the film was meant to be – and, oh boy, was it clear that WB dropped the ball after they selected Whedon as a alternative. If solely the Snyder Minimize was the model we acquired in cinemas, the DCEU might need had a combating likelihood in opposition to the more and more outlandish MCU.
5. No Clear Plans for the DCEU
Whereas what Zack Snyder and Patty Jenkins did for the DCEU is nothing wanting admirable, there was a common sense of aimlessness surrounding your entire franchise that followers simply couldn’t assist however discover. Most selections relating to this core franchise simply felt random at instances, nearly just like the studio was throwing all the pieces on the wall to see what sticks.
The MCU was busy constructing overarching plots and long-standing villains that spanned a number of movies – all of the whereas the DCEU was nonetheless struggling to launch a correct sequel. Characters like Batfleck felt criminally underused on this saga, with him solely being launched as a complement to the narrative in Batman v Superman.
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What the studio wanted was to correctly flesh out these characters – to make the viewers fall in love with them so it will be much more painful when it got here the time to probably say goodbye to any of them. All the things simply feels rushed within the DCEU, making the franchise look like an effort to make a cinematic universe that tries to imitate the MCU as intently as humanly attainable.
6. Preserving Controversial Actors on the Payroll
The Web has develop into a strong instrument to gauge a film’s potential field workplace efficiency lengthy earlier than it releases in theaters – and, if there’s a film that was violently reviled on-line, that needs to be The Flash. There’s a purpose why the film acquired a lot backlash, nonetheless: Ezra Miller’s loopy Hawaiian antics.
From assaulting the locals to being a part of a bizarre cult/sect, Ezra Miller has executed all of it. In fact, this quantity of unhealthy publicity on the star of a serious flick is one thing that no movie studio desires – however Warner Bros. will not be like most movie studios, apparently. As an alternative of changing Miller or canceling the film as they did with Batgirl, the studio doubled down on Miller’s casting, with the image’s manufacturing designer even saying that The Flash is so good folks would neglect all of Miller’s controversies. They didn’t.
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One other persona who has one way or the other evaded the boot is Amber Heard as Mera in Aquaman 2. Heard has been within the public crosshairs for some time, primarily due to her authorized battle with Johnny Depp. Not like her ex-husband, nonetheless, Heard’s profession has evaded a lot of the flak. She’s nonetheless slated to look in Aquaman 2 – a film that, at this level, barely has any purpose to exist in any respect.
7. Sidelining the Man of Metal
What may very well be one of the crucial baffling selections ever made by Warner Bros. needs to be the way it handled Superman within the DCEU. Contemplating the Man of Metal was the one who kick-started this entire cinematic universe, we’d anticipate to see him a bit extra within the following movies. That stated, Man of Metal was the one solo Superman film in the entire saga, leaving Henry Cavill’s tenure because the Final Son of Krypton really feel largely unfinished.
For some purpose, WB appeared to be making the acutely aware determination to keep away from Superman as a lot as attainable of their movies. From Shazam‘s unremarkable cameo to Peacemaker‘s altering Henry Cavill for a double in what would have been Supes’ final scene within the DCEU, it appears as if Warner Bros. was actively avoiding utilizing Superman as a lot as attainable.
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On that very same notice, maintaining Henry Cavill away from the character needs to be one of many worst decisions the studio has ever made. If we needed to endure Jared Leto because the Joker in multiple film, I believe seeing somebody who was born to play the Man of Metal would have been greater than pleasing for followers of the franchise. That, and maybe we may have seen a conclusion to a few of the mysteries left unsolved by Man of Metal.