In the weeks following the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. and DC took a serious look in the mirror. The film that was to serve as the tentpole of their entire cinematic universe bombed critically, and while it made a hefty amount of money, it wasn't nearly what Warner Bros. and DC were hoping to bring in.
Why did the film do so poorly? Many fans and critics took issue with the film's overly-dark tone. The movie currently sits at a Rotten Tomatoes score of 27 percent, with the site writing that the film "smothers a potentially powerful story — and some of America's most iconic superheroes — in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action."
Fast-forward to earlier this month, and it seems Warner Bros. is taking action to ensure that the mistakes of Batman v Superman aren't repeated by putting Geoff Johns and Jon Berg at the head of its DC movies film division.
Another likely step for Warner Bros. to avoid Batman v Superman's pitfalls is to ensure that future DC cinematic universe films aren't so bleak. The standalone Aquaman film, set to be released in 2018, is no exception. While not much is known about the James Wan-directed film, it is becoming increasingly clear that it won't adopt the same style of Zack Snyder's films. Here's what Wan recently told Entertainment Weekly (via Comicbook.com):
"It won't be very dark," Wan says when asked how the movie's tone would compare with Batman v Superman. He goes on to say, "It [the movie] is at the bottom of the ocean, so I'll use a lot of light."
Sounds like Wan is having a bit of a fun in regard to the whole controversy. He is no doubt keenly aware of the film's reputation, and just like the upcoming Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman films, it seems that future DC movies will attempt to move past Snyder's grim superhero world view.
Aquaman saw a brief introduction in Batman v Superman via a flash drive video that depicted the king of Atlantis holding his trident and swimming at superhuman speeds. That essentially gives Wan a clean slate to tell whatever story about the underwater superhero he wants. Wan is a capable director, which should put the minds of some fans at ease. As long as Aquaman isn't as dark and depressing as Batman v Superman, fans should have plenty to look forward to.
