For DC and Warner Bros., Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to change the game. For years, Marvel has dominated the superhero movie scene: the original Iron Man changed everything, and suddenly, having an interconnected movie universe wasn't such a crazy idea. Marvel has since made billions of dollars, and it'd be crazy for DC to stay on the sidelines. After all, DC has a stable of characters that are equally suited for the big screen - why not put them to use?
While Man of Steel is technically the first film in the DC Cinematic Universe, Batman v. Superman will really kick things off. It's the true start of DC's own interconnected movie universe - and, of course, comparisons with Marvel's success are inevitable. It's a series of superhero movies that spans an entire decade's worth of releases; how could they not be the same thing?
Fear not, DC fans: the folks over at Warner Bros. are definitely aware of the comparisons between its upcoming universe and the competition's. More than that, they're confident that Batman and Superman won't be living in a carbon copy of Marvel's Cinematic Universe.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. film chief Greg Silverman is confident that fans of DC's biggest characters won't be watching simple retreads of Marvel's movies - though he didn't necessarily explain why.
"We have a great strategy for the DC films, which is to take these beloved characters and put them in the hands of master filmmakers and make sure they all coordinate with each other," Silverman said. "You'll see the difference when you see Batman v. Superman, Suicide Squad, Justice League and all the things that we are working on."
Silverman also addressed the complaints that the debut trailer for Batman v. Superman was "too dark." While he did state that the films would offer serious looks at the characters involved, he also confirmed that it would be more than Batman and Superman brooding the entire time:
"There is intensity and a seriousness of purpose to some of these characters," he said. "The filmmakers who are tackling these properties are making great movies about superheroes; they aren't making superhero movies. And when you are trying to make a good movie, you tackle interesting philosophies and character development. There's also humor, which is an important part."
At this point, it's clear that Warner Bros. and DC are going all-in: the DC Cinematic Universe is kicking off with a huge film, and it's not slowing down. Warner Bros. has the next decade planned out - with any luck, the studio's movies will be different enough from Marvel's that fans don't get burnt out by year two.
Batman v. Superman debuts March 25, 2016; followed by Suicide Squad on Aug. 5, 2016.
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