Big changes have been happening in the upper echelons of Warner Bros.’ DC superhero division, and they might mean that the Fastest Man Alive’s upcoming solo film won’t be quite as dark as his infamous 2011 time-travel comics storyline. A new report gives us updates on the Flash’s solo film, something we haven’t had in a while, as well as the larger DC Entertainment picture.
Run! Image: Bryan Hitch (DC Comics)
A new article over at The Hollywood Reporter says the Flash movie will be changing to a lighter tone rather than the harsher Flashpoint comics storyline that rewrote DC Universe continuity seven years ago. THR writes:
The Flash, which will finally begin production in early 2019 with Ezra Miller starring, has abandoned the somber themes it had been expected to tackle. The film now has the Game Night team of John Francis Daly and Jonathan Goldstein on board, and it’s looking to Back to the Future as a touchstone.
This course change comes on the heels of reorganisation in Warner Bros.’ corporate halls: Geoff Johns is shifting from an executive role to do more writing and producing, and president Diane Nelson won’t be returning from her previous leave.
All those changes will be affecting of the projects currently being developed. THR notes that the Joaquin Phoenix Joker project (one of several Joker projects) set to be directed by Todd Phillips could be the debut of a new branding initiative called “DC Dark” or “DC Black”, and that the first part of Matt Reeves’ Batman script focuses on a younger Dark Knight, which could explain the recent reports regarding its leading man. Warner still hasn’t commented on Ben Affleck’s future specifically.
More broadly, it sounds like Walter Hamada – the new person in charge of DC projects at Warner Bros. – is re-evaluating everything being developed, and doesn’t want to stick to the practice of announcing a slate that stretches years out into the future. A telling quote from a source:
The exec, who successfully oversaw the Conjuring movies at New Line, inherited a slate in disarray and has quietly spent months sorting through projects. “He walked into a shitshow, and he’s trying to clean it up,” says one insider familiar with the scene.