If you've been paying any attention to the world of film production, you'll notice that superhero movies are ruling the day. Between the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Extended Universe, and X-Men franchise, there are superhero movies coming out every month or so. The DCEU has been announcing a ton of projects lately, one of which is Chris McKay's upcoming Nightwing movie. McKay recently spoke about the difference between Marvel and DC's competing universes, and why the latter is a better place to work. He said,
Warner Bros is a more director-driven studio. Period. The end. More than any other studio you're ever going to work at. Just look at the roster of world class filmmakers that have worked at Warner Bros and made it their home. Warner Bros is a director-driven studio, and that's exactly how they are operating these movies.
Well, this certainly makes the DC studios seem like an awesome place to direct a blockbuster. According to Chris McKay, the DCEU allows its directors to have more creative control over their projects. This is likely due to how young the shared universe still is, with only four films currently released to the masses. And with new projects being announced constantly, directors don't have a decade of films to coordinate with, as with the MCU.
Chris McKay cited Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman as the prime example for his point. The acclaimed Monster director was able to craft a standalone film for Diana Prince that is independent of the larger DC Extended Universe. Barring a few references to Bruce Wayne, the film was able to function completely separately from Zack Snyder's previous films. Chris McKay praise this practice, telling Metro.Us,
That's the kind of filmmaking you are going to see, and have seen with Patty Jenkins on Wonder Woman. That's what they have done and what they will continue to do, and that's why these movies are not trying to follow the Marvel model, they're trying to do their own thing with filmmakers that they like, and produce things that are wholly original and wholly unique.
Indeed, it seems like the various directors from the DC Extended Universe are able to challenge what audiences are expecting from comic book movies. James Wan is crafting an exciting and original process with Aquaman, which will be almost entirely set underwater. Patty Jenkins will also have similar control over Wonder Woman 2, likely continuing to fill in the gaps between the first film and her eventual appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
It should be interesting to see where Chris McKay takes Dick Grayson's story. He's already revealed that Dick's past as a Flying Grayson and Robin would factor into the narrative, and we'll hopefully be able to understand his complex relationship with Batman as well.
The next installment into the DCEU will be Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon's Justice League on November 17th, 2017. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
