For DC, which has often appeared to be enviously playing catchup to the cultural titan that Marvel has become, this confluence of titles, following the R-rated success of “Joker,” has seemingly marked its maturation after several high-profile missteps.
Even something like “Suicide Squad” — which was largely bashed by critics — is generating enthusiasm around its sequel with a shuffled cast of characters and “Guardians of Galaxy” director James Gunn at the helm.
That steadies the table for “The Batman,” the company’s most significant property from a theatrical standpoint, however iconic Superman might be.
On Saturday, Reeves said he had only shot 25% to 30% of the movie before coronavirus intervened, with plans to resume production next month. The film focuses on a younger, flawed Batman who is still learning on the job. Co-starring Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell and Andy Serkis, the plot “touches on his origins,” Reeves said, without exactly being an origin story.
Yet reaping the benefits of DC’s progress is going to be tantalizingly deferred, as it is for the entire film industry as it seeks to recover from the shutdown associated with Covid-19 and the gradual reopening of theaters.
Already delayed, “Wonder Woman 1984” currently has an October release date, but as Warner Bros. has seen with its plans for “Tenet,” the theatrical environment remains at best fluid.
“We’re gonna stick it out,” director Patty Jenkins told fans. “We all believe in putting it in the cinema.”
Still, if the FanDome promotion was any indication, DC/Warner Bros., look ready to prove — if doubts still linger — that there’s room for another super-powered player beyond Marvel/Disney. The bigger question now is when, and if, the theatrical business will rebound to a stage that can accommodate all that muscle.