From the creative forces behind DC Universe Animated Original Movie, DC Showcase came to put the spotlight on lesser-known characters that aren’t generally featured in leading roles. Coming up with a series of 10-minute shorts, Bruce Timm’s fascinating, short-form tales entertained longtime and new DC fans alike.
Among all the characters featured in Bruce Timm’s DC Showcase, one that stood out was The Spectre, who is believed to be the strongest DC hero toppling Superman. Since the character came as the first installment in DC Showcase, fans were disappointed at why The Spectre didn’t get a feature-length film. Therefore addressing Warner Bros’ business model, Timm explained his decision.
Bruce Timm Addresses WB’s Business Model and DC Showcase
The DC Universe serves as a home to uncountable superheroes and villains, most of whom have never even had the chance to appear on screen. Quite obviously, it is almost impossible for Warner Bros to bring every character to the silver screen or even television. Therefore, addressing this issue, Bruce Timm came up with a solution in 2010, when he produced DC Showcase.
Beginning with DC Showcase: The Spectre in 2010, as a bonus feature on the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths DVD, Bruce Timm skillfully crafted a series of 10-15 minute shorts of characters who aren’t generally featured in leading roles. The first installment began with the iconic character The Spectre, wherein the story followed Detective Jim Corrigan, who brings justice to his suspects by letting his alter-ego, The Spectre handle them.
While most people believe that The Spectre is one of the strongest DC heroes, since he was a literal instrument of God’s Vengeance, and many times stronger than Superman, it was rather unlikely that Warner Bros didn’t make an animated movie on him. Addressing fans’ curiosity, Bruce Timm thus explained WB’s business model during an interview with ComicBookMovie, and why The Spectre was better off in the DC Showcase.
The Spectre Became a Perfect Character for Timm’s DC Showcase
Accompanying the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, as DC Showcase: The Spectre came to the spotlight as the first installment of the series, it immediately became a fan-favorite concept. Finding lesser-known DC characters in Bruce Timm’s short stories, fans rejoiced to begin with The Spectre. But since a character like him at least deserves an animated series, there began an uproar, which was eventually doused by Timm.
“What’s your feeling about doing these DC Showcase shorts?” Interviewer asked.
“They’re a blast. It’s great because we can play with these oddball characters who wouldn’t commercially support making a full-length feature with them. I wish the business model was such that we could do that, but now we get to mess around with these more off-trail characters and have fun.”
With further characters in mind, as Bruce Timm was just beginning with the DC Showcase, he considered it better to clarify Warner Bros’ business model. Explaining that the model doesn’t support making a full-length feature, Timm later stated that The Spectre and other DC Showcase characters are better off in the 10-15 minute shorts.
“In a weird kind of way, the Spectre is perfect for a series like this, because those original Fleischer/Aparo comics this version is based on, were really simple, straightforward little standalone stories. You don’t have to expand it and make it bigger than it is: bad guys do a crime, Spectre shows up and kills them in horrible ways. Ten minutes of that works great.”
Further, somewhere in the interview, Bruce Timm claimed to want more of The Spectre after watching him in the DC Showcase. He also teased that he would love to do a whole series of shorts.
DC Showcase: The Spectre is available on DVD.
