The latest news about Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2 is not bringing hope and redemption for the DC franchise’s future. Among the several films, shows, and projects that are headed for the gallows, Batgirl hit the hardest. The criticism levied at the onslaught of cancellations follows closely at the heels of the humiliating optimism that the new management has put on display regarding their Ezra Miller film, despite the actor’s increasingly erratic, volatile, and misguided actions.
Now that WarnerMedia and Discovery have merged to become the new parent company of DC, namely Warner Bros. Discovery. Changes include the resignation and removal of those attached at the helm of the earlier Warner Bros. and as such, the projects that were promised during the last management’s final year at the company remain in the worst stage of production yet — the development limbo.
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The Dizzying Impact of Matt Reeves’ The Batman on DC
When Matt Reeves announced the development and production of The Batman, it was received with a positive clamoring among the movie-goers and comic lovers. The noise that was definitive of excitement and zealous agitation quickly turned into criticism when the unlikely protagonist was brought to the forefront of the news. Robert Pattinson‘s career had been defined by underrated and underappreciated cult classics that mostly evaded the public eye and as such, the actor was bullied and subjected to mass delirium of anger for his supposed lack of experience to portray the likes of Batman.
Soon, however, the world was proven wrong, and Reeves’ The Batman became a legend, much like the film’s eponymous character himself. People couldn’t stop raving about the movie, its cinematography, its raw appeal, and its perfectly crafted noir-thriller narrative, something that had been missing from the recent superhero franchise movies. Pattinson rose in critics’ ratings and audience appreciation and The Batman 2 became a project people wanted — no questions asked, and without delay.
WB Discovery Puts The Batman 2‘s Future On Hold
Toby Emmerich had publicly congratulated and announced Matt Reeves’ success on The Batman and his moving forward with the sequel, The Batman 2. But as new management takes over, and Walter Hamada and Emmerich are placed out of the franchise, projects like this one along with Wonder Woman 3, Black Canary, Static Shock, Zatanna, and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Superman are being put on hold as Zaslav, the new frontman decides a new direction for the DCEU.
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The development limbo is the worst of the production phases that a project could be subjected to and as the phrase suggests, a project is neither canceled nor given the go-ahead to enter the production phase until further notice. With the new direction that David Zaslav is planning for the DC Extended Universe, it sure looks like a bleak future for DC fans but until then, one can only celebrate the confirmed harbinger of chaos that is going to be Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s Arthur Fleck and Harley Quinn in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux while waiting for DC FanDome.
The Batman is now streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Variety
