Comics and Movies

[John813]

I think “let down” is being kind. That thing was a train wreck and never gets the criticism that it rightly deserves.

And I think the current management knows this and is proceeding accordingly.

Yea, but IMO kick the director/writers off but keep Gal, if they still want Wonder Woman in their plans.

 

[DallasEast]

I was just about to post this article! I should have known you’d beat me to it!

From the sounds of it, there are some MAJOR CHANGES taking place.

While I’m glad to hear that they’re finally closing the door on the Snyderverse, I’m disappointed that Henry Cavill will be leaving with it. I think he was a great Superman, shackled by a poor vision of the character.

Huh, would be surprising to me to not keep Cavill in the plans. Same with Gal Gadot.

To me, he was one of the few bright spots for DC/male actors, and it's not like he's getting too old to play the role.
And while WW84 was a let down, she is perfect for the role.

I remain confident both Cavill and Gadot will return and reprise their roles.

Spoiler

Even though it happened prior to the change in management, Cavill's Black Adam cameo is something I believe Gunn can built upon in new projects.

.
Gadot has strong attributes worth retaining. Her standalone screen presence is very good. She keeps physically fit. Her fighting choreography is convincingly fluid, although it is hard sometimes for me to tell exactly when her stunt double has taken over a scene.

Her voice is naturally exotic and much more "fits" a character originating from a fictional Themyscira island of Amazons than many of her co-stars so far. Her facial expressions are decisively distinct. Her dialogue delivery is strong also.

Plus, she is drop dead gorgeous. It will be a surprise for me if they go with another actress to play Princess Diana.

I like Gadot, but I think she could be replaced adequately.

Anyone out there currently you think could be an option? Gal Gadot had accumulated a good resume before Wonder Woman but I think it is fair saying she was a B-lister up to that point.

There are no A-listers I can immediately think of who would be better choices. Gemma Arterton has always intrigued me but I do not think her acting is edgy enough for something like WW. Sofia Boutella would be one of my dark horses. She checks all my checkboxes EXCEPT standalone screen presence. In that way, she reminds me very much of Letitia Wright for example. That particular quality is crucial for making a live action superhero subconsciously believable for audiences.

 

[Stash]

Yea, but IMO kick the director/writers off but keep Gal, if they still want Wonder Woman in their plans.

I don’t hate that idea, but I think Gadot is very limited as an actress too.

It seems to me like they want to hit one big RESET BUTTON and start completely from scratch. Forget it ever happened!

 

[Stash]

I remain confident both Cavill and Gadot will return and reprise their roles.

Spoiler

Even though it happened prior to the change in management, Cavill's Black Adam cameo is something I believe Gunn can built upon in new projects.

.
Gadot has strong attributes worth retaining. Her standalone screen presence is very good. She keeps physically fit. Her fighting choreography is convincingly fluid, although it is hard sometimes for me to tell exactly when her stunt double has taken over a scene.

Her voice is naturally exotic and much more "fits" a character originating from a fictional Themyscira island of Amazons than many of her co-stars so far. Her facial expressions are decisively distinct. Her dialogue delivery is strong also.

Plus, she is drop dead gorgeous. It will be a surprise for me if they go with another actress to play Princess Diana.
Anyone out there currently you think could be an option? Gal Gadot had accumulated a good resume before Wonder Woman but I think it is fair saying she was a B-lister up to that point.

There are no A-listers I can immediately think of who would be better choices. Gemma Arterton has always intrigued me but I do not think her acting is edgy enough for something like WW. Sofia Boutella would be one of my dark horses. She checks all my checkboxes EXCEPT standalone screen presence. In that way, she reminds me very much of Letitia Wright for example. That particular quality is crucial for making a live action superhero subconsciously believable for audiences.

I don’t know. It seems like they want a complete break from all things Snyder.

 

[John813]

I don’t hate that idea, but I think Gadot is very limited as an actress too.

It seems to me like they want to hit one big RESET BUTTON and start completely from scratch. Forget it ever happened!

With Gunn at the helm I'll be good with whatever he decides.

 

[Runwildboys]

I remain confident both Cavill and Gadot will return and reprise their roles.

Spoiler

Even though it happened prior to the change in management, Cavill's Black Adam cameo is something I believe Gunn can built upon in new projects.

.
Gadot has strong attributes worth retaining. Her standalone screen presence is very good. She keeps physically fit. Her fighting choreography is convincingly fluid, although it is hard sometimes for me to tell exactly when her stunt double has taken over a scene.

Her voice is naturally exotic and much more "fits" a character originating from a fictional Themyscira island of Amazons than many of her co-stars so far. Her facial expressions are decisively distinct. Her dialogue delivery is strong also.

Plus, she is drop dead gorgeous. It will be a surprise for me if they go with another actress to play Princess Diana.
Anyone out there currently you think could be an option? Gal Gadot had accumulated a good resume before Wonder Woman but I think it is fair saying she was a B-lister up to that point.

There are no A-listers I can immediately think of who would be better choices. Gemma Arterton has always intrigued me but I do not think her acting is edgy enough for something like WW. Sofia Boutella would be one of my dark horses. She checks all my checkboxes EXCEPT standalone screen presence. In that way, she reminds me very much of Letitia Wright for example. That particular quality is crucial for making a live action superhero subconsciously believable for audiences.

I haven't really thought about who would replace her, but if Jenna Ortega (whom I'd never heard of before) could make me forget about Christina Ricci's Wednesday, I'm very sure there's someone out there who could step into Gal Gadot's shoes. And while I think Gal is absolutely gorgeous, I've always felt WW should be a bit more athletic looking.

 

[DallasEast]

With Gunn at the helm I'll be good with whatever he decides.

I am kinda 80/20 with James Gunn. On one hand, I loved his Guardians work and really like The Suicide Squad. On the other hand, his Peacemaker did not blow me out of the water. So he feels me with confidence but not completely. I am hoping his oversight over DC during the next few years will lean me further towards the former rather than to the latter.

 

[Stash]

With Gunn at the helm I'll be good with whatever he decides.

I’m a bit torn on him, and whether he’s the right guy to be ‘running things’. While he’s very funny and creative, he strikes me as someone who needs to be ‘reigned in’ himself.

 

[DallasEast]

I haven't really thought about who would replace her, but if Jenna Ortega (whom I'd never heard of before) could make me forget about Christina Ricci's Wednesday, I'm very sure there's someone out there who could step into Gal Gadot's shoes. And while I think Gal is absolutely gorgeous, I've always felt WW should be a bit more athletic looking.

Granted, there are options out there. The question is the same though regarding any role where an actor is replaced with someone new: "Is this someone better to play this part?"

I had big question marks on Gadot's casting before seeing he wield the Golden Lasso. She put my doubts to rest. Similarly, I wondered who would follow Christian Bale as Batman. Found out it would be Ben Affleck. Held my breath until Batman v. Superman. Then gagged a little when I was in the theater. Needless to say, all this talk about another actress playing Wonder Wonder is making me a little queasy.

 

[Runwildboys]

Granted, there are options out there. The question is the same though regarding any role where an actor is replaced with someone new: "Is this someone better to play this part?"

I had big question marks on Gadot's casting before seeing he wield the Golden Lasso. She put my doubts to rest. Similarly, I wondered who would follow Christian Bale as Batman. Found out it would be Ben Affleck. Held my breath until Batman v. Superman. Then gagged a little when I was in the theater. Needless to say, all this talk about another actress playing Wonder Wonder is making me a little queasy.

I don't know if someone else would necessarily be "better", but she could be very different and still be as good.

 

[Stash]

I am kinda 80/20 with James Gunn. On one hand, I loved his Guardians work and really like The Suicide Squad. On the other hand, his Peacemaker did not blow me out of the water. So he feels me with confidence but not completely. I am hoping his oversight over DC during the next few years will lean me further towards the former rather than to the latter.

I agree with you. But he struck me as going too far with Suicide Squad. And that concerns me for someone who has so much authority and influence.

 

[John813]

I’m a bit torn on him, and whether he’s the right guy to be ‘running things’. While he’s very funny and creative, he strikes me as someone who needs to be ‘reigned in’ himself.

I am kinda 80/20 with James Gunn. On one hand, I loved his Guardians work and really like The Suicide Squad. On the other hand, his Peacemaker did not blow me out of the water. So he feels me with confidence but not completely. I am hoping his oversight over DC during the next few years will lean me further towards the former rather than to the latter.

for sure. He definitely isn't perfect but the bar set by the last staff was so low(outside of the Nolan trilogy) that even if he goes a bit off the end at times it should be a decent improvement.

 

[Stash]

for sure. He definitely isn't perfect but the bar set by the last staff was so low(outside of the Nolan trilogy) that even if he goes a bit off the end at times it should be a decent improvement.

Excellent point!

 

[DallasEast]

James Gunn Sounds Off on DC Films’ Future: ‘We’re Not Going to Make Every Single Person Happy’
By Adam B. Vary | Variety
December 8, 2022

Filmmaker James Gunn has made his first lengthy public statement about the future of DC Studios after he and producer Peter Safran took the reins of the Warner Bros. Discovery division in October.

“Peter and I chose to helm DC Studios knowing we were coming into a fractious environment, both in the stories being told and in the audience itself and there would be an unavoidable transitional period as we moved into telling a cohesive story across film, TV, animation and gaming,” Gunn tweeted Thursday. “But, in the end, the drawbacks of that transitional period were dwarfed by the creative possibilities and the opportunity to build upon what has worked in DC so far and to help rectify what has not.”

Gunn’s decision to speak out was catalyzed by a lengthy story posted Wednesday by The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news that a sequel to 2020’s “Wonder Woman 1984” was not moving forward at Warner Bros. with director Patty Jenkins. Variety confirmed that aspect of the report, but sources cautioned that several other assertions within it — that potential sequels to “Man of Steel” with Henry Cavill and “Black Adam” with Dwayne Johnson were likely also dead, and that Jason Momoa might transition from playing Aquaman to the DC anti-hero Lobo — were far more speculative.

On Thursday, Gunn said of the THR report that, “some of it is true, some of it is half-true, some of it is not true, and some of it we haven’t decided yet whether it’s true or not.”

Read more

 

[Stash]

James Gunn Sounds Off on DC Films’ Future: ‘We’re Not Going to Make Every Single Person Happy’
By Adam B. Vary | Variety
December 8, 2022

Filmmaker James Gunn has made his first lengthy public statement about the future of DC Studios after he and producer Peter Safran took the reins of the Warner Bros. Discovery division in October.

“Peter and I chose to helm DC Studios knowing we were coming into a fractious environment, both in the stories being told and in the audience itself and there would be an unavoidable transitional period as we moved into telling a cohesive story across film, TV, animation and gaming,” Gunn tweeted Thursday. “But, in the end, the drawbacks of that transitional period were dwarfed by the creative possibilities and the opportunity to build upon what has worked in DC so far and to help rectify what has not.”

Gunn’s decision to speak out was catalyzed by a lengthy story posted Wednesday by The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news that a sequel to 2020’s “Wonder Woman 1984” was not moving forward at Warner Bros. with director Patty Jenkins. Variety confirmed that aspect of the report, but sources cautioned that several other assertions within it — that potential sequels to “Man of Steel” with Henry Cavill and “Black Adam” with Dwayne Johnson were likely also dead, and that Jason Momoa might transition from playing Aquaman to the DC anti-hero Lobo — were far more speculative.

On Thursday, Gunn said of the THR report that, “some of it is true, some of it is half-true, some of it is not true, and some of it we haven’t decided yet whether it’s true or not.”

Read more

I read something this morning that said Patty Jenkins and her treatment for Wonder Woman 3 were “done”. They argued over her vision and she refused requests for changes. Actually sounded belligerent if you ask me. But that’s different than saying Gadot, Cavill, and Dwayne Johnson are all out if any future plans. I think the truth lies somewhere in between.

 

[DallasEast]

I read something this morning that said Patty Jenkins and her treatment for Wonder Woman 3 were “done”. They argued over her vision and she refused requests for changes. Actually sounded belligerent if you ask me. But that’s different than saying Gadot, Cavill, and Dwayne Johnson are all out if any future plans. I think the truth lies somewhere in between.

I would have been highly interested in how Jenkins' vision differed with Gunn and Warner Bros Discovery management IF it was based solely on Wonder Woman. It is likely I would have sided with her telling them to stuff it because the original film was very well done in my opinion.

However, Jenkins should have been very open to others' input based on her direction of Wonder Woman 1984. Her sequel was notably flawed. Re-inserting Chris Pine's character was unnecessary and a bad move. She gambled having two main antagonists in Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. Kristen Wiig's character was never fleshed out completely and went overboard by movie's end. Pedro Pascal's character was all over the place and weakly presented.

It is understandable that the studio would be critical of what she would do with a third movie. Having a repeat of her last movie would be unfair to the studio, the main actress and the character she plays, the audience and most importantly, Jenkins herself. I think her talent is underrated. She does not need another WW84 on her resume if it could be avoided.

 

[Runwildboys]

I would have been highly interested in how Jenkins' vision differed with Gunn and Warner Bros Discovery management IF it was based solely on Wonder Woman. It is likely I would have sided with her telling them to stuff it because the original film was very well done in my opinion.

However, Jenkins should have been very open to others' input based on her direction of Wonder Woman 1984. Her sequel was notably flawed. Re-inserting Chris Pine's character was unnecessary and a bad move. She gambled having two main antagonists in Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. Kristen Wiig's character was never fleshed out completely and went overboard by movie's end. Pedro Pascal's character was all over the place and weakly presented.

It is understandable that the studio would be critical of what she would do with a third movie. Having a repeat of her last movie would be unfair to the studio, the main actress and the character she plays, the audience and most importantly, Jenkins herself. I think her talent is underrated. She does not need another WW84 on her resume if it could be avoided.

I still haven't seen WW84 or the alternate Justice League. I don't have much interest in seeing the former. Between the trailers, which looked really bad, and the reviews by you and others, which confirm my opinion of the trailers, I don't have much hope of watching the whole movie. I also don't want a reason to dislike Kristen Wiig.

I do still want to see Justice League , as I didn't hate the first one, but I hear the alternate is much better.

 

[Stash]

I would have been highly interested in how Jenkins' vision differed with Gunn and Warner Bros Discovery management IF it was based solely on Wonder Woman. It is likely I would have sided with her telling them to stuff it because the original film was very well done in my opinion.

However, Jenkins should have been very open to others' input based on her direction of Wonder Woman 1984. Her sequel was notably flawed. Re-inserting Chris Pine's character was unnecessary and a bad move. She gambled having two main antagonists in Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. Kristen Wiig's character was never fleshed out completely and went overboard by movie's end. Pedro Pascal's character was all over the place and weakly presented.

It is understandable that the studio would be critical of what she would do with a third movie. Having a repeat of her last movie would be unfair to the studio, the main actress and the character she plays, the audience and most importantly, Jenkins herself. I think her talent is underrated. She does not need another WW84 on her resume if it could be avoided.

I see Jenkins as a ‘one hit wonder’ at this point.

The first Wonder Woman was a huge hit and a very good movie for the most part, but for the final conflict.

The second film was an unmitigated disaster. An embarrassment of a film that should rightly have the filmmaker’s credibility questioned. There’s no way a film should be that bad, and the pandemic had nothing to do with that.

But also of note is her failed attempt at Rogue Squadron with Disney. That thing was reportedly a mess as well, leading to the ‘creative differences’ term being used to dissolve the relationship.

And now this Wonder Woman 3 news makes strike three.

I think we’re seeing another once promising director become too full of themselves and impossible to work with.

 

[Stash]

I still haven't seen WW84 or the alternate Justice League. I don't have much interest in seeing the former. Between the trailers, which looked really bad, and the reviews by you and others, which confirm my opinion of the trailers, I don't have much hope of watching the whole movie. I also don't want a reason to dislike Kristen Wiig.

I do still want to see Justice League , as I didn't hate the first one, but I hear the alternate is much better.

I think you’re right on both counts.

WW84 should not be seen - by ANYONE!

But Snyder’s Justice League - while still too dark, bloated, sullen, and overly long, is a much better film that what the self-destructing Joss Whedon put out.

 

[DallasEast]

I still haven't seen WW84 or the alternate Justice League. I don't have much interest in seeing the former. Between the trailers, which looked really bad, and the reviews by you and others, which confirm my opinion of the trailers, I don't have much hope of watching the whole movie. I also don't want a reason to dislike Kristen Wiig.

I do still want to see Justice League , as I didn't hate the first one, but I hear the alternate is much better.

Wonder Woman 1984 is a superhero movie I would not encourage anyone to watch. I liked the movie but it could have been SO much better. On the other hand, Zack Snyder's 2021 director cut of Justice League is a must watch. It is 242 minutes long but worth every second. I would equally recommend it as I would The Avengers.