Following the harsh critical response and underwhelming box office totals of Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," many expected Warner Bros. to shake things up in regards to the DC Extended Universe. To this point, Snyder is the only filmmaker to work in this particular sandbox with 2013's "Man of Steel" and "BvS." He's also serving as producer/consultant on a number of upcoming DCEU films.
However, his involvement and role in the growing DCEU may be shrinking. It's been confirmed that Warner Bros. is establishing a new point of leadership in regards to their DC Film slate.
Executive VP Jon Berg and DC CCO Geoff Johns will be co-running the DC Films banner from this point on, according to a recent report. The studio is reportedly attempting to structure the DCEU in a similar fashion to the massively successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige calling the shots at the top. It is WB's hope that "a seasoned film exec and a comics veteran" will help them attain the level of success that has thus far eluded them in the superhero arena.
With the changes, Berg and Johns will board the upcoming "Justice League" movie as producers.
Johns' role in the post-production process of "Suicide Squad" alongside director David Ayer helped in his appointment to this new role. Johns has been a long-time face of DC and is also co-writing the new solo-Batman movie with Ben Affleck. Berg, meanwhile, has served at the executive level on "Batman v Superman," "Suicide Squad," "Wonder Woman" and "Justice League" while also developing Affleck's other projects such as "Argo" and "Live by Night."
Elsewhere in the DCEU, Warner Bros. is still searching for a replacement director for "The Flash" following the departure of Seth Grahame-Smith. The studio had previously replaced departed "Wonder Woman" director Michelle MacLaren with Patty Jenkins in a matter of days. But more than a month after Smith's departure, "The Flash" is still without a director. WB reportedly felt uncomfortable with a first-time filmmaker at the helm (then why give him the job in the first place?) and is now looking for "a more seasoned filmmaker" that has experience with big budgets.
We'll keep you posted as more details emerge.
"Justice League" will arrive in theaters on Nov. 10, 2017.
