It's taken quite a while but it looks like people are finally catching on to the idea that not everyone can be Marvel. In the wake of failed attempts to create a shared monster movie universe and disatourous reviews for their crossover movies, DC is finally moving on from the idea of creating interconnected superhero movies.
CEO of Warner Bros. Kevin Tsujihara told the Los Angeles Times that their focus is on making standalone films that are worth watching, not trying to create a massive, sprawling franchise.
"The upcoming slate, with Shazam, Joker, Wonder Woman 1984, and Birds of Prey, feels like we’re on the right track. We have the right people in the right jobs working on it,” Tsujihara said. “The universe isn’t as connected as we thought it was going to be five years ago."
The admission comes after movies like Justice League and Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice failed to impress while stories like Aquaman and Wonder Woman wowed audiences.
"You’re seeing much more focus on individual experiences around individual characters," he said. "That’s not to say we won’t at some point come back to that notion of a more connected universe. But it feels like that’s the right strategy for us right now.”
It certainly doesn't hurt that DC's most-anticipated upcoming movies are character studies or contained stories. Both Birds of Prey and the prestige Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix won't be concerned with easter eggs or continuity.
"What Patty Jenkins did on Wonder Woman illustrated to us what you could do with these characters who are not Batman and Superman,” Tsujihara said. “Obviously, we want to get those two in the right place, and we want strong movies around Batman and Superman. But Aquaman is a perfect example of what we can do. They’re each unique and the tone’s different in each movie.”
