Justice League was set to be the DC Extended Universe's biggest film yet. It has not lived up to those expectations.
The highly anticipated release was met with underwhelming numbers at the domestic box office, raking in $94 million it's opening weekend. It marked the extended universe's lowest opening weekend by more than $9 million. Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), and Wonder Woman (2017) all hit the $100 million marks in domestic box offices their respective opening weekends.
Forbes estimates that the League will bring $635 million worldwide by the time it leaves theaters. This estimation could put Warner Bros. on track to lose up to $100 million.
The fifth installment of the DCEU was received with mixed reviews. IMDB gives the superhero film a modest 7.3 out of 10 while aggregate review website, Rotten Tomatoes gives the film 41%.
So what went wrong with Justice League?
Only a week before the release it was reported that Warner Bros. executives mandated the film runtime be under two hours. This led to many deleted scenes including some described by the Aquaman, Jason Momoa. He later defended the decision in an interview with Entertainment Weekly saying, "A lot of things got cut. But it's not my movie."
In May 2017, DC's main go-to filmmaker Zack Snyder left production following the tragic death of his daughter, Autumn. Snyder left the helm to Avengers director, Joss Whedon. Whedon made major changes to Snyder's version of the film. Many of the scenes from the trailers have been cut out or reshot. Reports have confirmed that Whedon had a bigger say in the final version of the film than originally anticipated.
The main criticism of the film itself was the lack of development for the new characters introduced. Aquaman, the Flash, Cyborg, and Steppenwolf don't get much of a backstory. We see some backstory to the Flash, Cyborg, and Steppenwolf but the scenes are dry and short. The insufficient backstory for the villain led to an overall weak plotline.
Justice League has flopped like a fish out of water, leaving the extended universe's future in question.
The universe is set to release the following film through 2019:
Aquaman - Jason Momoa's stand alone film directed by James Wan is set to release on December 21st, 2018.
Shazam! - Zachary Levi is cast to play the titular character, along with Asher Angel playing the kid Billy Batson. David F. Sandberg is set to direct the film, targeting an April 2019 release.
Wonder Woman 2 - Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins return to follow up the summer blockbuster. The sequel is rumored to place Diana in the 1980's. The film's official release date is November 1st, 2019.
A number of films are in the work but no official release dates have been set. Notable works includes:
The Batman - Rumors surrounding Ben Affleck leaving the universe have been around since the summer. He dismissed the rumors during San Diego Comic Con saying, "Let me be very clear: I am the luckiest guy in the world." Despite his remarks rumors continued that he is looking for a way out and Jake Gyllenhall will fill in as his replacement. In part, the uncertainty has led to the delay of the film. Matt Reeves is set to direct the film.
Flashpoint - Justice League stand out, Ezra Miller is set to get his on film although he won't be the only DC superhero we see in film. The film is based on the comic by the same name which includes a Thomas Wayne version of the Dark Knight.
Batgirl - Joss Whedon is set to return to the universe as he will head it's Batgirl project. This Barbara Gordon will be based on the New 52 comic books version.
Suicide Squad 2, Justice League Dark, Black Adam, Cyborg, Green Lantern Corps, a Justice League sequel, a Man of Steel sequel, Nightwing, and Gotham City Sirens are also in the developing stages to name a few.
With the popularity of Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn, the female heroes in the DCEU will undoubtedly be a huge player for the universe's future success. Wonder Woman (2017) and Harley Quinn (2016) were the most popular Halloween costumes the last two years. Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige commented on the matter in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, "Yeah. I think it's always fun to be first with most things." Marvel Studios plans to release a Captain Marvel film in 2019.
No matter where Justice League ends up it is clear the DC executives will have some major decision to make on how to take the universe to infinity and beyond.
