Geoff Johns and Jon Berg explain why they’re abandoning the “dark and gritty” tone set by The Dark Knight Trilogy and confirm that there will be consequences for Batman’s action in Justice League. Geoff Johns and Jon Berg control the future of DC Entertainment and the direction of Warner Bros. superhero films.
After confirming that Joe Manganiello will play Deathstroke in the upcoming Batman movie, Geoff Johns sat down with The Wall Street Journal to talk more about his new role overseeing the DC Films Universe alongside Jon Berg. The report makes it clear that their goal is to change how these characters are perceived, with a clear effort to make the movies more inspiring starting with Justice League.
“Mistakenly in the past I think the studio has said, ‘Oh, DC films are gritty and dark and that’s what makes them different.’ That couldn’t be more wrong,” Johns explained. “It’s a hopeful and optimistic view of life. Even Batman has a glimmer of that in him. If he didn’t think he’d make tomorrow better, he’d stop.” Talking of Batman, the site adds that Justice League will address the Dark Knight’s actions in Batman v Superman both in regards to him torturing criminals and trying to kill the Man of Steel.
“To have these characters be part of the fabric of pop culture is so rewarding, though of course we’re disappointed the movies weren’t better reviewed,” Berg added when asked about the critical reaction to the first few movies set in the DC Films Universe. As for how that will be carried over to Justice League next year, the interview confirms that the duo worked with writer Chris Terrio to change the tone of the movie. “We accelerated the story to get to the hope and optimism a little faster.”
That’s not the only major change though as it’s mentioned that plans for Justice League to start a story which would have carried on over into a sequel in 2019 have also been abandoned. “We’re trying to take a really hard look at everything to make sure we stay true to the characters and tell stories that celebrate them.” It should be interesting to see how this new optimistic tone plays out in future movies.