Man Of Steel Writer Thinks 'It Was Crazy' For DC To Replicate The Marvel Cinematic Universe
David S. Goyer knows a thing or two about how to make a good superhero movie. Not only is he responsible for writing the best superhero trilogy ever made (it's the "Blade" trilogy, don't @ me), but he's also helped pen screenplays for "Batman Begins," "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," "Man of Steel," and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." Not for nothing, he also co-wrote the script for "Terminator: Dark Fate," a criminally underrated "Terminator" film that feels like a spiritual sibling to the superhero genre. This is to say, the man knows what he's talking about when it comes to supes and baddies. During a recent episode of the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast examining his entire career, he admitted that he was saying from the beginning what so many fans of DC Comics have been screaming for over a decade — chasing the high of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a really bad idea.
Goyer and host Joshua Horowitz discussed the reign of Henry Cavill's Superman, agreeing that "Man of Steel" should not have been the only standalone film to star the Last Son of Krypton, and that Warner Bros.' insistence to spark a cinematic universe with "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" wasn't the right call. The company wanted to compete with the budding MCU, and it just didn't work.
"I know the pressure we were getting from Warner Bros., which was, 'We need our MCU! We need our MCU!' And I was like let's not run before we walk," Goyer told Horowitz. "There was this revolving door of executives at Warner Bros. and DC. Every 18 months someone new would come in. We were just getting whiplash. Every new person was like, 'We're going to go bigger!'"
These conditions were not exactly conducive to a creative environment.
The need for a new guard
Goyer recalled that at one point, someone in a leadership position at Warner Bros. was pitching the next 20 films to come out over the next 10 years, effectively developing "phases" for DC the way that Marvel plans out their universe. There was just one problem ... as Goyer said, "None of them had been written yet!" Henry Cavill deserved better as Superman, and it's a true shame that it looks as if misguided planning was the true culprit of his less-than-ideal treatment as a character. Now, this isn't to say that Marvel has their scripts locked and loaded before making huge phase announcements at San Diego Comic-Con, but they certainly aren't making those plans without figuring out how the films and TV series will fit within the universe. You don't announce "The Marvels" without knowing "Ms. Marvel" is coming to Disney+.
From what it sounds like, DC was putting the cart way, way before the horse. "It was crazy how much architecture was being built on air," he said, "This is not how you build a house." Goyer's right. DC was foolish to try and replicate the MCU, and it's been proven time and time again. Standalone flicks like "Joker," "The Batman," and even "Aquaman" — who despite being included in "Justice League" is sort of doing his own thing — have been financially successful and critically acclaimed. The Snyderverse may have its belligerently vocal fanbase, but the DCEU never quite hit the way the MCU did. And it sounds like it's due to the fact DC was focusing on expansion, rather than building a solid foundation. Fortunately, with James Gunn and Peter Safran now at the helm with a new plan of attack for DC Studios, there's at least some optimism to be found.
If only the folks in power had been able to see this a decade ago.