One of the main reasons why so many attempts at launching a shared cinematic universe from the various studios dotted around Hollywood have failed is also an incredibly simple one: They don’t have a single person steering the ship. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon to try and mimic the success of Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios, but the majority of them forgot how important it is to ensure that there’s somebody at the very top ensuring everyone and everything pulls in the same direction.
The most notable case in point is the DCEU, which has existed for over eight years and is now ten movies deep thanks to The Suicide Squad. But nobody’s really sure who’s in charge. At various points since Man of Steel was released, the likes of Geoff Johns, Jon Berg, Walter Hamada, Zack Snyder, Jason Kilar, Casey Bloys, Toby Emmerich, Ann Sarnoff, and more have all held a vested stake in DC Films’ output, as well as vastly differing opinions on where things should go.
Ever since Feige was named President of Marvel Studios in 2007, the only people he’s really had to answer to are Disney CEOs Bob Iger and Bob Chapek, following the Mouse House acquisition in 2009. Apparently, DC likes the idea. We’re now hearing from our sources—the same ones who told us Ben Affleck was returning as Batman in The Flash long before it was confirmed—that once the Discovery merger is finalized, one of the first acts of business will be to appoint a Feige-like figure to oversee the DCEU.
It’s been a long time coming, and even the staunchest supporters of the franchise can’t deny that it’s something the DCEU has needed for a long time to finally gain a sense of real continuity.