It’s no secret that the upcoming DC Comics cinematic universe will carry a serious tone. Director Zack Snyder has gone on record multiple times to say the films won’t be bubblegum fodder and will transcend the superhero genre.
This is why Man of Steel wasn’t called “Superman” and was perhaps the darkest version of the character on film to date, and why Aquaman looks like this and not this. If that’s the tone Snyder and Warner Brothers want to convey, that’s fine, but the DC world may actually be having more fun than they’re letting on.
https://youtu.be/p868pIGSEWo
Warner Brothers is reportedly considering a superhero team-up movie featuring Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, that will be a buddy-comedy. For those sick of the “Do you bleed?” tone of the DC universe, this is fantastic news.
For the uninitiated, Booster Gold is a Justice League member from the future who loves the limelight and all the fame associated with it. He uses his knowledge of the future to financially benefit himself. While he’s inherently good, he’s not your traditional selfless superhero. He doesn’t have any natural superpowers, but he’s uber-athletic and uses technology to help him fly, have increased strength and shoot energy rays, among many abilities. Blue Beetle, on the other hand, is a superhero who, with the help of an Egyptian scarab, is given a Beetle suit and has superpowers. The two have long been paired together, having many fun adventures. As YouTuber Emergency Awesome puts it, the duo have become the Burt and Ernie of the DC Comics universe.
(Image via Variety)
Again, nothing has been officially announced, but WB has reportedly tapped Greg Berlanti, the man responsible for creating the current wildly successful DC TV universe, to direct the film. Berlanti’s shows (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl) may have the occasional dark moment or themes, but they’re rooted in fun. In The Flash’s case, it even embraces the comics’ most goofy material. It’s hard to believe Berlanti would take lively source material of the characters, then try to make them dark and gritty like the rest of DC’s upcoming movies.
This bodes well for the future of DC’s cinematic universe. These movies don’t need to emulate or try to be Marvel, but it’s nice to throw in a fun one every now and again. The studio has only officially released one film and fatigue from its over-serious attitude was already setting in. A Blue Beetle/Booster Gold movie would add laughter to ease the many gasps. The team-up may be the potentially silliest movie on WB’s developing slate, but it might not be the only one with a lighter tone.
Fans were already given a hint that 2019’s Shazam movie may not be as dark and gritty as DC’s previous mindset suggested. New Line Cinema president Toby Emmerich told EW in 2014 that the film “will have a sense of fun and a sense of humor. But the stakes have to be real.” That seems to be a perfectly reasonable middle ground. I’m not sure how you make a movie grounded in realism about a character who is basically a light-hearted Superman, literally a 12-year-old boy who says “Shazam!” and can turn into a superhero.
Expect the DC cinematic universe to still be dark and broody, but there are signs which suggest that’s not all it’s going to be. Yes, you may see DC superheroes having fun. It’s not going to be bubblegum and unicorns, but with a potential Booster Gold/Blue Beetle team-up, and whatever they do with Shazam, we can at least expect some lighter moments out of these movies, which is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
