DC Studios
As you read these lines, in the US and international box office blue beetle reached a total figure of $86 million, a result that is not exceptional at the moment and is also caused by a number of unpredictable factors, such as a strike of actors (whose advertising presence could have given a greater boost to the film) or even natural events such as Hurricane Hillary, which derailed the debuts of DC Studios films in some places.
However, in fact, Warner and DC Studios faced a serious problem, which began to manifest itself with Shazam! Fury of the gods and what then catastrophically materialized with Flashthat is lack of an audience.
Surreal thing, it’s true Flash saw the numerous previews (events that later boomeranged for the box office debut) that Warner arranged before the film’s release in theaters, thousands of viewers were ready to watch something that was defined in a completely wrong way”,best superhero movie of all time“. But the same spectators were not subsequently seen in cinemas, also because, thanks to those events organized throughout the United States, Flash was probably circulated on the Internet before its official release, effectively destroying the debut, which a few weeks ago was rated as one of the highest in recent times.
Apart from the strategic mistakes of Warner, the main problem remains that Warner currently can no longer catalyze a large group of enthusiasts on their projects., who appears to be very active on the Internet, but is resolutely averse to moving when it comes to going to the cinema. Despite the regime change, the difficulty of communicating in relation to DC Comics projects remains largely unchanged, also due to the delay in understanding how to respond to rumors and comments that do not correspond to the current status being developed. James Gunn.
This is how it is with declarations. Gal Gadot on the third chapter amazing woman which were released during the promotion of the movie by Netflix Heart of stonebut which was released by the actress before the actors’ strike, or more likely a few months ago, when Gunn and Safran had not yet released the DC Studios filming schedule.
In this case, a sharp and decisive denial by the person concerned or Warner management would have been appropriate, and instead the case was finally closed by means of an article in Variety and citing some sources, without any official data, which in this case would mean help and brought clarity.
Clarity is actually one of the current issues for Warner, which, while awaiting the final reboot of its movie comic book universe, still has to deal with what’s left of the DCEU.since there is no appeal Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will be released in December, but at the moment without the advertising campaign, which is due to start in October. This element brings us back to the main problem of the article: how to attract the public if the prerequisites for this are not created?
This Warner difficulty has recently been highlighted Richard Newby in the author’s article Hollywood Reporter which analyzes the lack of true fandom on a cinematic level in relation to DC Comics films. At the same time, Newby emphasizes how numerous changes, indecisions, reworks of the last few years have weakened the fans of these films ultimately creating two overlaps that, over time, have certainly contributed to creating a negative perception of anything associated with a DC Comics character or brand, a feature not found in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This element has intensified recently also thanks to a decision that was probably not the wisest, namely the decision not to resume the virtual fair called DC Fandome, which is now stopped from 2021. Due to the strike of actors and screenwriters, and therefore the relative cancellation of the presence in San Diego of many majors and DC Fandome film projects, it could even be for blue beetle, a way to hide and spread the right information in the DC Universe, free of that negativity, no matter what seems to surround Warner. In recent days, the postponement of some Marvel Studios series has been caused by strikes. This was presumably motivated by the Major’s desire to focus its efforts on making every game an event for fans and the general public.
The significant difference in approach to their fans from Warner and Marvel Studios, as also evidenced by the fact that the latter did not decide to postpone Miraclescounting on a stronger credibility and acceptance for Marvel products, also due to a diverse fandom that is more attached to the characters and avoids social battles over directors:
The MCU has created a system where the fandom is generated by the characters and the directors are mostly secondary. Fans love Spider-Man, but don’t buy Jon Watts shirts or show interest in his personal life. Newby wrote. But the DC fandom is driven by celebrity filmmakers, and as a result, their decisions are trusted. It was this logic that led to the appearance of Black Adam, Shazam! Wrath of the Gods and Blue Beetle – all billed as Marvel-style films – fail to capture the attention of the fandom. Their target audience already had the MCU versions of these films, and Black Adam and Blue Beetle’s representative merits, while commendable, aren’t appealing enough on their own. But when Warners puts someone like Matt Reeves or James Gunn in charge of those titles, something like a tie breaks out, making it easier for fans to not only accept, but defend everything from unconventional casting choices to character changes.
So for Warner, it’s not just about smoothing out a few corners. James Gunn’s attitude towards “lack of press” during casting Superman: Legacy as we noted in this column, this was the most appropriate method of responding to a divisive fandom. But sometimes there is also a need for real and direct communication that knows how to set limits and provide a framework that knows how to nip any negativity in the bud. Will Warner know how to do it?