It looks like its game on for the Justice League

[The Bat]

I've written this here and on other forums, but one more time won't hurt.

I believe that Warners should turn the development of a movie universe over to Bruce Timm and then leave him alone.

No argument!!

[aquatroy]

I've written this here and on other forums, but one more time won't hurt.

I believe that Warners should turn the development of a movie universe over to Bruce Timm and then leave him alone.

[hedrap]

Some clarity about Smallville, for those who may not know.

Between the Seigel/Shuster estates, the Salkinds and the Superman project in development since '97, Millar/Gough had to weave a legal and contractual minefield which stopped them from using the suit. Superboy is a legal nightmare for WB, which is why they keep re-inventing the character in DC.

So if Welling was to play Superman in a movie, it couldn't be connected to Smallville, and when Singer was considering him for Returns, it meant Smallville was toast.

In the end, I'm glad Welling and company got paid well, because they got jerked around by WB, incessantly. Smallville and Dini/Timm did more to revive Superman than anything DC has done since Byrne's reboot.

As for JLA, the latest Variety article alludes to what's been the truth for sometime. WB won't move without Nolan in some capacity. He should be the guiding hand because they have to find a different angle from Marvel, or they're always going to look like the copycats.

Hey, with Nolan, you're going to get something closer to Kingdom Come than over-hyped Grant Morrison.

[madmarva]

I think too much credit for the success of the Avengers movie is given to the fact that it was set up by individual movies. Certainly, it built a high level of anticipation for the film that guaranteed a good-sized audience for the opening weekend, and it worked well for Marvel and gave its universe a cohesive feel.

However, if the Avengers movie was sub-par, it would have done big business the first weekend and then it would have dropped off like most films do. That wasn't the case because people are seeing it multiple times and giving it good word of mouth, drawing others off the fence and enticing some who wouldn't normally go to the theater or watch a "super hero" movie.

DC's biggest issue with a JLA movie is getting a script on par with Whedon's Avengers script and getting a director who believes in a script and has a vision and a purpose for that script and its characters other than a big pay day.

Brad Bird (Iron Giant, Incredibles and Ghost Protocol) is the director I would target. As another suggested it would be a bad idea to involve Bruce Timm in one way or the other.

As for setting up the characters, that's something at one time was done each month in the comics and what Whedon did very well in the Avengers. You did not need to see the previous Marvel films to understand or enjoy the Avengers, although you probably did have a richer experience by seeing the others. Whedon expertly introduced the characters giving you everything you needed to know about the characters to enjoy the movie.

The first comics I read of most Marvel and DC characters were not their origins, but by reading an issue or two I learned who and what the characters were through characterization. Same with any film.

However, if DC/Warners wanted a springboard, it could use the set up for the Sinestro Corps from the end of the GL film since it seems unlikely that there will be a sequel. Have Sinestro and his Corps attack Jordon on Earth in a manner that draws the attention of the other heroes. Maybe they destroy Coast City?

At this juncture I think it would be safer to spin solo movies out of a JLA film. If Aquaman or Flash is a big hit in the film, then develop them a movie.

[huedell]

Welling has no business donning the supersuit for a feature length film. If "Smallville" had been set up that way from the get-go, i.e. the series would be used as a springboard for Welling's eventual big screen adventures of Superman, then so be it.

But that's not the way it was set up. "Smallville" was a TV series, was always intended as a TV series and to put Welling on the big screen as "Superman" wouldn't work. It would never be viewed as a new franchise, simply a continuation of a TV one. And we know that those don't last long. How many "X-Files" films were there? Two? How many "Sex and the City" films were there? Two? That's not the way to build a succesful MOVIE franchise.

Just my two cents...

I think you're right about the tonal difference bewtween the tone
on SMALLVILLE, and what WB wants for the Cavill version.

But there's no steadfast reason that popular TV shows can't be successful
at the movies... either audiences burn out on the franchise...
or its a fumble on the production end where whoever has the rights to the
liscence can't figure out how to succeed off the bat... its not easy.

But, yeah, it'd be a big mistake to confuse SMALLVILLE fans AND
SMALLVILLE haters by casting Welling in a JLA/superhero movie that
didn't resemble the tone of the show.

Unless, of course, you think the JLA movie SHOULD be an extension
of SMALLVILLE.... but I wouldn't back that horse personally.

[The Toyroom]

Welling has no business donning the supersuit for a feature length film. If "Smallville" had been set up that way from the get-go, i.e. the series would be used as a springboard for Welling's eventual big screen adventures of Superman, then so be it.

But that's not the way it was set up. "Smallville" was a TV series, was always intended as a TV series and to put Welling on the big screen as "Superman" wouldn't work. It would never be viewed as a new franchise, simply a continuation of a TV one. And we know that those don't last long. How many "X-Files" films were there? Two? How many "Sex and the City" films were there? Two? That's not the way to build a succesful MOVIE franchise.

Just my two cents...

[The Toyroom]

instead of some sorta General Hospital, but without Frisco & Felica.

The good ol' days!

[thunderbolt]

I just knew Welling would get brought up here eventually. With SuperMAN cast for the movie, I really doubt that Welling has a chance to reprise his teen angst role.

[BlackKnight]

No one wants Welling to be Superman huh? Yeah, he doesn't have a loyal following of fans that made his show run successfully for 10(that's right, count em')10 YEARS!!

10 Years of Waner not giving a crap about the Superman Franchise . That coulda been 4 Bad Arse Movies instead of some sorta General Hospital, but without Frisco & Felica.

[sprytel]

Oh yay... another "Smallville" debate...

[kingdom warrior]

No one wants Welling to be Superman huh? Yeah, he doesn't have a loyal following of fans that made his show run successfully for 10(that's right, count em')10 YEARS!!

Yes ten years, the show limped for about 5 years just to see a few seconds of Welling wearing Brandon Routh's costume...Oh yeah that was a thiller...not...lol

Ten years and did they give him at least an audition for the new film?.....Nope. If that New Superman movie is Good....it'll be Who?Welling the guy who played Clark Kent? Dean Cain was the worst on screen Superman ever, but at least I give him Kudos for putting on the suit.

Welling should have insisted the producers to get him in the suit for at least one full show not one minute.....that could have been his audition......
and Welling will never be Superman on screen in theaters he's just not that good......

[MIB41]

Now, with the Cavill Supes movie coming they might have to retain him. Bale, while great in the Nolan-verse, would not translate into a group setting and might prove to be a distraction.

I agree. I consider Nolan's Batman more of a conceptual piece not intended for other heroes to co-exist in. His Batman is more of a "what if this could really happen?" scenario. He tries to keep all the concepts grounded in a kind of hyper-real environment. Plus his hero takes on alot of damage. I think Nolan's Batman is not intended to have a long career based of that toll of injuries. Which is another reason why I'm very interested to see how he writes him out. This has been a fascinating approach to the character. But once this is done, I hope someone at Warner Bros. finally has the "nerve" to tackle the next Batman incarnation in the Neil Adams vein. Can you imagine the response if they made a Batman look like a Neil Adams rendering? OMIGOD! That would be amazing. And Sandy proved the cowl could be made to look form fitting with white eyes. So the technology is clearly there.

[Random Axe]

If they are truly going to go forward with this, and I have serious doubts, I'd like to see a group if unknowns cast. They need to develop an identity of their own and see where it goes/grows. Hemsworth got his start as George Kirk for eight screentime minutes and his talent took over. If you're going to begin a franchise with a group movie, preconceived notions about established actors taking on iconic roles will blur the lines of potential success.

Now, with the Cavill Supes movie coming they might have to retain him. Bale, while great in the Nolan-verse, would not translate into a group setting and might prove to be a distraction.

[MIB41]

^^^ There's no argument that Welling did a great job as Clark in Smallville. The show's success speaks to that. But translating that to a big screen venture that is intended to compete with the Avengers might be too much of a stretch. People don't want to pay for something that feels like a television show on the big screen. Personally I think he would do a good job, but I think the general public would be less receptive to an established TV personality in a big budget film.

[The Bat]

Why in God's name would they use Welling when they have Cavill already?...no one wants Welling to be the big screen Superman.

No one wants Welling to be Superman huh? Yeah, he doesn't have a loyal following of fans that made his show run successfully for 10(that's right, count em')10 YEARS!!