The Studio System

Marvel Studios and Warner Brothers Studios are two very different entities. Marvel, due to its specific mission statement and financially clean track record, has been able to plan and launch several movies in the same universe. Marvel is shepherded by a geek who reads comics and who tries to find the right directors for each story. Warner Brothers, on the other hand, is dedicated to making films outside of the superhero genre. Due to the fact that they are only announcing 2 more movies set in their MoS Universe and several unrelated films based on Vertigo titles, I believe they lack the ability to coordinate more than one summer franchise simultaneously--or they lack investor confidence. Whatever the reason, WB doesn't seem up for the task of having solo films alongside their team films. Trying to expand too quickly by announcing a bunch of films that may not be successful may be too terrifying an option financially and too difficult to do logistically.

But what if they just went smaller? What if instead of trying to build up to Justice League, they only built their movie up to two hero team ups? That way, each go around you only have to focus on 3 films (which is basically what they are doing now), but you get to focus on character and get to excite the audiences with the slow burn. The could churn out team ups every 2-3 years. Eventually, if these duo franchises were successful, then a Justice League film may be possible, even if it doesn't have any build up or the same actors because audiences would be familiar with the characters, at least.

The Popularity of Team-Ups and The Possible Team-Ups

The DC Universe is known for it's characters having "best friends," which is something the fans have accepted and celebrated. There's lots of source material around that could easily excite the fans. The first team-ups I could see happening and performing well are the following:

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Or DC Could Do Films Based On Teams That Need No Build Up At All

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Thoughts?

@captain13: I like those team ups but I also like the idea of a Justice League movie coming first and all of them assembling together against a massive evil force *Cough*Darkseid*Cough*

So maybe a JL movie first, then team-ups and solos movies afterwards? That sounds cool to me

Funny you say DC has made famous best friends, yet you put up Barry Allen up with a guy he has neither met nor.mentioned in the new 52 instead of his real best friend.

@tommyjones1945: Lol, none of these pairings are technically best friends, but you only seem hung up on one. I wonder why.

Thanks to your pro-Hal fanboyism and the oversensitivity of some posters, I guess I should say, "Let the flames begin!"

Or we don't have to get hung up on dumb **** and can focus on the topic of smaller team ups. Just a small suggestion.

Your choice. Happy posting either way. :-P

Funny, last I checked Superman & Batman were besties.

I like the idea of team ups but I think JL should still be first

@tommyjones1945: Jimmy Olsen and Dick Grayson are their respective best friends. Clark and Bruce team up. They trust each other, but they don't hang out and shoot the ****.

That would be risky apart from Batman/Superman. A Justice League movie will introduce every member to the audience like how they did in the animated series (apart from the ones who appear in Batman/Superman so the trinity will be fleshed out from this point.) It's different from Marvel but WB aren't making a sprawling year by year universe, they don't need it. Just a large tentapole franchise that shoot off other films that they can do if they want to do. Basically MOS-Batman/Superman/JL are one Justice League franchise.

I'd rather see Hal and Barry team up, they've always been best friends, so it would only be fitting they team up together. Also, Firestorm and Blue Beetle have never teamed up, and I don't think a team up would work. I don't know too much about Blue Beetle, but what I do know is he would work well in a solo film, focusing on Jaime dealing with his new armor and the aliens, like Peter Parker but on a comic scale. Same for Firestorm, although I would rather see the Ronnie Raymond/Martin Stein Firestorm, and adapt the first 5 issue miniseries that Firestorm appeared in. Although I wouldn't mind if it was Ronnie and Jason together. Although I have accepted the reality that Firestorm will never get a movie :(

Actually, a Cyborg Firestorm movie would be really cool. I loved them together in the Superfriends. Plus, Vic and Ronnie could really bond over football, and the intelligence component (which could either be Prof. Stein or Jason) could bond with him over Cyborg's mechanical aspect.

@captainmarvel4ever: The OP is saying each hero would have a solo film before their 2 hero team up; Cyborg sucks; Jason is the better/my preferred Firestorm, debuted at the same time as Jaime, shares similar initials with Jaime, and comes from a similar background to Jaime's; and I find John to be the more compelling Lantern.

Obviously YMMV, and your opinion is valid.

@lyrafay: All of Marvel's phase one films were risky. Sucks WB cannot get their act together.

@outlawrenegade: Ronnie with Stein would work so much better on film.

I'm not even sure why a Blue Beetle that isn't Ted would get a movie.. especially team up movie with someone that isn't Booster Gold. Silly..

@outlawrenegade: 1. Cyborg does not suck, he is probably the best member of the justice League, and one of the coolest characters in comics right now.

2. Most hardcore Firestorm fans prefer Ronnie, because he better embodies what Firestorm's character is about (which is why the New 52 Firestorm is actually a pretty good idea using Ronnie and Jason)

3. Other then appearing around the same time, they don't have enough in common, and would only slow down each others story (again, not as well versed in Blue Beetle mythos as Firestorm mythos, so half of that is speculation)

4. If were talking team ups, then you gotta do Barry and Hal. They're friendship rivals that of Booster and Blue.

5. I agree, this is all opinion, and yours is also just as valid.

Again different studios, different ways of doing it. And WB have announced that Justice League will come straight up after the Batman/Superman movie and more 9 DC/Vertigo movies, does that sound like getting their act together. And they unlike Marvel studios which will need to keep on making superhero movies to say afloat, WB doesn't necessary need to make DC movies.

Dc should have made something besides MOS and TDK

Team-up movies would be great. I wouldn't mind seeing the Justice League film, and then spinoffs into team-up movies from there (Flash and GL, Wonder Woman and Aquaman, maybe Cyborg and the Titans).

@outlawrenegade: Dick is more of a son than a best friend. Jimmy is one of Clark best friends, no doubt about that. However I would still say that Kal and Bruce are best friends, their relationship is just a bit more complex than "Hey, wanna grab a beer". I like all your choices though and they all make sense.

You seem to know little of Superman and Batman. THEY. ARE. BEST. FRIENDS. The same way Hal and Barry are a besties. If there's going to be a GL/Flash movie(which probably won't happen), then the most likely option is Hal/Barry.