While rumors abound about Marvel Studios’ big plans for its post-Avengers Age of Ultron slate, Warner Bros. continues to be focused on really knocking Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice out of the park. Man of Steel was a commercial success but not the astronomical phenomenon that WB was hoping for, and so their plans for the entire DC Movie Universe are on the line with Dawn of Justice. The studio laid out (some of) its cards recently when it announced release dates for nine untitled DC Comics adaptations. So far the only confirmed upcoming title we have is Justice League, which Zack Snyder will direct after BvS, but Warner Bros. added another film to that roster recently when we learned that Fury director David Ayer is being eyed to helm a Suicide Squad movie.
As production on Batman v Superman comes to an end, more concrete plans are being put together for the future DC Comics movies. A couple of new rumors have now surfaced from a fairly reputable source, claiming to reveal the Justice League movie villain and the characters that will make up the Suicide Squad team. Read on after the jump.
The folks over at Latino Review reported a couple of tidbits today about upcoming DC Comics adaptations. Firstly, they claim that Brainiac is being planned as the Big Bad for Justice League, which Argo and Batman v Superman scribe Chris Terrio is writing now. The outlet says that Brainiac comes into the equation when he senses the same beacon that drew General Zod to Earth in Man of Steel, though actual production on Justice League is still a long ways off so the script could evolve significantly before the film actually comes to fruition. Earlier rumors pegged Darkseid as the main villain for Justice League, but LR claims that Warner Bros. has opted to push his appearance to later in the DCU.
Additionally, Latino Review reports that the seven members of the Suicide Squad movie will be Deadshot, Harkness, Vixen, Blockbuster, Multiplex, Jaculi, and Mindblogger, with the first three acting as the film’s leads. That comic is like a darker version of Justice League, focusing on a group of supervillains.
Again and as with all rumors, none of this is confirmed and what’s true today may not be true tomorrow. We know that early iterations of Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t include the character of Rocket Raccoon, and so when a director becomes firmly attached to Suicide Squad, that lineup may shift a bit. With regards to Justice League, I imagine Terrio is working closely with Snyder while the two are on the Batman v Superman set, so Brainiac’s involvement seems like a safer bet. I don't know much about the character but he seems like as good a baddie as any to unite the various characters of the DC Universe.
With so many titles unconfirmed on Warner Bros.’ slate, I do hope we start to get some official announcements soon. I understand they’re intently focused on making Batman v Superman the best film it can be—and if that movie doesn’t work it could throw the entire DCU plan out of whack—but I imagine they’re starting to make some serious moves with regards to moving these planned projects closer to reality. They've already cast Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and who knows who else to appear in BvS, so now it's time to start lining up the filmmakers that will bring their individual stories to fruition.
What do you think, readers? Is Brainiac a good foe for the Justice League or do you think a different comics villain would make a better fit? Which characters do you want to see in Suicide Squad? Sound off in the comments below.
