With Green Lantern out in theaters now and Batman and Superman coming out next year, I figured I’d dive in and join the speculation on what is next for Warner Bros. /DC. Now, I am a huge comic book fan, of both DC and Marvel and despite the article title, I'm not biased against either, but lately I've been hearing and seeing so much negativity aimed at DC for their most recent effort, Green Lantern. I do admit, however, that some of the negativity is well deserved. I can only hope that WB/DC learn from their mistakes and that they work hard to give us quality films, instead of rushed CGI generic fodder. Green Lantern was undoubtedly a misstep, but I do not think that it deserved the extreme hate that it got. I don't really want to get into how Green Lantern failed, as it's been covered everywhere else and now all that matters is what's next for WB/DC.
2012 looks to be an exciting year for the A-list superheroes. I have no doubt that Marvel will shine with their slate of movies while DC will have The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel. All of these movies contain A-List heroes and will no doubt rake in plenty of money. Being that this article focuses on DC as they are still trying to get their proper footing on the comic book to movie transition and be on par with Marvel, I ask: What's after 2012? The fans have been crying out for a Flash movie. Can you imagine how thrilling a Flash movie can be?
With The Flash, you have a man with incredible super-speed, sharp wit and a vast rogues gallery. I assume from the rumors going around that they will use Barry Allen(I do love Jay Garrick's golden age costume though). There are plenty of names out there being thrown around for the scarlet speedster; personally I think Chris Pine would be perfect. Now, both Chris Pine and The Flash may not be A-list as of yet, but I believe that with the proper supporting cast and a brilliant director we will see a film that will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before and may even rival the quality of X-Men First Class and The Dark Knight along with shooting both Pine and the Flash to A-List superstardom. If they do make this film, I suggest that they go all out, balls to the wall, rather than trying to conform to the standard superhero origin story that plagued GL and kept it from soaring. By all out I mean, bring on the non-stop action, show us everything that Barry Allen can do, do not get tied into a boring origin story where he doesn't begin using his powers until halfway through. I want to see everything from dodging bullets to making the world around him look like it's standing still. Give us a Barry Allen that can create whirlwinds that would make Marvel's Riptide jealous, run across water, vibrate through walls and hell I'll say it, if Superman can turn back time in "Superman: The Movie" and get away with it, let The Flash play around with the cosmic treadmill and bounce forward in time. The character has one of the most colorful rogue galleries and if they are going with the darker CSI feel, they can make some of the characters pretty dark as well. Captain Boomerang, Reverse-Flash, Professor Zoom and Mirror Master may sound like childish names, but anyone who has ever picked up a Flash comic, knows that these guys foster an intense hatred for Flash that stretches to a personal murderous vendetta against him and his family. Conversely, they don't have to go dark, they can make a movie like the Flash as lighthearted as "Superman: The Movie."
After the Flash succeeds (I hope), DC can then move forward and let the flood gates open. Wonder Woman can get her chance to shine, Captain Marvel can Shazam his way into theaters and Aquaman can show the world that he can do more than just talk to fishies.
Warner Bros./DC, I know you guys are capable of making great movies, don't be scared, it's a comic book movie, characters like Flash and Captain Marvel are far out there, you don't need to make every movie as gritty and grounded as "The Dark Knight". I feel as if WB/DC was so hesitant with Green Lantern, a superhero who is also far out there and while it wasn't terrible, it was a failure, but a necessary failure. WB/DC can learn from it and move forward, hell Marvel moved forward and rebooted the similarly disappointing "The Hulk" and now Hulk’s doing great, got a little movie coming out next year, maybe you’ve heard of it, “The Avengers”.