EDITORIAL: Is Warner Bros. Following The Animated Plan?

Some similarities. However, the DC model is actually simple: Get bigger very film. If there is a one issue with the MCU, in my opinion, it was the Origin Story. I get that is an odd point, but it got tiresome. Even when Thor was already powered, they took them away so he could have the traditional human to super human story.

Personally, I don't think every character needs their own movie... If anything Avengers proved this by the fact not everyone had watched some or all or any of the other films before watching Avengers, and it did not dampen the enjoyment.

Glad they are finally doing a JL movie and not copying the Marvel way in either tone or direction. Not that one is better, but it provides choice rather than a clone.

Well, technically the animated universe began with Batman: The Animated Series, but I can kinda see what you were going for. Kinda. There are similarities, but I don't think they're basing one off another.

That said, this is a nice editorial. Thumbs up.

Nice one

The Bruce Timm - produced animated universe was intelligent, well-written and TRUE to the characters. Those series provided a benchmark for how superhero-related animated series should be done... unfortunately, WB is NOT following that plan simply because they aren't working with the same people who understood the DC Universe and how the characters worked.

Zack Snyder is NO Bruce Timm.

My tribute to the animated #Batman75-

@Yonny

Nice write up bro! Thumbs up!

This was pretty obvious. Warner Bros realized that their strongest asset was their animated series and films. People associate what they see on the films and what they grew up watching on cartoon network with what they now see on film. Its part of the reason why Green Lantern didn't perform, a big chunk of their audience was just... confused.

This is nothing we dont already know...

Oops that was meant for @JasonBlue. Sorry, POTUS.

I agree that they are almost the same format. Not everyone needs a full origin story when a flashback will do, even though some people didn't like this in MOS (I personally liked them and thought they were essential to the overall story).

oh yeah "Hail Kobra"

I'v been saying this along.if you look at the box office revenue of the first Captain America and Thor films verses
The Avengers,its clear that the vast majority of people who showed up for the team up film at best had only seen the Ironman films.

In fact I would argue the biggest selling point of The Avengers to the casual film goer was it was a de facto third Ironman film that raised the stakes by bringing in other superheroes and a cosmic threat. Average people were drawn to see RDJ's Ironman interact with other superheroes but my point is it wasn't really that important knowing who those other heroes were going into the film.

While it was great for the minority of hand core fanboys and casual fans that did see those earlier films to go into The Avengers armed with the knowledge of the events of those films,the team up film was presented in a way that you really didn't need to have seen Thor or Captain America TFA to get where those heroes were coming from.

In The Avengers, the film tells us Cap is from the WW2 era,was frozen, and is a man out of time.The opening scene of Rogers and the punching bag effectively shows us his power set and state of mind. Having seen CATFA is a big help in fleshing out Cap,but its not needed to enjoy The Avengers.

We are shown that Thor is from an advanced race that once were considered gods and Loki is his evil (adopted) brother.The Tesseract is from Asgard and can open doorways in space. Again,seeing Thor beforehand would be
a big help,but one wouldn't need to have seen it to get the basic backgrounds of those characters and the situation in the team up film.

Only Ironman is presented in a way that assumes the audience has seen his solo films.

WB is using the DCAU playbook in building its DCCU and I would add some other ways besides the ones already given how this is so.

I agree,that the true building block for the DCAU was Superman The Animated series which introduced the Man of Steel,other super powered allies like the Flash,Supergirl and Green Lantern as well as his main rival Lex Luthor.

If you look back on the whole thing the DCAU was built around the Superman/Luthor rivalry which was one on one in the Superman series then expanded as each character gained allies such as Batman and the Joker in the Batman/Superman crossover episodes and to a much bigger degree in Justice League.

The Superman series also brought in cosmic threats like Darkseid and Brainiac who at first took on Superman by himself, then later when he had first Supergirl then the League at his side.

Batman The Animated series established Batman and Gotham and the new adventures continued to flesh out the Bat family but for the most part they didn't have much impact on the later Justice League series.Even Batman Beyond had a bigger presence in Justice League then the earlier Bat series.

In live action I look at the Nolan films as serving much the same purpose to the DCCU as the Batman Animated Series
did for the DCAU. True the Animated Bat series were offically part of the same continuity as the Superman and Justice League series. But one could re watch them and look upon them as being part of a solo Batman universe as well due to the famous Bat Embargo which limited crossover of Batman supporting characters and locations with the Justice League Universe. Sure Alfred,the Batcave and Wayne Manor were featured,but Gotham,Gordon and every major Bat villain outside a one time Joker episode,did not show up.

The Nolan Bat films serve the purpose of filling in the general audience on Batman's origins and early career.
People are free to look upon major events from those films that still apply in Batman's life and career as background info while being free to disregard what doesn't fit his DCCU continuity.

Wonder Woman,will have a basic version of her background put out in Batman V Superman and if she's a hit with fans in Justice League,that backstory can be expanded upon in a solo film.

The Flash can show up in Justice League as the tv version with an established origin or a new film version who gives a quick explanation "I had a lab accident" to cover his superspeed before getting into the action. Again, a Flash spin off could be used to flesh out the character if he wins over movie fans. I agree,the 2011 Green Lantern film should at worst,be semi canon with "a dying purple alien gave this to me" to explain his power ring and maybe a line from Batman about Hal working for an intergalactic police force.

WB using the Animated Universe route has worked for the studio and will work again.

Nice editorial.

I'm with Corndogburglar regarding origins. DC has a problem going 2nd because audiences may grow tired of origin tales(if not cbm's in general). No one but themselves to blame.

I believe The DCcu has to surpass the Mcu by miles in terms of quality for the general audience to not feel like there "Wannabe Marvel Movies".

I prefer Marvel COMICS to Dc, but a I sure as hell don't want to see the DCcu flop. Pre-new 52 would work better Imo.

Great Ed Yonny :).....Great if they are.

Don't worry, we don't read good either.

I think it's appropriate to post this once again. THE most brilliant theory on what WB is doing, and ought to do:

http://www.sixokay.com/2013/11/23/man-of-steel-isnt-about-superman/