Geoff Johns Weighs In On The Reasons For No Shared DC Cinematic/Television Universe
DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns explains the decision to keep their television projects separate from the movies or even each other, while Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen weighs in with a very different opinion on being part of a shared universe...
A very interesting piece over at Variety looks at all of the new and returning comic book TV shows which are heading our way this Fall, and after addressing how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't really find its feet until a crossover with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen would go on to talk about how being part of a shared universe is both "a blessing and a curse," adding: "The fact that it is one universe means that when something occurs on our show or a character makes a turn, it ripples through the entire universe, which gives it much more weight. It adds the seal of approval of all those other cinematic franchises."
Of course, we all know that shows like Arrow and The Flash aren't set in the same world as Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, while the fact that Constantine and Gotham are airing on different networks is a good sign that they too won't be connected. Why is this the case? "We want to give freedom to creators… so that they can take their passion [and make] the best show, the best film, the best game without having to tie it into other things," Geoff Johns told the site. As for why he beleives their shows find such success, he said it all comes down to sticking to the source material, "Yes, it’s got to be adapted and expanded, whether it goes from TV to comics or comics to film, but the DNA of it is always true." Who do you agree with?
About The Author:
A lifelong comic book fan who grew up on Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the '90s, Josh Wilding has been contributing to ComicBookMovie.com since 2009.
While he's also written for websites like Batman-News, HeyUGuys, and WhatCulture, Josh is CBM's Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and the site's #1 contributor with nearly two decades of experience covering film and TV news (including interviews with Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Gary Oldman, Halle Berry, Jon Bernthal, Tom Welling, and hundreds more).
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