The decision to have Wonder Woman 1984 debut in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, and while director Patty Jenkins has supported the move on social media, she's also advocated heavily for fans to watch the sequel on the biggest screen possible.
Of course, something that might explain why the filmmaker hasn't spoken out too much against Warner Bros.' decision is the news that studio paid Jenkins what she would have made from her back-end deal had the DC Comics sequel grossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office (so, roughly $10 million).
In the interview below, Jenkins talks in detail about the decision to send the movie to streaming.
"If you had told me a year ago that we would ever go straight to streaming in any way, shape or form, I would have flipped out," she admitted. "Like I’m not for that plan in general, you know, I’m very pro theatrical release and I will be that again, as soon as this is over."
"However, this is such a crazy year. It’s such a crazy year," Jenkins continued. "It’s like all of us are trying to figure out with our lives, how to do everything the best we can. And so I kept saying there is no good option. Like when we would talk about it, there was no good option. Wait until when. And then every movie in the world tries to come out at the same time."
"And you know, there was no good option. I literally gasped a little bit when the pitch for this idea was said, because I was like, ‘Oh, the idea of it going into people’s homes on Christmas Day.’ I just was like, 'That’s actually pretty incredible to get to share,' whether it’s Christmas for people or not the holiday season and in this moment to just try to reach people however they can see it."
While Soul is definitely a great choice for Christmas Day viewing, it's great to have another option. We'll have a lot more on Wonder Woman 1984 for you soon after watching it earlier this week!
Watch the full interview below:
Click on the "Next" button below to take a look
at the team-ups we still want to see in the DCEU!
10. Green Arrow/Green Lantern
Green Lantern and the Flash is an iconic pairing (we'll get to them, don't worry), but an equally famous team-up is Green Lantern and Green Arrow. These two have had a number of adventures together over the years, with Neal Adams’ take on the duo, as they tackled a number of societal issues in the 1970s, being perhaps the most famous and a great basis for a movie.
Honestly, it's a shame Arrow was never able to head down this route, but with that show now at an end, it seems inevitable that we'll see a new live-action Green Arrow on screen before long.
If that does happen, this team-up is a must, and tackling today's issues in a similar way to Adams would be a smart move (especially if the DCEU uses the John Stewart Green Lantern).
9. Superman/Shazam
Henry Cavill's Superman future is unclear, but Shazam! confirmed that the Man of Steel has met this magically charged superhero. With Black Adam also on the way to the DCEU, a clash between him and Shazam is inevitable, but Warner Bros. needs to throw Superman into the mix as well.
It would make this crossover a true event movie, and exploring Superman's vulnerability to magic would no doubt result in an interesting new take on the character we haven't seen before.
The risk with this, of course, is that Zachary Levi would be overshadowed by the star power of Cavill and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, but providing he can hold his own, this would be epic. Ultimately, while there would be three characters in play here, it's that dynamic between Superman and Shazam we'd really love to take a deeper dive into as it's always been great in the comics.
8. Huntress/Power Girl
On the "New 52" version of Earth-2, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were slaughtered by Darkseid when he invaded Earth, and Huntress was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman (serving as Robin). Power Girl, meanwhile, was better known as Supergirl on her planet, but both adopted new identities when they found themselves transported to the main DC Universe.
This backstory could be covered in a movie – the differences between realities would be fascinating to explore – or completely changed (we did meet a Huntress in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, remember), but pairing up these two has a lot of potential either way, and their dynamic would be a fun one.
Using the Mary Elizabeth Winstead version would also give that character another chance on sceeen.
7. Batgirl/Nightwing
Joel Schumacher tried and failed to further explore the Batman universe in his critically panned movies, and both Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan left many of the Caped Crusader’s allies on the shelf in their respective takes on the Dark Knight. With any luck, that's now going to change.
While there's been no movement on that long-delayed Nightwing movie, some sort of Batgirl project is said to be in the works, with Michael Keaton's version of Bruce Wayne set to serve as a mentor.
Pairing these two up feels like a smart move, though, both because they've been romantically involved and the fact they're former Batman sidekicks now looking to step out of his shadow. The Arkham games briefly touched on this dynamic, and there are plenty of comics to pick ideas from.
6. Superman/Wonder Woman
A few years ago, DC Comics controversially decided to have Superman and Wonder Woman explore a romantic relationship, though it was something that didn't last particularly long,
In the comic books, the fear that these two beings will one day turn on humanity is a very real issue, and this could be the perfect team-up for Patty Jenkins' planned Wonder Woman 3. We're not sure where that would leave Lois Lane, of course, but the romantic side of things could be left out.
Regardless, we've never really got to see the dynamic between these two explored on screen, and while that could change in Justice League: The Snyder Cut, it deserves to be fully explored.
5. The Flash/Green Lantern
Around a decade ago, we were all getting excited about the prospect of potentially seeing Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern team up with the then rumoured top choice to play the Flash, Bradley Cooper.
It goes without saying that it didn't happen, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't! Hal Jordan and Barry Allen are firm friends, and they've embarked in many a team-up over the years (it's never not fun seeing what the Fastest Man Alive comes up with when he borrows his pal's power ring).
Who knows, perhaps on his trip through the Multiverse, Ezra Miller's Scarlet Speedster could meet up with Reynolds' version of Green Lantern? That would be unexpected, and a whole heap of fun.
4. The Joker/Lex Luthor
It's not just heroes we want to see team-up, you know! As of right now, it seems unlikely either Jared Leto or Jesse Eisenberg will return as the DCEU's Joker and Lex Luthor, but we're sure the characters will be rebooted before long, and when that does happen, let's finally have these two share the screen.
Batman and Superman's greatest enemies, the prospect of the Clown Prince of Crime and Luthor forming an uneasy alliance to take out the World's Finest heroes is impossible not to be excited by.
At this point, it's kind of nuts that we've never had a fully comic accurate take on The Joker on the big screen, while Lex donning his power suit is similarly long overdue. Heck, if this leads to another Batman and Superman team-up (perhaps with Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight), then sign us up now!
3. Deadshot/Harley Quinn
We obviously had a taste of this in the first Suicide Squad movie, but Will Smith's busy schedule means he won't be reuniting with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.
That's a real shame, and something we hope changes in the not too distant future. Pairing Harley up with the Birds of Prey didn't work for everyone, but revisiting the chemistry these two had in Focus would likely result in both a great team-up movie and a box office hit for Warner Bros.
We're not sure what the premise of this movie could be, but David Ayder's Suicide Squad was supposed to explore a possible romance between them, so that might be a decent place to start.
2. The Flash/The Flash
One of Crisis on Infinite Earths' best moments came when Ezra Miller made a surprise appearance as the big screen Fastest Man Alive. Meeting the small screen Barry Allen means the movie version now knows that the Multiverse exists and also has the inspiration for naming himself "The Flash."
With Miller's Flash set to travel through the Multiverse in his 2022 movie, it would make sense for these two to be reunited, even if it's only briefly. Honestly, it's too good an opportunity to miss!
Rumours are swirling that The Flash only has a couple more seasons left, and if this cameo/team-up could tie into the events of the series finale, then that would be a smart, epic diversion for Grant Gustin's version of the DC Comics superhero. Now, we just need to keep pretty much everything crossed.
1. Batman/Robin
The prospect of another Batman and Robin team-up after the last horrendous effort probably sends a shiver down your spine, but the two characters being together in a movie still has the chance to be something special. The Batman franchise could effortlessly reinvent their dynamic too.
Whether it’s exploring the Caped Crusader’s relationship with the first Robin (Dick Grayson, who later becomes Nightwing), Jason Todd (who eventually "dies" and returns as the villainous and violent vigilante, The Red Hood), or most interestingly, his son Damian Wayne, it would be awesome to see, and something fans would definitely be on board with.
The concept of Batman taking a child into battle may be a hard sell, but we're sure Matt Reeves could come up with an idea that resonates with modern audiences and does Robin justice.