It's been a few days since all the set reports (read: same exact set reports) hit the web from a small group websites and blogs who were flown out to London by Warner Bros. and DC Films to see and learn more about JUSTICE LEAGUE (see our coverage of it in the links at the end of this post). This is widely viewed as the studios doing some damage control to show the critics and fans that JUSTICE LEAGUE is in good hands and is adapting from things seen as being wrong with the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN V. SUPERMAN.
The studios can bring in sites and blogs for a visit early and allow them to report all the great things they saw, but the fact remains that there is only so much adapting that can be done when a movie as big as JUSTICE LEAGUE is ready for production in such a short period of time after BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. Pre-production for JUSTICE LEAGUE was mostly done before BATMAN V. SUPERMAN released and JUSTICE LEAGUE began filming just a few weeks after. Director Zack Snyder and the cast literally went from the press tour to beginning principle photography.
So there's been some hierarchy and role changes in the months since BATMAN V. SUPERMAN but the ball was already rolling for JUSTICE LEAGUE. No major script changes can really occur when sets are being built before the critical fallout of BATMAN V. SUPERMAN even began. Dialogue tweaks can and probably did and will continue to happen to add a lighter tone to JUSTICE LEAGUE and bring in some humor, however, there is also the assumption the plot and story remains intact without much change.
JUSTICE LEAGUE is taking up multiple sound stages in London and there's no way Warner Bros. will instruct DC Films to make major changes to plot and story because that could cause a loss of money by having to tear down sets already built or in the middle of construction.
But let's get back to all these set reports. Two distinct scenes were shown to these sites and blog visitors. Cue the SPOILER ALERT! warning for the next two paragraphs.
One was a rooftop scene with Commissioner Gordon, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Cyborg. All of the reports said the scene was classic Snyder (read: too dark with rain) but there was some humor from Batman as well as Flash in the scene. A clear example of what was just discussed above where dialogue changes can bring a lighter tone and humor.
The other scene shown to the visitors came on a video monitor which displayed a scene already shot and edited prior to the set visit. In this scene was Bruce Wayne recruiting Barry Allen with Wayne baiting Allen to revealed his super speed, which he does in a fun way where a Batarang is thrown and things slow down in a X-Men-like Quicksilver moment. Allen realizes Wayne is Batman and he also realizes his identity as the Flash was known all along by Wayne.
[SPOILERS end.]
Each of these scenes do seem fun and have lighter tones to them but the fact remains that the studios showed these sites and blogs exactly what they wanted to show. It was just two scenes that inspire optimism that JUSTICE LEAGUE will not be another BATMAN V. SUPERMAN in the eyes of critics, but it was also two scenes in a movie that's sure to be around two hours (plus) long. The rest of the film could be classic Snyder as seen in his past two DC super hero movies but we don't know.
In the meantime, Warner Bros. and DC Films has some good buzz from this strategic move of hosting a very early set visit to throw out some good vibes for the movie. You can be optimistic, but you should be cautiously optimistic more than anything else right now.
Fingers are crossed JUSTICE LEAGUE can turn things around for the DCEU because the entire super hero movie genre gets hurt if any of these genre films fail to succeed both critically and in the box office.
JUSTICE LEAGUE releases on November 17, 2017.
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JUSTICE LEAGUE: Ben Affleck Talks BATMAN, More Detective Work, New Vehicles and Solo Movie Hints