If you were wondering where the studios would turn once they lost Harry Potter and Twilight it has become quite obvious the answer has been in front of our face this entire time, though the idea of simply creating a superhero franchise and churning out three successful films is no longer enough. Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises may have brought in $2.459 billion worldwide for Warner Bros., but The Avengers brought in $1.511 billion on its own, not to mention the additional $2.29 billion the introductory episodes brought in with relative ease.
Now Marvel’s Avengers are moving on to Phase Two, which will begin with Iron Man 3 on May 3 and be followed shortly thereafter by Thor: The Dark World on November 8. Meanwhile, Warners has lost their superhero god for the last few years as Nolan is done with the Batman franchise, but he is still along for the ride and shepherding in what may be WB’s very own superhero saga.
While Nolan ha said he’s done directing superheroes he is involved with Zack Snyder‘s Superman flick Man of Steel on a story and producer level. When the film was originally conceived there seemed to be no real expectation it would become part of something larger as WB’s attempts at a superhero team-up in the George Miller’s Justice League fell apart as a result of attempting to rush the project near the writers’ strike a few years earlier. However, when Iron Man first stepped on the stage, while there were hints at something more with the introduction of S.H.I.E.L.D. it didn’t overwhelm the first picture and it seems the same could be happening with Man of Steel as Snyder was pressed with questions by the New York Post.
When asked about directing more Superman features Snyder responded, “We approach the film as a single endeavor. There are a lot of gears that have to turn in the world of commerce and the world of the mythology we create to facilitate more adventures for this character. We’ll see what happens.”
The questions soon turned to Justice League, however, and where this film fits in with WB’s plans to bring the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and others together the same as Marvel has brought together the Avengers. “I don’t know how Justice League is going to be handled,” he said. “But The Man of Steel exists, and Superman is in it. I don’t know how you’d move forward without acknowledging that.”
Pressed further, asked if he’d discussed with the studio whether his Superman (played by Henry Cavill) fits in with future plans Snyder played coy with a non-denial that pretty much serves as a confirmation when he said, “Um, how can I answer that? I can’t really say anything to that, because that’s a big spoiler. I will say, yeah, they trust me to keep them on course.”
How it’s a spoiler I’m not sure since we know Man of Steel is coming and a Justice League film is eying a potential 2015 release. I guess we’ll probably learn more once the film hits theaters on June 14, 2013. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled as a new trailer for the film will arrive with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 14.
