Welcome to Rumor Has It, Player Affinity’s roundup of highly buzzed-about movie rumors. On this week’s docket, we yet again have some rumors about Warner Bros.’ upcoming Justice League movie.
More directors in the running to helm Justice League?
Warner Bros. is wasting no time in getting a Justice League film off the ground. Ben Affleck was approached but turned down the offer, and last week we relayed that Andy and Lana Wachowski might be in the running to helm the film. Now, more names are joining that list.
First is Brett Ratner. Superman Super Site snagged this rumor from “sources close to the project,” who relay that WB “is very pleased with the work that Brett [Ratner] has done as a producer and director on past projects. They are now very interested in seeing what he can do with helping finally bring this group of iconic superheroes to the big screen!"
Additionally, Comic Book Movie relayed a list of "League" potentials that includes Ruben Fleischer, McG and Zack Snyder. Snyder makes sense given his work on WB's upcoming Man of Steel, and Fleischer would reunite with his Gangster Squad scribe Will Beall if he signed on for "League." McG made Terminator Salvation.
As for Ratner, unlike the aforementioned Affleck and Wachowskis, he's been at the helm of a superhero film. His first and (probably for the better) only superhero flick to date was X-Men: The Last Stand, the third installment in the X-Men franchise. Like “League,” that film required handling a wide variety of characters, but fans and critics weren’t particularly enthusiastic about Ratner’s efforts. For that reason, something about this rumor feels a bit fishy. Whatever happens, we’ll keep you posted.
Will “League” give Batman a reboot before he begins another franchise of his own?
With The Dark Knight Rises tying up the loose strings of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, one might wonder how Batman will make his way into Justice League. Nothing’s been confirmed as of yet, but we may have found the answer. Batman-On-Film relayed a rumor that the Caped Crusader will get the reboot treatment in this film before actually getting another franchise to himself:
“[The Batman] reboot will come after the JL film, not before. Therefore, the new cinematic Batman will be introduced in the JL film as opposed to a solo film. This would, according to my industry ‘FOBOF,’ assure the new Batman film series will be part of a ‘DC Cinematic Universe.’”
Unlike the Ratner rumor, this one makes sense considering, as mentioned earlier, that Nolan essentially wrote the book on Batman – or at least his book on Batman – at the end of “Rises.” Trying to incorporate his universe into this "DC Cinematic Universe” would be far more difficult than simply starting off fresh.
Who would you like to see direct Justice League?
