Will HBO Max Allow More Freedom For DC Titles?

With Warner Bros announcing up to 6 movies per year between the box office and streaming, how will it shape the future of DC movies? Right now, they’re hit and miss with their titles and it has nothing to do with the pandemic. Warner Bros has been trying to keep pace with Marvel for years and with Disney+ kicking the door in for content HBO Max needs to catch up.

For starters, there’s a good chance we won’t see all of their movies as live-action movies. DC has been hitting home runs with their animated feature-length films. Movies like Batman Under the Red Hood, Batman The Dark Knight Returns, and Batman The Dark Knights Returns pt 2. they have had their fair share of hits. Then of course there’s their streaming brand. It’s said that HBO Max wants to be able to release their fair share of original content as well.

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Where the problem comes up is how they’ll roll these titles out. If they want continual content, they’ll need to not only have movies but television series as well. Yes, releasing a couple of movies each year is fine. Even carrying the theatrical releases months down the road is good. Long term, however, if they can’t run 8-12 episode seasons of a series then there’s nothing stopping subscribers from an annual one-month subscription and canceling when they’ve caught up on content.

Then, of course, there’s a treasure trove of comic book characters that have been untouchable for so long. We’ve got a heavy dose of Batman over the years but we’ve barely scratched the surface on Robin. With Titans, we finally get more Robin/Nightwing, but where does he fit into the feature film productions. There was talk a little while back of a Nightwing movie, but will that be strictly HBO Max, or will audiences be forced to stick with the small screen.

Budget will play a huge part in these movies as well. If a character like Nightwing gets his own feature-length movie, what will the quality be like if it is a streaming-only production? Will it be just as good as the box office counterpart or look like a straight-to-DVD halfhearted attempt. If the production value isn’t there, DC/Warner Bros shouldn’t even bother with their lesser-known characters. Part of the reason Batman has been so successful is bringing not only the characters but Gotham to life. DC hasn’t had a good track record here and might be in over their head.

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The largest hurdle facing their 6 movie plan is franchise fatigue. After Marvel released Avengers: Endgame, it felt like a good stopping point for their MCU and they’re looking to pivot around other characters. Fans have got a heavy dose of Batman or Superman over the years, but the only way to introduce casual fans to the new characters they should care about, they’ll have to share their story. Those stories usually revolve around the characters we’ve already seen enough of.

As a comic book buff and avid moviegoer, you’ll never really get enough of these movies. However, for a studio that’s already hit and miss, they’ll have their share of uphill battles. Will HBO Max give them the freedom they need to open their vault on your favorite comic stories?