New Gods Movie Announced!

[WonderScott]

It'll be interesting to see how they honor Kirby's vision and apply it in a contemporary way. The New Gods concept in the Rebirth comics era is a little all over the place in terms of the abilities, power, and nature of the characters. (I mean, Lois Lane defeated the Female Furies in a fairly recent issue of Superman and Steve Trevor has been doing the same in Wonder Woman. Kind of a poor showing for Darkseid's Elite warriors.) I guess we got uber-powerful Steppenwolf in the DCEU, so there's that.

That's not to say Ava and team will use any of the current comic stories (although some of their depictions from Darkseid War might be good) or Justice's League's Steppenwolf and parademons as any basis for her depictions.

I guess I'd just like to understand what makes up the New Gods's divinity or know if they're a super-powered alien species, and I guess I want to understand that in relation to the rest of the superhuman or human characters in the DCU or DCEU. In that way, I think whoever is in charge, whether comics or films, could do a better job of showing and telling about their nature - push our minds creatively with their existence and "being." One of the downfalls of using the characters as ongoing threats in a never ending publishing/producing cycle versus a single contained saga, is definitely tough - I'll grant them that. But is there anything to say about them today that resonates with our world and technology moving so fast (as Kirby predicted.) I mean we are all walking around with essentially Mother Boxes in our pockets now...do we potentially add to the New Gods commentary on existence or stick solely to Kirby's vision or a little of both?

Some of this might not matter at all if it's a self-contained series of films not connecting to the DCEU at all (although I'd like the opposite.) I think it could be interesting to eventually use Superman and Wonder Woman as characters in the films for nostalgia (Supes and his extraterrestrial nature) and exploring the divine (Ms. Wonder and demigodliness), as well as being two characters that are able to go toe to toe with characters (New Gods) I prefer to interpret as ridiculously powerful in different ways.

However they set up the films, I hope the focus is on Orion, Mister Miracle, Barda, and the Apokoliptans - to the exclusion of a lot of the New Genosian characters. In reading current comics for years, it seems like the most focus and interest is on using Darkseid and his children, his Elite, Kanto, Desaad, Granny Goodness and the Female Furies, Himon & Bekka, etc. almost exclusively. Besides the Green Lantern crossover, I haven't noticed too much page time or parity for the heroic characters of New Genesis in stories. In the DCnU Orion and Highfather briefly showed up in Wonder Woman.

I'm all for being surprised and loving an update on the New Genesis characters, it just seems like the focus is always on Darkseid (which is maybe the point.)

I'll stop rambling and thinking out loud now...but overall this awesome and intriguing news! (In Ava I trust!)

[FIFTY-TWO (52)]

What went wrong in AWIT? It was thin and twee, but it was exactly what it was.

Duvornay doing Scott and Barda is a solid pick.

It'll be a Romeo and Juliette film with a cosmic New Gods backdrop: the son of heaven falls in love with a daughter of hell as their planets go to war.

[FIFTY-TWO (52)]

The thing that I think Kirby wanted to show is, that doesn't matter where you're born or raised, in the end it's up to everyone to chose between good and evil. The best and simplest way to exemplify this choice is with the story of Orion and Scott Free.

It's what really makes Barda and Scott stand out as heroes, because on Apokolips, you don't get the privilege of choice.

[Carabas]

It'll be a Romeo and Juliette film with a cosmic New Gods backdrop: the son of heaven falls in love with a daughter of hell as their planets go to war.

More like the devil's adopted son than the son of heaven.

And if there is any going to war at all then it is caused by the lovebirds breaking the Pact.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Big Barda is absolutely the secret center of the New God story.

She is the first Apokoliptan to CHOOSE a different way.

Honestly, her story is the only heroic one.

Agreed. Barda was based on Kirby's own wife, who was the most important person in the world to him.

There may never have been a comic named "Big Barda" because the comics industry of the early 1970s was geared towards boys, but any reading of Kirby's Mister Miracle series (and the subsequent revivals that followed) make it pretty clear that Barda is the co-lead along with Scott.

The trinity of the Fourth World Saga has always been Scott, Barda & Orion.

[Robotman]

It'll be interesting to see how they honor Kirby's vision and apply it in a contemporary way. The New Gods concept in the Rebirth comics era is a little all over the place in terms of the abilities, power, and nature of the characters. (I mean, Lois Lane defeated the Female Furies in a fairly recent issue of Superman and Steve Trevor has been doing the same in Wonder Woman. Kind of a poor showing for Darkseid's Elite warriors.) I guess we got uber-powerful Steppenwolf in the DCEU, so there's that.

That's not to say Ava and team will use any of the current comic stories (although some of their depictions from Darkseid War might be good) or Justice's League's Steppenwolf and parademons as any basis for her depictions.

I guess I'd just like to understand what makes up the New Gods's divinity or know if they're a super-powered alien species, and I guess I want to understand that in relation to the rest of the superhuman or human characters in the DCU or DCEU. In that way, I think whoever is in charge, whether comics or films, could do a better job of showing and telling about their nature - push our minds creatively with their existence and "being." One of the downfalls of using the characters as ongoing threats in a never ending publishing/producing cycle versus a single contained saga, is definitely tough - I'll grant them that. But is there anything to say about them today that resonates with our world and technology moving so fast (as Kirby predicted.) I mean we are all walking around with essentially Mother Boxes in our pockets now...do we potentially add to the New Gods commentary on existence or stick solely to Kirby's vision or a little of both?

Some of this might not matter at all if it's a self-contained series of films not connecting to the DCEU at all (although I'd like the opposite.) I think it could be interesting to eventually use Superman and Wonder Woman as characters in the films for nostalgia (Supes and his extraterrestrial nature) and exploring the divine (Ms. Wonder and demigodliness), as well as being two characters that are able to go toe to toe with characters (New Gods) I prefer to interpret as ridiculously powerful in different ways.

However they set up the films, I hope the focus is on Orion, Mister Miracle, Barda, and the Apokoliptans - to the exclusion of a lot of the New Genosian characters. In reading current comics for years, it seems like the most focus and interest is on using Darkseid and his children, his Elite, Kanto, Desaad, Granny Goodness and the Female Furies, Himon & Bekka, etc. almost exclusively. Besides the Green Lantern crossover, I haven't noticed too much page time or parity for the heroic characters of New Genesis in stories. In the DCnU Orion and Highfather briefly showed up in Wonder Woman.

I'm all for being surprised and loving an update on the New Genesis characters, it just seems like the focus is always on Darkseid (which is maybe the point.)

I'll stop rambling and thinking out loud now...but overall this awesome and intriguing news! (In Ava I trust!)

they definitely have to make them actual gods. don't shy away from it the way Marvel did with the Asgardians.

the New Gods can be perceived and adapted in a number of different ways as the concept has so many facets. there is of course the fun cosmic comic book-y side of things. Kirby is the essence of Silver Age comic book fun. the ridiculous names and costumes adds to the overall enjoyment. but Kirby was also very philosophical with the Fourth World. as you said he commented on the mechanization of war and our daily lives. while The Hunger Dogs is divisive i think it tells a very tragic story. the war with New Genesis is so mechanized that even great Darkseid laments for a simpler time. and the young god Esak, who was so full of wonder and joy, has been changed into a deformed evil creature. possibly Kirby commenting on the fall of the youth movement of the 60s and 70s that he was so fond of.

there is also Grant Morrison's brilliant take on the New Gods. we are only seeing their echos as their true forms reside in the god realm.

How about just keeping it simple and focusing on Barda and Miracle against the backdrop of all the world building, and reserving most of the New Genesis and Orion stuff for sequels?

that works for me. I would hate to see them try to cram all that story potential into one film.

they could end the first movie with the war shifting to earth. a true Apokolips invasion. not that half assed invasion we saw in Justice League. proper Boom Tubes opening up with Kalibak and the Furies leading Parademons and Apokoliptian tanks.

[Colossus1980]

What would be your ideal number of films in development? For example, how many films does Disney have in development. And where did you find this list of 18 films from?
Who is doing the announcements? Is this from an official source at Warner Bros., preferably a Warner Bros. website?

On the Wikipedia page in the Contents box there's 5 upcoming films and 18 movies in development that are listed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Extended_Universe. All those films have been mentioned in various articles over time. I like DC and just wish they would take the time to plan their movie schedule better. They have a lot of potential IP's but they shouldn't rush to get them onscreen. It just seems that the MCU doesn't try to rush all their IP's at once.

[Confuzzled]

That could work, too, but if you're gonna do Kirby's masterpiece, you need to have something that speaks about struggling against corruption, totalitarian authority, the impact of propaganda, and the power of youth.

WB's ideal hope for The New Gods would obviously be that it is successful enough to grow into a multi-film franchise (maybe even with spin-offs of its own). So there should be plenty of space to fully explore all of those themes provided the foundation stone is laid properly.

The first film being primarily about Scott Free & Big Barda's love captures almost all of those themes perfectly though.

They could also include the Darkseid/Heggra/Suli/Tiggra backstory/subplot as it is a dark mirror of Scott and Barda's romance, of how even Evil Incarnate could have been influenced to turn good and peaceful by the power of love, but was turned back into a monster when his love was taken away from him. It would definitely make Darkseid a far more complex character before he invades Earth than the likes of Thanos, who still feels empty as the Big Bad of culminating MCU films because audiences didn't really get to know him properly before.

[Confuzzled]

More like the devil's adopted son than the son of heaven.

Eh, adopted son in name only. Darkseid always considered Scott Free to be the ultimate symbol of New Genesis and the Highfather and his goal was to completely break him down. Kirby's motive behind the Miracle/Barda romance was obviously to showcase how incorruptible good can easily win over inherent goodness no matter how much it has been conditioned towards evil.

[Trey Strain]

On the Wikipedia page in the Contents box there's 5 upcoming films and 18 movies in development that are listed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Extended_Universe. All those films have been mentioned in various articles over time. I like DC and just wish they would take the time to plan their movie schedule better. They have a lot of potential IP's but they shouldn't rush to get them onscreen. It just seems that the MCU doesn't try to rush all their IP's at once.

I don't think Cyborg and the Green Lantern Corps are done deals. This is not like launching a comic, which has little if any potential downside. DC has produced two historic money losers, Green Lantern and Justice League, so I think Cyborg and the Green Lantern Corps getting made will hinge on how Aquaman and Shazam do at the box office.

[JudicatorPrime]

I have no desire at all to see Wrinkle in Time. But I will see the New Gods movie.

[Robotman]

If played right this could be WB’s next big trilogy. But of course that would mean that the studio execs have a vision, and it’s been pretty obvious that they don’t.

The Fourth World could potentially be a franchise. It has so much going for it. A great love story, family strife, nature vs nurture, social commentary, and one of the best villains in pop culture.

[Old Man Ollie 1962]

Is the Black Racer a New God? He's the avatar of death, right?

[HandofPrometheus]

All this New God talk makes we want to read them . Recommended reading please?

[Old Man Ollie 1962]

All this New God talk makes we want to read them . Recommended reading please?

I think the Jack Kirby Fourth World/New Gods omnibus gives you the whole enchilada.