What Should WB Do With The Flash Movie?

[El_Gato]

WW84 was released on during the Christmas season of 2020. Seven weeks after Covid vaccines became available world wide. Looking at films released in December 2020; WW had a wide open field. It's only competition being Pixar's Soul. It flopped because it didn't have audience and people who did see it weren't impressed by what they saw. Pandemic aside. A budget of $200 million against a world wide gross of $160 is a flop. The Suicide Squad (2021) had a comparable budget of $185 million and a gross of $167 million. Curious that no one uses the pandemic as a catch-all excuse for it's poor performance.

The same can be said for Sonic The Hedgehog and Birds of Prey. Sonic Boomed and Harley and the Birds bombed. The pandemic is used to explain BOP's low turn out. Despite both films releasing in January and global lockdowns happening in March.

The audience wasn't there there for a lot films. See Tenet, Black Widow, Eternals, Cruella, Encanto, Pixar's current catalog (Soul, Onward, Luca, Turning Red and now Lightyear). But you have success stories in Godzilla vs Kong, Dune, Fast and Furious 9, Spider-Man NWH, Venom 2, and arguably Shang-Chi. I would be bias if I was picking the winners and castigating the losers. It would also be a sign of bias if I turned a blind eye to a respective film's shortcomings. Not that I feel bad for WW84 or BOP flopping. TPTB had plans for both despite their failures in theaters. As both were submitted to the Academy for Oscar nominations. I don't know what the executives were thinking doing that. If I had to guess, they were trying to salvage the poor performance with audiences by winning awards. After all, a "toxic" film like Joker won an Oscar and crossed a billion at the BO a year prior. Despite all the bad press the film received.

Are you being serious? A simple google search:

Yes rollout of the vaccine began in December:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55305720.amp

But people weren’t exactly lining up to take it and WW84 released a mere two weeks later… when you have to wait a whole month between doses to be fully vaccinated. Therefore vaccines weren’t readily available and most Americans (well all when WW84 released) were not fully vaccinated.

Many countries also had their theaters shut down in December 2020, so I don’t see why you’re continuing to ignore that. East Asia was probably the only region that had Covid under control at that time

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/12/29/...n-decades.html

Less than 40% of movie theaters were open when WW84 released and they were operating at 25-50% capacity! LA, NYC and SF were all still in lockdown (and those are the biggest markets), yet you think that didn’t effect WW84 box office? Lol give me a break

WW84 also released simultaneously on HBO Max and helped bring up subscriptions, that’s why it’s getting a sequel. Also WW is one of DC’s biggest characters, of course she’s going to get more films -_-

https://thedirect.com/article/wonder...ax-subscribers


TSS was a bomb at the box office, but it did decent on HBO Max. Curious how Sonic is some huge success when it barely made 300M. GVK would have bombed too if not for China. The rest of those films, I don’t feel like going through but you get the gist of where I’m going


Anyway I’m done with this conversation. It’ll definitely go no where since you clearly are avoiding facts and the whole Covid situation, acting like everything was equal when all those films released. Can’t wait for Wonder Woman 3!

[El_Gato]

I argued it a decade ago and it still stands today - we don't need an MCU styled shared cinematic universe. I'd much rather have unconnected director driven movies like Joker or The Batman anyways. Imagine where we'd be if they hadn't tried to copy Marvel and just kept doing things like the old Superman and Batman movies, but applied to all the heroes. A Flash trilogy could've happened by now. Superman wouldn't have to be in limbo.

You keep saying this in every thread but I’ll continue to correct you until I’m blue in the face. A shared universe is the only way WB will get those Marvel like numbers. People want to watch and grow with those characters. They want the comics and cartoons brought to life! What is the point of solo non connecting films exactly? No Justice League? No Teen Titans? No Justice Society or Legion? No thank you! I’m a DC fan and I want a shared universe, DC fans deserve an MCU like DC films universe.

On side note, Batman will likely continue to have meh box office numbers because it’s a been there done that (retread of Nolan) and it’s not leading to anything.

PS: I hated those old days! Give me the Team ups damn it!

[Agent Z]

I see people still pretending Snyder's the most wronged individual in the history of Hollywood.

Did you actually read what was said?

[Psy-lock]

I argued it a decade ago and it still stands today - we don't need an MCU styled shared cinematic universe. I'd much rather have unconnected director driven movies like Joker or The Batman anyways. Imagine where we'd be if they hadn't tried to copy Marvel and just kept doing things like the old Superman and Batman movies, but applied to all the heroes. A Flash trilogy could've happened by now. Superman wouldn't have to be in limbo.

We'd still be living in a world where Batman and Superman are the only DC heroes with movies. But mostly Batman

[Agent Z]

You keep saying this in every thread but I’ll continue to correct you until I’m blue in the face. A shared universe is the only way WB will get those Marvel like numbers. People want to watch and grow with those characters. They want the comics and cartoons brought to life! What is the point of solo non connecting films exactly? No Justice League? No Teen Titans? No Justice Society or Legion? No thank you! I’m a DC fan and I want a shared universe, DC fans deserve an MCU like DC films universe.

On side note, Batman will likely continue to have meh box office numbers because it’s a been there done that (retread of Nolan) and it’s not leading to anything.

PS: I hated those old days! Give me the Team ups damn it!

WB has tried to get Marvel numbers and for the most part has not. People keep calling their attempts flops, even when they objectively aren't. Most of their biggest successes either had very little with a connected universe or were divorced from it entirely. General audiences do not have a preference between shared universes and solo, contained films. The latter are as much the comics and cartoons brought to life. And frankly, there is a lot from the comics that the movies and shows can do without. The only people this hung up about shared universes are comic fans. Superhero movies were making money before the MCU.

[Johnny]

Curious how Sonic is some huge success when it barely made 300M.

Because it was done on a reasonable budget and was embraced by audiences. The pandemic still affected its overall BO performance which is why the sequel ended up doing even better. Not to mention it was one of the films that started Paramount's big comeback after many flops. Sonic has undeniably been one of the bright spots of the Hollywood pandemic era and major contributors to the BO recovery, particularly when it comes to the family audience.

[Doctor Know]

Are you being serious? A simple google search:

Yes rollout of the vaccine began in December:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55305720.amp

But people werenÂ’t exactly lining up to take it and WW84 released a mere two weeks laterÂ… when you have to wait a whole month between doses to be fully vaccinated. Therefore vaccines werenÂ’t readily available and most Americans (well all when WW84 released) were not fully vaccinated.

Many countries also had their theaters shut down in December 2020, so I donÂ’t see why youÂ’re continuing to ignore that. East Asia was probably the only region that had Covid under control at that time

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/12/29/...n-decades.html

Less than 40% of movie theaters were open when WW84 released and they were operating at 25-50% capacity! LA, NYC and SF were all still in lockdown (and those are the biggest markets), yet you think that didnÂ’t effect WW84 box office? Lol give me a break

WW84 also released simultaneously on HBO Max and helped bring up subscriptions, thatÂ’s why itÂ’s getting a sequel. Also WW is one of DCÂ’s biggest characters, of course sheÂ’s going to get more films -_-

https://thedirect.com/article/wonder...ax-subscribers


TSS was a bomb at the box office, but it did decent on HBO Max. Curious how Sonic is some huge success when it barely made 300M. GVK would have bombed too if not for China. The rest of those films, I donÂ’t feel like going through but you get the gist of where IÂ’m going


Anyway IÂ’m done with this conversation. ItÂ’ll definitely o no where since you clearly are avoiding facts and the whole Covid situation, acting like everything was equal when all those films released. CanÂ’t wait for Wonder Woman 3!

Thank you for your research. I had no idea you would go above and beyond to run defense for a film you've admitted to not liking. Myself, like many others, don't follow the play by play of theater capacity and availability across the world. My local AMC theater remained opened. I was in the DC Metro area.


Things could've gone your way. Things could also have gone my way. Why you think I have it out for WW84, I don't know. The fact still stands that it lost the studio money, it wasn't a hit with audiences and was rotten with critics. The catch-all excuse of covid can only go so far. Even if WW84 turned in Black Widow numbers (budget of $200 million, gross of $379 million), WW84 would still be considered a failure. Money spent (production and marketing) vs money made (tickets sales, distribution fees, the theater's share and foreign countries share). You will also remember, that Black Widow was also released on streaming at the same time as it's theatrical release. Like WW84 was.


What I've been trying to say is that maybe WW84 was a dud. Just like BOP and TSS. Covid is used as a catch-all excuse for WW84 and BOP. Even though BOP's release predates global lockdown and Sonic The Hedgehog crossed $320 million in the same life cycle as BOP. The Suicide Squad and Black Widow both released during the Delta surge. Where both vaccinated and unvaxxed were still being infected and dying at higher rates than the alpha variant. Covid is not used to excuse their poor performances. Spider-Man NWH came out during the Omicron surge. More transmissible than delta, with a comparably high mortality rate. Despite people being triple and quadruple vaxxed. Spider-Man made nearly 2 billion at the BO.


You accuse me of being bias. You accuse me of ignoring the totality of the facts about covid's effect of movie theaters. Statements of absolute certainty! Ending your post by saying you are done talking about this, because in your judgement this conversation will go nowhere. If a person read your posts, they would come to the conclusion that the ONLY reason WW84 failed was because of the pandemic. Disregarding how other films in WW's lane performed before and after it's pandemic release. As well as audience engagement and feedback.

That's your own bias showing, El Gato. Trying hard to spin a Loss into a Win. Fret not, mate! We'll have another chance. WW3 will come out and it will be in a better environment to perform. With the same writer/director and producers. There will be no excuses next time.


But this is a Flash movie thread. Where the topic is of what WB should do with the movie. Now that it's main star has self-destructed AND given the track record of the most recent DC films not named Batman (WW84, BOP and TSS) all losing money for the studio. WB is looking at another big financial loss with the Flash.


I don't expect a response to this post. Since you have already communicated you are done talking about this. But I wanted to let you know that I do see you position. I just disagree with how much covid affected the BO total. Which stems from mine and others impressions that WW84 was not a good movie or worthwhile experience. You didn't like it either. So lets leave it at that.

[Kirk Brent]

Your statement in a world where Geoff Johns and Whedon’s Josstice League played copycat of Avengers 1 and MCU inspired tone lost money and nobody liked it. Compared to Snyder’s JL which was superior to Josstice League; as well as Netflix’s 2021 Jupiter’s Legacy and the MCU’s 2021 justice League inspired Eternals film. WB has the genuine article and version of the JL people want to see continue but Snyder “got it wrong”.

Meanwhile, creative liberties taken with Birds of Prey and WW84 had characters unrecognizable, ridiculous plots and saw both films lose money. But nobody wants to talk about them and their sleights to the canon and effect on pop culture. WW is rewarded with a 3rd film despite bad reviews for its second movie and flopping at the BO.

I see you're a Geoff Johns and Joss Whedon hater, i.e., a fan of Zack Snyder's "style" and "vision" instead of faithful portrayals of the iconic DCU. That's fine, but don't pretend you're anything but a fan of Snyder. Whedon and Johns did the best they could to salvage Snyder's dark and cynical dreck after BvS underperformed. You can deny that all you like, but it's the truth. Of course, Snyder fans keep going back to blaming Whedon and Johns and the death of Snyder's daughter instead of looking at the box office returns.

Finally, the "genuine article and version of the the JL" has yet to be done in any adaptation except the DCAU. Zack Snyder's version is angst-ridden, dark, cynical, Frank Miller-inspired dreck. The "people" you're saying want to see this kind of film are not fans of the characters but Zack Snyder's take. Again, that's fine, but stop deluding yourself that Snyder's "vision" is in any way, shape, or form superior to the source material. The damage that Nolan, Goyer, and Snyder have done to the general audience's perceptions of the DCU is deep and will sadly be with us for a long time. Thankfully, the general audience has a short memory and there's a slim chance now that WBD will move on from Snyder's deconstructonist garbage and at least attempt more faithful portrayals. I'll believe it when I see it, but at least the Snyderverse is on the way out and the woke Coates/Abrams nonsense seems to be dead as well.

I see people still pretending Snyder's the most wronged individual in the history of Hollywood.

This is what the Snyder acolytes do. They can't accept that his "vision" was deeply flawed and that it failed, which was the only reason JL had to be "fixed" before theatrical release. They then praise the Snyder Cut as if it's somehow superior when all it does is double-down on the empty style and deconstruction of the superhero archetype seen in the previous films.

[Agent Z]

I see you're a Geoff Johns and Joss Whedon hater, i.e., a fan of Zack Snyder's "style" and "vision" instead of faithful portrayals of the iconic DCU. That's fine, but don't pretend you're anything but a fan of Snyder. Whedon and Johns did the best they could to salvage Snyder's dark and cynical dreck after BvS underperformed. You can deny that all you like, but it's the truth. Of course, Snyder fans keep going back to blaming Whedon and Johns and the death of Snyder's daughter instead of looking at the box office returns.

The more people keep citing box office returns for Snyder's DCEU movies as "failures", the more obvious it is they really don't know what they're talking about. As for Johns and Whedon, those two have their own writing flaws which other people (including those who aren't fans of Snyder either) have been calling out for years, long before either of them was involved with the DCEU. You only need to look at Age of Ultron or Whedon's Wonder Woman script to show why he would have been a poor fit for a Justice League movie.

Finally, the "genuine article and version of the the JL" has yet to be done in any adaptation except the DCAU.

The DCAU is one of many takes on the Justice League and took just as many liberties with the source material, if not more. One only need look at their takes on Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl and John Stewart for examples.

Zack Snyder's version is angst-ridden, dark, cynical, Frank Miller-inspired dreck. The "people" you're saying want to see this kind of film are not fans of the characters but Zack Snyder's take.

And I could easily say the "people" who dislike Snyder's take aren't fans of the Justice League but of Morrison or Timm if we want to play that game.

Again, that's fine, but stop deluding yourself that Snyder's "vision" is in any way, shape, or form superior to the source material.

Who said anything about it being superior to the source material? or are you under the impression Johns and Whedon created the Justice League?

The damage that Nolan, Goyer, and Snyder have done to the general audience's perceptions of the DCU is deep and will sadly be with us for a long time.

If I had a dollar every time I saw a comment like this on the internet, I'd be rich enough to buy DC. At this rate, DC fans are giving Star Wars fans a run for their money in unjustified doomsaying.

Thankfully, the general audience has a short memory and there's a slim chance now that WBD will move on from Snyder's deconstructonist garbage and at least attempt more faithful portrayals. I'll believe it when I see it, but at least the Snyderverse is on the way out and the woke Coates/Abrams nonsense seems to be dead as well.

For someone who proclaims to be a Superman fan, it's pretty rich how the worst thing a Superman movie can be to you is "woke". I'm sure the two Jewish guys who created him would have appreciated that.

This is what the Snyder acolytes do. They can't accept that his "vision" was deeply flawed and that it failed, which was the only reason JL had to be "fixed" before theatrical release. They then praise the Snyder Cut as if it's somehow superior when all it does is double-down on the empty style and deconstruction of the superhero archetype seen in the previous films.

Guess Gail Simone is a Snyder acolyte too.

https://twitter.com/gailsimone/statu...94256900689924

[Lightning Rider]

The "people" you're saying want to see this kind of film are not fans of the characters but Zack Snyder's take. Again, that's fine, but stop deluding yourself that Snyder's "vision" is in any way, shape, or form superior to the source material.

This is so dramatic, extreme, and inaccurate.

Some people like Snyder's take, some don't. These characters have been interpreted a lot of ways in various forms of media over the years, they aren't litmus tests for purity of fandom. Not sure why some on this forum can't just move on from or avoid weird sectarian squabbles.

[Vakanai]

You keep saying this in every thread but I’ll continue to correct you until I’m blue in the face. A shared universe is the only way WB will get those Marvel like numbers. People want to watch and grow with those characters. They want the comics and cartoons brought to life! What is the point of solo non connecting films exactly? No Justice League? No Teen Titans? No Justice Society or Legion? No thank you! I’m a DC fan and I want a shared universe, DC fans deserve an MCU like DC films universe.

On side note, Batman will likely continue to have meh box office numbers because it’s a been there done that (retread of Nolan) and it’s not leading to anything.

PS: I hated those old days! Give me the Team ups damn it!

"Continue to correct" me? Look, it's one thing to disagree with each other and think you're right and I am wrong, but don't go around acting rude and acting like you have to be right and I am some mistaken idiot. And you can say it until you are blue in the face, but you never say anything new but your same opinion, which I have already disagreed with, argued with, and shared my peace with. Fun fact, I still believe that you are wrong, and I still believe that contrary to your opinion those characters and teams can in fact be made without needing a shared cinematic universe. You don't need to show all the sidekicks in prior movies and build up to a Teen Titans movie, you can just have a Teen Titans movie. It's worked fine in animation for them. You can disagree with that, but here's the thing, I already know that you disagree, and you've already said your opinions. I've already heard those opinions, I have already told you that I disagree, and I have already explained why I disagree. Constantly retorting back at me with the same opinions, opinions mind you not facts, is never going to change my mind. And I didn't mind debating it with you before, and maybe you didn't mean it to read like it read like it did this time, but it definitely seems like you're trying to belittle me and be rude about it now, and if that's how you want to debate this disagreement then I really rather not have you discuss it with me and I will not respond again if I feel insulted.

Also I thought that The Batman did just fine for the first film in a reboot. It's weird that profitable movies are considered "meh" now if they don't meet some magical number, usually a billion or close to.

PS: I hate most team ups. Give me movies that don't feel the need to set up other heroes' movies damn it!

[Doctor Know]

I see you're a Geoff Johns and Joss Whedon hater, i.e., a fan of Zack Snyder's "style" and "vision" instead of faithful portrayals of the iconic DCU. That's fine, but don't pretend you're anything but a fan of Snyder.

I call the film Josstice League and that makes me a "hater"? How does that work?

Justice League theatrical spent hundreds of millions of more dollars to reshoot a lot of Snyder's movie, change the tone, copycat Avengers 1 and imitate the mile a minute one-liners from MCU movies. All for it to turn out rotten with critics, alienate the audience, underperform at the box office and stall out all future Justice League movies. Whose film is the theatrical cut? Snyder's or Whedon and Johns'?

@bold
I shouldn't pretend I'm not a Snyder fan? Is that supposed to be a pejorative? An insult? Should I be castigated and mocked for liking a man's work? Not the best way to begin a discourse, but this is the internet. So I'll roll with the punches.

Whedon and Johns did the best they could to salvage Snyder's dark and cynical dreck after BvS underperformed. You can deny that all you like, but it's the truth. Of course, Snyder fans keep going back to blaming Whedon and Johns and the death of Snyder's daughter instead of looking at the box office returns.

@bold When did I deny anything? I haven't even spoken about BvS. Perhaps you have me confused with someone else.

I already listed why Johns and Whedon get **** for JL's theatrical release. Snyder was gone months before reshoots on JL happened. It was Johns' idea to bring in Whedon. It was Johns' idea to turn the DC films into MCU copycats. Whedon brought his trademark humor and banter. Which the audience had soured on after Age of Ultron. This was their movie. The loss and fallout is on theatrical Justice League was on them. It's why Geoff Johns, John Berg and Joss Whedon were all fired when the numbers started coming in.

Finally, the "genuine article and version of the the JL" has yet to be done in any adaptation except the DCAU. Zack Snyder's version is angst-ridden, dark, cynical, Frank Miller-inspired dreck. The "people" you're saying want to see this kind of film are not fans of the characters but Zack Snyder's take. Again, that's fine, but stop deluding yourself that Snyder's "vision" is in any way, shape, or form superior to the source material.

@Italic and Underscore
Who is talking about the source material? Read my original post and below text to understand.

@bold
Are you sure about that?

As I stated previously, 2021 saw the release of 3 JL type properties.
Jupiter's Legacy - Netflix: Inspired by Mark Millar's Image Comic series of the same name. Rotten with critics and cancelled a month after release on streaming.
Eternals - Marvel/Disney: Rotten with critics and audiences and lost money at the box office.
Zack Snyder's Justice League - WB/ATT: Positive with critics, positive with audiences and a boon to HBOMax.

WB is in the enviable position of owning the rights to Justice League. The "Genuine Article"! The "Real McCoy"!

Not the Eternals - Marvel
Not the Squadron Supreme - Marvel
Not the Ultraforce - Marvel
Not the Great Society - Marvel
Not Jupiter's Legacy - Image/Netflix
Not the Justice Force - TMNT/Mirage/Dark Horse

After the positive response from audiences, critics, influencers and other people in the movie industry to Snyder's JL. The smart move would have been to capitalize on it. Give people more of what they wanted to see and with WB being the sole owner of the original name brand product. Instead, a month after the Syndercut hit HBOMax, TPTB at WB decided it would be the best time to promote the 4K blu-ray release of the theatrical cut of a movie that critics hated, and flopped with audiences.


Why would they do this? Because the Snydercut was greenlit, funded and approved to be completed and released by WB's parent company AT&T. While TPTB at WB had been saying for years that Snyder's version of the movie didn't exist. Pretty scummy thing to do. Kneecap the success of someone on your own team and try to sell the audience a version of the film no one liked or was even talking about at that moment.

The damage that Nolan, Goyer, and Snyder have done to the general audience's perceptions of the DCU is deep and will sadly be with us for a long time.Thankfully, the general audience has a short memory and there's a slim chance now that WBD will move on from Snyder's deconstructonist garbage and at least attempt more faithful portrayals. I'll believe it when I see it, but at least the Snyderverse is on the way out and the woke Coates/Abrams nonsense seems to be dead as well.

You exaggerate too much, mate. The general audience doesn't spend a fraction of the time hate blogging about people who don't know their names, over fictional characters.

@bold
The Syndercut has been dead for years, mate. What cause do you think you are fighting against now in 2022?


I do share joy with you over Abrams jumping ship from DC. Ending his Black Superman movie and black John Constantine Justice League Dark movie plans.

[Vakanai]

We'd still be living in a world where Batman and Superman are the only DC heroes with movies. But mostly Batman

I disagree. You don't need a cinematic universe to make a Blue Beetle movie or a Batgirl movie. I don't understand this belief that you need other heroes using their movies to prop up interest in watching a different superhero's movie. MCU didn't need the Avengers line delivered by Nick Fury to make Iron Man a success, people just went to see Iron Man. But instead of taking the lesson that B characters can be successful, we took the lesson we need a whole universe just to prop up movies. One of the most successful comic book movies of the 90s was Blade. Deadpool is loosely tied to the X-Men at best. Good movies can do fine on their own.

[krazijoe]

I see you're a Geoff Johns and Joss Whedon hater, i.e., a fan of Zack Snyder's "style" and "vision" instead of faithful portrayals of the iconic DCU. That's fine, but don't pretend you're anything but a fan of Snyder. Whedon and Johns did the best they could to salvage Snyder's dark and cynical dreck after BvS underperformed. You can deny that all you like, but it's the truth. Of course, Snyder fans keep going back to blaming Whedon and Johns and the death of Snyder's daughter instead of looking at the box office returns.

Finally, the "genuine article and version of the the JL" has yet to be done in any adaptation except the DCAU. Zack Snyder's version is angst-ridden, dark, cynical, Frank Miller-inspired dreck. The "people" you're saying want to see this kind of film are not fans of the characters but Zack Snyder's take. Again, that's fine, but stop deluding yourself that Snyder's "vision" is in any way, shape, or form superior to the source material. The damage that Nolan, Goyer, and Snyder have done to the general audience's perceptions of the DCU is deep and will sadly be with us for a long time. Thankfully, the general audience has a short memory and there's a slim chance now that WBD will move on from Snyder's deconstructonist garbage and at least attempt more faithful portrayals. I'll believe it when I see it, but at least the Snyderverse is on the way out and the woke Coates/Abrams nonsense seems to be dead as well.



This is what the Snyder acolytes do. They can't accept that his "vision" was deeply flawed and that it failed, which was the only reason JL had to be "fixed" before theatrical release. They then praise the Snyder Cut as if it's somehow superior when all it does is double-down on the empty style and deconstruction of the superhero archetype seen in the previous films.

Point of Order, Josh turned it into a titillating fanboi wet dream. Not saying Justice League was another above ok, but the Synder Cut was a lot better than what Josh tried to do. AS for WW84. It was a bad movie and it didnt do as well as the original for 3 reason, Covid, HBOMax and it was a lot worse than the original. It would have made more at the BO if COVID was not around, in my opinion. I did NOT see it at the Movies because I was not going to head out anywhere at that time, so I stayed home and watched it from my Couch. Anyone trying to say COVID didn't play a HUGE part into it's numbers is full of it.
Look at it objectively instead of through the lens of "My Guy is better than your guy" or whatever your underlying motive is.

[Johnny]

Johns never had autonomous power over the DC slate to make decisions such as "making it MCU copycats". He was told by his higher-ups to take it in a different direction after they soured on Snyder post-BvS, and was naturally given the MCU as an example of a successful shared universe to model after. Johns did what he was told alongside being put in charge of a runaway train that was bound for a disastrous wreck that was the production of Justice League, and without any of the build up the MCU did prior to doing the big team-ups.

For the record, Snyder isn't to blame for that either, similarly he was told to put Batman in the follow-up to MoS which was never his original plan, so WB can try to start cashing in on the MCU money train. Both Snyder and Johns and whoever else served as the surface level "boss" of the DC films at the time never had complete authority over the slate. Johns and the rest don't have jobs there anymore because they needed someone to take the fall for the JL failure, similar to how Hamada won't have a job soon as well since Zaslav isn't impressed with him either and needs someone else for yet another "fresh start" again.