David Zaslav’s veto when it comes to the final DC projects from the earlier era counts when the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO is specifically being tasked with resurrecting an entire franchise from the brink of extinction. With Aquaman 2 endangering that future, it was within Zaslav’s power to express his disappointment during the film’s test screening, perhaps even ask for extensive reshoots before it is marketed to the general audience.
Aquaman 2 Test Screening Disappoints WBD’s David Zaslav
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO had rejected the version of Aquaman 2 that was screened last year. The reshoots that followed had marked a majority of the past few months. However, the story that now rises in the wake of Zaslav’s arrival has worried many among the audience for what it may imply. Did the Jason Momoa solo superhero sequel contain too many of its past elements from the DCEU? Were the reshoots done to remove Amber Heard‘s Mera from as many scenes as possible? Was Aquaman 2 simply not good enough?
In the aftermath, however, the sequel has now become a bearer of the burdens of the past as well as the hopes for the future. Not only will Aquaman 2 mark the closure of the DCEU as we know it but also herald a new future. And as such, Zaslav’s wish to mark the end of an era with a big bang should not come as a surprise to the fandom. Rather, what should worry the majority is the CEO’s vision for DCU. With the level of hands-on involvement that he has shown with Aquaman 2, how the movie pans out will also determine how he envisions the films of the franchise to be portrayed as.
If DCU is at par with the depth and genre of film and television that the fans and audience have grown to appreciate, then all will be well. Otherwise, Superman: Legacy will just mark the beginning of yet another end for the franchise that has for far too long witnessed the scourge of pitfalls and failure.
Fans Grow Increasingly Bitter at the Inconsistency of DC
It’s no news that DC has lacked the cohesion and vision that is needed to maintain a world of comic superheroes, narrative arcs, and timelines as vast as that of DC. For decades, the only IP to be exploited properly was Superman and Batman, two of the oldest and greatest creations of the comic world. But with James Gunn‘s arrival, the fandom’s hope has started to rise once again. The director’s ability to find greatness in the simplest of stories and turn the weirdest characters into one of the most treasured has worked out neatly in favor of both Marvel and DC.
With Gunn taking on the duties of ushering in the new universe at DC by writing and directing its first film, Superman: Legacy, the expectations and anticipation that come attached to such a project have reached a peak. But the risk and threat of failure still loom large on the horizon, especially with David Zaslav showing such restraint with what gets projected onto the screen with Aquaman 2. The constant disappointments that DC has delivered in the past have now embittered the fans regarding what’s to come.
Aquaman 2 will continue with Arthur Curry’s narrative as the plot goes global rather than be confined to the ocean scape like its predecessor. Directed by James Wan, the film boasts an active involvement from its lead, Jason Momoa who has spoken extensively about his wish to indoctrinate the narrative about the world’s currently endangered condition of the seas and its marine life. The plot will witness Aquaman making an unlikely alliance for the sake of Atlantis and the fate of the planet.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premieres on 20 December 2023.
Source: Twitter
