Honestly, what is going on behind the scenes at Warner Bros. and DC Films?
Warner Bros. has just cancelled New Gods and The Trench, two upcoming superhero-related films that had been in development for a couple of years.
New Gods was set to be directed by Ava DuVernay while The Trench was a horror spin-off of Aquaman focusing on the creatures of the same name. Apparently, the reasons behind the cancellations are quite silly.
WB was concerned about New Gods featuring Darkseid, who had just appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League earlier this month. For The Trench, they believed that the upcoming sequel to Aquaman was “considered enough” for that part of the DCEU.
I’m sorry, but those are some absolutely dumb reasons. I mean, THR also noted that “it became clear the upcoming DC slate did not have a natural spot for New Gods or The Trench over the next few years, [so] execs believed it was best not to leave the filmmakers hanging in development without a clear end in sight.”
But again, Ava DuVernay comes to you wanting to direct a superhero film and you end up cancelling it?! And The Trench didn’t even need to be considered a DC film. It was supposed to be a standalone horror film focusing on the creatures. It could have been a low budget three-hour-cruise-gone-wrong sort of movie.
These cancellations will not dampen the flames of the #RestoreTheSnyderVerse movement currently trending on Twitter. Fans want to see the original DCEU, the one spearheaded by Zack Snyder, finished. However, at the same time, there were plenty of fans ready to see New Gods and more from James Wan’s Aquaman. I mean, Aquaman made a billion dollars and you only want to make one continuation?!
In a joint statement, Warner Bros. and DC said:
“As part of our DC slate, some legacy development titles including New Gods and The Trench will not be moving forward. We thank our partners Ava DuVernay, Tom King, James Wan, and Peter Safran for their time and collaboration during this process and look forward to our continued partnership with them on other DC stories. The projects will remain in their skillful hands if they were to move forward in the future.”
DuVernay also expressed her disappoint on the news over Twitter.
Tom, I loved writing NEW GODS with you. I’m upset that the saga of Barda, Scott, Granny, Highfather and The Furies ends this way. Diving into Kirby’s Fourth World was the adventure of a lifetime. That can’t be taken away. Thank you for your friendship. And remember… #DarkseidIs pic.twitter.com/XyyIjcB8Wv
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 1, 2021
It’s a shame to see two films that had passionate filmmakers behind them get cancelled, but this isn’t the end of the DCEU. There are currently a handful of titles in development, including Zatanna, Static Shock, Blue Beetle, Supergirl, Superman, and Batgirl. It’s unclear exactly when we might be getting another movie focusing on the Justice League, but thank goodness we have a Zatanna film coming out!
What do you think of New Gods and The Trench getting cancelled? Is Warner Bros. doing damage control after all the behind the scenes drama their DC properties have endured? Tell us your thoughts down in the comments.
