It looks like DC Films is starting to figure out how to successfully present their superheroes on the big screen. Both Wonder Woman and Aquaman have been huge hits for the studio, and according to Shazam! producer Peter Safran, it's all because the tone of each character has been represented so well. Safran also went on to hint The Batman and Joker movies will have darker tones, which should get DC fans pretty excited. We've started to hear more about each one of the highly anticipated projects and hype is starting to build.
Shazam! hits theaters next week and there is a lot of positive energy surrounding the movie, thanks to early screenings. The tone is a lot lighter than what we've seen from DC in the past and that was very much an intentional move to play off of the character's sensibilities. In a new interview, DC producer Peter Safran says that the rest of the DC's upcoming movies will be paying attention to each character's tone too. He explains.
"I think that DC has the same idea we do now, which is every movie that they make should have the right tone for that particular character. Shazam is such a fun character. He is all about wish fulfillment. He is fun and funny, and that is the tone that you should have for the film. Aquaman has got a tone, fantastical element. Shazam! is fun and funny. Wonder Woman's got her thing. I think they realize each tone has to be specific for each movie. Listen, there are certain characters like Batman, like the Joker, that dark tone is perfect for them... It's what you really want to see."
The Batman and Joker movies need to be dark, and from the sounds of things, Todd Phillips' take on the Clown Prince of Crime is going down that road. From the beginning, Joaquin Phoenix has said that their version of the Joker is going to be unlike anything comic book fans have seen on the big screen, noting that this interpretation is going to be a character study. Comedian Marc Maron recently echoed the same sentiment in a recent interview while stating that it's an origin story "and a character study of a mentally ill person that becomes the Joker."
As for The Batman, we're still pretty much in the dark. Matt Reeves is being highly secretive about the movie, though it is believed we will see the Dark Knight go back to his detective roots. Ben Affleck recently revealed he has officially left the movie, which means the hunt for a new Caped Crusader is underway. DC fans generally like their Batman movies to be dark and that will more than likely be the approach that Reeves takes as he introduces the world to yet another take on the iconic hero.
Matt Reeves has teased The Batman will be a "noir" tale, which will be both "thrilling and emotional.." We're going to see the character solving crimes and hunting down criminals, which sounds very intriguing. The Batman is expected to hit theaters in June 2021, while the Joker movie arrives in theaters this fall. You can watch the interview with Peter Safran below, thanks to IGN YouTube channel.
Source: https://movieweb.com/the-batman-joker-movie-dark-tone-gritty/