I hate to be the person who goes on and on and on about the Warner Bros and DC sounding like a grumpy DC-hater. I’m not. But the truth is, it seems like they’re doing IT again. And by IT, I mean announcing a bunch of movies and making changes to their slate, week in week out.
One of the latest news that dropped as reported by The Hollywood Reporter is the fact that Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the directors of Crazy Stupid Love is only a few signatures away from penning and directing a Joker and Harley Quinn movie for DCEU. Crazy Stupid Love is my absolute favourite romantic comedy of all time. If you haven’t caught it, you must. It’s a damn good movie. But, I don’t know if the directors are suited for a Joker and Harley Quinn movie. When I think of the relationship between The Joker and Harley Quinn, I think of words like, “rape,” “trauma” and “Stockholm syndrome.” That is the Joker and Harley Quinn movie I want to see. That is something I’m not sure we’ll be getting considering who Warner Bros hired to helm the film.
At this point, it’s all speculation and I could be dead wrong when the movie actually hits theatres.
Another problem I have with this announcement is where it fits in the timeline. I hate comparing the DCEU to the MCU, but since the DCEU uses the “TV Series” format made popular by MCU, I think it’s only fair that I do compare. The MCU follows a simple plan. Every year they release a bunch of solo films. For the most part, these movies are standalone, with some connective tissue to the larger MCU. Sometimes, these solo films feature cameos by other characters from the larger MCU. Every few years or so, the characters from the solo films crossover in The Avengers (Captain America: Civil War is essentially Avengers 2.5). We know how all the pieces fit.
With the DCEU, it’s more complicated. Jared Leto’s Joker first made an appearance in Suicide Squad. Now, he’s set to reprise his role in Gotham City Sirens, Suicide Squad 2 and The Joker and Harley Quinn. Where and how do all these films fit into the larger DCEU timeline?
I’m not saying these films are going to suck balls. It’s too early to say that. But it’s the entire STRUCTURE of the DCEU that bothers me.
