Right on the heels of the release of the final trailer for the upcoming Justice League at New York Comic Con, Ben Affleck sat down with Geek.com to discuss the tonal differences between the film and its predecessors. This, in combination with a separate interview the actor gave earlier this year, where he admitted Batman V. Superman was a bad film, seems to imply that he and the studio are more than a little nervous about the bad taste Suicide Squad and BVS left in everyone's mouth.
There have been concrete additions to the franchise, like bringing on Geoff Johns and the degree of creative freedom granted to Patty Jenkins, but the emphasis on “humor” the actors and filmmakers have so eagerly defended remains a major source of worry. It implies two troubling things: One, that their critically acclaimed rival, Marvel, survives simply because of the irreverence and gags, and two, that simply copying the MCU is enough to mask the clear lack of identity of the DC Cinematic universe.
I’m excited for Justice League. I thought the most recent trailer looked promising, but the humour still didn’t do it for me. I really don’t want this movie to feel like The Avengers . The Justice League have a long and rich history in the comics; they shouldn't have to play dress up for anyone. Their first live-action outing deserves the delicate, singular approach that made them mainstays in the first place.
Batman V. Superman wasn’t a good film for a myriad of reasons, one of which happened to be that it took itself too seriously. But, I assure you, if you had the ability to resurrect W.C Fields to punch up the script with the funniest gags anyone has ever seen, the film would still be terrible.
I don’t love the overarching story. I don’t enjoy Henry Cavill’s interpretation of Superman. I think introducing the Suicide Squad before we saw them interact with their corresponding heroes was a bad move. Fucking Jared Leto. All these problems are far more pressing than the lack of side splitters in the films thus far.
We can’t wait to see each and every thing Marvel puts out because it feels like we’re in good hands. The minds behind the scenes know where all of this is going. They’re fun and funny movies, no question, but that’s the cherry on top. We like to watch movies made by confident people with passion and direction.
Justice League hits theatres on Nov. 17.
