DC's Desperate Move: Did They Beg Marvel's Feige After Justice League Fail?
DC's Bold Attempt to Lure Kevin Feige from Marvel Revealed!
After the critical and commercial disappointment of Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon’s Justice League in 2017, Warner Bros. reportedly made a surprising move: they approached Kevin Feige, the mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), to try and convince him to switch sides.
According to a new report in the Wall Street Journal, Warner Bros. executives met with Feige in a desperate attempt to revitalize their struggling superhero franchise. Feige, who has been instrumental in the MCU's success since 2008's Iron Man, listened to the offer, but ultimately, the talks “fizzled.”
The report suggests that Warner Bros. was hoping Feige could bring his proven track record and vision to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which was floundering despite some successes like Aquaman. However, Feige remained committed to Marvel, continuing to oversee the MCU's expansion with projects like the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps and the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars films.
Instead of Feige, Warner Bros. eventually turned to James Gunn and Peter Safran, appointing them as co-heads of DC Studios in late 2022. Gunn, known for his work on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, is now spearheading the reboot of the DC Universe (DCU) with films like Superman, which is already receiving positive reviews.
The DCU's future looks promising with projects like Peacemaker season 2 and Supergirl in the pipeline. However, the revelation of Warner Bros.' attempt to poach Feige highlights the immense pressure and challenges they faced in establishing a successful and cohesive superhero universe to rival Marvel's dominance.
Could the DCU have been different if Feige had accepted the offer? It's a fascinating what-if scenario that continues to intrigue fans of both Marvel and DC comics.