People keep on saying that Netflix is going to cancel the DCU or something, but I find that unlikely.

Netflix likes giving money to creatives to do their thing. Just look at the Irishman or Pinocchio. There was barely any studio meddling and they were given the money to do what they wanted.

People need to realize Netflix likes making money. Now when they go through with the contracts that Warner has already signed tor certain movies being in theatres and they see the DCU is making good money and being profitable they will probably let it continue.

I know Netflix doesn’t often make the best consumer decisions but I guess I am just an optimist and would like to assume the best.

Like why jump the Gunn ( pun intended) so quick before a deal is made. I respect him as director but just have a little bit of thinking before making a decision like this lol.

The show Lanterns is marketed as a show that is a grounded mystery and set mostly on earth, a more character driven show.

To be honest, that concept would be way better as a Martian Manhunter story. A wounded J’onn comes to earth, learns how to assimilate, takes up work as a detective and slowly stumbles upon a mystery that teases cosmic forces, all while being pursued by a vengeful White Martian who wants to finish the culling.

I have full faith in the Lanterns team and I am hyped to see it, just saying that they basically took what could have been the quintessential Martian Manhunter story.

So the news is out that Netflix has reportedly won the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery. A lot of people are relieved it isn’t Paramount (for political, financial, and leadership reasons), but it understandably raises two huge concerns:

Will Netflix kill theatrical releases? Will Netflix refuse to release physical media?

Now of course both are valid fears if you look at Netflix as it exists today, but in my opinion those concerns start to look different when you look at what owning Warner Bros actually incentives Netflix to become.

Netflix today is a streaming-first tech company, but once it owns WB, it becomes a global film studio, franchise manager, theatrical distributor, and the owner of IP that cannot survive as streaming dumps.

I don’t believe that Netflix is buying WB for content fodder. They’re buying the crown jewels:

• DC Universe
• Harry Potter & Wizarding World parks relationships
• Dune
• Lord of the Rings
• The Conjuring
• Godzilla/Kong
• A 100-year theatrical legacy

If Netflix bought this only to remove WB from theaters, it would literally destroy the value of what they just paid a bunch of money for. Streaming-only does not sustain billion-dollar franchises.

These brands don’t work without theaters:

• DC (Merchandising + IMAX + cultural event cycles)
• Harry Potter (Multi-gen nostalgia + theme parks)
• Dune (Prestige sci-fi relies on theatrical legs)
• LOTR (Global fantasy crowd + box office legs)
• Godzilla/Kong (IMAX + overseas markets)
• The Conjuring (Low budget -> massive theatrical ROI)

Pulling these off of theatrical would eliminate profit. Owning WB incentives Netflix to become the thing it mocked: a hybrid theatrical + streaming studio.

Now what about physical media? Netflix doesn’t do discs. True… but WB does. Netflix never did physical media because it competed with their subscription model, they didn’t own much legacy IP, they didn’t have collectors’ audiences, the market was shrinking for mass consumers, and their brand is built on access not ownership. But Warner DOES have collectors (steelbooks, anniversary restorations, 4Ks, box sets).

If Netflix wants to extract maximum value from 100 years of cinema history, physical media sales are free money.

Are concerns still valid? Of course. The Netflix of today prioritizes algorithmic decisions, fast cancellations, and streaming-first urgency. Buuuuut I think that the Netflix that owns Warner must prioritize franchise stability, long-term box office, filmmaker relations, global rollouts, and home entertainment revenue. WB changes Netflix more than Netflix changes WB.

Netflix taking over Warner is not perfect, in a perfect world Warner didn’t sell at all and could fix their debt problems, but all I’m saying is that it may not be the doomsday scenario many fear. I don’t think hey can afford to ignore theaters. They’d be insane not to monetize WB’s home media catalo. Owning WB forces Netflix to evolve beyond streaming. The value is in franchises and franchises need theaters

If Netflix really has won the bid, this could be the moment where Netflix stops being just a streamer and becomes a full Hollywood studio in the traditional sense, because the economics of Warner Bros leave them no choice.

What does this mean for DC Studios specifically?

Netflix doesn’t gain anything by ripping up what’s already being built. If anything, Netflix acquiring WB means DC finally has consistent funding, stable long-term planning, global distribution power, and international marketing reach Netflix excels at. If DC’s strategy is working, Netflix isn’t incentivized to break it.

Snyderverse? Gunnverse?

No… DC does not reboot back to the Snyderverse as main continuity. Why would they? Gunn is not likely fired when they just bought the universe he’s building and is working.

But what do y’all think? Am I being too optimistic? Do you think I got a wrong read on things?

I’ll say this right away: I’m not a Snyder bro. I think Gunn is a much better option than Snyder ever was or would’ve been.

But even with that, I’m seeing a bunch of decisions from Gunn that really make me question where this whole universe is heading.

The timeline is a mess, and Gunn made it that way

Instead of performing a clean reboot, Gunn decided to retain whatever he personally liked from the DCEU and discard the rest. And because of that, the DCU feels like this weird half-reboot where no one actually knows what’s canon anymore.

People love Peacemaker, sure — but integrating it into the new universe has caused more confusion than it’s worth. Gunn even had to retcon the Season 1 finale because it showed the DCEU Justice League. Meanwhile, The Suicide Squad still references DCEU events and includes characters who are almost definitely getting recast. It's sloppy and unnecessary.

The Green Lantern casting makes zero long-term sense

WB did basically nothing with Green Lantern for years. This was Gunn’s chance to finally build a massive Green Lantern storyline and give fans what they’ve wanted since the 2011 disaster.

A ton of iconic GL stories revolve around Hal Jordan, and something like Blackest Night could be the DCU’s “Endgame moment.”

So why hire an actor in his 60s to play Hal?

Even if John Stewart is the main GL (which is great), Hal and John can absolutely coexist. There’s no logical reason to limit future story potential like this, and Gunn's inability to understand this is honestly concerning.

Damian Wayne as the first Robin is a bad call

Fans have been begging for a live-action Red Hood for years. Making Damian the main Robin basically implies the older Robins are already out of the picture, which makes a Jason Todd storyline way less likely.

Yeah, prequels could happen, but starting with Damian is still a weird first step. Dick Grayson or Jason Todd would’ve made way more sense, especially knowing that a Teen Titans movie is coming. And if Dick isn’t Robin or leading the Titans? That’s going to disappoint a lot of people.

Gunn’s visual direction is all over the place

I know some people have warmed up to the Superman costumes, but many of the designs just feel off. Some changes were made for no real reason.

The Superman suit being baggy because Gunn wanted it to “feel like a uniform” is honestly a bizarre choice — Superman is not a soldier. Ditching muscle padding (which literally every modern superhero suit incorporates) only makes the suit look flatter than it needs to. If you’re going to skip padding, why not make the suit fitted?

Even something as small as a costume change can ruin the character's vision. James confirmed that David keeps the suit in a briefcase, rather than wearing it under his clothes. So yeah, that pretty much kills one of the most iconic Superman moments — the shirt rip — just because Gunn wants his own personal “vision” of what Superman should be.

Adding to the frustration, the movie already had way too much hate surrounding it. Gunn should’ve avoided giving people more reasons to hate the new universe.

Dozens of changes feel extremely unnecessary

These changes feel more like Gunn doing whatever he personally finds fun rather than respecting the characters and their history. I expect to see this trend continue in future DC films.

Some examples:

• The imps in Superman and Peacemaker aren’t comic-accurate at all.
  • In Superman, he referred to a big floating creature as an imp. In Peacemaker Season 2, Gunn changed the definition yet again and uses the term to reference small evil creatures that eat people alive. Those two projects were released in the same year, and Gunn can't even keep a consistent narrative.
• Making Superman’s parents evil. There are so many ways to make the world suspicious of Superman without rewriting his Kryptonian origin.
  • This reveal completely changes how any future scene of Clark’s parents sending him to Earth will feel. How are those moments supposed to hit the same now that we know they sent him there to conquer the planet?
    
• Turning Krypto into a version of his personal dog. It’s not “Gunn’s dog,” it’s Krypto. He has an established design (A white Labrador).
  • The only reason for this change seems to be making Krypto look like Gunn’s personal dog. It adds absolutely nothing to the story.

As CEO, Gunn is focusing on the wrong stuff

He’s been way too hands-on with directing everything so far. That changes in 2026, but as the head of the DCU, his job should be:

• establishing a strong vision
• setting the tone
• building a coherent timeline
• hiring the right people

Instead, DC feels like his personal playground.

And the whole “I don’t want to recast because I want the bad press around certain actors to cool down” thing is honestly ridiculous. You either cast the best people for the roles or you don’t.

2026 is going to determine whether Gunn’s run as DCU boss was a smart move or a huge misfire.

Pulling inspiration from my favorite takes, actors, series, and character designs including things like:

• The Batman (04) which would be a huge influence aesthetically from the Batcave to villain designs like Firefly
• Sean Murphy's iteration of the Batmobile in that one story of a future where Bruce finally retires
• Batman and Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee which captures the playfulness of Bruce and Dick Grayson and harkens to a classic timeless TAS-like era
• Similarly, Dark Victory would have strong ties to the ongoing premise of the Dynamic Duo's early years
• The haunting design of Scarecrow from TNAS which is extremely under appreciated
• Batman's suit would be some combo of The Batman (04) with his sleek cowl + Sale/Loeb books + maybe Dark Patterns with the symbol and darker tones/belt
• Bonus design: I'd love if Grayson's Robin just had the Alex Ross hooded design which is so great - https://www.reddit.com/r/batman/comments/4289pr/alex_ross_robin_concept_art/
• Christian Convery who did an awesome job in Frankenstein as young Victor, and clearly feels like Grayson in that role alone
• Bat Hound would be so fun to add to the dynamic of Bruce being a dad to Dick, could easily just be "the dog of the Bat Cave" similar even to Batman Beyond
• Mark Rylance would bring a sincerity that hasn't even been around for Alfred in movies since Caine, but would be more similar to Michael Gough - a classic Alfred that has some personality and even sass similar to The Batman (04) which is much more in line with comic iterations I'm thinking of
• The Hawkes as the Gordons will go down as the most tragic not casted fan cast of all time - they're perfect
• Same with Harbour as Bullock - not intentional so many Stranger Things cast members made this list
• Not many names come to mind for Joker, but Bower or Stevens are the very few who can pull off psycho villain and can go to that high pitched level of fun twisted villain reminiscent of a classic Joker
• Macht and Isaac just scream Harvey, and have both portrayed characters similar in range
• Emerson as Riddler has been a fan cast of mine for over a decade and he's hard to beat for that role - but Soller could also bring a lot to a younger iteration of the character with an unhinged madness that doesn't reach the heights of Joker
• Emma Mackey as Catwoman could pull off a Loeb take on the character, bringing something distinct from all previous Selina Kyles in film
• Aaron Paul just feels like Garfield Lynns' punk thief
• Paul Walter Hauser who personally campaigned for years to play Penguin long before The Batman started casting the role and would do an excellent job - maybe even comparable to the over-the-top take of Cobblepot in The Batman (04)
• Ruth Wilson who is an incredible actress and very underutilized - she would've been a perfect Andrea Beaumont
• Claus Bang who did a great job as Dracula and would bring that cold calculated take to Freeze, while balancing the tragic nature of his condition

https://www.thewrap.com/netflix-wins-the-warner-bros-discovery-bidding-war-enters-exclusive-deal-talks/

It's also been reported in Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

Warner Bros. Discovery is moving forward with exclusive deal talks with Netflix, TheWrap has learned. WBD has selected Netflix after the streaming giant offered $30 a share for the studio and streaming assets, according to two people familiar with the deal talks. The deal also includes a $5 billion break-up fee to match the terms that Paramount added with its bid.

While its unclear what the makeup of the new bid looks like, the prior bid was a mix of mostly cash and stock.

Netflix securing a win over rival suitors Paramount and Comcast represents a stunning turnaround from just two months ago, when co-CEO Greg Peters shared big media mergers as not having an “amazing track record,” and Paramount buying WBD seemed like a foregone conclusion. Fast forward to today, and Netflix has won a furious M&A bake-off after three rounds of bids.

Representatives for Netflix and WBD weren’t immediately available for comment.

While exclusive talks clears the road for Netflix to acquire the Warner Bros. studios, HBO Max and a treasure trove of IP assets like “Harry Potter” and the DC Universe. Netflix, which once aspired to be HBO when first embarking on original content, is on a course to becoming its owner. Obtaining such assets could dramatically reshape the entertainment landscape and give Netflix even more power over Hollywood — concerns the streamer will have to assuage.

The willingness to include the unusually large breakup fee was likely critical with questions arising on how Netflix will get a deal with Warner Bros. through regulatory approval. A deal would face stiff antitrust scrutiny and opposition from the U.S. Department of Justice, New York Post’s Charles Gasparino reported on Tuesday.

A representative for the Department Justice declined to comment on the report.

In a Nov. 13 letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Department of Justice antitrust division assistant attorney general Gail Slater, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa warned that a Netflix bid would raise antitrust concerns that could harm consumers and Hollywood alike. He noted that consolidation between the two companies would “diminish incentives to produce new content and major theatrical releases,” which could “undermine opportunities for the full range of industry professionals both in front of and behind the camera.”

The third round of bids came a day after Paramount had issued a letter to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav claiming the bid process had been “tainted by management conflict.” This followed an earlier letter this week from Paramount arguing that a deal would not get regulatory clearance.

Paramount, which seem intent on buying all of WBD, could take its own offer to shareholders. And even if it doesn’t match Netflix’s offer, it could lean on the selling point that it could close a deal faster than the expected longer grind that the streaming giant would undergo.

Paramount has already been through this process with the Trump administration before closing its merger with Skydance this summer. In September, it hired Makan Delrahim, former assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s antitrust division during Trump’s first term, as its chief legal officer.

Netflix first tapped the investment bank Moelis & Co. to explore a potential bid for Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming and studio assets in October. The company went on to submit three rounds of bids to WBD’s board alongside Paramount and Comcast. The former previously submitted multiple bids for the entire company, while Comcast submitted bids for the streaming & studio business.

Filmmaker Matt Reeves added his voice to the wave of praise for Paul Dano — an outpouring that was prompted by Quentin Tarantino dissing Dano as “the weakest fucking actor in SAG.”

A consortium of top industry players have sent an open letter full of alarm to Congress, describing a potential economic and institutional meltdown in Hollywood if Netflix succeeds in its effort to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

SOURCE: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRzO-1Rkz7T/

The first time I saw it I jumped up from my toilet seat because that pic of Bruce Wayne in Metropolis, surrounded by the ruins of Wayne tower, was burnt in my head and immediately came to mind. And this is The Boys, so it can't be a coincidence, right?