McFarlane DC Multiverse

I guess even Gunn’s status is on the table. As you say, if the deal survives, Netflix can put anyone they want in that position. Scrap everything and start over again. Apparently the Ellison’s at Paramount were inclined to keep him in place. With Netflix, the Snyder-Bronies are exuberant somehow thinking the Snyderverse will be revived.

Without theatrical releases, movie figures become more difficult to market. Perhaps seeing a very different release strategy. Todd has relied heavily on theatrical characters in his DCM.

Be that as it may, my figure collection is likely to end with McFarlane’s license. My personal interest in DC media skews heavily towards the animated side. Live action, be it TV or film, is pretty hit and miss for me. And I’m not a gamer so I’ll not speak to that. My main concern is as a lifelong comic fan. What happens now? As Jim Lee approaches retirement age, do they buy him out? Netflix is obviously interested in the comic book business. Now they may control one of the big two. Interesting times.
 
Was Superman the only superhero movie that made money in 2025? I would hope the people who spend $72 billion on something also like making money. It would be silly to fire Gunn and ruin all momentum they’ve got for the new universe.

Netflix only cares about movies and/or streaming which makes me very worried about print comics. I don’t want a comic universe where everything mirrors the films. 2025 was a rebound year for comic sales so I had hope that we’d be seeing printed books for a while.
 
I’m not worried about politics. I’m worried about Mark Millar taking over DC Comics. What does that look like? Convenient he just left all social media this morning.
 
I don't have sources/links at the moment, but Zaslav's contract stipulates that he would remain in a co-CEO role through '28 or '29 if a buyout were to happen. So unless he resigns, he's not going anywhere for a while no matter what happens. In that vein, Gunn won't be going anywhere either.

This morning, a fan sent Gunn a message (probably on Threads) that said "James, tell me everything will be alright". Gunn replied with "everything is more than alright." We have to remember, DC Studios is its own entity under the WB umbrella but Gunn and Safran are co-CEO's of it. In layman's terms, WB doesn't make the new DC films - WB distributes them. DC Studios have their own budgets and system. I'm not sure of the logistics of forcing them out when they aren't just creatives working on IP, I'm sure those contracts are pretty solid. Even if Netflix wanted Snyder to return, Gunn and Safran would have to hire him.

Additionally, and also very important - Netflix has already canceled all upcoming Snyder projects. They discovered his fan base isn't as large as they thought it was, and they were bleeding money. Snyder is all but finished at Netflix, and that's before you even get into whether any of those old actors would even want to try it again (Affleck already said he wouldn't want to play Batman again).

As for DC comics, we should be more worried about the future of cinema and Hollywood motion pictures. A streaming service owning one of the oldest, proudest, and industry-leading studios is a fucking nightmare for an entertainment system that is on life support as it is. Mark Millar taking over DC? Who gives a crap about cape-shit when the future of movies is on the verge of collapse. Amazon and Netflix both own major studios now...that's a bad thing. DC will survive, one way or another, because it's an easy farm for media and merchandise.
 
BBTS also has the Blackfire, Red Tornado, and Digital Purple Batgirl figures up for pre order now. I finally grabbed a Purple Batgirl.
 
TheRealSmallville said:
I don't have sources/links at the moment, but Zaslav's contract stipulates that he would remain in a co-CEO role through '28 or '29 if a buyout were to happen. So unless he resigns, he's not going anywhere for a while no matter what happens. In that vein, Gunn won't be going anywhere either.

This morning, a fan sent Gunn a message (probably on Threads) that said "James, tell me everything will be alright". Gunn replied with "everything is more than alright." We have to remember, DC Studios is its own entity under the WB umbrella but Gunn and Safran are co-CEO's of it. In layman's terms, WB doesn't make the new DC films - WB distributes them. DC Studios have their own budgets and system. I'm not sure of the logistics of forcing them out when they aren't just creatives working on IP, I'm sure those contracts are pretty solid. Even if Netflix wanted Snyder to return, Gunn and Safran would have to hire him.

Additionally, and also very important - Netflix has already canceled all upcoming Snyder projects. They discovered his fan base isn't as large as they thought it was, and they were bleeding money. Snyder is all but finished at Netflix, and that's before you even get into whether any of those old actors would even want to try it again (Affleck already said he wouldn't want to play Batman again).

As for DC comics, we should be more worried about the future of cinema and Hollywood motion pictures. A streaming service owning one of the oldest, proudest, and industry-leading studios is a fucking nightmare for an entertainment system that is on life support as it is. Mark Millar taking over DC? Who gives a crap about cape-shit when the future of movies is on the verge of collapse. Amazon and Netflix both own major studios now...that's a bad thing. DC will survive, one way or another, because it's an easy farm for media and merchandise.
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I get it. Movie theaters are vital. They need to not only survive, but flourish. Netflix taking over a major studio like this is disconcerting to say the least.

But the end of printed, published comic book content is much more concerning to me on a personal level. In the big scheme of things, there’s relatively little money to be made when compared to movies. But the comics are seminal. It’s the laboratory where the mad scientists experiment. The very thought of shutting down DC Comics and farming it out makes me a little nauseous. DC will survive but in what form? It all comes from the comics. Movies, TV, animation, games, action figures, and everything else. To make it all digital is also unacceptable.

But perhaps worse would be to put Mark Millar in charge. Or even as Chief Creative Officer. He’s without a close second, the most shameless self promoter in the history of comics. Putting him in charge of DC would be the equivalent of the wolf in charge of the sheep.
 
It's all wait and see at this point. My two cents on a couple of issues:

I desperately hope Gunn's plans are allowed to move forward. DC movies need to get off the ground already. Another reboot is the absolute last thing I want.

I don't know enough billion dollar multi media inside baseball to know whether my favorite franchises being owned by one billion dollar multi media corporation is any better than being owned by another. I vainly wish that Lucas still owned Star Wars (for better or worse) and that Marvel and DC were its own thing.

I wonder if this affects Todd and his final year with the DC license in any way.....
 
PantherCult said:
I mean... people raised these same fears when Disney took over Marvel, but Marvel Comics hasn't gone anywhere... so maybe DC Comics will be fine in the same way.
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As others have said, Netflix at its core, is a streaming company. They will by nature be inclined to put everything on a digital platform in some capacity. All so that the algorithm can dictate the next move. Disney wasn’t like that back when they bought Marvel. Maybe they are today. Or at least heading that direction.

And with the advances in AI, I see the algorithm only getting stronger.

I don’t want digital comics. Ever.
 
What I read is that all existing contracts must be maintained. Any breach of existing contract would put the transaction at risk. So Netflix will be honoring all contracts and plans with Gunn, McFarlane/Mattel, comic distributors, etc, etc....
 
They also shouldn't have a say in any contract or operation of Warner Bros until the transaction is fully approved and final. Employees from the two companies in similar departments are usually not even legally allowed to speak to one another/collaborate until a year from now.

Netflix sent an email last night announcing Warner Bros addition to its family - in a year.
 
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