In the age of superhero movies, the rivalry between DC Films and Marvel Studios is nothing short of legendary. Superhero movies now rule the Hollywood roster. Every major player of Hollywood wants a piece of that sweet pie. Seldom does one get to be a part of it apart from a chosen few. And those who do are then become the next best commodity the H-Town can offer. Think about it. No one knew Robert Downey Jr. or Henry Cavill or Gal Gadot or Chris Evans. But after DCEU and MCU got into the arena, everyone was aware of their names. The magic of capes and shields is so potent that one can become an overnight star.
Same goes for the directors. Joss Whedon, Zack Snyder and the others who helped guide the MCU and DCEU to success are household names now. Before they entered the superhero genre, no one cared about the feathers they had on their caps. Now everyone will know who Snyder is or why is Joss Whedon so famous. The magic is not just limited to the actors. Everyone that is touched by it becomes golden.
It is definitely old news when we say that the DC Extended Universe is less successful than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Marvel is criticized for its generic baby formula based superhero movies that are considered run-of-the-mill, the DC Extended Universe focuses more on creativity and realism that reflects the actual world in more than one ways. But it would be foolish to say it is reason enough for the DCEU to be ahead of the MCU. Economically, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most profitable franchise in the whole world. The DCEU never even comes close.
So when a prominent director says he would prefer directing DC Movies over Marvel movies, it does raise several eyebrows and a lot of questions.
The Director in question is Matthew Vaughn – Director of X-Men: First Class. He also directed Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Why is a director as successful as Matthew Vaughn want to get into the muddied waters of the DC Extended Universe?
In an interview with IGN UK Podcast, Vaughn states:
“I do love the world of DC, and I’ve been talking to them at the moment about a few things.”
Wait! what?!?! The Matthew Vaughn wants to direct a DC movie. Isn’t that a little below his pay-grade? You must be thinking he has gone crazy. But Vaughn is a director as seasoned as they come. He has legitimate reasons for his whacky statements.
Vaughn Explains there will be extremely less pressure on a director leading a DC movie since the franchise is a bit lagging on the economic scenario and the studios do not enforce a set piece of vision and boundaries for the director to follow like the Directors at Marvel Studios are forced to. It is easier to be a DC director than a Marvel one. His words, not ours.
“It’s more fun getting involved with franchises when they’re on the down, because then it’s easier to make a good film,” Vaughn said. “So if I got involved with a few of the superhero films out there that have been disappointing, it’s going to be… if I do OK, it’ll probably be better.”
The British Director once offered his services to 20th Century Fox to direct the X-Men movie – X-men: The Last Stand before abandoning the movie when he realized there will be much less creative freedom since there is an issue of maintaining continuity.
He then helped direct X-Men: First Class, which had younger versions of Professor X and Magneto in titular roles. Vaughn prefers when there is less meddling from the studios. X-Men First Class offered less interference so he opted for it.
Warner Bros. is also known for its notorious habit of meddling with the director’s vision. But after 5 movies, they are currently trying to rectify that mistake. The MCU has been going strong with a dozen movies under its belt yet it is still prone to interfering with the Director’s take on a movie for the sake of continuity. Maybe that is the reason Vaughn does not want to be a part of it.
“So when I did X-Men there was, you know, a pretty low bar — X-Men 3, no offence, was not a fantastic piece of work,” Vaughn said. “It’s much more fun saving and reinventing something — I’d be more intimidated trying to do a new Guardians [of the Galaxy], for example.”
“If I was going to do Batman, there’s no point doing the Dark Knight, because it’s been done to perfection — if I was doing Batman, I’d go ‘Christ, let’s bring out the Adam West version,'” Vaughn added. “I’m not interested in copying somebody else’s take on the genre.”
Having a low bar and expectation certainly helps a director. If the franchise is already underperforming, then even an okay-ish movie can help save it. Vaughn is saying just that. There would be less pressure on him if he took on the mantle of the DCEU’s director.
Vaughn’s next movie could be the superhero genre, says the award-winning director. He was reportedly in talks with Warner Bros. for directing Man of Steel 2. Does that mean he actually was telling the truth when he said DCEU’s movie is more preferable for him?? Food for thought!
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