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DC is still looking for its own Kevin Feige - with Dan Lin out, who might get the job now?
Welcome to the Crisis on Infinite... Producer Options.
It appears the Justice League is still looking for a leader. In recent days, Warner Bros. Discovery appeared to be nearing a screen deal that would’ve handed DC’s creative reins to hitmaking super-producer Dan Lin. But talks between Lin and the company have reportedly halted, leaving DC still on the hunt for a studio head to oversee its stable of comic book heroes in similar fashion to how Kevin Feige guides comics-based screen projects at Marvel.
CNBC reports that negotiations have ended with no agreement for Lin to assume the leadership role for Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Comics film unit. “After discussing a potential offer from Warner Bros., Lin has decided to stay at Rideback, the film and television company he founded and runs,” CNBC states, citing anonymous sources reportedly close to the stalled talks.
Lin brought an extensive producing pedigree that initially set him in DC’s sights, with film credits that include The Lego Movie series, the Sherlock Holmes franchise, IT, and Disney’s live-action Aladdin remake. That’s a creative résumé few can match, which leaves us wondering which other possible contenders might yet be available if DC decides to come calling.
Keeping in mind that we’re just doing the boss-level equivalent of dream casting, here’s a short list of producers/directors who’ve already honed their craft in the DC universe — though there’s no way to truly know where the studio will turn its eye next.
Greg Berlanti
This one might seem like a no-brainer to Arrowverse fans, but DC’s small-screen mastermind has a diverse portfolio that extends way beyond the comics. In addition to Arrow, The Flash, Superman & Lois and the whole pantheon of DC heroes who’ve graced The CW’s Crisis crossover event series, Greg Berlanti’s producing past also packs in non-comics hits like Dawson’s Creek, Everwood, and, more recently, Netflix’s You. On the movie side of things, Berlanti’s producing history dates back more than two decades, with Free Guy and this year’s Moonshot only the most recent entries.
Jaume Collet-Serra
After getting his 1990s start in advertising and music videos, Jaume Collet-Serra has progressively stepped up to higher-profile projects, leading all the way to the director’s chair for next month’s long-awaited Shazam! spinoff Black Adam. It’s not the first time he’s teamed with Black Adam star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; the two also joined forces for Disney on last year’s Jungle Cruise (which, via THR, will reportedly return the duo for an upcoming sequel). Along the way, Collet-Serra’s built plenty of buzz across genres, from 2005’s horror slasher House of Wax to 2016 shark thriller The Shallows. With Black Adam introducing a whole new superhero team, and featuring superstar The Rock, it stands to reason the studio could be keen to lean into the future there.
Matt Reeves
The director of The Batman has already signaled he’s game to branch deeper into DC territory. So why not envision Matt Reeves in charge of more than just the Bat-verse? On top of boarding a sequel to The Batman, Reeves is also executive producing upcoming HBO spinoff series The Penguin, as well as animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which is currently seeking a new home after HBO Max recently dropped the project from its planned lineup. But Reeves definitely has range: The frequent J.J. Abrams collaborator directed the original 2008 Cloverfield, as well as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).
David F. Sandberg
Consider this one our choice for an up-and-coming DC dark horse. David F. Sandberg only has a handful of film directing credits to his name, but they’ve all been Warner Bros. releases, and the momentum seems to be peaking. Two of them — the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods, as well as the first Shazam! film that lit up the 2019 box office — have been comics-based DC movies, while Sandberg also took on James Wan’s The Conjuring horror-verse with 2017’s Annabelle: Creation. Together with his 2016 directing debut Lights Out (also a Wan collaboration), Sandberg’s repertoire may be small…but he’s definitely shown a gift for both scares and laughs in equal measure.
Zack Snyder
We know, we know: Zack Snyder’s the kind of DC creative mind that fans love to either love or…not love. But the director’s-cut Justice League director brings a signature and uncompromising style to his material, and no one can accuse him of a lack of vision. When it comes to wearing every hat within a studio system, Snyder’s arguably the most well-rounded name on this list, with a career that spans writing (300, Sucker Punch), directing (Watchmen, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), producing (Wonder Woman), executive producing (Aquaman, The Suicide Squad), and sometimes even all four (Netflix's Army of the Dead). A DC movie-verse with Snyder at the wheel admittedly wouldn’t please everyone. But he’s a known quantity within the Hall of Justice, he’s experienced in every phase of the game, and he’d almost certainly keep DC buzzing near the top of the entertainment headlines with every new project that bears his name.
Looking for some action and adventure? Peacock has a slew of titles to get your heart rate up, including The Fast and the Furious, Ambulance, and Flashpoint.
