CMH1981 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 I despised her in the animated series -- the voice, mostly, and the fact that Joker shouldn't need a sidekick -- and objected to her leap into the comic book canon. Wow, I think this is the first time I ever heard of someone not enjoying the DCAU version of Harley. I loved her voice in the animated series, especially in her background episode Mad Love where we got the serious voice and the off the hinge voice. I agree, the Joker shouldn't need a sidekick, but in the end he just tolerates her and sees her as expendable, nothing more than some other goon he has hired. She sees herself originally as the girlfriend/moll to him, but she has her moments of clarity as well when she sees him as what he is. It's a sick relationship she has in regards to him. 2 Link to comment
Kromm July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 I don't know much about the Harley character other than the very basics. I despised her in the animated series -- the voice, mostly, and the fact that Joker shouldn't need a sidekick -- and objected to her leap into the comic book canon. But your explanation about her possible gymnast background makes sense of the scene in the trailer. And based on what i saw, I would agree with the rest of the speculation.The reason she worked in the animated show isn't because she's Joker's sidekick though, but because it's kind of a display of an abusive relationship (and I suppose we need to know if you like the animated show overall, as weird as it seems to think there are BTAS haters out there...). I mean think of the mass media portrayals of Joker before that. On the 60s TV show he was just kind of wacky oh-hah-hah piece of fluff. In the Burton movies he was dangerous, sure, but was arguably also pretty straight up in his villainy (and had a few sidekicks there too arguably). BTAS was a great Joker because it balanced out the stuff we'd seen before--it took him a bit more into dangerous territory but since it was a kid's show it was more imagined than seen. But the Harley story kind of IMPLIED it stronger than most. If we couldn't get to see Joker murder people, at the very least we had an idea how crappy a person he was from how even his ally got treated. 3 Link to comment
millennium July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 The reason she worked in the animated show isn't because she's Joker's sidekick though, but because it's kind of a display of an abusive relationship (and I suppose we need to know if you like the animated show overall, as weird as it seems to think there are BTAS haters out there...). I mean think of the mass media portrayals of Joker before that. On the 60s TV show he was just kind of wacky oh-hah-hah piece of fluff. In the Burton movies he was dangerous, sure, but was arguably also pretty straight up in his villainy (and had a few sidekicks there too arguably). BTAS was a great Joker because it balanced out the stuff we'd seen before--it took him a bit more into dangerous territory but since it was a kid's show it was more imagined than seen. But the Harley story kind of IMPLIED it stronger than most. If we couldn't get to see Joker murder people, at the very least we had an idea how crappy a person he was from how even his ally got treated. Haters of the animated series? Really? lol. I liked the animated series. Kevin Conroy's Batman voice became as iconic as Adam West's and Mark Hamill's Joker was incredible. Batgirl was portrayed very respectfully. I haven't seen all the episodes but what I did see I appreciated. I liked Batman Beyond too. Especially the Batman Beyond Joker movie. Link to comment
CMH1981 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 (edited) You have seen or read Mad Love though, right? To me that story explains everything that is the character and why she is infatuated w/ the Joker as well as able to see him for what he is, which makes her an anti-hero at time. She knows when the Joker is going to far and tries to stop him, but also participates and enjoys the revelries. To bring it back to the topic at hand, that's why I hope they go w/the Mad Love background for the DCU version of the character. Edited July 17, 2015 by CMH1981 Link to comment
Zuleikha July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 Can someone explain to me why Suicide Squad is a thing? It doesn't appeal to me in the least. Supervillains aren't people to root for. They're supposed to be reprehensible, unlikeable characters. Not all of the members of the Suicide Squad are straight up villains. As people have talked about, in Harley's life, she's as much a victim as a perpetrator. I'm not super familiar with the other members, but Enchantress and Katana are both sort of battling possession to use their powers and Deadshot is more amoral than actively evil. So they're dangerous and can do villainous things, but they don't enjoy doing villainy. Killer Croc could be played as straight up villain or the movie could play up the tragedy of his having a progressive disease that is slowly robbing him of his humanity... just depends on what they want to do with him (I would guess the latter on the basis that I don't think Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje would have taken the part if it were the former, but that's a total guess). There's also Amanda Waller, and I expect that part of the tension in the movie will come from the question of whether Waller can keep the Squad under control or not. So we'll have an unquestionably on-the-side-of-good person to root for, probably an unquestionably on-the-side-of-bad person to root against in the Joker, and a mix of moralities in the squad members themselves. Link to comment
millennium July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 I'm guessing you're not familiar with the character and her various incarnations? From the animated series and glimpses of her in the Arkham X-Box games. There's also Amanda Waller, and I expect that part of the tension in the movie will come from the question of whether Waller can keep the Squad under control or not. So we'll have an unquestionably on-the-side-of-good person to root for, probably an unquestionably on-the-side-of-bad person to root against in the Joker, and a mix of moralities in the squad members themselves. Waller is a character created after my steady immersion in the world of comic books came to an end. I know of her only from the Arrow TV series. She and the Suicide Squad are the weakest element of the Arrow series, IMHO. You have seen or read Mad Love though, right? To me that story explains everything that is the character and why she is infatuated w/ the Joker as well as able to see him for what he is, which makes her an anti-hero at time. She knows when the Joker is going to far and tries to stop him, but also participates and enjoys the revelries. To bring it back to the topic at hand, that's why I hope they go w/the Mad Love background for the DCU version of the character. Well, no. Given my disdain for the character from the start, I would be disinclined to read anything in which she features prominently. Link to comment
Kromm July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 From the animated series and glimpses of her in the Arkham X-Box games. Waller is a character created after my steady immersion in the world of comic books came to an end. I know of her only from the Arrow TV series. She and the Suicide Squad are the weakest element of the Arrow series, IMHO. Well, no. Given my disdain for the character from the start, I would be disinclined to read anything in which she features prominently. That's because Waller is badly done on Arrow. Done properly (as she was in the best actual comic books with her) Waller is one of the best characters DC ever created. Actually Waller was in the DCAU too. Justice League Unlimited (she was in a TON of that, and pretty well done) and Batman Beyond both, if I recall correctly. 1 Link to comment
CMH1981 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 (edited) Oh, you have to read the graphic novel Mad Love (based in the BTAS universe) then watch the animated version of it. You might change your mind about the character. The graphic novel was highly regarded when it came out, and the animated take on it ranks as one of the top episodes of the series. Sorry, I don't want to seem like i'm beating you over the head or anything, lol. Actually Waller was in the DCAU too. Justice League Unlimited (she was in a TON of that, and pretty well done) and Batman Beyond both, if I recall correctly. Yeah, Waller was in the first season of JLU from the DCAU, and she was voiced by the great CCH Pounder. That's the voice I think of when I read that character in the comics, just like Conroy w/ Batman and Hamill w/ Joker. She was totally badass, and went toe to toe w/ Batman. To me the original DCAU is what the movies will strive, but never reach. Edited July 17, 2015 by CMH1981 2 Link to comment
Kromm July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 The lesson here? People shouldn't take Arrow as all that authentic. Any more than they did Smallville. Both shows played pretty fast and loose. In fact a lot of their mistakes/attitude were absorbed into DCs often ridiculous "New 52" comic books, to it's detriment. But the DCAU almost always had good versions of things, the pre-52 comics of course was a mixed bag, but Waller and Suicide Squad (also: The Secret Six) had good runs there, although the TV-verse has gotten a bit better since they expanded past just Arrow and the comics hopefully are on the upswing after years of kind of sucking. The movies? Well... frankly a lot of what's in them seems to be based on a mish-mash of ideas, so we're right to be wary. Link to comment
Trini July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 (edited) Yes, please do not judge Waller only by her appearances on Arrow. (It's probably the worst/least authentic version of her.) Edited July 17, 2015 by Trini 1 Link to comment
Kromm July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 (edited) Waller in her best versions is kind of the ultimate DC badass, because she doesn't have a single superpower, she's fat (so at a physical disadvantage--and that also means that unlike some versions she can't use sex appeal either), nobody really trusts her, she's a civil servant (ergo badly paid), and yet she's one of the most influential people in the world. And of course she's a double minority too (female AND black) but that doesn't seem to handicap people in the various DCUs as much as it does in the real world. She tells people what to do and they listen. Even if, as this version says, it's against their own best self-interest. Of course potential huge spoiler, since what's true in the comics here might also be in this movie... she does stuff like put bombs in their brain to help her out. Edited July 17, 2015 by Kromm 1 Link to comment
millennium July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 (edited) Oh, you have to read the graphic novel Mad Love (based in the BTAS universe) then watch the animated version of it. You might change your mind about the character. The graphic novel was highly regarded when it came out, and the animated take on it ranks as one of the top episodes of the series. Sorry, I don't want to seem like i'm beating you over the head or anything, lol. Yeah, Waller was in the first season of JLU from the DCAU, and she was voiced by the great CCH Pounder. That's the voice I think of when I read that character in the comics, just like Conroy w/ Batman and Hamill w/ Joker. She was totally badass, and went toe to toe w/ Batman. To me the original DCAU is what the movies will strive, but never reach. Funny, because Pounder is who I envision when I think of Amanda Waller despite that I never saw Pounder's incarnation. I just know Pounder as a hardass from other shows. I'll try Mad Love. I've been meaning to catch up on graphic novels. The lesson here? People shouldn't take Arrow as all that authentic. Oh, I don't. Season 3's shameless Batman ripoff disabused me of all illusions of creativity, originality, authenticity -- you know, the only -ity's that matter. Edited July 17, 2015 by millennium Link to comment
ribboninthesky1 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 I don't hate the character, but I've never found Harley interesting. And yes, I've seen Mad Love. In a list of female villains/anti-heroes, Harley Quinn is at the bottom for me. I've never understood the appeal. But then, I've never found the Joker all that interesting, either. Link to comment
CMH1981 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 Waller in her best versions is kind of the ultimate DC badass, because she doesn't have a single superpower, she's fat (so at a physical disadvantage--and that also means that unlike some versions she can't use sex appeal either), nobody really trusts her, she's a civil servant (ergo badly paid), and yet she's one of the most influential people in the world. And of course she's a double minority too (female AND black) but that doesn't seem to handicap people in the various DCUs as much as it does in the real world. She was fat, if I recall they have made her slim/svelte for their reboot in the comics (unless that has changed as well), which has carried over to the live-action realm as well. Link to comment
Kromm July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 (edited) I wasn't asking if she was fat. I know she was. Now I believe she isn't anywhere. Which is a shame. Un-fatting her (if that's a word) hurts the character, because Waller's core strength as an amazing character was how totally unlikely she was. The more surface disadvantages she seemed to have, the better the character plays. Edited July 17, 2015 by Kromm 1 Link to comment
CMH1981 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 I totally agree, changing the physical characteristics of that character was almost along the lines of de-crippling Batgirl. 1 Link to comment
Bruinsfan July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 (edited) I can only hope that they offered the live action role to CCH Pounder and she turned them down for whatever reason. No knock against Viola Davis, who's an excellent actor in her own right, but Pounder is the woman BORN to play Amanda Waller. Edited July 17, 2015 by Bruinsfan 3 Link to comment
CMH1981 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 I would hope they would have, but I read the main women they were looking at were Viola Davis and Oprah, lol. I think it was more about name recognition than actual gravitas/acting chops to pull off the role. They would have probably stuck w/ Angela Bassett, who I think could pull off the role but that script was utter shit and didn't understand the character of Waller at all, but they kinda want to forget the Green Lantern film ever happened. Link to comment
ribboninthesky1 July 17, 2015 Share July 17, 2015 Heh, I totally forgot about Green Lantern, and Bassett's Waller, so I guess mission accomplished? Link to comment
MarkHB July 29, 2015 Author Share July 29, 2015 The Wrap is reporting that Chris Pine has closed on the deal to play.... Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman's frequent love interest (depending on the particular story being told). Pine joins the DC Movie Universe in a multi-picture deal that includes sequel options, according to insiders.... Steve Trevor will be no mere love interest for Gadot’s Diana Prince, as there will be plenty of action to keep him busy, though plot details remain under wraps. 2 Link to comment
millennium July 30, 2015 Share July 30, 2015 The Wrap is reporting that Chris Pine has closed on the deal to play.... Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman's frequent love interest (depending on the particular story being told). Hmm. Unfortunately, I think Chris Pine is already typecast as Captain Kirk. Link to comment
MarkHB July 30, 2015 Author Share July 30, 2015 We'll see (and really, the types aren't all that dissimilar). :) Meanwhile, also from the never-ending fountain of info that is this Empire Magazine article, comes this little tidbit via comicbook.com: ...Deborah Snyder, along with Roven, is watching over a sandbox that stretches around the world. Jenkins is in London prepping Wonder Woman, which will shoot there this autumn.... They are already doing soft prep for the Justice League, which will begin shooting in the spring, and overseeing the script for Aquaman, which James Wan will direct. I notice there is no word on where Justice League will be shot; my understanding is that the Michigan state government has drastically reduced their film incentives program, so who knows what of the BvS sets and locations will be affordable. 1 Link to comment
MarkHB August 10, 2015 Author Share August 10, 2015 I've since heard that Justice League Part One will be shooting in Toronto. Also, Visual Effects Supervisor Bill Westenhofer, who with his team has won Academy Awards for The Golden Compass and Life of Pi, has been booked to work on Wonder Woman. 2 Link to comment
Rick Kitchen August 14, 2015 Share August 14, 2015 NBC is working on a comedy series called "Powerless", in which ordinary people have to deal with life in a city populated by DC superheroes and villains. Link to comment
millennium August 15, 2015 Share August 15, 2015 Ugh. The Agents of SHIELD approach, where all the interesting characters in the universe are somewhere else. No thanks. 1 Link to comment
MarkHB August 15, 2015 Author Share August 15, 2015 We actually now have the beginnings of a thread for Powerless in the DC TV Universe forum. Link to comment
benteen August 15, 2015 Share August 15, 2015 NBC is working on a comedy series called "Powerless", in which ordinary people have to deal with life in a city populated by DC superheroes and villains. I seem to remember a Marvel mini-series called Powerless but it was an AU where the Marvel characters didn't have any powers. Link to comment
Rick Kitchen August 23, 2015 Share August 23, 2015 The CW has announced "Legends of Tomorrow", starring Falk Hentschel as Hawkman. Hawkman will first appear on episodes of "Arrow" and "The Flash" before the show settles in. Other characters on the show include Victor Garber as Firestorm, Wentworth Miller as Captain Cold (and, interestingly, Dominic Purcell as Heat Wave), Brandon Routh as The Atom, Arthur Darville as Rip Hunter, and the characters of Hawkgirl, White Canary, and Vandal Savage. Link to comment
MarkHB August 23, 2015 Author Share August 23, 2015 "Legends of Tomorrow" has a forum of its own here. It should be noted that this thread is specifically for the DC Movies, which they are calling their Extended Universe in the same way Marvel refers to their Cinematic Universe, but in DC's case the films and TV shows do not connect. Please, let's keep discussion of the TV shows to the appropriate forums in the TV section of the site unless they directly connect to the films. Link to comment
MarkHB September 2, 2015 Author Share September 2, 2015 More Wonder Woman movie news dropping: Hoyte Van Hoytema (Interstellar, Spectre) will reportedly be the cinematographer There are reports that some filming will take place in the Basilicata region of Italy Apparently the codename for the filming will be "Nightingale" Link to comment
MarkHB September 9, 2015 Author Share September 9, 2015 Wonder Woman update: Hoyte van Hoytema has said he's not involved in the movie at all. However, Deborah Snyder said at a recent panel that the movie will start filming in November (link includes video of her). Link to comment
MarkHB September 9, 2015 Author Share September 9, 2015 Zack Snyder has a new interview with Yahoo! talking about the DCEU. He's apparently participating in the Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" campaign this year, with a twist. The winner gets a million dollars, a trip to the Super Bowl... In addition, the lucky (and very talented) filmmaker who created [the winning ad] will get to work with Snyder on the set of an upcoming Warner Bros. and DC superhero movie. Given that Batman v Superman will essentially be done by the time Super Bowl 50 hits, that would seem to mean Snyder's next DCEU project: Justice League. 1 Link to comment
VCRTracking September 9, 2015 Share September 9, 2015 (edited) Aren't the Doritos ads mostly funny? I thought DC were supposed to be "no jokes" ;-). Edited September 9, 2015 by VCRTracking Link to comment
Bruinsfan September 10, 2015 Share September 10, 2015 Maybe they'll have Superman literally crash the Superbowl and strew incinerated spectators all over the field to advertise a new, gritty ghost pepper flavor of Doritos. 4 Link to comment
Eegah September 12, 2015 Share September 12, 2015 Snyder also made a giant ass of himself by calling the MCU a flash in the pan next to the enduring legends of Superman and Batman. Yeah, that must be why they were utterly schooling DC for five years until those guys finally got off their asses and screwed everything up with their own try. 1 Link to comment
Bruinsfan September 12, 2015 Share September 12, 2015 Well, from a cultural icon perspective he is correct that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are more ingrained into the public consciousness than even Spider-Man, let alone the Avengers and Ant Man, and they've been around a couple of decades longer than all the Marvel cinematic heroes except Captain America. But continued popularity since the early 1960s is nothing to sneeze at, and the MCU movies are significantly outperforming the grim and serious DCU ones. Link to comment
MarkHB October 5, 2015 Author Share October 5, 2015 The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Seth Grahame-Smith, author of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" as well as the Lego Batman movie, and director of a couple of TV episodes, is in talks to write and direct The Flash movie, possibly following the treatment by Lord & Miller who left to make the Han Solo solo film. The film is still planned to star Ezra Miller and be released March 3, 2018. Link to comment
Bruinsfan October 6, 2015 Share October 6, 2015 At this point I don't think I'd be surprised to find out that Warner Bros. is courting Uwe Boll to direct DC movies. Link to comment
MarkHB October 8, 2015 Author Share October 8, 2015 One project that has been wafting about for a while is Justice League Dark, aka Dark Universe, which is intended to focus on the supernatural side of the DCU. Guillermo del Toro was attached to it for a long time as director, and was seen as a champion of the film, but he left when WB insisted that it shoot on a schedule that would have conflicted with Pacific Rim 2 (which has since been dropped by Universal). Now, it's coming around again, with Scott Rudin overseeing things, and it is apparently seen as a priority by Warner Bros. While the film’s plot has generally been kept under lock and key, we’re hearing that it involves a series of ancient tomes stolen by a madman hellbent on the destruction of humanity. When he learns of this, occult detective John Constantine seeks out a group of heroes that specialize in the mystic and arcane in order to save the world. Though the film’s heroes have not yet been announced, save for Constantine, Del Toro had mentioned that Swamp Thing, Deadman, Zatanna, and Etrigan The Demon will likely make up the team. The article also mentions that the film will "separately co-exist" with the main DCU film series, with crossover potential for the characters downstream. My own speculation is that, should she survive Suicide Squad, Enchantress might be asked to join in as well given Cara Delevingne's current "it-girl" status. Link to comment
MarkHB October 28, 2015 Author Share October 28, 2015 Chris Pine has confirmed his casting (as Steve Trevor) in Wonder Woman. The French original is at Premiere.fr; the translation by Batman-News.com reads: “I do not really know what I’m allowed to tell you”, told us Chris. “I’m super excited, of course, Gal Gadot is super talented, Patty Jenkins will direct, and we will shoot in film … What excites me most is to work in a movie with a superhero woman. With a woman in the lead role. I am teamed with this intelligent, beautiful and strong woman to defeat the villains and save humanity.” The most-recent rumor is that filming will begin in London next month. 1 Link to comment
MarkHB November 5, 2015 Author Share November 5, 2015 Collider has an interview with Charles Roven talking about the DCEU. Rover is a producer on the DCEU films and President of Atlas Entertainment. As one of the key producers involved in bringing these massive superhero properties to life, Steve took the opportunity to ask Roven if the Warner Bros. DC Cinematic Universe Brain Trust is indeed made up of himself, Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, and DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns: “I think also very much involved in that brain trust is John Berg, who is the executive vice president at Warner Bros. I would say the Snyders, myself, John Berg, and Geoff Johns would be sort of that Brain Trust… I’m working with great people. They’re all really great people. And not that we don’t—there are many times we agree, and there’s many times we don’t agree [and] we work it out.” Link to comment
Bruinsfan November 8, 2015 Share November 8, 2015 Man, it must chap Hal Jordan fanboy Johns' ass that the Green Lantern movie was the one that bombed and has now replaced Daredevil as the comics movie trainwreck in the public consciousness. Link to comment
MarkHB November 12, 2015 Author Share November 12, 2015 Gal Gadot is in London; production on Wonder Woman is starting there this month. Monday, Geoff Johns (who subsequently Tweeted that he is also in England) tweeted this: @PattyJenks It's THE DAY! @PattyJenks is Patty Jenkins, the filn's director. 1 Link to comment
MarkHB November 14, 2015 Author Share November 14, 2015 Ladies and gentlemen, I present Steve Trevor! 1 Link to comment
VCRTracking November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 Didn't expect a WWII period piece, or maybe they intercut to the present day? Link to comment
stealinghome November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 That hair on Chris Pine though...ick. Link to comment
GHScorpiosRule November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 Ladies and gentlemen, I present Steve Trevor! UGH. Link to comment
MarkHB November 14, 2015 Author Share November 14, 2015 Didn't expect a WWII period piece, or maybe they intercut to the present day? I've heard rumors that it will hit 3 different time periods, but all they are are rumors. Link to comment
Ariah November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 Well, having WW's romance in the WWII period makes her conveniently free to romance Batman and Superman... Oh boy, do I hate this or do I hate this? Link to comment
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