Warner Brothers “Begged” Todd Phillips to Become DCU Head Before Hiring James Gunn

Reports from Hollywood suggest that the Warner Brothers were keen on another name to become the co-CEO of DC Studios instead of James Gunn. The name is none other than Joker director Todd Phillips.

Warner Brothers “Begged” Todd Phillips to Become DCU Head

According to the New York Post, an unnamed insider stated: “The whole town turned the job down… It was almost Todd Phillips. They begged him.” The report also suggests that no one was willing to take over the role. 

But Warner Brothers were finally able to convince Peter Safran and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn to watch over the DCU.

The studio’s desperation of recruiting Todd Phillip is quite natural. The director created a sensational film on his directorial debut. Joker is considered to be one of the masterpieces in the film genre. The plot is based on Batman’s arch nemesis Joker and how society drove him to madness.  

Todd Phillips’s Retelling the Joker Story

From cinematography and acting to storytelling, the film has gathered a lot of praise both critically and commercially. Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the clown prince of Gotham aka Joker has easily reached the top 2 of best-ever Joker on screen. The film was made on a budget of $55 to 70 million. but it ended up gathering over a billion dollars at the Box Office. 

Despite being a DC film, the plot has no connection to the DCU’s current or previous universes. It has even no connection to Pattinson’s Batman as well.

After becoming a massive hit, Warner Brothers decide to make a sequel on the DC’s biggest supervillain. The film will come out under the title of Joker: Folie à Deux on 4th October 2024 in the United States. 

Apart from Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, aka, Joker, Lady Gaga will join the cast as Dr. Harleen Quinzel. But there is no confirmation whether her Harley Quinn persona will appear or not. Zazie Beetz has officially confirmed to return for her role as Sophie Dumond. Reports have confirmed that the movie would be a musical. That aspect has made most fans excited.

Future of DCU and Backlashes

The Studio appointed Gunn and Safran on November 1. After they became the DCU heads, they decided to cancel all the films regarding DCU. Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill from Man of Steel are all fired from their roles. Ezra Miller’s Flash will probably be the last film as well. 

Only Jason Momoa has a future at DCU but he may appear as Lobo in movies. Margot Robbie will also be seen playing the DCU’s, Harley Quinn.

For such decisions, Gunn and Safran have faced a major backlash. They decided to end all the TV Universes and are in charge of DCU’s television, movies, animation, and video games. He has completely ditched the Snyderverse. Even the actors like Dwayne Johnson and Fisher have slammed Warner Bros. for making such a decision.

James Gunn’s Reply to All the Backlashes

In response to such criticisms, James Gunn has posted his defense on Instagram and has asked fans to be patient. He also expressed sadness about how he and Safran are named on social media in a disrespectful manner.

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Gunn has stated that he is making all the decisions that are best for the characters in DCU. They are looking into a “wide and wonderful future” for the DC Universe.

As James Gunn has confirmed several times, all the announcements regarding new projects will come out at the start of the next year.