Batman v Superman Failures Spur Creation of New Division to Guide DC's Superhero Universe

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might technically be a hit movie, but it was a critical failure and now looks unlikely to cross the expected $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. One criticism that Warner has faced is that, unlike rivals Marvel, it doesn't have anyone overseeing its ongoing cinematic universe. This is now changing, with the creation of a new DC movie division and the appointment of two executives to run it.

According the The Hollywood Reporter, the newly-formed DC Films will focus entirely on the films in the superhero universe. Jon Berg and Geoff Johns will oversee the production and creative direction, much as Kevin Feige does at Marvel. THR states that this is intended to focus the direction of the ongoing franchise, as well as add clarity to the "murky greenlight process."

This follows news that the negative reaction to Dawn of Justice and its dramatic second-week box office slump has led Warner to consider reducing the number of films that it makes. As THR noted, the studio may largely restrict its output to their key properties--DC, Lego, and Harry Potter--at the expense of new original projects.

The next movie in the DC universe will be Suicide Squad, which opens in August. Next year will see the release of Wonder Woman, which has now wrapped production, and Zack Snyder's Justice League Part One, which is currently shooting.

This week it was reported that Warner were considering a female superhero DC team-up centred around Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. Robbie will play the character in Suicide Squad, alongside Will Smith and Jared Leto.