Even before Marvel’s **Avengers **got together and began Hulk-smashing box office records, Warner Bros. wanted to try to do something similar with its own comic-based universe and gather the Justice League. But though the studio has already tried and failed at least once to get the gang together without taking the longer Marvel road and making individual films first, that hasn’t put the studio off the idea, setting Gangster Squad writer Will Beall the task of getting it started.
Though Beall was hired before Cap. and co started their triumphant box-office march, the studio will certainly be pressing him to deliver now they know there is gold in superhero team-ups.
Beall has become a hot property at Warners, having written Gangster Squad (set to arrive here on November 9), which won him the Lethal Weapon reboot and Logan’s Run remake, the latter of which boasts Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling as the other main talent.
But we don’t envy Beall his latest task, because putting Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern and possibly more heroes together in one movie has not been an easy task. **Mad Max **director George Miller came closest in 2007, with names like Common, Armie Hammer and Adam Brody attached. Though he got close to production, with Weta designing effects and costumes, script issues (which couldn’t be solved due to the writers strike) and tax break problems in Australia proved to be the project’s kryptonite.
With Batman still in Chris Nolan territory until after The Dark Knight Rises, Superman only just about to reboot via Man Of Steel, Green Lantern underperforming at the box office and Wonder Woman / The Flash still in separate development, this will be a much tougher job than Marvel’s considered, relatively slow burn approach to setting the stage. That Warners will one day have a Justice League film in cinemas seems certain. The issue is going to be what form it’ll take…[[Poll677]]