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A recent report has stated DC CCO Geoff Johns is one of the two people co-helming the future of the DCEU, alongside Jon Berg. Hours after the story broke, Johns met with a group of journalists to talk about an upcoming project. According to Vulture, he could neither confirm nor deny those claims, but did say that “you can connect the dots.” Confirmation or not should be left to the thoughts of the reader, but he was ready to talk about the future of the DC brand as a whole, especially in regards to what makes the mythos unique.
He spoke about “hope and optimism” for the brand going forward, though he didn’t specifically name drop the slate of DC films or the recently released Batman v Superman. However, when talking about the prototypical superhero Superman, the writer’s assessment of the character was vastly different from the Supes we’ve seen so far in the DCEU.
“I think people make a mistake when they say, ‘Superman’s not relatable because he’s so powerful,’” he said. “I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me? He’s a farmboy from Kansas who moves to the city and just wants to do the best he can with what he’s got.’ That’s the most relatable character in the world.”
That kind of relatability, whether you agree with it or not in regards to Clark Kent, stems from an emotional connection to the characters and the narratives that structure them. After the launch of Rebirth, Johns will be taking a break from writing comics, he’s far too busy helping run the DCTV shows, being involved with the films, and whatever game projects are on the horizon. However, he has a deep seated belief in the aforementioned emotional connection to the universe, it’s something that must exist in the brand because it drives people towards it.
“There’s a lot of emotional underpinning of the characters and the stories,” he said. “It’s not that people take it for granted. They’re just not as aware of it. But when it’s not there, you really feel that emptiness.”
Whatever he decides to work on next (please be Batman Earth One Vol. 3) you can bet that connection will be at the forefront.
Images: DC
