Weeks after Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said he was looking for a Kevin Feige-like figure to run DC at Warner Bros., producer Dan Lin is in talks to take on the role, a source with knowledge tells TheWrap. Lin would serve as DC chief, creatively overseeing the development and production of DC superhero adaptations.
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. told TheWrap that no formal offer had been out to Lin, and that reports of his status were premature. Lin is a prolific producer well-versed in diverse franchise fare, from the Robert Downey Jr. “Sherlock Holmes” films to the “LEGO Movie” franchise to Disney’s “Aladdin,” as well as New Line’s “It.” Lin is also the founder and CEO of Rideback (formerly Lin Pictures), and is producing Disney’s upcoming “Haunted Mansion” movie directed by Justin Simien.
Earlier this month, Zaslav said Warner Bros. Discovery was going to do a “reset” on the DC universe of films, enacting a 10-year plan that would be overseen by a single person the same way Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige oversees the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“It’s very similar to the structure that Alan Horn and Bob Iger put together very effectively with Kevin Feige at Disney. We think that we could build a long-term, much stronger, sustainable growth business out of DC and as part of that, we’re gonna focus on quality.”
Warner Bros. has struggled from the jump to keep up with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, soft-launching their own universe of DC films with 2013’s Superman reboot “Man of Steel” before filmmaker Zack Snyder steered an interconnected DC Cinematic Universe that struggled to coalesce for critics and audiences.
The existing DCEU reached a nadir with 2017’s “Justice League,” which was heavily reshot and panned by critics and audiences alike. There have been bright spots to be sure — 2017 also delivered the critically acclaimed “Wonder Woman,” and the Jason Momoa-fronted “Aquaman” grossed more than $1 billion in 2018 — but a new cohesive vision has yet to coalesce.
Up next for DC is Dwayne Johnson’s “Black Adam,” which hits theaters in October followed by sequels to “Shazam!” and “Aquaman” in 2023 along with the long-developing “The Flash” movie and “Blue Beetle.”
Outside that interconnected universe of characters, a sequel to the Robert Pattinson-fronted “The Batman” is in the works with Matt Reeves returning to direct and Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga are teaming up for “Joker: Folie a Deux” which is due to hit theaters in 2024.
Umberto Gonzalez contributed to this report.
The news was first reported by Deadline.
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