Warner Bros. is going through a tumultuous time thanks to its recent merger with Discovery, undergoing a number of shifts in its content strategy.
Aside from canceling a wide array of projects like Batgirl, one of the big pushes for WB is to raise its DC brand to the heights of Marvel Studios. Incumbent Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has high hopes that the studio's superhero brand will find a figure similar to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige to steer the ship, a lofty goal given that they supposedly have a ten-year plan ahead of them.
With a new search underway, this means that current head Walter Hamada may not stick around for much longer, though the DC chief will reportedly see Black Adam's cinematic release through at the very least.
A previous report indicated that Arrowverse boss Greg Berlanti was being eyed to take over from Hamada, but it now appears that Warner has found just the right person to fill that Kevin Feige-esque role.
Dan Lin in Talks For Head of DC Film & Television
Deadline reported that former Warner Bros. executive Dan Lin is being eyed as a top candidate to be DC's next head of film and television at the studio. Although no official offer has been made yet, the producer is currently in talks to take over from current DC chief Walter Hamada.
Variety affirmed that Lin has not been offered the role yet and is simply being discussed as a possible option, with there still existing obstacles that prevent a proper deal from being made at this stage. One of these potential difficulties is Lin’s production company, Rideback, having current deals with competitors to Warner Bros. like Universal Pictures and Disney.
Lin previously worked as a producer on large franchises for Warners, including the It and LEGO Movie films.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this role would involve Lin reporting directly to recently appointed CEO David Zaslav. THR reporter Borys Kit noted that this would mean Lin would effectively skip past three other heads of division (Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO/HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Television) and place control over DC in one department head should he assume this role.
While Lin was a late contender in the race to replace Hamada, he reportedly has backing from Warner Bros. advisor Alan Horn, who Lin worked under during Horn's tenure as WB president.
Why Dan Lin is Perfect as DC's Kevin Feige
Having heralded massively successful franchises already, both in a financial and critical sense, Dan Lin seems like an apt candidate to pick up the baton from Walter Hamada.
Though working on a much smaller scale than a juggernaut like the MCU, Lin's success with The LEGO Movie franchise can't be understated, crafting an enjoyable universe that understood the potential of franchises crossing over.
One of the unique aspects of Marvel Studios' chief Kevin Feige is his innate knowledge of and passion for the Marvel universe, setting him apart from other producers in the field. Luckily, Lin has that in spades with the DC universe.
Dan Lin previously worked on the shelved Justice League: Mortal project, which was originally set to be directed by Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller. Lin was clearly passionate about the self-proclaimed "ultimate project," calling it his "dream" when speaking to Collider:
"Yeah. I mean it's...I'll say it's the reason I started my company. You know, I thought that was the ultimate project. I was a fan-boy for me to work with all those characters together on a team and kind of the themes of that movie. That's my dream. It's on-hold right now as DC sorts out its strategy but as you've talked to Alan Horn and Jeff Robinov it seems like they're building to Justice League instead of going with the team movie first and doing individual movies after that."
Perhaps if Lin takes the job, he will be able to revive ideas from his unseen Justice League movie and course-correct the DC universe into greatness.
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