A media franchise , also known as a multimedia franchise , is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film , a work of literature , a television program , or a video game . Bob Iger , chief executive of the Walt Disney Company , defined the word franchise as "something that creates value across multiple businesses and across multiple territories over a long period of time.”
135-705: The DC Extended Universe ( DCEU ) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures . It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics . The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. Warner Bros. began trying to bring various DC Comics superheroes together in films in 2002, when Wolfgang Petersen
270-475: A Green Lantern , as well as Granny Goodness . Arthur Curry , a half- Atlantean assistant lighthouse keeper, sets out to lead the underwater kingdom of Atlantis against his half-brother, King Orm , who seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms against the surface world. Jason Momoa was cast as Arthur Curry / Aquaman in June 2014. By August, Will Beall and Kurt Johnstad were writing competing scripts for
405-413: A trifle overdone; it makes my stuff look like simplicity — I just love the fabulous style that he does it with. I wonder how he can keep that up as a monthly thing for X-Men ." Five years later, however, after having come to regret working on the " Wildstorm Rising " crossover story arc that ran the previous year in the books of Lee's creator-owned studio, WildStorm Productions , Windsor-Smith expressed
540-463: A " Batman Black and White " backup story for the first issue of Batman: Gotham Knights (March 2000). In 2003, he collaborated on a 12-issue run on Batman with writer Jeph Loeb . " Hush " became a sales success. That same year, Ubisoft released Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu , a side-scrolling beat 'em up video game whose titular villain was designed by Lee, a fact that served as the main draw to
675-498: A 12-issue series called Divine Right: The Adventures of Max Faraday , in which an internet slacker inadvertently manages to download the secrets of the universe, and is thrown into a wild fantasy world. Due to declining sales across the U.S. comics industry, and his view that his role as publisher and growing family demands interfered with his role as an artist, Lee left Image Comics and sold WildStorm to DC Comics in late 1998, enabling him to focus once again on art. He drew
810-477: A Boo Berry design by Lee, a Count Chocula design by Terry Dodson and a Franken-Berry design by Dave Johnson. Describing the task of designing a cartoon character, Lee explained, "Drawing simpler characters is a lot more work and harder than drawing something that's more complicated or has a lot of renderings. Every line counts and every distance between the eyes and the ears, it's all super critical." In February 2015, DC released The Multiversity : Mastermen ,
945-764: A New York comics convention, where he met editor Archie Goodwin . Goodwin invited Lee to Marvel Comics, where the aspiring artist received his first assignment by editor Carl Potts , who hired him to pencil the mid-list series Alpha Flight , seguéing from that title in 1989 to Punisher: War Journal . Lee's work on the Punisher: War Journal was inspired by artists such as Frank Miller, David Ross, Kevin Nowlan , and Whilce Portacio , as well as Japanese manga . In 1989, Lee filled in for regular illustrator Marc Silvestri on Uncanny X-Men #248 and did another guest stint on issues 256 through 258 as part of
1080-782: A Superman film. In March, Idris Elba joined the cast. He was initially hired to replace Smith as Deadshot , who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, but was later decided that Elba would play a new character so Smith could return in the future. Robbie, Kinnaman, Courtney, and Davis reprise their roles from Suicide Squad . Production began in September 2019 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Atlanta , with additional filming following in Panama , and concluded in February 2020. The Suicide Squad began its international release on July 30, 2021, in
1215-671: A better, safer life for their family, and moved to the United States when Lee was in elementary school. They lived in Warren, Ohio , and Youngstown, Ohio , before settling in St. Louis, Missouri , where Lee lived a "typical middle-class childhood". Lee attended River Bend Elementary School in Chesterfield and later St. Louis Country Day School , where he drew posters for school plays. Having had to learn English when he first came to
1350-586: A central villain of DC's Shazam franchise. The character was intended to be introduced in Shazam! , but Johnson convinced the film's production studios to divide the narrative to focus on Black Adam's origin, with Black Adam and Shazam instead set to cross paths in a future film. Adam Sztykiel was hired as screenwriter. Jaume Collet-Serra was hired as director in June 2019, with Johnson, Beau Flynn , Hiram Garcia, and Dany Garcia attached as producers. By September 2020, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani had written
1485-600: A character or fictional world becoming popular in one medium, and then expanding to others through licensing agreements , with respect to intellectual property in the franchise's characters and settings. As one author explains, "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products." The trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously; for instance,
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#17327721035151620-503: A color rather than an issue number), two each produced by the respective companies, plus a prologue and epilogue book. Wildstorm produced Deathmate Black , with Lee himself contributing to the writing. He illustrated the covers for that book, the Deathmate Tourbook and the prologue book, as well as contributing to the prologue's interior inks. WildStorm would expand its line to include other ongoing titles whose creative work
1755-563: A complete collection of the covers. Lee designed new character uniforms for the series, including those worn by Cyclops , Jean Grey , Rogue , Betsy Braddock and Storm . He also created the villain Omega Red . Lee's style of rendering the X-Men was later used for the designs the television program X-Men: The Animated Series . Actor/comedian Taran Killam , who ventured into comics writing with The Illegitimates , has cited X-Men #1 as
1890-522: A different assessment of Lee in an interview with The Comics Journal . Windsor-Smith criticized the depth of the work of artists like Lee and Rob Liefeld , and those whom they influenced (whom he referred to as "the Liefelds and the Lees"), stating: "Your Jim Lees and all this lot, their product hasn't got anything to do with them, you know? There is no emotional investment...I look at Jim Lee's work, and
2025-443: A disguise was something Lee sympathized with, as he felt that he exhibited an "American side" at school, and then his "Korean side" at home. He developed a desire to one day work in comics between the ages of nine and twelve. Though given a Korean name at birth, he chose the name Jim when he became a naturalized U.S. citizen at age 12. Lee attended Princeton University . During his junior year in 1984, Lee drew editorial cartoons for
2160-411: A film based on the female superhero team Birds of Prey was in development, with Christina Hodson signed on as screenwriter. By April 2018, Warner Bros. selected Cathy Yan as director, with Margot Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad . Robbie also acted as producer alongside Sue Kroll and Bryan Unkeless. The film is the first theatrical R-rated installment in the DCEU and has
2295-418: A four-part miniseries, it was ultimately released as a four-hour film, twice the length of the theatrical version. Snyder stated this version is intended to not affect the future of the DCEU continuity, but that it takes place in a slightly alternate universe. The new cut cost an estimated $ 70 million to complete, primarily for visual effects and additional photography. Some actors returned to their roles for
2430-485: A franchise can even be created, which ultimately leads to the creation of brand worlds. Since the creation of Disneyland in 1955, bringing fictional media franchises to life through the theme parks slowly became increasingly popular as the way to perfectly blend tourism and real-life involvement with media itself. Similar to transmedia, the concept of bringing fictional media into a non-fictional space where fans can immerse themselves in real-life versions of elements from
2565-417: A heated argument that prompted Lee to flee his house. His father pursued him and reconciled with him, expressing understanding of his commitment to his dreams. Lee says that this influenced him to refrain from ever placing the same level of pressure on his own children. Earning the reluctant blessing of his parents, Lee vowed that he would attend medical school if he did not break into the comic book industry in
2700-567: A late-2022 restructuring. Certain DCEU characters, such as Peacemaker , Amanda Waller , and Blue Beetle , will be moved to the DCU, while the second season of Peacemaker will take place in the new universe. Upon announcement of the film series, the universe was commonly called the "DC Cinematic Universe" (DCCU) by fans and the media, in keeping with the naming convention of the already established Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Keith Staskiewicz, writing for Entertainment Weekly , jokingly coined
2835-532: A main role, and serves as a reboot of the Batman film series . Cavill, Amy Adams , Diane Lane , and Laurence Fishburne reprised their Man of Steel roles, while Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman. Chris Terrio was hired to rewrite Goyer's script. Originally scheduled to be released in July 2015, the release date was changed to May 6, 2016, to give the filmmakers "time to realize fully their vision, given
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#17327721035152970-424: A modeling agency, several television shows ( Playboy's Penthouse , in 1959), and even its own television channel . Twenty-five years later, Playboy released private clubs and restaurants, movie theaters, a radio show , direct to video films, music and book publishing (including original works in addition to its anthologies of cartoons, photographs, recipes, advice, articles or fiction that had originally appeared in
3105-507: A modern context. Impressed with Goyer's concept, Nolan pitched the idea to the studio, who hired Nolan to produce and Goyer to write based on the financial and critical success of The Dark Knight (2008). In October 2010, Zack Snyder was hired to direct the film, and Henry Cavill was cast as Clark Kent / Superman in January 2011. Principal photography began in August 2011. Man of Steel
3240-630: A nationwide concert tour, an American Idol book that made the bestseller list and the film From Justin to Kelly . A transmedia franchise however is often referred to by the simpler term "media franchise". The term media franchise is often used to describe the popular adaptation of a work into films, like the popular Twilight book series that was adapted into the five films of The Twilight Saga . Other neologisms exist to describe various franchise types including metaseries , which can be used to describe works such as Isaac Asimov 's Foundation series . Multimedia franchises usually develop through
3375-512: A new company named Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) with David Zaslav as CEO. Zaslav sought to overhaul the DCEU, and began searching for a creative leader akin to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to lead DC's film and television projects. James Gunn and Peter Safran were subsequently announced as the co-chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios, the successor to DC Films. In 2023, the duo unveiled their slate of ten DC projects which were to be part of
3510-561: A new draft of the script. Filming began in April 2021 and wrapped that July. Black Adam was released in the United States on October 21, 2022. The film features the Justice Society of America , consisting of Aldis Hodge as Hawkman , Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher , Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone , and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate . Reprising their roles from previous DCEU media are Davis as Amanda Waller, Djimon Hounsou as
3645-568: A pocket for the Overstreet Price Guide , and an anti-theft zipper lock. In addition to the Batman artwork by Lee that adorns both backpacks, the collectors version features batarang zipper pulls. In late February 2020, following the departure of Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, Lee became the sole Publisher of DC Comics. The following month, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic , Lee began a 60-day series of daily sketches, auctioning off
3780-409: A post-credits scene. The divisive reaction to the theatrical cut of Justice League , with Snyder leaving directorial duties and the final cut of the film in the hands of Whedon, led to a fan-driven campaign for a "Snyder Cut" of the film. Arguments were made that Snyder's vision would be more cohesive to the previous films. In March 2019, Snyder confirmed his original cut does exist, and stated that it
3915-784: A powerful threat, in exchange for clemency. In February 2009, prior to the development of the DCEU, Warner Bros. was developing a Suicide Squad film, with Dan Lin producing and Justin Marks writing the script. Warner Bros. announced Suicide Squad in October 2014, with David Ayer as director, also serving as screenwriter. The main cast included Will Smith , Margot Robbie , Jared Leto , Jai Courtney , Jay Hernandez , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje , Karen Fukuhara , Cara Delevingne , Viola Davis , and Joel Kinnaman . Principal photography took place from April to August 2015 in Toronto . Suicide Squad
4050-483: A project about the superhero Shazam , formerly known as Captain Marvel. Johnson was revealed to be portraying the antihero Black Adam , Shazam's nemesis in the film, with Darren Lemke set to write the script in September. In October, Warner Bros. announced Shazam as a film in its upcoming slate. By January 2017, Henry Gayden was working on the script. In July, David F. Sandberg was hired to direct Shazam! . Johnson
4185-460: A prompt and getting something two minutes later? I'm robbing myself of the whole point of why I got into this business." When asked about his artistic inspirations, Lee cited Neal Adams , John Byrne , Kevin Nowlan , Mike Mignola , Art Adams , Milo Manara , and Barry Windsor-Smith . In the February 1991 issue of Amazing Heroes , writer/artist Barry Windsor-Smith was being interviewed for his Wolverine story Weapon X , and touching upon
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4320-497: A scheduled 2018 release date, and that Ezra Miller was cast in the starring role. A new story treatment was being written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller the following year in April. Over the next two years, Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa had individually dropped out as director due to creative differences with the studio. Joby Harold was hired to do a page-one rewrite of the script in January 2017, which previously had drafts written by Grahame-Smith and Famuyiwa. In July,
4455-675: A smaller budget than most of the other films. In addition to Robbie's starring role, the cast also includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Jurnee Smollett-Bell , Rosie Perez , and Ella Jay Basco . The full title of the film was revealed as Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) by Robbie. Principal photography commenced in January 2019 in Los Angeles and lasted until April. Birds of Prey held its world premiere in London on January 29, 2020, and
4590-530: Is Aquaman (2018), which earned more than $ 1.15 billion worldwide. However, eight of the fifteen theatrically released films failed to break even theatrically, being considered box-office bombs . Reception to the franchise was generally mixed among critics and fans. A new rebooted franchise of films and television series, the DC Universe (DCU), is planned by James Gunn and Peter Safran , who were appointed co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios in
4725-404: Is also the demigoddess daughter of the god Zeus , uses her talents and abilities to help humanity during World War I . In December 2013, Gal Gadot was cast as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman and signed a three-picture deal which included a solo film. The film was announced in October 2014, and Michelle MacLaren was confirmed to direct from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs the next month. MacLaren left
4860-446: Is known to use F lead for his pencil work . While inking his own pencils on The Punisher War Journal , Lee began using a crowquill nib for the first time. When illustrating full page commissions or sketches, Lee uses the drybrush technique in order to achieve greytone areas with an uneven texture, applying india ink to the paper and then rubbing it with a tissue, or by using a brush to fill in areas of black, and then using
4995-491: Is properly credited and compensated. But even if it were accepted and someone were going to pay me to use an AI engine to create work, I just wouldn't do it. I don't create art just so I can have something to get paid for. I love sitting down with a piece of paper and a pencil... I enter this fugue state, hours go by and it feels like 15 minutes, and at the end, I have this incredible sense of satisfaction because I went on this journey and I've created something. Typing something into
5130-551: Is set after the events of Justice League . Superman makes a cameo appearance at the end of the film, but his face is not shown as Henry Cavill was unable to reprise the role due to scheduling conflicts. The villain Mister Mind is introduced in a mid-credits scene. When Cassandra Cain , a young girl, comes across a diamond belonging to crime lord Black Mask , Harley Quinn joins forces with Black Canary , Huntress , and Renee Montoya to help protect her. By November 2016,
5265-484: Is the Japanese term for a transmedia franchise. The term media mix gained its circulation in late 1980s and is first used to describe adaptations of Sakyo Komatsu 's Japan Sinks , but the origins of the strategy can be traced back to the 1960s with the proliferation of anime , with its interconnection of media and commodity goods. Some of the earlier popular Japanese franchises such as Vampire Hunter D in
5400-549: Is the President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics . In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey Award , Inkpot Award and three Wizard Fan Awards . Lee got his start in the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics , illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and The Punisher War Journal before becoming widely popular through his work on The Uncanny X-Men . On that book, Lee worked with writer Chris Claremont , with whom he co-created
5535-683: Is tied thematically to a member of the Justice League, the first of which was a Batman-themed Kia Optima . A Superman-themed version inspired by Lee's art followed in February 2013. In 2013, Lee designed a new version of the Mortal Kombat character Scorpion for use in the DC fighting video game Injustice: Gods Among Us . On May 4, 2013, DC published a Free Comic Book Day sneak preview of Superman Unchained , an ongoing series written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Lee, which
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5670-549: The DC Universe Online video game were the cause, and not Miller's scripts, which had been completed for some time. All-Star also drew controversy for Miller's dialogue, pacing and depiction of the characters, garnering reviews that were mixed to negative, though Lee's art was praised, and the book enjoyed excellent sales. A total of 10 issues were produced of that series, the tenth issue being released on September 24, 2015. In September 2015 Lee indicated
5805-411: The "DC Universe" (DCU) , which some media outlets interpreted as a rebranding of the DCEU. In 2002, Wolfgang Petersen was set to direct a Batman vs. Superman film from a script by Akiva Goldsman , but the project was shelved by Warner Bros. to focus on individual Superman and Batman projects. In 2008, a planned Justice League film directed by George Miller and titled Justice League: Mortal
5940-535: The DC Universe (DCU), a soft reboot and spiritual successor to the DCEU. Kal-El / Clark Kent , who arrived on Earth years ago as an infant from Krypton , struggles with why he was sent to Earth. Raised by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent , Clark adopts the persona " Superman ", and learns if his abilities are meant to maintain peace or conquer the world. During story discussions for The Dark Knight Rises (2012), David S. Goyer told Christopher Nolan his idea regarding how to present Superman in
6075-608: The Speed Force and features multiple superheroes, including Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman (reprising his role from the 1989 film Batman and its 1992 sequel Batman Returns ) and Sasha Calle as Supergirl . Ben Affleck also reprises his role as the DCEU version of Bruce Wayne / Batman. The film also "restarts" the DCEU, according to Barbara Muschietti. Michael Shannon and Antje Traue reprise their roles as General Zod and Faora-Ul , respectively, from Man of Steel , with Ron Livingston replacing Billy Crudup in
6210-451: The Syfy reality television competition series Face Off , in which special effects makeup artists compete to create the best makeup according to each episode's theme. Lee and DiDio presented the contestants with that episode's challenge, to create a new superhero, with six DC Comics artists on hand to help them develop their ideas. The winning entry's character, Infernal Core by Anthony Kosar,
6345-542: The United Kingdom and the islands of Tenerife and Fuerteventura in Spain . Wonder Woman 1984 was released in the United States on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously on December 25, 2020. In a mid-credits scene, Lynda Carter , who starred as Wonder Woman in a 1970s television series , is introduced as Asteria , a legendary Amazon warrior who possessed ancient golden armor that Gadot's Wonder Woman wears in
6480-482: The United Service Organizations (USO), where they visited the approximately 12,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in that country as part of DC's 80th anniversary of Batman celebration. On June 5, 2019, Lee and the fashion accessory brand HEX launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for two Batman-branded backpacks designed specifically for comics artists and collectors. The former,
6615-491: The fantasy and science fiction genres. Similarly, fantasy, science fiction films and television shows are frequently adapted into animated television series , video games, or both. A media franchise does not have to include the same characters or theme, as the brand identity can be the franchise, like Square Enix 's Final Fantasy or the National Lampoon series , and can suffer from critical failures even if
6750-538: The first season of Peacemaker , a television series for HBO Max (later renamed Max). The DCEU's fifteenth and final film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom , was released in December 2023. The DCEU is the ninth-highest-grossing film franchise and the fifth-highest-grossing superhero film franchise , having grossed more than $ 7 billion at the global box office. The highest-grossing DC Comics-based film
6885-533: The gap year he allotted for himself. He set up a small drafting table next to his bed, and would spend 8 to 10 hours each day drawing, to the point that he suffered from sore knuckles and a pinched nerve that required his father to give him a shoulder brace. The samples that Lee initially submitted to various publishers did not find success. When he befriended St. Louis-area comics artists Don Secrease and Rick Burchett , they convinced him he needed to show his portfolio to editors in person, prompting Lee to attend
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#17327721035157020-414: The " Acts of Vengeance " storyline, eventually becoming the series' ongoing artist with issue #268, following Silvestri's departure. During his stint on Uncanny , Lee first worked with inker Scott Williams , who would become a long-time collaborator. During his run on the title, Lee co-created the character Gambit with long-time X-Men writer Chris Claremont . Lee's artwork quickly gained popularity in
7155-423: The 1980s and Pokémon in the late 1990s, acted as benchmarks in the country's transmedia dominance. The latter in particular began as a video game available on Nintendo 's Game Boy , and crossed through the media of television, film, news, and other non-media related realms, such trading cards, merchandise, and more. A number of Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity, and are among
7290-433: The 2010 San Diego Comic-Con . The sales figures were generated in part by publishing the issue with five different variant covers, four of which show different characters from the book that formed a single image when laid side by side, and a fifth, gatefold cover of that combined image, large numbers of which were purchased by retailers who anticipated fans and speculators who would buy multiple copies in order to acquire
7425-474: The Gods will lead right into the events of The Flash . Barry Allen travels back in time to prevent his mother's murder, which brings unintended consequences. By July 2013, Greg Berlanti was developing a film that centered around Barry Allen / The Flash , and drafted a script alongside Geoff Johns, Chris Brancato , Michael Green , and Marc Guggenheim . In October 2014, Warner Bros. announced The Flash with
7560-466: The HEX x Jim Lee Artist Backpack, is designed with features specifically for transporting art supplies and portfolios, such as a 11" x 17" dedicated portfolio cases, waterproof pockets for inks and paints, and organizers for brushes and pens. The latter, the HEX x Jim Lee Collectors Backpack, is designed with features for transporting art collections, such as fleece-lined pockets for comics, a poster tube holder,
7695-657: The Heroes Reborn lineup indefinitely, but under the condition that Lee would draw at least one of them himself, which he refused to do. Instead, he accepted an offer to re-imagine and relaunch (in the role of editor) three mainstream Marvel Universe titles: Defenders , Doctor Strange , and Nick Fury . Though scheduled to debut in December 1997, these three relaunches never appeared. Lee returned to WildStorm, where he would publish series such as The Authority and Planetary , as well as Alan Moore 's imprint, America's Best Comics . Lee himself wrote and illustrated
7830-669: The Justice League , both Geoff Johns and Kevin Smith referred to the franchise's name as being the "Justice League Universe". During the DC Films panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, a video banner displayed the words "Welcome to the Worlds of DC", after showcasing some upcoming films. As a result, some media outlets interpreted this as DC officially naming their shared film universe as the "Worlds of DC", but in March 2020, Jim Lee referred to
7965-717: The Thanksgiving Day television program See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special. The program was billed as a celebration of those communities, and introduced the series' first Asian American Muppet , a seven-year-old Korean girl named Ji-Young . The special premiered on HBO Max , PBSKids , Facebook , Instagram , and YouTube , as part of the Sesame Workshop 's "Coming Together" initiative, which endeavors to educate children about race, culture, and racial justice . It featured Lee showcasing his illustration of Ji-Young interacting with other Muppets. Lee
8100-566: The U.S. instilled in Lee with the sense of being an outsider, as did the "preppy, upper-class" atmosphere of Country Day. As a result, on the rare occasions that his parents bought him comics, Lee's favorite characters were the X-Men , because they were outsiders themselves. Lee says that he benefited as an artist by connecting with characters that were themselves disenfranchised, like Spider-Man , or who were born of such backgrounds, such as Superman, who
8235-625: The US comics industry. Lee and Rob Liefeld, another Marvel-illustrator-turned-Image-founder, returned to Marvel in 1996 to participate in a reboot of several classic characters; the project was known as Heroes Reborn . While Liefeld reworked Captain America and The Avengers , Lee plotted Iron Man and plotted and illustrated Fantastic Four issues #1–6. Halfway through the project, Lee's studio took over Liefeld's two titles, finishing all four series. According to Lee, Marvel proposed continuing
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#17327721035158370-540: The United Kingdom, and was released theatrically and on the streaming platform HBO Max in the United States on August 5. Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the powers of the Egyptian gods and imprisoned, Black Adam is freed from his tomb, ready to unleash his form of justice on the modern world. In September 2014, after being considered to play Shazam and Lobo , Dwayne Johnson was cast as Black Adam,
8505-630: The additional photography. Work on the cut was completed in January 2021. Characters in the film who did not appear in the theatrical version include the Joker (with Jared Leto reprising the role from Suicide Squad ), General Swanwick / Martian Manhunter (with Harry Lennix reprising the role from Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ), Darkseid (portrayed by Ray Porter ), DeSaad (portrayed by Peter Guinness ), Nuidis Vulko (portrayed by Willem Dafoe ), Iris West (portrayed by Kiersey Clemons ), Ryan Choi (portrayed by Zheng Kai ),
8640-667: The album booklet for Daughtry 's 2009 album Leave This Town . In February 2006, it was announced that Lee would be involved with the concept art for the DC Comics online game DC Universe Online . In 2008, Lee was named the Executive Creative Director of the forthcoming game, which at that time was expected to be released in 2009. In February 2010, Lee and Dan DiDio were named Co-Publishers of DC Comics by DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson . According to Lee, this did not indicate another move away from
8775-601: The book that inspired his interest in comics. Stan Lee interviewed Lee in the documentary series The Comic Book Greats . Enticed by the idea of being able to exert more control over his own work, in 1992, Lee accepted the invitation to join six other artists who broke away from Marvel to form Image Comics , which would publish their creator-owned titles. Lee's group of titles was initially called Aegis Entertainment before being christened WildStorm Productions , and published Lee's initial title WildC.A.T.s , which Lee pencilled and co-wrote, and other series created by Lee in
8910-403: The brush to effect drybrush effects after it is nearly depleted of ink. To create white highlights, he uses a Pentel correction fluid pen. In talking about the artist's work ethic, Lee has said, "Sometimes I wonder if we ever really improve as artists or if the nirvana derived from completing a piece blinds us enough to love what we have created and move on to the next piece. If we could see
9045-494: The character Gambit . That led to a 1991 spinoff series on which Lee and Claremont were the initial creative team. The debut issue, X-Men #1, which Lee penciled and co-wrote with Claremont, became the best-selling comic book of all time, according to Guinness World Records . Lee's style was later used for the designs of the X-Men: The Animated Series . In 1992, Lee and several other artists founded
9180-614: The character's solo film. Aquaman was announced in October. James Wan was hired as director the following year, as well as to oversee the screenplay by Johnstad. David Leslie Johnson was later brought to write a new script. Beall returned to write the script, based on a story treatment by Wan and Geoff Johns . Johnson worked on a rewrite of Beall's script with Wan and producer Peter Safran . Principal photography began in May 2017 in Queensland , Australia and wrapped that October. Aquaman
9315-498: The company, Lee became its sole publisher. Aside from illustrating comics, he has done work as a designer or creative director on other DC products, such as action figures, video games, branded automobiles and backpacks. Outside the comics industry, Lee has designed album covers, as well as the packaging of one of General Mills ' monster-themed cereal boxes for its 2014 Halloween collection. His private commission sketches command high prices ranging up to thousands of dollars. Jim Lee
9450-521: The complex visual nature of the story". The film's title was revealed to be Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . Initial filming occurred on October 19, 2013, at East Los Angeles College , before full principal photography began in May 2014 and concluded that December. Production took place in Detroit , Illinois , New Mexico , Africa and the South Pacific. After another date change, the film
9585-478: The cover of issue No. 12 drew media attention for its depiction of Superman and Wonder Woman in a passionate embrace, a rendition that Lee said was inspired by Gustav Klimt 's painting The Kiss and Alfred Eisenstaedt 's 1945 photograph V-J Day in Times Square . In July 2012, as part of San Diego Comic-Con , Lee and Dan DiDio participated in the production of "Heroic Proportions", an episode of
9720-491: The creative side of comics, as his Co-Publishing duties granted him greater creative involvement in the entire DC line and allow him to illustrate titles. DC announced they were ending the WildStorm imprint in September 2010. In September 2011, DC Comics instituted an initiative called The New 52 , in which the publisher cancelled all of its superhero titles and relaunched 52 new series with No. 1 issues, wiping out most of
9855-457: The day-in-the-life episodes of the many different Real Housewives series. Documentaries and docuseries are other highlights of the non-fiction branch of media franchises, such as the popular Planet Earth series, which serves as both a film and television transmedia franchise. Jim Lee Jim Lee ( Korean : 이용철 ; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-born American comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. As of 2023, he
9990-485: The departure of DC Entertainment's Diane Nelson , and Geoff Johns ' stepping down from his role as Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of DC Comics, Lee was named DC's CCO, a role he would assume while continuing to act as publisher with Dan DiDio. In May and June 2019, Lee, writer Tom King , and CW series actresses Nafessa Williams , Candice Patton , and Danielle Panabaker toured five U.S. military bases in Kuwait with
10125-407: The different media, regardless of the fact that they are being presented in sometimes completely different ways, such as the shared, interweaving storylines and elements of Spider-Man films, television shows, comics and video games. Espen Aarseth describes the financial logic of cost-recovery for expensive productions by identifying that a single medium launch is a lost opportunity, the timeliness of
10260-417: The events of Aquaman . Heard reprises her role as Mera from Justice League , while Dafoe is introduced as Nuidis Vulko. By speaking "Shazam", Billy Batson , a 14-year-old foster child , can turn into an adult superhero, courtesy of an ancient wizard. He attempts to master his powers and defeat the evil forces controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana . In August 2014, Dwayne Johnson announced his attachment to
10395-433: The eyes of enthusiastic fans, which allowed him to gain greater creative control of the franchise. In 1991, Lee helped launch a second X-Men series simply called X-Men vol. 2, as both the artist and as co-writer with Claremont. X-Men vol. 2 #1 is still the best-selling comic book of all-time with sales of over 8.1 million copies and nearly $ 7 million, according to a public proclamation by Guinness World Records at
10530-725: The fictional worlds they love, adds to the overall narrative the franchise creates through its other media. Marvel's Avenger's Campus park is one of the many franchise-based theme parks created in recent times, following the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure and Star Wars' Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Disney World . Media franchises tend to cross over from their original media to other forms. Literary franchises are often transported to film, such as Nancy Drew , Miss Marple , and other popular detectives , as well as popular comic book superheroes . Television and film franchises are often expanded upon in novels , particularly those in
10665-470: The film The Matrix Reloaded and the video game Enter the Matrix were produced at the same time, using the same actors on the same sets, and released on the same day. Transmedia franchises occasionally release content through certain media that is not canon to the main or greater story that the franchise is built around, meaning that the elements of said content do not truly exist in the main timeline of
10800-422: The film. Amanda Waller sends a new Task Force X , consisting of both old and new members, on a mission to destroy a Nazi -era laboratory containing experiments. In March 2016, a Suicide Squad sequel was announced to be in development, with Ayer returning as director. Adam Cozad was hired to write the script by March 2017. By July, a new story treatment was written by Zak Penn . In September, Gavin O'Connor
10935-509: The first of eight issues of Lee and writer Rob Williams ' new Suicide Squad series, as part of the DC Rebirth relaunch. In July 2017, Marvel decided to capitalize on Lee's popularity by releasing 29 of its books with covers reprinting Lee's art for its 1992 Series 1 X-Men trading cards. In March 2018, Lee and writer James Tynion IV launched the series The Immortal Men as part of DC's New Age of Heroes line. That June, following
11070-607: The focus on the content of the commodity to "overlapping the commodity image with the character image". The book Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan, by Marc Steinberg, details the evolution of the media mix in Japan. Long-running franchises were common in the early studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed. Spin-offs and adaptations of popular pieces of media within
11205-564: The franchise and create strong feelings of identity and ownership in its consumers. Those large groups of dedicated consumers create the franchise's fandom , which is the community of fans that indulge in many of its media and are committed to interacting with and keeping up with other consumers. Large franchise-based fandoms have grown to be even more popular in recent years with the rise of social media platforms, as many fans seek to interact with one another for discussion, debate and even to create their own fan-made pieces of media revolving around
11340-557: The franchise as the DC Extended Universe at C2E2 . The franchise was officially titled DC Extended Universe when the WarnerMedia streaming service HBO Max launched the following May. Following the appointment of Peter Safran and James Gunn as heads of DC Studios , Warner Bros. Discovery (created from the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. ) referred to DC's film and television series as part of
11475-405: The franchise, on websites like tumblr , Reddit and Fandom . In the case of successful transmedia franchises, each different medium should expand the target demographic and fandom, build the interest of the consumers and add to the overarching story and narrative of the franchise itself. A connection between the characters, settings, and other elements of the media franchise do still exist within
11610-415: The franchise. Canon content often times breaks continuity, leading fans to speculate or seek to confirm which media are canon and which are not, which can get confusing if the franchise does not provide an answer themselves since entire media can be non-canon to the greater story, with a popular example occurring. On the other hand, specific episodes, volumes or parts of a series can be canon while others in
11745-520: The game. In 2004 Lee illustrated " For Tomorrow ", a 12-issue story in Superman by writer Brian Azzarello . In 2005, Lee teamed with Frank Miller on All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder , a series plagued by delays, including a one-year gap between the releases of the fourth and fifth issues. Lee himself took full responsibility for the delays, explaining that his involvement with
11880-473: The magazine), footwear, clothing of every kind, jewelry, housewares (lamps, clocks, bedding, glassware), guitars and gambling, playing cards, pinball machines and pet accessories, billiard balls, bedroom appurtenances, enhancements, plus countless other items of merchandise. Non-fiction media franchises also exist in the television and film media, with reality TV being one of the most well-known examples; ranging from competition shows like The Amazing Race to
12015-538: The main antagonist in Justice League (2017), was introduced through a brief scene not included in the film's theatrical release but instead revealed online by Warner Bros. on March 28, before being included in the Ultimate Edition home video release. After Superman's death, a secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions and rescue the world from
12150-400: The media fictional material is unrelated. Non-fiction literary franchises include the ...For Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to... reference books . An enduring and comprehensive example of a media franchise is Playboy Enterprises , which began expanding well beyond its successful magazine, Playboy , within a few years after its first publication, into such enterprises as
12285-438: The possibility of returning to the book to conclude it with Miller's originally intended ending, but this series was never produced. Lee continued to run WildStorm as editorial director, sometimes working on both DC and WildStorm properties simultaneously. In September 2006, Lee returned to WildC.A.T.s with Grant Morrison as the writer, but only one issue of that series' fourth volume was published. Lee provided artwork for
12420-676: The proceeds of each sketch to a different random brick and mortar store that had closed as a result of the pandemic. The endeavor, which was done in partnership with DC and the BINC Foundation, saw the completion of the final sketch in July 2021. That drawing, which depicted Jason Todd , sold for $ 25,100 on eBay , while the entire campaign raised a total of over $ 800,000 for beleaguered comics shops. On November 25, 2021, Lee appeared alongside several other Asian and Pacific Islander celebrities, including actor Simu Liu , tennis player Naomi Osaka , and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi , in
12555-423: The production and release is more important than its integrity, the releases should raise brand awareness and the cross-ability of the work is critical for its success. American Idol was a transmedia franchise from its beginnings, with the first season winner Kelly Clarkson signing with RCA Records and having the release of A Moment Like This becoming a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100. The success resulted in
12690-471: The project the following year in April due to creative differences, and Patty Jenkins was hired to replace her. Filming occurred from November 2015 to May 2016 and took place in the United Kingdom , France and Italy . Wonder Woman was released in North America on June 2, 2017. Motivated by Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday , Batman and Wonder Woman assemble a team of metahumans to stop
12825-469: The project, while Andy Muschietti and Christina Hodson were hired to replace them as director and screenwriter, respectively. Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco serve as producers. Filming began in April 2021, at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Hertfordshire , England, and wrapped that October. The Flash was released on June 16, 2023. The Flash explores the multiverse concept using
12960-497: The publishing company, Image Comics , to publish their creator-owned comics . Lee published titles such as WildC.A.T.s and Gen through his studio, WildStorm Productions . In 1998, wanting to spend less time as a publisher and more time illustrating, Lee sold WildStorm to DC Comics , and ran WildStorm as a DC imprint until 2010. During this period, he also illustrated successful titles set in DC's main fictional universe , such as
13095-525: The role of Henry Allen, Barry's father, who appeared in Justice League and its director's cut, and Kiersey Clemons returning as Iris West from the latter cut. In January 2023, co-CEOs of DC Studios James Gunn and Peter Safran stated that The Flash will "reset" the DC Universe and lead right into the events of Blue Beetle , Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom , and their future slate of films given
13230-525: The same medium are not, such as the fact that only some of the Battlestar Galactica comics are canon, with a large amount of them breaking the continuity of the main story. In Japanese culture and entertainment, media mix ( wasei-eigo : メディアミックス , mediamikkusu ) is a strategy to disperse content across multiple representations: different broadcast media , gaming technologies, cell phones, toys, amusement parks , and other methods. It
13365-614: The same shared universe . The other major series of the initial years of Wildstorm, for which Lee either created characters, co-plotted or provided art for, included Stormwatch , Deathblow and Gen . In 1993, Lee and his friend, Valiant Comics publisher Steven Massarsky , arranged a Valiant/Image Comics crossover miniseries called Deathmate , in which the Valiant characters would interact with those of WildStorm, and of Lee's fellow Image partner, Rob Liefeld . The miniseries would consist of four "center books" (each one denoted by
13500-666: The school newspaper, The Daily Princetonian . Lee's classmates predicted in his senior yearbook that he would found his own comic book company. Lee, however, was resigned to following his father's career in medicine, continuing at Princeton by studying psychology , with the intention of becoming a medical doctor. This was largely influenced by the strict expectations of his parents, whom Lee said were "really aggressive in terms of how they wanted me to find true success," owing to views about security and fear of failure that Lee describes as being typical in Korean households. In 1986, as he
13635-498: The seventh issue of Grant Morrison 's The Multiversity project, which Lee illustrated. That same year, Lee provided designs for a Batman action figure as part of the company's BlueLine Edition series, to be released at that year's San Diego Comic-Con. A Superman figure designed by Lee followed in 2016. November 2015 saw the debut of the miniseries Batman: Europa , on which Lee collaborated with writers Brian Azzarello and Matteo Casali and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli . The book, which
13770-401: The subtitle of: "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters". Gunn later explained that The Flash will change some aspects and characters, but not every aspect of the franchise that came before. Media franchise A media franchise often consists of cross-marketing across more than one medium. For the owners, the goal of increasing profit through diversity can extend the commercial profitability of
13905-480: The term "DC Extended Universe" (DCEU) in an article about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on July 1, 2015. This term and the abbreviation DCEU quickly spread among the press and fans who took it as the official name of the franchise over the following years. According to Vulture writer Abraham Riesman, DC confirmed to him in September 2017 that the term was not used internally and they did not consider it official. In 2016, as part of DC Films Presents: Dawn of
14040-430: The then-current X-Men comics, Windsor-Smith stated: "I don't particularly read the stuff either, even though there's this great new illustrator on the book named Jim Lee...He's leaps ahead of everybody else as regards new talent. Talk about 'rivet men!" He's a fabulous talent...Jim is new and astonishing. I don't know how old Jim is, I presume he's young, and apart from admiring his wonderful technique — even though it's
14175-404: The then-current continuity. Lee and writer Geoff Johns , DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer, were the architects of the relaunch, which was initiated with a new Justice League series, written and illustrated by Johns and Lee, respectively. The series' first story arc was a new origin of the Justice League, which depicted the return of DC's primary superheroes to the team. Lee's illustration for
14310-399: The threat of Steppenwolf, who is in search of three Mother Boxes scattered across Earth. By June 2013, Goyer was set to write Justice League as part of a three-film deal he signed for Man of Steel . Snyder was confirmed to return as director in April 2014, and the film was announced in October as Justice League Part One . In 2016, Chris Terrio was revealed to have written the script, and
14445-435: The title for the film was changed to Flashpoint , based on the comic book storyline of the same name . Dan Mazeau was brought on as co-writer. In March 2018, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were hired to co-direct. In 2019, following creative differences with the co-directors' work on the script, Miller was hired to co-write a new draft in collaboration with Grant Morrison . By July, Daley and Goldstein had left
14580-636: The title was changed to simply Justice League by June. Affleck, Cavill, Gadot, Momoa, Miller, and Fisher reprised their respective roles from previous films. Filming took place from April to October 2016 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in England , as well as locations around London and in Iceland . In May 2017, Snyder stepped down from his duties on the film due to his daughter's death; Joss Whedon filled his position on post-production, with additional scenes being written and directed by him. Though Whedon
14715-624: The wizard Shazam, and Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, with Henry Cavill appearing as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman in a mid-credits scene. Billy Batson and his foster siblings, who transform into superheroes by saying "Shazam!", are forced to get back into action and fight the Daughters of Atlas , who want to use a weapon that could destroy the world. A sequel to Shazam! entered development in April 2019, with Henry Gayden returning as writer. David F. Sandberg and Peter Safran returned as director and producer, respectively, and Chris Morgan
14850-399: The work as it is, with years of reflection in the here and now, how many images would end up in the trash rather than on the racks?" In a March 2024 interview with Agence France-Presse , Lee was asked if AI-generated art was a threat to the comics industry. He replied, "We have to figure out a way to live in a world where it exists, and the source material from which it derives its content
14985-477: The world's highest-grossing media franchises . For example, Pokémon 's penetration into the American market of the franchise along with others of Japanese origin, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! , gave rise to the recognition of what is variously called transmedia storytelling , crossmedia, transmediation , media synergy, etc. Researchers argue that the 1963 Tetsuwan Atomu marked a shift in Japanese marketing from
15120-480: The year-long storylines " Batman: Hush " and " Superman: For Tomorrow "), books (including Superman Unchained ), and the New 52 run of Justice League . On February 18, 2010, it was announced that DC Comics had appointed Lee and Dan DiDio as its co-publishers (replacing Paul Levitz ). In June 2018, Lee was also appointed the company's chief creative officer, replacing Geoff Johns . In February 2020, when DiDio left
15255-520: Was born on August 11, 1964, in Seoul , South Korea. In a December 2023 interview, he describes his nostaglic memories of life in that country, where he first began drawing at a young age, using oil pastels with an art teacher who visited his home, and developing a love of Max Fleischer 's 1940s animated Superman series. His strongest memory of living in Seoul, however, was when, at the age of 4 or 5, he
15390-506: Was created by two Jewish men from Cleveland to lift their spirits during the Depression. Lee also connected with Superman because like Lee, Superman was "the ultimate immigrant", which helped him assimilate into American culture, and provided him a sense of "sanctuary" from the pressures he felt as an immigrant who did not fit in, and the shame he felt as a Korean. For this reason, Superman's practice of wearing eyeglasses in order to effect
15525-507: Was dropped from the project, instead starring in a Black Adam solo film. By October, Zachary Levi was cast as Shazam, and in November, Asher Angel was cast as Shazam's child-age alter ego, Billy Batson. Principal photography began in January 2018 and wrapped that May, with most of the filming taking place at Pinewood Toronto Studios , among other locations around Toronto . Shazam! was released in North America on April 5, 2019. Shazam!
15660-608: Was featured in Justice League Dark #16 (March 2013), which was published January 30, 2013. The episode premiered on January 22, 2013, as the second episode of the fourth season. In October 2012, DC Entertainment and Kia Motors America entered a partnership to benefit We Can Be Heroes, a campaign dedicated to fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa . The campaign involves the creation of eight Justice League-inspired vehicles, on whose designs Lee collaborated. Each vehicle
15795-442: Was handled by other writers and artists, some of which were spinoffs of the earlier titles, or properties owned by other creators, such as Whilce Portacio 's Wetworks . As publisher, Lee later expanded his comics line creating two publishing imprints of WildStorm, Homage and Cliffhanger (that years later merged and were replaced by a single WildStorm Signature imprint), to publish creator-owned comics by some selected creators of
15930-557: Was hired as an additional screenwriter. Zachary Levi reprises his role as the titular superhero, as most of the adult and child cast in the Shazam Family . At DC FanDome in August 2020, the film's title was announced as Shazam! Fury of the Gods . Filming began in May 2021 in Atlanta and concluded that August. Shazam! Fury of the Gods was released in the United States on March 17, 2023. In January 2023, co-CEOs of DC Studios James Gunn and Peter Safran stated that Shazam! Fury of
16065-461: Was hired as director and writer after Ayer dropped out. O'Connor completed the script with David Bar Katz and Todd Stashwick by September 2018. The next month, O'Connor left the project as Warner Bros. believed the script was too similar to Birds of Prey . In 2019, the film was re-titled The Suicide Squad , with James Gunn directing, from a new script he wrote. Gunn chose the project over various other films Warner Bros. had in development, including
16200-462: Was hit by a small truck while crossing the street, later regaining consciousness in the hospital in the presence of his father, a doctor. Lee says that the incident increased his parents' sense of protectiveness as he grew older, and summarizes his early years by saying, "Comics. Trauma. Art. That was the be-all, end-all of my childhood." In the aftermath of the Korean War , Lee's parents desired
16335-596: Was inspired by Lee's time living in Italy, was originally announced by DC in 2004, and intended to feature Lee's painted art over Camuncoli's layouts, but after a series of delays, it was published with conventional artwork as a four-issue miniseries to positive reviews. In 2016, Lee was the main artist on the one-shot Harley Quinn and the Suicide Squad April Fool's Special sharing art duties on that book with Sean Galloway. That August, DC released
16470-524: Was later released in North America on February 7. Birds of Prey is set after the events of Suicide Squad . Diana Prince comes into conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1980s and finds two formidable foes in the form of Maxwell Lord and Cheetah . By June 2017, Geoff Johns and Patty Jenkins had begun work on the story treatment for a Wonder Woman sequel. In July, Johns
16605-728: Was not officially credited for his role as post-production director, he completed enough additional work for a screenwriting credit on the film. Justice League was released worldwide on November 17, 2017. Reprising their roles from previous films are Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth , Diane Lane as Martha Kent , Amy Adams as Lois Lane , Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor , Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta , Robin Wright as Antiope , and Joe Morton as Silas Stone. Justice League also introduces J. K. Simmons as James Gordon , Amber Heard as Mera , and Billy Crudup as Henry Allen , with Joe Manganiello appearing as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke in
16740-732: Was placed on indefinite hold after it failed to secure tax breaks for filming in Australia. Man of Steel , a reboot of the Superman film series released in 2013, was intended to launch a shared universe if successful. Following the film's release, Warner Bros. announced a follow-up entitled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), establishing the DCEU. A slate of 11 DCEU films were then announced in 2014. In 2016, Warner Bros. established DC Films after Batman v Superman did not meet Warner Bros.' box office expectations and received negative responses from fans and critics for its dark tone. The division, led by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg ,
16875-614: Was preparing to graduate, Lee took an art class that reignited his love of drawing, and led to his rediscovery of comics at a time when works such as Frank Miller 's The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons ' Watchmen spurred a renaissance within the American comics industry. After obtaining his psychology degree, Lee, having grown to view a career in medicine to long escalator ride that he did not wish to make, decided to postpone applying to medical school for one year, in order to give himself time to break into comics. When he laid out this plan to his parents, it led to
17010-533: Was promoted to President of DC Comics in May 2023. In 2024 Jim Lee's art agent, Albert Moy, publicly announced for the first time in 15 years that Lee was accepting original sketch commissions that would be delivered to customers at conventions at which Lee would be in attendance. The prices ranged from USD $ 1,000 for 3.25" by 7" head shots in profile, to $ 25,000 to $ 35,000 for either full recreations of other artists' covers or 11" by 17", full figure, single character illustrations with substantial backgrounds. Lee
17145-689: Was published on June 12, 2013, and intended to coincide with the feature film Man of Steel , which opened two days later. In 2013, Lee was announced as a member of a newly formed advisory board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund , a non-profit organization founded in 1986 chartered to protect the First Amendment rights of the comics community. In 2014, General Mills enlisted the help of DC Comics to create new designs for its monster-themed cereals in time for Halloween. The designs, revealed on August 6, consisted of
17280-468: Was released in North America on August 5, 2016. Suicide Squad is set after the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . Affleck and Miller reprise their roles as Bruce Wayne / Batman and Barry Allen / The Flash from that film. In a mid-credits scene , Amanda Waller (portrayed by Davis) meets Wayne in a restaurant and hands him a dossier containing information on future members of the Justice League . Diana of Themyscira , an Amazon warrior who
17415-408: Was released in North America on December 21, 2018.It had a spin-off animated TV series which had only one season. Aquaman is set after the events of Justice League , though critics have noticed numerous inconsistencies between the two theatrically released films. Furthermore, Momoa claimed that the film takes place after " Zack's cut ", with the ending of that version of the film directly tying into
17550-486: Was released in North America on June 14, 2013. Gotham City -based vigilante Batman travels to Metropolis to preemptively combat Superman, fearing what would happen if the latter is kept unchecked, while another threat endangers humankind. By June 2013, Warner Bros. were fast-tracking a sequel to Man of Steel , with Snyder and Goyer returning as director and writer, respectively. Nolan was involved in an advisory role as executive producer. The sequel included Batman in
17685-402: Was released in North America on March 25, 2016. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is set 18 months after the events of Man of Steel . The film introduces Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman , Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash , Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman , Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg , and Joe Morton as Dr. Silas Stone . Steppenwolf , who serves as
17820-424: Was to direct a crossover of the Superman and Batman film franchises. A planned Justice League film was put on hold in 2008. Initial universe plans were scrapped after the 2011 film Green Lantern was a critical and commercial failure. Warner Bros. finally established its shared universe with the 2013 film Man of Steel and 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . This was followed by 13 films and
17955-407: Was to oversee production and form a cohesive creative direction for the DCEU. After the failure of Justice League (2017), Johns and Berg were replaced by Walter Hamada in 2018. The DCEU expanded to television with the release of the first season of Peacemaker (2022) on HBO Max . Discovery Inc. completed its acquisition of DC and Warner Bros. parent company WarnerMedia in 2022, forming
18090-415: Was up to Warner Bros. to release it. Warner Bros. remained silent regarding the matter, though Variety reported in November that Warner Bros. was unlikely to release Snyder's version of Justice League , with one studio insider describing it as "a pipe dream". Snyder announced in May 2020 that HBO Max would be releasing his cut of Justice League on their service on March 18, 2021. Initially conceived as
18225-484: Was working on the script, and the sequel was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con , with Gadot reprising the lead role. In September, Jenkins signed a deal to return as director, and brought on David Callaham to pen the script with her and Johns. Production began in June 2018 and concluded that December. Filming locations included the District of Columbia , Northern Virginia , Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in
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