Geoff Johns is stepping down from his Chief Creative Officer title at DC so he can focus on writing and producing upcoming DC films.
Via Deadline, we have news that DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns will be stepping down from his executive role at the company. However, he’s not leaving Warner Bros./DC. In fact, he’s getting even more hands-on. The writer—famous for penning some of DC Comics’ most critically acclaimed modern-day storylines—will go back to writing and producing. And his first film project will be Green Lantern Corps!
Johns will be primarily working on upcoming DC films and will also create projects for Mad Ghost Productions. His stepping down also follows on the coattails of another studio bigwig—Jon Berg, who left his own position to become a lot-based producer at Warner Bros. Diane Nelson—another DC Chief who butted heads with Johns—recently retired after 25 years at Warner Bros.
The power vacuum will now be filled by two other DC luminaries—Jim Lee and Dan DiDio. Lee currently holds the title of DC Entertainment Publisher. His role will now expand to DC Chief Creative Officer. Here’s Warner Bros. press release on Johns’s new responsibilities:
His first film projects will be Warner Bros. Pictures’ Green Lantern Corps, based on his New York Times bestselling series that saw an impressive nine-year run, spawning additional spin-off titles and comic book events. Johns will write and be a producer on the film. Additionally, he co-wrote and executive produced Aquaman, which releases worldwide December 21, and is writing and executive producing the second installment of the Wonder Woman franchise with director Patty Jenkins, releasing in November 2019. New Line’s Shazam!, slated for an April 2019 release, is based on his original graphic novel.
On the television side, Johns co-developed and is executive producer and writer on the first original series for the upcoming DC Universe digital service, Titans, with Akiva Goldsman and Greg Berlanti. Johns also wrote the Titans episode Doom Patrol that is spinning off into its own 13-episode original series for the digital service. He is executive producing alongside Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Jeremy Carver. He has also been crucial in helping build the DC television empire and co-developed The CW’s most successful superhero show, The Flash. Alongside Peter Roth and WBTV, he has helped launch over a dozen additional hit television series such as Arrow, Gotham, iZombie, Supergirl and Black Lightning, among others.
His publishing projects will include a new pop-up slate of comic books under the banner of The Killing Zone focusing on new and lesser known DC characters and titles. Johns will also be writing a Shazam! comic book series scheduled to be out in the fall. In addition, he will continue to write the commercial and critical hit “Doomsday Clock,” a comic book series illustrated by Gary Frank that collides the DC universe with the Watchmen universe, as well as the upcoming “Three Jokers,” illustrated by Jason Fabok.
“Geoff is a super talented writer and truly embedded in the DC Universe and its characters,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “We’re thrilled that he’s returning to his passion and his roots as a writer and producer. And, it’s even better that he’s staying in our Warner Bros. family. We look forward to working with him on ‘Green Lantern’ and other projects going forward.”
After the very lackluster performance of Justice League (2017), Warner Bros./DC seems to be doing another reshuffle. It’s a sign the studio has no idea what it’s doing. The problem has nothing to do with the talent—they have plenty of that. Their failures all stem from a lack of direction. Not to beat a dead horse, the studio lacks a Kevin Feigie—the famed producer and visionary who is leading Marvel Studios’ charge.
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Maybe the studio should just start over. At this point, the damage is beyond repair. The only film to break the DC Extended Universe’s trend of lukewarm (at best) reception has been Wonder Woman (2017)—but that’s only one film and one character out of a whole pantheon of icons. Warner Bros./DC needs to come up with a blueprint, and they needed to come up with one yesterday.
Green Lantern Corps is targeted for a release in 2020.
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