Geoff Johns Explains Change in Tone for 'Justice League' and DCEU

Despite a stellar performance in the box office, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" has been the target of abject criticism from critics and fans alike, with a huge percentage of the flak driven to the film's somber and dark tone. In addition, the studio was seemingly taken aback by this sudden surge of negative reviews prompting them to interfere with "Suicide Squad's" production, resulting with the film suffering the same fate as "Dawn of Justice."

In lieu of these recent events, DC's Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns was promoted as the company's creative head for Warner Bros' DC Films subsidiary. He now oversees the conception of the upcoming DCEU films, particularly the two-part "Justice League" films helmed by Zack Snyder. In addition, Johns will be co-writing "The Batman" alongside the film's director and lead actor Ben Affleck.

Just recently, Johns shared in a new interview how they are making adjustments to the DC Extended Universe in a bid to quell complaints surrounding "Dawn of Justice." One of their initial moves to address them is by realigning 2017's "Justice League" with a new mood palette, one that harkens to hope and optimism. The said mood can be seen in the movie's debut trailer, shown in San Diego Comic-Con 2016.

"Mistakenly in the past I think the studio has said, 'Oh, DC films are gritty and dark and that's what makes them different.' That couldn't be more wrong. It's a hopeful and optimistic view of life. Even Batman has a glimmer of that in him. If he didn't think he'd make tomorrow better, he'd stop," mused Johns.

His partner Jon Berg also commented on the issue, stating that while working with these characters can be rewarding, "we're disappointed the movies weren't better reviewed."

Johns also added that they're working their best to ensure the DC superheroes the fans loved will remain true to their essence from the comic books. "We're trying to take a really hard look at everything to make sure we stay true to the characters and tell stories that celebrate them."

DC Films' upcoming movies "Justice League" and "Wonder Woman" will be premiering globally in 2017.