EXCLUSIVE: AN INTERVIEW WITH DC'S GREGORY NOVECK

Gregory Noveck, Senior Vice President Creative Affairs for DC Comics, is, among other things, the liaison between DC and Warner Bros., integral in the process of finding appropriate properties for the studio to adapt as features and television series. What follows is an excerpt from a recent interview Voices From Krypton conducted with him, which looks at the relationship between the two entities and moves into discussions of the idea of multiple actors playing characters like Superman and Batman simultaneously, and why Tom Welling won't be playing the Man of Steel in Justice League.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: When one of these film or TV projects gets going, how strong is the connection between DC and the studio?
GREGORY NOVECK: As I’ve grown in the job, it’s gotten more and more. It’s not necessarily a testament to me, it’s more an understanding that we bring a lot to the table. It’s also on a case-by-case basis and it’s really driven by the filmmakers. In the case of Christopher Nolan and Bryan Singer, they really want to know what DC thinks. Zack Snyder on Watchmen has been phenomenal. So the studio kind of responds to the filmmaker. In the last several years, even with Al and Miles on Smallville, they’ve hired people who actually have a reverence for the material and it all kind of drives from there. On Watchmen they ask for any kind of material we have that they can use for reference, because they really want to match the look and feel of those characters. We’re very involved in all of this stuff. I’m not going to sit here and say, “Bryan took all of these tips from me,” because that’s not true. I think certainly we’re in a much different place than we were with Batman & Robin or Catwoman. The thing that needs to be kept in mind is that beyond the actual film or TV show, there’s a global brand to be managed here and DC is in the unique position of knowing where the vast majority of all of the moving parts are.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Do you guys ever throw up red flags when something doesn’t seem right? I’m not sure what your feeling was about Superman Returns. My feeling has been that it was good, but it should have been great.
GREGORY NOVECK: If they wanted to make Superman’s cape blue, for example, we’d say, “You can’t do that.” If they wanted it where Clark Kent never wears glasses, that’s an issue. If the relationship between Lois and Clark felt false, we could comment on that. It’s not that we can’t say, “Hey, could there be more action in this movie?” We can, but it’s not really our call, it’s up to the filmmaker. The thing about Superman Returns is that at the end of the day it’s a recognizable Superman and a recognizable Superman movie. There’s nothing in the movie except where maybe the strictest fans would say, “Superman would never do that.” If you’d seen the previous iterations of the script, from my standpoint we were really successful. Is it at the same level of movie that Batman Begins was? Probably not, but it’s a different animal, yet both of those are recognizable as those characters.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: I’ve read some of those earlier versions of the Superman script – Tim Burton as director? Nicolas Cage as Superman? What were they thinking? Even earlier today, there was the Hollywood Reporter story where they’re saying that 19 and 20 years olds are auditioning for Justice League. Does that kind of thing concern you guys at all?
GREGORY NOVECK: Don’t believe everything you read. Some of it may be true, some of it may not be. But I can tell you they’re not casting a 19-year-old as Superman. Most of the actors they’re looking at are in their late ‘20s.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: And then there are all of those Internet rumors about Tom Welling being cast as Superman…
GREGORY NOVECK: Not happening, if for no other reason than it would just confuse the issue.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: And if that’s the case, I wonder why they wouldn’t just use Brandon Routh again.
GREGORY NOVECK: I think part of it is that the character is larger than the actor. If you look at Batman, Superman and Justice League as separate franchises, if all of a sudden you have Brandon in it but you don’t have Christian, then what movie is it? I think you have to have it stand on its own. I’m just speculating, but if I’m the director of this movie, I don’t want to have to be too careful of another director’s iteration of a character. If I use his actor, then I’m kind of beholden to it. What if George Miller hired Brandon and Christian, but he wanted Brandon to really play Superman tougher and wanted Christian to show more humanity, then all of a sudden you’re entering very strange creative territory. The same is true of using Tom Welling. I think ultimately it’s a better movie if you have different actors to keep the iterations of the characters distinct. The example I’ve been using is, is it the Mike Mignolia Batman versus the Frank Miller Batman? It’s still Batman, they’re just different versions of it. I think when we start to open up the films with that kind of lens, where you can say, “These are all Superman, but they’re different versions” – even from Tom Welling to Brandon Routh, right? – that’s pretty cool.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: I guess Smallville fans imagined the show would end and that cast would make the leap to the big screen and Tom would become Superman. But then you get Brandon Routh on the big screen, so you make that separation. But now we have to accept a second movie version in Justice League…
GREGORY NOVECK: I don’t really see it as a conflict. And it’s better for the actors, frankly. If there are a couple of guys playing Batman or Superman, at least those guys don’t get pigeon-holed for the rest of their careers.

READ PART 2 OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH GREGORY NOVECK BY CLICKING HERE.

CHECK OUT OUR SISTER-SITE, JUSTICE LEAGUE ON FILM BY CLICKING HERE.

Comments

[Justin]

I have seen some comments on here and I agree that Welling should be cast as Superman. I remember hearing a number of my female friends saying "That's not Superman!" after seeing a commercial for Superman Returns. Whether they watched the show or not, Tom Welling was attached to the character.

Now if Smallville had ended in its fourth season, maybe people would have warmed up to another Superman. But since Smallville has lasted more than it intended to, you are going to have Smallville conflicting with headlines for the Justice League film. People are going to see Tom Welling in their TV Guide for Superman and then this other individual on Entertainment Weekly...and it will confuse the heck out of them.

Greg Noveck, you work for DC, you have an understanding of how comic book readers think. The average movie goer does not look at it the same way...and doing this will have the opposite effect of what you guys think.

[muscles4soupes]

THIS IS THE WORST MISTAKE IN THE WORLD, THE WB COULD CARELESS ABOUT US FANS. I DONT BY WHAT THIS GUY IS SAYING EITHER, THE RIGHTS TO SUPERMAN SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ANOTHER STUDIO. WELLING WAS THE BEST CHOICE! THIS MOVIE WILL SUCK! ITS BEING RUSHED AND ITS TURNING INTO HEROES ANOTHER CRAPPY SHOW. GIVE ME A BREAK ADAM BRODY OR TOM WELLING, WB YOU ARE SO STUPID!

[Phil]

THIS IS GREAT NEWS.

You guys made the RIGHT decision.

This way WB profits and fans get what everyone wants.

We get Batman: TDK with Bale and Superman: Man of Steel with Brandon.

and we get JLA with a brand spankin new cast!

Keep on track guys.

Looking forward to the Superman, Batman, and JLA franchaises.

[JM]

It's pretty obvious that there will be no sequel to Singer's Superman, and that Routh is done with the role. Novack's comments here are the continuation of a gentle disavowal of the muddled reception that surrounded SR.

WB is brushing them under the rug politely.

If anyone seriously thinks WB would be pursuing Justice League at all if they definitely wanted a Singer Superman sequel, then you are not in tune with how the industry works.

As for Welling, well, let's just say that there are two (and sometimes three or four) sides to every story...

[Dan]

Brandon Routh is Superman in the Justice League movie. If you read the quote below it makes no sense. All people conduct themselves differently at times depending on the people they are around and the situation they happen to be in.

We all know Superman will have to act tougher around Batman to keep him in line.

Gregory Noveck:"I’m just speculating, but if I’m the director of this movie, I don’t want to have to be too careful of another director’s iteration of a character. What if George Miller hired Brandon and Christian, but he wanted Brandon to really play Superman tougher and wanted Christian to show more humanity, then all of a sudden you’re entering very strange creative territory".

[Philsux]

I hate d-bags like Phil who are super smug and think they have all the answers. Shut up douche.

[Sean]

Wow! Talk about messed up news and WB missing the point. This movie is rushed! The only reason this movie is being made cuase Marvel is doing the Avengers movie and WB is trying to beat them to the punch, but they are going all about this the wrong way!.................as usual! You would think that with BB, WB learned but they hit us with SR(which wasn't to bad) and now this crap here. The casting is horrible and not to cast Welling in the role that the general population has seen him grow into, heck, even Reeve gave him his blessing before he passed, is idiotic but typical WB. Congrads WB! You just f-ed up another project.

[cari]

I agree. They are making a mistake not going with Welling. He is Superman. And they introduced their own version of JL last season on Smallville. Judging by the casting call they had, they are not going to top the cast Smallville assembled. Warner Bros. should just give the movie to Smallville's creative team. They have proven themselves to be very popular with fans, and each episode is produced at a higher level of quality than Superman Returns was.
Secondly, DONT include Batman. Fans will not buy it. Bale is Batman. The WB got very lucky with Chris Nolan, David Goyer and Jonathan Nolan. And then to get Bale as Batman, the greatest actor out there right now. They're only going to piss off alot of fans, and embarass themselves in the long run. Marvel will start to look good in comparison! So, go ahead make that movie WB. Maybe call it JL:We're Just Throwing Crap at The Wall.

[Matie]

It's incredible they're not casting the people's choice: Tom Welling.

Well, it's too easy for me. I won't see this movie, not even bother to download it.

F$CK YOU WB, MILLER and the GOUGHLAR!!!!! YOU HAVE RUINED SUPERMAN!!!!

[jeff]

What this guy says makes perfect sense. All the individual actors so far have been great but theres plenty of room for expansion.

The characters are larger then the actors. Case in point: Indiana Jones cannot happen without Ford. There was no Indy before Ford and there can be no Indy without Ford. Ford is Indy. Period. These superhero characters were around long before any of the actors who played them. Creatively, in my opinion, this guys statements make perfect sense. I totally love Smallville. Batman Begins is my all-time favorite but why not leave room for other ideas?