Walter Hamada is stepping down as president of DC. And it means a lot for the DCEU, both positive and negative. Despite leaving respectfully, there are several signs that this may be another part of David Zaslav’s shake-up of Warner Bros. Discovery’s properties. Zaslav has laid off many employees since his stewardship of the company began, and having Hamada step down might be a strategic move to reorganize DC as a whole. Some believe that Hamada’s relationships in the company, as well as his personal goals, may have created some difficulties for DC over the past decade.

As Hamada leaves, it creates a power vacuum inside DC that Zaslav has yet to fill, though he’s been speaking with people. Many directors and those who control DC’s intellectual properties are scrambling to put their projects into the spotlight, which could mean good news for fans. Zack Snyder traditionally had a poor relationship with Hamada and now might have his chance to make a DC movie without so much executive pushback.

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As the DC universe continues to reinvent itself to compete with Marvel, this may be a genuine step forward regarding their ability to make good movies. With the correct leadership to replace Hamada, DC could become more focused on its production of a cogent franchise of superhero movies.

Hamada Had a Different Vision for the DCEU

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Walter Hamada helped launch the DCEU with Zack Snyder’s 2013 film Man of Steel. It became a reasonably successful movie, and although it still fell behind Marvel, it symbolized a shift in tone for DC’s new age of superheroes. Zack Snyder was attempting to make a slightly darker version of Superman that, though still fundamentally good, would be adapted for the modern world. Snyder’s Superman seemed like he would fit in a modern world. Originally, he had planned to make a trilogy of Superman movies that would link to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight series.

Hamada had different plans for DC. He believed that the company was putting too much faith in Snyder as the director went on to make more movies in the DCEU. Hamada didn’t think the franchise should be so controlled under one voice. He gave more attention to other directors and frequently butted heads with Snyder. Hamada’s particular vision for the DCEU included a Black Superman with decades-long adventures to carry the franchise. He planned to get legendary writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to write. But this view of the future conflicted with plans that had already been laid, and differing viewpoints ended up creating a rocky path for DC to start its DCEU.

When Snyder went to introduce his idea for a darker Superman trilogy that might introduce Batman at its end, Hamada pushed back, and the trilogy became Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. More recently, when Dwayne Johnson wanted to include a Superman cameo in Black Adam, Hamada decided against the idea, further isolating Superman. Johnson ended up going over his head to get approval from Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, leads of the Warner Bros. Film Division. They fully endorsed the idea.

Hamada’s approach to the superhero franchise may have been holding it back. His targeted approach limited the number of films put out, which, combined with his efforts to shape the DCEU agenda, may have been what was causing the continued failing quality of the films. His tenure was even concluded with slightly less ceremony than usual.

Hamada Leaves as President

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Walter Hamada may have left DC in a rather rough fashion. Though he is stepping down of his own volition, it might be that he isn’t leaving on the best terms. Hamada was not present at the October 12th premiere of Black Adam. Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter states that the former president is not taking a producing deal with the studio. This is something that is usually given to executives who are let go as a way of thanking them for their service and helping them transition to a different job. Some take it as a sign that Hamada had poor relations within the studio. Others point to how rough layoffs have been under David Zaslav’s leadership.

Whatever the case may be, the future of DC without Hamada is an uncertain one. His absence as president leaves a vacuum in management that Zaslav has yet to fill. He had interviewed producer Dan Lin for the role, but apparently, talks fell through. Zaslav intended for Lin to oversee all the DCEU, both movies and TV series. This would centralize control over the franchise and have a person at the top that might organize a narrative through DC’s properties.

Michael De Luca remains in charge of DC for the moment. His love of comic books may make him a favorite for the role. Dwayne Johnson also expressed interest in helping guide DC on and off the screen.