Why Does DC Want to Keep Movies and TV Separate?

Next year, fans will get a better look at Warner Bros.' sprawlingDC Comicscinematic universe withBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Thatsuperhero adventurewill spawn a slew of new movies, some of which feature characters that are already established on the small screen. Unlike theMarvel Cinematic Universe, where all of the studio’s movies and TV shows are set in the same universe,DC Comicsisn’t connecting its movies to its TV side. While speaking atVariety’s Technology and Entertainment Summit in Beverly Hills earlier today,DCEntertainment president Diane Nelson clarified why they went with separate universes for film and TV.

“[The focus on a single universe of characters with connected storylines] could end up handcuffing our creators into trying to work with the same storyline or force them to hold back characters or introduce certain characters. Ultimately it hinders the ability for someone like (showrunner)Bruno Hellerto come in and createGotham.”

Oddly enough,Marvel’s The AvengersandAvengers: Age of UltrondirectorJoss Whedonactually agrees with this contention. The filmmaker revealed in an interview this April that theTV shows"complicate" the MCU even further, since story threads fromMarvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.often line up with and connect to the MCU movies. Along with directing both Avengers movies, he also co-created ABC’sMarvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which starts its third season later this month.

Diane Nelsonadded there are no creative constraints whatsoever betweenGothamandBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, precisely because they both exist in separate universes. Warner Bros. is also developing a feature version ofThe Flash, starringEzra Milleras Barry Allen, while The CW is getting ready to debutSeason 2ofThe Flash, starringGrant Gustinas Barry Allen. All of The CW shows such asThe Flash,ArrowandDC’s Legends of Tomorrowall exist in the same universe, but Fox’sGothamandSupergirlare in their own worlds.

It’s worth also noting thatMarvelis own by Disney, which also owns ABC, which creates one cohesive home for all of these properties. DC’s movie adaptations are all at Warner Bros., but their TV shows are spread out through too many different networks to make a cohesive universe work. Do you think DC’s approach to their movies and TV shows makes sense? Or would you like to see them try to pull off ashared universe?