One thing that is increasingly rare in Hollywood is candor. It’s understandable—trashing one movie could potentially lose you major opportunities in the future, and moreover, it’s in somewhat poor taste. No one sets out to make abadmovie. Some work better than others, but rarely are the folks behind the scenes just not even trying. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that an actor fromBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceis being decidedly frank about the film’s quality—especially given that he’s locked into the DC Extended Universe for some time now.
Speaking with theDaily Mail(viaCBM),Jeremy Ironsminced no words in talking about the poor reviews for theZack Snyder-helmed superhero smackdown, saying he found the less-than-glowing critical response to be warranted:
‘Deservedly so. I mean it took £800 million, so the kicking didn’t matter but it was sort of overstuffed…It was very muddled. I think the next one will be simpler. The script is certainly a lot smaller, it’s more linear.”
That “next one” is the currently filmingJustice League: Part One, which Snyder is directing but which is being watched ever-closely by the media and Warner Bros. alike. Indeed, the studio has been doing some major course-correction in the wake ofBvS, from uppingBen Affleckto an Executive Producerto setting anofficial head of DC Filmstoscaling back the rolesof those that have been intimately involved in the crafting of the DC Extended Universe thus far. So while Irons’ words may be a bit harsh coming from someone who wasinthe movie and will be part of the universe for some time to come, it’s not as if the studio is pretending that everything is hunky dory.
Irons reprises his role as Alfred inJustice Leaguebut presumably will have a bigger role to play in thestandaloneBatmanmoviethat Affleck is developing to direct. Affleck co-wrote the script with DC CCO and new DC Films co-headGeoff Johns, and the film is rumored to involvea bevy of classicBatmanvillains. But that film is still a bit of a ways off, and Warner Bros. hasSuicide SquadandWonder Womanon tap beforeJustice Leagueis unleashed upon audiences next November. It’ll be interesting to see how the Snyder-helmed team-up film differs fromBatman v Superman, but there’s one thing we can count on: if it’s no good, Irons will say as much.
