1 00:00:03,344 --> 00:00:06,182 - The very thing that makes you different 2 00:00:06,281 --> 00:00:07,615 is what makes you special. 3 00:00:09,483 --> 00:00:13,522 - I need you to hope, 4 00:00:13,621 --> 00:00:17,560 hope that you will remember that you can all be heroes. 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,765 - It's not who I am underneath 6 00:00:22,865 --> 00:00:26,269 but what I do that defines me. 7 00:00:26,867 --> 00:00:30,206 - Beneath this mask, there is more than flesh. 8 00:00:30,304 --> 00:00:33,076 Beneath this mask, there is an idea. 9 00:00:33,175 --> 00:00:35,544 And ideas are bulletproof. 10 00:00:41,349 --> 00:00:43,486 - From paper to pixels, 11 00:00:43,584 --> 00:00:46,355 DC Comics has incubated new ideas 12 00:00:46,454 --> 00:00:48,223 for more than 80 years. 13 00:00:49,657 --> 00:00:53,529 Every generation of creators brings its own point of view 14 00:00:53,628 --> 00:00:57,166 and its own vision for DC's iconic characters. 15 00:00:57,264 --> 00:01:00,736 - We ask a lot, how can we take the essence of this character, 16 00:01:00,830 --> 00:01:02,238 the heart of this character, 17 00:01:02,337 --> 00:01:03,907 but actually render it in a way 18 00:01:04,004 --> 00:01:06,542 that reflects the world we live in today? 19 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,145 - We're not born good or bad. 20 00:01:09,244 --> 00:01:12,748 The choices you make define your destiny. 21 00:01:14,449 --> 00:01:16,452 - What's changing is not just the mythology 22 00:01:16,551 --> 00:01:18,787 but how the stories are told and who gets 23 00:01:18,887 --> 00:01:20,256 to tell those stories. 24 00:01:20,354 --> 00:01:22,225 - I cannot wait to have you guys out there. 25 00:01:22,324 --> 00:01:25,028 - I've never seen so many 26 00:01:25,126 --> 00:01:29,398 strong, beautiful women. 27 00:01:29,497 --> 00:01:31,300 This is gonna be history. 28 00:01:32,067 --> 00:01:35,004 - The characters of DC have edge. 29 00:01:35,103 --> 00:01:36,572 And I love the edge. 30 00:01:40,741 --> 00:01:43,479 - The world needs stories that show us who we are 31 00:01:43,578 --> 00:01:45,982 and shape who we want to become. 32 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,884 But will an ever-expanding DC Universe 33 00:01:48,978 --> 00:01:51,220 stretch its iconic characters 34 00:01:51,319 --> 00:01:53,422 past the breaking point? 35 00:01:53,521 --> 00:01:57,193 - Right now, DC is at a crossroads. 36 00:01:57,759 --> 00:02:01,230 We're trying to build to the future 37 00:02:01,329 --> 00:02:03,666 without doing a disservice to the past. 38 00:02:25,381 --> 00:02:28,224 - Comics give us a sense of what's possible. 39 00:02:28,323 --> 00:02:30,393 They give us a sense of our better natures. 40 00:02:30,492 --> 00:02:32,828 They give us a sense of the future. 41 00:02:33,961 --> 00:02:37,133 If comics represent the future and aspirations 42 00:02:37,232 --> 00:02:38,567 for a lot of people 43 00:02:38,666 --> 00:02:41,370 and Black people are left out of that mix, 44 00:02:41,469 --> 00:02:43,572 therefore we're not part of the future 45 00:02:43,671 --> 00:02:45,674 and we're not part of anyone's aspirations. 46 00:02:46,507 --> 00:02:48,511 We wanted to be a part of that. 47 00:02:48,609 --> 00:02:50,354 And I realized the only way we were gonna do it 48 00:02:50,378 --> 00:02:52,176 it is if we did it ourselves. 49 00:02:58,118 --> 00:03:01,324 In the '90s, there was a lot of Black consciousness, 50 00:03:01,423 --> 00:03:03,526 Black awareness going on. 51 00:03:03,625 --> 00:03:07,263 And all that set an atmosphere in society, 52 00:03:07,361 --> 00:03:08,831 in the world 53 00:03:08,930 --> 00:03:11,334 that was not being reflected in comics at all. 54 00:03:12,833 --> 00:03:15,504 The idea was to get a group of Black creators, 55 00:03:15,604 --> 00:03:16,973 create some characters, 56 00:03:17,071 --> 00:03:18,382 the likes of which had not been seen 57 00:03:18,406 --> 00:03:19,608 in comics before, 58 00:03:19,707 --> 00:03:21,244 and really tell our stories. 59 00:03:21,337 --> 00:03:23,913 But we have to filter it to our own experience. 60 00:03:24,740 --> 00:03:27,783 - Veteran artist Denys Cowan, along with Dwayne McDuffie, 61 00:03:27,882 --> 00:03:30,119 Derek Dingle, and Michael Davis 62 00:03:30,218 --> 00:03:33,489 created Milestone Media in 1991. 63 00:03:33,588 --> 00:03:35,724 And while they had no shortage of ideas, 64 00:03:35,823 --> 00:03:38,627 they needed an investor and distributor. 65 00:03:38,726 --> 00:03:41,197 - What DC represented to us at the time 66 00:03:41,290 --> 00:03:42,531 was, one, a potential partner, 67 00:03:42,630 --> 00:03:44,267 and as people who are probably more 68 00:03:44,366 --> 00:03:45,834 open to what we were trying to do, 69 00:03:45,933 --> 00:03:48,104 which is why we went to DC in the first place. 70 00:03:50,938 --> 00:03:53,442 - And it's extraordinarily rare for a company 71 00:03:53,541 --> 00:03:56,145 that is the oldest and most corporately owned company 72 00:03:56,244 --> 00:03:59,348 in a field to be the disrupter and the innovator. 73 00:03:59,448 --> 00:04:00,917 And we were that. 74 00:04:02,884 --> 00:04:05,249 - With DC's backing, Milestone set out 75 00:04:05,353 --> 00:04:08,157 to become the first successful comic book company 76 00:04:08,256 --> 00:04:10,593 owned by creators of color. 77 00:04:10,691 --> 00:04:13,462 Their characters turned superhero archetypes 78 00:04:13,562 --> 00:04:15,198 on their heads. 79 00:04:15,297 --> 00:04:17,967 - So instead of a strange being from another planet 80 00:04:18,065 --> 00:04:20,836 crash landing on Earth to be found by Ma and Pa Kent, 81 00:04:20,934 --> 00:04:23,372 we had a strange being from another planet crash landing 82 00:04:23,471 --> 00:04:26,209 on Earth founded by slaves. 83 00:04:26,306 --> 00:04:29,812 - We have African-American writers and artists creating 84 00:04:29,911 --> 00:04:32,916 characters and talking about their lives and communicating 85 00:04:33,014 --> 00:04:35,251 something very personal about themselves 86 00:04:35,349 --> 00:04:38,487 through these superhero stories. 87 00:04:38,586 --> 00:04:40,656 - We never set out to tackle issues. 88 00:04:40,755 --> 00:04:42,858 We set out to tell great stories. 89 00:04:42,956 --> 00:04:45,628 There was a lot of themes about police violence 90 00:04:45,727 --> 00:04:48,397 and racial inequality. 91 00:04:48,496 --> 00:04:50,199 People weren't even dealing with that. 92 00:04:50,298 --> 00:04:51,867 And we were, like, all in it. 93 00:04:52,967 --> 00:04:56,105 - There was just this range of characters, 94 00:04:56,204 --> 00:04:57,806 this range of identities. 95 00:04:57,905 --> 00:05:03,046 The diversity within the diversity was so, so powerful. 96 00:05:03,143 --> 00:05:05,848 Always led with entertainment, but it was never 97 00:05:05,946 --> 00:05:08,351 afraid to get in people's grills and be real. 98 00:05:09,851 --> 00:05:12,588 - When I was growing up, I rarely ever saw 99 00:05:12,687 --> 00:05:14,023 people who looked like me 100 00:05:14,122 --> 00:05:15,491 in the comics that I was reading. 101 00:05:15,590 --> 00:05:16,892 And when they did show up, 102 00:05:16,991 --> 00:05:18,511 they were almost always either villains 103 00:05:18,593 --> 00:05:20,896 or comic relief sidekicks. 104 00:05:20,996 --> 00:05:23,032 They were never the hero, almost never. 105 00:05:23,931 --> 00:05:26,669 I collected those early Milestone comics. 106 00:05:26,762 --> 00:05:31,474 I came away with this feeling that anybody could be a hero. 107 00:05:31,572 --> 00:05:34,978 - In their head-to-head battle against storied superheroes, 108 00:05:35,076 --> 00:05:38,047 Milestone's characters initially held their ground. 109 00:05:38,146 --> 00:05:41,117 But the founders faced ongoing resistance 110 00:05:41,216 --> 00:05:42,818 in the majority White industry. 111 00:05:42,918 --> 00:05:45,989 - We ran into executives at DC. 112 00:05:46,088 --> 00:05:48,024 And these marketing and sales people 113 00:05:48,123 --> 00:05:49,466 would get up and say they can't sell 114 00:05:49,490 --> 00:05:51,260 no Black comic books. 115 00:05:51,358 --> 00:05:53,304 That's the kind of stuff we had to deal with all the time. 116 00:05:53,328 --> 00:05:55,406 So the people who were supposed to be helping you move 117 00:05:55,430 --> 00:05:57,066 your product are the very people who 118 00:05:57,165 --> 00:05:59,735 don't think your product is worthy of being moved. 119 00:06:01,569 --> 00:06:05,074 - The Milestone team put more sweat equity into their work 120 00:06:05,172 --> 00:06:07,876 than any human beings should ever have to do on anything. 121 00:06:07,976 --> 00:06:10,446 They work with passion, with dedication. 122 00:06:11,178 --> 00:06:14,683 Milestone did things that changed what comics were 123 00:06:14,782 --> 00:06:18,021 and that reached people that we'd never reached before. 124 00:06:19,554 --> 00:06:22,358 - As new icons drew fans to comics, 125 00:06:22,456 --> 00:06:26,862 Tim Burton's Batman returned to the big screen. 126 00:06:26,961 --> 00:06:29,832 Michael Keaton donned the cowl and cape once more, 127 00:06:29,931 --> 00:06:32,868 with a feline, Michelle Pfeiffer. 128 00:06:32,968 --> 00:06:35,438 - I am Catwoman. 129 00:06:35,537 --> 00:06:37,073 Hear me roar. 130 00:06:37,172 --> 00:06:39,108 - Inspired by the growing hunger 131 00:06:39,207 --> 00:06:41,444 for the enigmatic caped crusader, 132 00:06:41,542 --> 00:06:46,482 Bruce Timm designed and helmed a brand new animated series. 133 00:06:46,581 --> 00:06:49,085 He envisioned a dark and gritty Gotham 134 00:06:49,183 --> 00:06:52,188 unlike anything else on Saturday mornings. 135 00:06:52,287 --> 00:06:53,289 - ♪ We're tiny ♪ 136 00:06:53,388 --> 00:06:54,557 - ♪ We're toony ♪ 137 00:06:54,655 --> 00:06:56,292 ♪ We're all a little looney ♪ 138 00:06:56,391 --> 00:06:58,302 - Saturday morning animation, at that time, it was, 139 00:06:58,326 --> 00:07:00,663 well, they're cartoons. Don't forget they're cartoons. 140 00:07:00,762 --> 00:07:03,066 And, you know, you can't beat 'em up too bad. 141 00:07:03,164 --> 00:07:04,901 And don't make 'em scary. 142 00:07:04,999 --> 00:07:07,270 Give them some laughs and things like that. 143 00:07:07,368 --> 00:07:08,905 And we didn't have to. 144 00:07:09,003 --> 00:07:10,748 There really was a sense communicated from the top 145 00:07:10,772 --> 00:07:13,437 on down, "Do the Batman you want to do." 146 00:07:16,444 --> 00:07:18,181 - We knew what we didn't want. 147 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,917 We didn't want the show to seem like 148 00:07:21,015 --> 00:07:23,286 every other adventure show on TV. 149 00:07:23,384 --> 00:07:26,222 We wanted the show to be appealing to kids 150 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,959 because we knew they were our primary intended audience. 151 00:07:30,057 --> 00:07:32,456 But at the same time, we wanted a show that we ourselves 152 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,063 would watch as adults. 153 00:07:36,297 --> 00:07:38,367 - Once I saw what Bruce was doing with the artwork, 154 00:07:38,466 --> 00:07:41,104 with the storyboards, and then the animation coming in, 155 00:07:41,202 --> 00:07:43,806 and you add on that the music that Shirley Walker 156 00:07:43,904 --> 00:07:46,142 was adding and the voices... 157 00:07:49,611 --> 00:07:51,347 - Then it really was a dream come true. 158 00:08:02,558 --> 00:08:03,726 Kids liked it. 159 00:08:03,825 --> 00:08:05,228 Adults liked it. 160 00:08:05,327 --> 00:08:06,629 Comic book fans liked it. 161 00:08:06,728 --> 00:08:08,297 It was one of those rare times when 162 00:08:08,396 --> 00:08:09,974 you get to work with a team and everybody hits 163 00:08:09,998 --> 00:08:11,667 the bullseye the first time out. 164 00:08:16,103 --> 00:08:19,275 - The show featured Batman's classic rogues gallery 165 00:08:19,374 --> 00:08:22,211 but also introduced a wild card to Gotham... 166 00:08:22,310 --> 00:08:25,181 - Harley Quinn. Pleased to meet ya. 167 00:08:25,279 --> 00:08:29,752 - Joker's wisecracking sidekick, Harley Quinn. 168 00:08:29,850 --> 00:08:32,755 - Harley Quinn had a very modest start. 169 00:08:32,853 --> 00:08:34,924 I was writing an episode called "Joker's Favor." 170 00:08:35,023 --> 00:08:36,425 And then I was thinking, like, OK, 171 00:08:36,519 --> 00:08:37,799 Joker's gotta have some henchmen. 172 00:08:37,892 --> 00:08:39,362 Maybe there's a couple of goons. 173 00:08:39,461 --> 00:08:41,864 And maybe there's a girl. 174 00:08:41,962 --> 00:08:44,400 And that's all I really thought about it. 175 00:08:44,500 --> 00:08:46,169 - Hear, hear! 176 00:08:46,266 --> 00:08:48,111 - When I was coming up with the character, I thought, 177 00:08:48,135 --> 00:08:50,173 what if she can crack jokes and she gets laughs 178 00:08:50,266 --> 00:08:51,908 and the Joker doesn't? 179 00:08:52,006 --> 00:08:55,044 - It's amazing what you find in people's glove compartments. 180 00:08:56,577 --> 00:09:00,849 - To be a creator of these characters in any capacity, 181 00:09:00,948 --> 00:09:03,419 you're kind of a kid playing in a sandbox 182 00:09:03,518 --> 00:09:06,655 with communal toys. 183 00:09:06,754 --> 00:09:08,157 Even though I created the character, 184 00:09:08,256 --> 00:09:10,293 it's only mine to play with for, you know, 185 00:09:10,392 --> 00:09:12,228 a brief amount of time. 186 00:09:14,429 --> 00:09:17,000 - When Gothamites hear the name Harley Quinn, 187 00:09:17,099 --> 00:09:18,667 I want 'em to piss themselves. 188 00:09:18,766 --> 00:09:21,637 I want a taste of that. - You want to taste of... 189 00:09:21,735 --> 00:09:24,840 It's very rated R in here. 190 00:09:24,939 --> 00:09:27,776 - Here we go. Let's just play the scene once, please. 191 00:09:27,875 --> 00:09:29,453 You're in the middle of a bloody gunfire fight. 192 00:09:29,477 --> 00:09:32,548 Ah! 193 00:09:32,648 --> 00:09:34,050 I love science. 194 00:09:34,149 --> 00:09:35,684 - Will you make it totally sincere? 195 00:09:35,783 --> 00:09:39,655 Ugh! I love science. 196 00:09:40,321 --> 00:09:42,191 I should mention it is a very adult series. 197 00:09:42,289 --> 00:09:45,528 I would not recommend young children watching it. 198 00:09:48,529 --> 00:09:49,765 If you want an adult series, 199 00:09:49,865 --> 00:09:51,134 you want it to be Harley Quinn. 200 00:09:51,232 --> 00:09:52,542 You don't think I'm chaotic and crazy 201 00:09:52,566 --> 00:09:54,837 and make a bunch of messes? 202 00:09:54,937 --> 00:09:56,705 She's as edgy as it gets. 203 00:09:56,804 --> 00:09:58,807 I basically spend most of the time in the booth 204 00:09:58,906 --> 00:10:00,676 screaming and cussing, which has been 205 00:10:00,776 --> 00:10:02,178 really therapeutic for me. 206 00:10:02,276 --> 00:10:04,914 off. I'm busy reflecting! 207 00:10:05,013 --> 00:10:07,850 Thank you. 208 00:10:07,949 --> 00:10:10,886 As psychotic as she is, she is quite grounded. 209 00:10:10,986 --> 00:10:12,956 And she really takes care of her crew. 210 00:10:13,055 --> 00:10:14,823 - This whole scene... - Yes. 211 00:10:14,922 --> 00:10:16,492 - You are begging her to understand you 212 00:10:16,590 --> 00:10:17,693 and to believe you. - Yes. 213 00:10:17,792 --> 00:10:19,362 - Oh, I love you, Ive. 214 00:10:19,460 --> 00:10:22,498 - It's really about her growth as an adult and as a woman 215 00:10:22,596 --> 00:10:24,901 and as someone who's in control of her own destiny 216 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,470 because she relied on Joker for so long. 217 00:10:28,469 --> 00:10:31,207 It's very female empowerment. 218 00:10:31,306 --> 00:10:34,177 She's kind of, weirdly, a good example. 219 00:10:34,275 --> 00:10:35,844 She shouldn't be killing people, 220 00:10:35,943 --> 00:10:37,780 but she is actually a good example because 221 00:10:37,879 --> 00:10:39,382 she wants to step out on her own. 222 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,150 - You gonna kill me now? 223 00:10:41,248 --> 00:10:44,787 - No, I want you alive so I can see the look on your face 224 00:10:44,886 --> 00:10:46,822 when I'm running this town. 225 00:10:50,658 --> 00:10:54,497 - Before DC's runaway success evolving its characters, 226 00:10:54,596 --> 00:10:57,901 the company stumbled in the late '90s. 227 00:11:02,804 --> 00:11:05,208 - The Iceman cometh! 228 00:11:05,306 --> 00:11:09,145 - Superheroes turned into self-parody on screen. 229 00:11:09,243 --> 00:11:13,917 Comics sales stagnated after comic book investors failed. 230 00:11:14,015 --> 00:11:16,619 And Milestone Media shut down 231 00:11:16,718 --> 00:11:18,787 after just four years, 232 00:11:18,886 --> 00:11:22,425 its demise relegated to a footnote. 233 00:11:22,524 --> 00:11:25,228 Faced with a midlife identity crisis, 234 00:11:25,326 --> 00:11:29,098 DC sought to sign the industry's hottest talent. 235 00:11:29,191 --> 00:11:32,835 They first set their sights on rock star artist Jim Lee 236 00:11:32,935 --> 00:11:35,671 and his company Wildstorm. 237 00:11:35,771 --> 00:11:37,740 - I started at DC in 1998. 238 00:11:37,839 --> 00:11:40,343 That's when they bought Wildstorm. 239 00:11:40,441 --> 00:11:42,445 One of the reasons I sold the company 240 00:11:42,543 --> 00:11:45,081 was so that I could hand the business functions 241 00:11:45,179 --> 00:11:47,983 off to the people that worked at DC. 242 00:11:49,283 --> 00:11:51,887 And then that would allow me to get back and draw 243 00:11:51,987 --> 00:11:53,422 and create comic books, you know, 244 00:11:53,521 --> 00:11:54,966 which is the reason why I got into the business 245 00:11:54,990 --> 00:11:57,460 in the first place. 246 00:11:57,558 --> 00:12:01,397 - Jim Lee coming to DC after the work he did at Marvel 247 00:12:01,496 --> 00:12:04,800 and Founding Image Comics is about as seismic 248 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:07,870 as Jack Kirby coming to DC from Marvel 249 00:12:07,969 --> 00:12:09,305 in the early 1970s. 250 00:12:13,908 --> 00:12:17,846 This is somebody who redefined comic book storytelling 251 00:12:17,946 --> 00:12:19,715 for an entire generation. 252 00:12:20,848 --> 00:12:23,886 Nobody would have expected him to end up at DC, 253 00:12:23,985 --> 00:12:27,723 and not just at DC, but as somebody stewarding 254 00:12:27,823 --> 00:12:29,625 the future of the company. 255 00:12:29,724 --> 00:12:32,561 - As the millennium dawned, Jim Lee's dynamic 256 00:12:32,660 --> 00:12:36,032 and detailed artwork revitalized DC's image 257 00:12:36,131 --> 00:12:38,601 and defined its roster of characters 258 00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:40,369 for the 21st century. 259 00:12:42,604 --> 00:12:44,840 - As creatives, we tell these stories 260 00:12:44,939 --> 00:12:46,442 'cause we love these characters 261 00:12:46,540 --> 00:12:48,644 and we love storytelling. 262 00:12:51,946 --> 00:12:55,384 But we also know that storytelling is a great way 263 00:12:55,483 --> 00:12:58,754 of dealing with our own personal anxieties or fears, 264 00:12:58,852 --> 00:13:03,859 and certainly during tumultuous periods of crisis 265 00:13:03,959 --> 00:13:05,694 that has been proven over and over. 266 00:13:09,131 --> 00:13:10,666 - I was working on a Wonder Woman story 267 00:13:10,765 --> 00:13:14,537 where the Joker had taken control of Air Force One 268 00:13:14,636 --> 00:13:17,240 and crashed it into Times Square. 269 00:13:20,308 --> 00:13:22,211 As that book was going to print, 270 00:13:22,310 --> 00:13:24,147 the events of 9/11 occurred. 271 00:13:30,752 --> 00:13:32,688 We very quickly had to pull the book back. 272 00:13:32,787 --> 00:13:34,557 We had to alter that story. 273 00:13:34,656 --> 00:13:37,026 Wonder Woman saved Times Square. 274 00:13:37,119 --> 00:13:39,228 But more importantly, there was a big fight 275 00:13:39,327 --> 00:13:43,766 at the end between Superman and Wonder Woman. 276 00:13:43,865 --> 00:13:48,071 And it ended on a page... 277 00:13:48,169 --> 00:13:53,943 and it ended on a page where Superman 278 00:13:54,042 --> 00:13:57,580 sort of crumpled in Wonder Woman's arms 279 00:13:57,678 --> 00:14:00,950 as he reflected on the people that he couldn't save. 280 00:14:03,050 --> 00:14:06,322 And she comforted him and said that 281 00:14:06,421 --> 00:14:08,324 we're gonna make it through. 282 00:14:10,091 --> 00:14:11,827 And I remember having a big fight 283 00:14:11,926 --> 00:14:13,596 with the editor in chief about this. 284 00:14:13,695 --> 00:14:17,366 His belief was that Superman should be heroic and powerful 285 00:14:17,465 --> 00:14:19,702 and that that was what the nation needed. 286 00:14:20,635 --> 00:14:23,867 And I tried to explain that this one moment would not take 287 00:14:23,972 --> 00:14:26,142 anything away from Superman. 288 00:14:27,342 --> 00:14:30,813 And also, it was a Wonder Woman moment. 289 00:14:30,912 --> 00:14:33,249 This is what she does. 290 00:14:35,584 --> 00:14:38,054 To this day... 291 00:14:38,152 --> 00:14:39,688 I'm so glad I fought for it. 292 00:14:39,787 --> 00:14:43,626 And I think DC made the right decision to keep it. 293 00:14:45,693 --> 00:14:49,765 - When the nation fell victim to an act of terrorism, 294 00:14:49,864 --> 00:14:53,536 superheroes gave way to real-life heroes, 295 00:14:53,635 --> 00:14:57,806 ordinary citizens who risked everything to restore 296 00:14:57,906 --> 00:15:01,044 people's faith in humanity. 297 00:15:01,143 --> 00:15:02,545 - Most of the comic book companies 298 00:15:02,644 --> 00:15:05,881 wanted to do something to benefit the victims, 299 00:15:05,980 --> 00:15:07,516 the first responders. 300 00:15:09,217 --> 00:15:11,487 DC decided we wanted to do a book. 301 00:15:14,822 --> 00:15:18,995 The cover's an homage to a classic DC cover, 302 00:15:19,094 --> 00:15:20,414 "The Big All-American Comic Book," 303 00:15:20,495 --> 00:15:22,265 sort of one of the first annuals 304 00:15:22,364 --> 00:15:23,928 ever done in comics. 305 00:15:24,865 --> 00:15:27,003 And we managed to raise a few hundred thousand dollars 306 00:15:27,101 --> 00:15:29,472 for the good cause and do some stories 307 00:15:29,570 --> 00:15:32,408 that I think have some real power and some impact. 308 00:15:36,344 --> 00:15:38,314 - The more complex our world gets 309 00:15:38,412 --> 00:15:42,085 and whether it's an external force or an internal strife 310 00:15:42,184 --> 00:15:43,586 that we're having as a country, 311 00:15:43,684 --> 00:15:46,022 the more we rely on these characters. 312 00:15:47,389 --> 00:15:49,625 They're the perfect stories by which to, I think, 313 00:15:49,724 --> 00:15:52,328 question things and challenge these things but also 314 00:15:52,426 --> 00:15:54,863 remind us that, at the end of the day, 315 00:15:54,963 --> 00:15:56,961 you can overcome these challenges 316 00:15:57,065 --> 00:15:58,634 and be better for it. 317 00:16:07,675 --> 00:16:11,976 - An uneasy post-9/11 world called for a superhero 318 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,518 to conquer fear itself. 319 00:16:15,618 --> 00:16:16,981 - Action. 320 00:16:17,084 --> 00:16:20,489 - A British director with no background in comics 321 00:16:20,588 --> 00:16:22,891 harkened the Dark Knight's return. 322 00:16:26,428 --> 00:16:28,331 - Along comes Christopher Nolan 323 00:16:28,430 --> 00:16:32,301 with a movie called "Batman Begins" 324 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,405 back when reboot wasn't really a word that was 325 00:16:36,504 --> 00:16:40,209 so commonly associated with movies and franchises 326 00:16:40,308 --> 00:16:42,411 and everything else. 327 00:16:42,510 --> 00:16:44,350 And the idea that they were gonna tell Batman's 328 00:16:44,446 --> 00:16:49,418 origin story again and tell it in a really granular way 329 00:16:49,517 --> 00:16:53,322 felt kind of revolutionary. 330 00:17:05,633 --> 00:17:08,637 - My interest was in taking on a superhero story 331 00:17:08,736 --> 00:17:11,074 but treating it in a realistic fashion, 332 00:17:11,173 --> 00:17:13,376 grounding the film in reality, 333 00:17:13,474 --> 00:17:15,511 admittedly a heightened reality, 334 00:17:15,610 --> 00:17:18,314 but never looking at it as a comic book movie 335 00:17:18,413 --> 00:17:20,783 or just a comic book movie. 336 00:17:20,882 --> 00:17:23,152 Roll cameras, please. 337 00:17:23,251 --> 00:17:24,687 Good luck, everyone. 338 00:17:24,786 --> 00:17:26,189 Action. 339 00:17:30,725 --> 00:17:32,195 Ahh! 340 00:17:33,994 --> 00:17:38,367 - The second installment of Nolan's trilogy 341 00:17:38,466 --> 00:17:41,065 expanded on the psychology of the characters 342 00:17:41,168 --> 00:17:44,473 and transformed the Caped Crusader's arch nemesis 343 00:17:44,572 --> 00:17:47,643 into a full-fledged terrorist. 344 00:17:49,643 --> 00:17:53,516 - Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. 345 00:17:53,614 --> 00:17:56,019 - I think the Joker is the logical response 346 00:17:56,117 --> 00:17:59,222 to a character like Batman. 347 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:03,392 - Why so serious? 348 00:18:03,491 --> 00:18:06,795 - Partly because Batman raised the sort of extremity 349 00:18:06,895 --> 00:18:08,131 of behavior in Gotham. 350 00:18:08,229 --> 00:18:09,598 You know, he's putting on a mask, 351 00:18:09,697 --> 00:18:11,109 jumping off buildings, and fighting crime. 352 00:18:17,305 --> 00:18:19,175 I don't wanna kill you. 353 00:18:19,273 --> 00:18:21,210 What would I do without you? 354 00:18:21,309 --> 00:18:23,646 You complete me. 355 00:18:26,281 --> 00:18:28,184 - Heath Ledger's performance earned him 356 00:18:28,283 --> 00:18:30,586 a posthumous Academy Award, 357 00:18:30,684 --> 00:18:32,888 the first for a cinematic portrayal 358 00:18:32,988 --> 00:18:34,991 of a comic book character. 359 00:18:35,823 --> 00:18:37,863 - People say to me, which one did you like the most? 360 00:18:37,925 --> 00:18:39,728 I said, Christopher Nolan, in my opinion, 361 00:18:39,827 --> 00:18:42,265 only made one movie in three acts. 362 00:18:42,364 --> 00:18:44,833 It is beautifully structured that way. 363 00:18:46,266 --> 00:18:50,639 What Christopher Nolan did was elevate the genre from people 364 00:18:50,738 --> 00:18:52,749 just saying, "Oh, that was a great comic book movie," 365 00:18:52,773 --> 00:18:56,179 to at last they just say, "That was a great film." 366 00:18:57,845 --> 00:18:59,949 - Christopher Nolan's trilogy dominated 367 00:19:00,047 --> 00:19:05,754 the box office, earning nearly $2.5 billion worldwide. 368 00:19:06,754 --> 00:19:09,125 But the success put pressure 369 00:19:09,218 --> 00:19:10,793 on newly appointed copublishers 370 00:19:10,891 --> 00:19:14,197 Jim Lee and Dan DiDio to save the slumping 371 00:19:14,296 --> 00:19:16,099 comic book business. 372 00:19:16,197 --> 00:19:17,400 - People used to say to me, 373 00:19:17,499 --> 00:19:19,202 "Who do you consider competition?" 374 00:19:19,295 --> 00:19:20,911 And I would say, Marvel's not my competition. 375 00:19:20,935 --> 00:19:23,973 I said, TV and film, that's my competition. 376 00:19:24,071 --> 00:19:27,810 If they become the arbiters and the voices of the characters, 377 00:19:27,908 --> 00:19:29,913 then what we do becomes irrelevant. 378 00:19:31,679 --> 00:19:35,284 - For inventive ideas, DC turned to fan favorite writer 379 00:19:35,383 --> 00:19:38,988 Geoff Johns for his bold take on a classic character 380 00:19:39,086 --> 00:19:43,359 from the '50s, Barry Allen as the Flash. 381 00:19:43,458 --> 00:19:45,138 - I thought, I needed to rethink his origin 382 00:19:45,193 --> 00:19:47,563 'cause literally he'd never had a modern-day origin. 383 00:19:48,996 --> 00:19:50,967 And so I went into, like, time travel and, like, 384 00:19:51,065 --> 00:19:53,937 having someone who is a crime scientist. 385 00:19:54,036 --> 00:19:55,438 Their mother was killed. 386 00:19:55,536 --> 00:19:57,140 Their father went to prison for it. 387 00:19:57,237 --> 00:19:59,608 He was obsessed with trying to find out who did it. 388 00:19:59,707 --> 00:20:01,610 And because of that, his life had 389 00:20:01,709 --> 00:20:03,947 just stood still emotionally. 390 00:20:04,044 --> 00:20:06,515 And then becoming the Flash is all about just you've 391 00:20:06,614 --> 00:20:07,850 gotta keep moving forward. 392 00:20:07,950 --> 00:20:09,552 No matter what tragedy happens, 393 00:20:09,650 --> 00:20:11,387 you gotta keep moving forward. 394 00:20:13,482 --> 00:20:15,258 Right when I settled on that story, 395 00:20:15,355 --> 00:20:18,261 I knew that I wanted to tell a two-year arc for Barry Allen. 396 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:19,862 And the last story I wanted to tell 397 00:20:19,961 --> 00:20:22,365 was "Flashpoint," with him going back in time 398 00:20:22,458 --> 00:20:24,100 and saving his mom and changing history. 399 00:20:27,535 --> 00:20:29,372 And it was gonna be this crazy version 400 00:20:29,471 --> 00:20:32,441 of the DC Universe that was overly violent. 401 00:20:32,540 --> 00:20:35,411 And it looked different because of this change 402 00:20:35,511 --> 00:20:37,046 that Barry made. 403 00:20:38,213 --> 00:20:40,716 - Taking a page from Johns' "Flashpoint," 404 00:20:40,815 --> 00:20:43,552 Lee and DiDio seized the chance to upend 405 00:20:43,651 --> 00:20:46,089 every single DC storyline. 406 00:20:46,187 --> 00:20:47,898 - They came to me and said, "We're gonna reboot 407 00:20:47,922 --> 00:20:50,426 "the DC Universe, and we wanna use this to do it. 408 00:20:51,859 --> 00:20:55,798 The truth is that "Flashpoint" was never designed to do that. 409 00:20:55,897 --> 00:20:57,700 They kinda, like, hopped onto it 410 00:20:57,799 --> 00:20:59,376 because there was an opportunity that time was open 411 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:00,703 and we wanna change everything. 412 00:21:02,270 --> 00:21:06,175 - DC relaunched the universe with 52 new titles, 413 00:21:06,274 --> 00:21:09,612 a nod to the number of earths in the multiverse. 414 00:21:09,710 --> 00:21:11,647 The company released new issues 415 00:21:11,747 --> 00:21:13,682 in print and digital formats 416 00:21:13,781 --> 00:21:17,120 simultaneously for the first time ever. 417 00:21:17,218 --> 00:21:20,789 - "New 52" was basically an opportunity to reach 418 00:21:20,888 --> 00:21:23,892 a new fanbase, to find an entry point for everyone 419 00:21:23,991 --> 00:21:26,862 to find our characters, to contemporize them, 420 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,099 to bring them down in age so they weren't our fathers' 421 00:21:30,198 --> 00:21:32,568 and grandfathers' superheroes. 422 00:21:32,667 --> 00:21:34,570 In order to make the level of impact, 423 00:21:34,668 --> 00:21:36,239 we had to do something of a scale 424 00:21:36,337 --> 00:21:37,417 that we hadn't seen before. 425 00:21:38,974 --> 00:21:41,010 - Head upstairs. Thank you, sir. 426 00:21:41,109 --> 00:21:42,946 - Here in Midtown Manhattan, fans are 427 00:21:43,043 --> 00:21:45,309 anticipating the release of the new number one issue 428 00:21:45,413 --> 00:21:46,649 of "The Justice League." 429 00:21:46,747 --> 00:21:49,518 - I came as the "New 52" Supergirl. 430 00:21:49,618 --> 00:21:51,620 - And Black Canary. 431 00:21:51,719 --> 00:21:54,523 - Because of "New 52," people were really excited 432 00:21:54,622 --> 00:21:56,625 about this reboot, this fresh chance 433 00:21:56,724 --> 00:22:00,063 to hop onto this new universe and read 434 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,465 about these characters with fresh perspective, 435 00:22:02,564 --> 00:22:04,300 with none of the baggage that came before. 436 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:06,002 - It's cool. 437 00:22:06,100 --> 00:22:07,003 - There you go. 438 00:22:07,102 --> 00:22:08,537 Just go around that way. 439 00:22:08,636 --> 00:22:11,740 - Fairly or unfairly, DC does have 440 00:22:11,839 --> 00:22:15,411 a reputation with fans of constantly 441 00:22:15,510 --> 00:22:16,980 trying to reset things. 442 00:22:20,180 --> 00:22:22,185 When the biggest headline grabbers are things 443 00:22:22,284 --> 00:22:24,921 like, "We've just restarted the entire line, 444 00:22:25,019 --> 00:22:27,223 "and not just with new first issues 445 00:22:27,322 --> 00:22:31,094 but with brand-new continuity," it worked. 446 00:22:31,193 --> 00:22:33,029 It got readers into comic shops. 447 00:22:33,127 --> 00:22:35,206 But there was a certain segment of the audience that felt 448 00:22:35,230 --> 00:22:37,361 a little betrayed by that, too. 449 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:41,804 - I think the people in charge know what they're doing, 450 00:22:41,902 --> 00:22:44,207 and I hope that everything goes great. 451 00:22:44,305 --> 00:22:45,975 But it's a huge risk. 452 00:22:46,807 --> 00:22:48,285 - Normally, when you're a fan, you go like, 453 00:22:48,309 --> 00:22:50,154 oh, if I were in charge, this is what I would do 454 00:22:50,178 --> 00:22:51,990 with the characters, these are the kinds of stories 455 00:22:52,014 --> 00:22:53,249 I would chart. 456 00:22:53,348 --> 00:22:54,826 And you find yourself in that position. 457 00:22:54,850 --> 00:22:56,452 You go, like, oh crap, like, 458 00:22:56,551 --> 00:22:59,383 what can we do with this? 459 00:22:59,482 --> 00:23:01,385 We wanted to be respectful of the past. 460 00:23:01,484 --> 00:23:03,659 But at the same time, we wanted to forge 461 00:23:03,758 --> 00:23:06,362 a new future going forward. 462 00:23:06,461 --> 00:23:09,165 - Part of my goal was to bring a little bit of a swagger 463 00:23:09,264 --> 00:23:10,866 to DC. 464 00:23:12,761 --> 00:23:14,470 We've gotta get people excited about what 465 00:23:14,569 --> 00:23:17,373 we're doing now than what they read when they were kids. 466 00:23:17,472 --> 00:23:19,475 And that was the mission, and "New 52" 467 00:23:19,573 --> 00:23:20,951 was the realization of that mission. 468 00:23:20,975 --> 00:23:23,346 And it set fire to the business. 469 00:23:25,012 --> 00:23:27,583 - As it sought to expand its fan base, 470 00:23:27,682 --> 00:23:30,586 DC showed a willingness to take even more risks 471 00:23:30,686 --> 00:23:32,488 with its characters 472 00:23:32,587 --> 00:23:36,492 by evolving the universe in video games. 473 00:23:36,591 --> 00:23:38,061 - I'd played video games all my life. 474 00:23:38,159 --> 00:23:41,064 But I hadn't really done the nuts and bolts of it. 475 00:23:41,161 --> 00:23:44,600 Writing a video game on the scope of "Arkham Asylum" 476 00:23:44,700 --> 00:23:46,430 was extremely challenging. 477 00:23:49,337 --> 00:23:51,774 An engaging experience for a passive viewer 478 00:23:51,872 --> 00:23:54,810 is not the same thing at all for a gamer. 479 00:23:56,878 --> 00:24:00,349 - The Batman "Arkham" series merged superhero fantasy 480 00:24:00,448 --> 00:24:02,446 with action adventure. 481 00:24:02,545 --> 00:24:04,153 Players experienced the freedom 482 00:24:04,252 --> 00:24:07,290 to explore a vast, open world. 483 00:24:07,388 --> 00:24:10,193 That immersion pushed role-playing games 484 00:24:10,291 --> 00:24:11,827 to the next level. 485 00:24:16,931 --> 00:24:19,835 Upping the ante, DC teamed up with one of 486 00:24:19,934 --> 00:24:22,805 the most successful and controversial video game 487 00:24:22,904 --> 00:24:27,010 franchises, Mortal Kombat." 488 00:24:27,108 --> 00:24:31,047 - "Mortal Kombat" is this hyperviolent universe. 489 00:24:31,146 --> 00:24:32,476 And DC isn't. 490 00:24:34,449 --> 00:24:38,254 A big part of my childhood was comic books and video games. 491 00:24:38,353 --> 00:24:40,623 I never wanted to cut Batman's head off. 492 00:24:40,722 --> 00:24:42,525 I felt that was just kind of crossing a line. 493 00:24:44,092 --> 00:24:45,694 - But we really wanted to do something 494 00:24:45,793 --> 00:24:48,564 that was kind of really pushing that envelope 495 00:24:48,664 --> 00:24:50,033 with DC characters. 496 00:24:51,627 --> 00:24:54,003 That coupled with the head not covering it 497 00:24:54,102 --> 00:24:55,571 and you'll totally see his hand. 498 00:24:56,203 --> 00:24:58,908 - Ed Boon persuaded executives to let him create 499 00:24:59,007 --> 00:25:01,177 a violent DC Universe inside 500 00:25:01,276 --> 00:25:04,213 a "Mortal Kombat" -style fighting game 501 00:25:04,312 --> 00:25:06,015 called "Injustice." 502 00:25:06,780 --> 00:25:09,785 - Up until that point, the DC stories 503 00:25:09,885 --> 00:25:11,387 had Superman as a boy scout. 504 00:25:11,486 --> 00:25:13,689 And we really wanted to kind ask the question, 505 00:25:13,789 --> 00:25:15,658 what if Superman went bad? 506 00:25:17,725 --> 00:25:20,096 What if Superman actually killed? 507 00:25:24,197 --> 00:25:26,970 - The last thing you wanna do is just constantly just create 508 00:25:27,069 --> 00:25:28,972 the same thing over again. 509 00:25:29,070 --> 00:25:31,274 There's a pretense that these characters are porcelain, 510 00:25:31,372 --> 00:25:32,608 meaning you can't touch 'em. 511 00:25:32,707 --> 00:25:34,107 Gotta put 'em on shelf. Don't touch. 512 00:25:34,142 --> 00:25:35,685 They're breakable. You could destroy them. 513 00:25:35,709 --> 00:25:37,313 You could destroy this, destroy that. 514 00:25:37,412 --> 00:25:39,949 And the truth is they're not. They're rock-hard diamonds. 515 00:25:40,047 --> 00:25:41,617 So that means you've gotta take risks. 516 00:25:41,716 --> 00:25:43,619 You've gotta try. 517 00:25:43,718 --> 00:25:45,088 We felt like we were 518 00:25:45,186 --> 00:25:47,456 carving out our own piece of the pie 519 00:25:47,555 --> 00:25:49,525 of the multiverse. 520 00:25:49,624 --> 00:25:54,263 We really helped solidify video games as a form of telling 521 00:25:54,362 --> 00:25:56,099 these amazing stories. 522 00:25:57,432 --> 00:25:59,735 - To cultivate players of all ages... 523 00:25:59,835 --> 00:26:02,105 - Is that a new spacesuit? 524 00:26:02,203 --> 00:26:04,740 - DC LEGO games took characters 525 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:06,976 in the opposite direction. 526 00:26:07,074 --> 00:26:09,278 The interactive adventures gave fans a chance 527 00:26:09,377 --> 00:26:12,381 to embody any character, regardless 528 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,351 of race, gender, or fashion. 529 00:26:15,450 --> 00:26:18,154 - Now, children are playing video games 530 00:26:18,253 --> 00:26:22,158 as their first entrance into that imaginative world, 531 00:26:22,257 --> 00:26:24,693 their first exposure to these characters. 532 00:26:26,227 --> 00:26:29,198 Reading a story means living the story 533 00:26:29,297 --> 00:26:31,901 with those characters in your imagination. 534 00:26:31,999 --> 00:26:34,337 But playing the story gives players, 535 00:26:34,435 --> 00:26:37,406 and particularly young players, the opportunity 536 00:26:37,505 --> 00:26:39,642 to create their own story. 537 00:26:40,769 --> 00:26:43,512 - DC's video games seeded ideas 538 00:26:43,611 --> 00:26:45,548 that flourished elsewhere. 539 00:26:45,647 --> 00:26:47,716 Batman! Whoa! 540 00:26:47,816 --> 00:26:48,985 - You're darn right, whoa. 541 00:26:52,586 --> 00:26:55,091 - With President Diane Nelson at the helm, 542 00:26:55,189 --> 00:26:58,827 DC Comics changed its name to DC Entertainment 543 00:26:58,926 --> 00:27:00,829 and sought to exploit the characters 544 00:27:00,928 --> 00:27:03,732 more aggressively across all media. 545 00:27:03,831 --> 00:27:05,475 - I love these characters and these stories enough. 546 00:27:05,499 --> 00:27:07,303 For me, they should be adapted in everything 547 00:27:07,402 --> 00:27:11,540 they can be adapted in 'cause I wanna see them everywhere. 548 00:27:11,639 --> 00:27:15,411 - With superhero fandom reaching an all-time high, 549 00:27:15,510 --> 00:27:19,482 Marvel and DC battled for supremacy at the cinema. 550 00:27:19,580 --> 00:27:23,286 But neither rival had yet to fully conquer television 551 00:27:23,385 --> 00:27:25,721 when DC approached Greg Berlanti, 552 00:27:25,819 --> 00:27:29,758 a prolific drama producer and lifelong comic book fan. 553 00:27:29,857 --> 00:27:31,760 - You had these characters who were 554 00:27:31,860 --> 00:27:34,163 of the world but different. 555 00:27:36,030 --> 00:27:38,334 And their difference was the thing that ultimately 556 00:27:38,433 --> 00:27:41,637 kept them distant from everyone but also 557 00:27:41,737 --> 00:27:43,739 was part of their heroism. 558 00:27:44,805 --> 00:27:47,343 And I was a closeted gay kid. 559 00:27:47,442 --> 00:27:49,812 And they were, you know, my friends. 560 00:27:51,078 --> 00:27:53,316 I remember connecting with them in that way 561 00:27:53,413 --> 00:27:56,219 and feeling like, oh, these were people that had a secret. 562 00:27:57,318 --> 00:28:00,656 I was very often as interested in their alias 563 00:28:00,755 --> 00:28:03,226 as I was their superhero character. 564 00:28:05,660 --> 00:28:08,797 - Berlanti's first series premiered in 2012 565 00:28:08,896 --> 00:28:12,768 and centered on billionaire Oliver Queen, who fights crime 566 00:28:12,868 --> 00:28:15,204 as the alias Green Arrow... 567 00:28:15,303 --> 00:28:17,974 Part Robin Hood, part Batman. 568 00:28:18,073 --> 00:28:20,209 Action! 569 00:28:20,308 --> 00:28:22,245 - There was a sense of a man getting 570 00:28:22,343 --> 00:28:23,947 vengeance for an entire community 571 00:28:24,045 --> 00:28:25,314 that felt left behind. 572 00:28:29,484 --> 00:28:31,484 We pitched that at the end of act one of the pilot, 573 00:28:31,519 --> 00:28:33,756 we would see the Green Arrow kill a character. 574 00:28:33,855 --> 00:28:35,591 - Nobody can know my secret. 575 00:28:38,460 --> 00:28:40,964 - And I think it was so shocking for the audience 576 00:28:41,063 --> 00:28:43,332 at that time that it immediately 577 00:28:43,431 --> 00:28:45,534 made people realize, narratively, they didn't 578 00:28:45,633 --> 00:28:46,711 know what we were gonna do. 579 00:28:46,735 --> 00:28:48,371 Hopefully he becomes a hero. 580 00:28:48,469 --> 00:28:50,147 - I used to think the vigilante was a criminal, too. 581 00:28:50,171 --> 00:28:52,175 But it seems to me whoever he is, 582 00:28:52,273 --> 00:28:54,777 he's willing to sacrifice an awful lot to help 583 00:28:54,876 --> 00:28:56,379 the people of this city. 584 00:28:56,478 --> 00:28:58,847 It kinda makes him a hero, doesn't it? 585 00:29:00,415 --> 00:29:02,685 - By using a character that isn't one of the big three, 586 00:29:02,784 --> 00:29:05,454 you can have a lot more fun and be a lot more experimental 587 00:29:05,553 --> 00:29:07,957 without being bogged down by the expectations 588 00:29:08,055 --> 00:29:10,526 that come with being a much bigger character. 589 00:29:12,026 --> 00:29:14,097 - "Arrow" attracted a sizable following. 590 00:29:14,195 --> 00:29:16,399 And after just two seasons, 591 00:29:16,497 --> 00:29:20,203 Berlanti was tasked with taking on another superhero, 592 00:29:20,301 --> 00:29:24,440 expanding the DC TV Universe in a flash. 593 00:29:26,807 --> 00:29:29,078 - They had tried a Flash show 20 years before. 594 00:29:29,176 --> 00:29:32,415 They couldn't render the spirit of the character's powers 595 00:29:32,513 --> 00:29:34,583 for... you know, with the technology they had 596 00:29:34,682 --> 00:29:36,485 on a network television basis. 597 00:29:36,585 --> 00:29:38,054 - 3, 2, 1. Action. 598 00:29:38,153 --> 00:29:39,783 - We wanted to sort of go into his speed 599 00:29:39,887 --> 00:29:42,558 and make the audience feel what that would feel like. 600 00:29:45,327 --> 00:29:47,630 And that was the most connectivity I had 601 00:29:47,729 --> 00:29:49,398 to that rush I had as a kid. 602 00:29:52,733 --> 00:29:55,638 - As more series spun off, like "Supergirl," 603 00:29:55,737 --> 00:29:59,042 each one delivered a signature mix of heart, 604 00:29:59,140 --> 00:30:01,177 humor, and spectacle. 605 00:30:02,410 --> 00:30:05,281 - By far, my most favorite bit about "Supergirl" 606 00:30:05,379 --> 00:30:08,051 really comes from her motto that's 607 00:30:08,150 --> 00:30:10,486 been there throughout the comics up till now, 608 00:30:10,584 --> 00:30:12,688 is hope, help, and compassion for all. 609 00:30:12,787 --> 00:30:14,390 I just love her kindness. 610 00:30:14,489 --> 00:30:16,926 And I love how much she cares about really helping people 611 00:30:17,025 --> 00:30:18,494 and making a difference. 612 00:30:18,592 --> 00:30:21,097 - Earth doesn't have just one hero anymore. 613 00:30:21,196 --> 00:30:23,967 Now it has me. 614 00:30:24,059 --> 00:30:26,469 - The interconnected television world became 615 00:30:26,568 --> 00:30:28,737 known as the Arrowverse. 616 00:30:28,836 --> 00:30:30,714 - That's what they would do with the comic books. 617 00:30:30,738 --> 00:30:32,175 We were building the world the way 618 00:30:32,274 --> 00:30:35,178 that they probably built the world initially 619 00:30:35,276 --> 00:30:38,481 and expanding the universes that way. 620 00:30:38,579 --> 00:30:40,783 I always felt like comic books in general 621 00:30:40,881 --> 00:30:43,519 lent themselves much more to television than to film 622 00:30:43,618 --> 00:30:46,289 because they were episodic in nature. 623 00:30:46,388 --> 00:30:48,491 It just felt like the art form really fit. 624 00:30:50,458 --> 00:30:52,128 - We were just really impressed 625 00:30:52,226 --> 00:30:54,463 by the ambitions that they had 626 00:30:54,562 --> 00:30:56,832 and how they brought the DC Universe to life. 627 00:30:58,699 --> 00:31:01,070 They started building off the foundation of the comics 628 00:31:01,169 --> 00:31:03,172 and doing their own storytelling. 629 00:31:06,307 --> 00:31:08,377 We kind of lamented the fact that, in a way, 630 00:31:08,476 --> 00:31:10,679 they kinda replaced some of the audience that 631 00:31:10,778 --> 00:31:12,748 was following comic books because they could get, 632 00:31:12,846 --> 00:31:15,651 essentially, their fix through watching these TV shows. 633 00:31:17,752 --> 00:31:21,290 - As DC characters flooded the entertainment landscape, 634 00:31:21,389 --> 00:31:24,193 the company decided to relocate. 635 00:31:24,292 --> 00:31:27,063 After eight decades, DC publishing 636 00:31:27,162 --> 00:31:29,298 closed its New York offices. 637 00:31:29,397 --> 00:31:32,601 For some, it marked the end of an era. 638 00:31:32,700 --> 00:31:36,039 - The comics come and go. The people change. 639 00:31:36,138 --> 00:31:37,540 But the heart that's been felt here 640 00:31:37,638 --> 00:31:38,949 from everybody that's been here from day one 641 00:31:38,973 --> 00:31:40,343 has been spectacular. 642 00:31:40,441 --> 00:31:42,081 And I want to thank you all for being here 643 00:31:42,110 --> 00:31:43,387 and being part of this final day. 644 00:31:43,411 --> 00:31:44,513 So... - Hear, hear. 645 00:31:44,613 --> 00:31:47,350 All: Cheers! 646 00:31:47,448 --> 00:31:48,985 - It was heart wrenching, you know? 647 00:31:49,084 --> 00:31:50,853 And it was physically challenging. 648 00:31:50,952 --> 00:31:53,889 But the staff was exceptional. 649 00:31:53,989 --> 00:31:55,332 We're trying to still put out books 650 00:31:55,356 --> 00:31:56,960 'cause we're a monthly business. 651 00:31:57,059 --> 00:31:58,402 That's something you gotta remind yourself 652 00:31:58,426 --> 00:32:00,329 on a regular basis when you work in comics, 653 00:32:00,428 --> 00:32:02,265 you know, it's a business. 654 00:32:02,364 --> 00:32:04,567 At the end of the day, it's a business. 655 00:32:04,665 --> 00:32:08,237 The president of DC Entertainment, Diane Nelson, 656 00:32:08,336 --> 00:32:10,539 called the decision and resulting layoffs 657 00:32:10,638 --> 00:32:13,509 the most difficult of her career. 658 00:32:15,939 --> 00:32:18,982 DC's move West made it clear. 659 00:32:19,081 --> 00:32:21,050 America's first comics company 660 00:32:21,149 --> 00:32:23,586 now had its heart set on Hollywood. 661 00:32:24,552 --> 00:32:26,555 Epic action director Zack Snyder 662 00:32:26,654 --> 00:32:29,025 presented an ambitious crossover vision 663 00:32:29,124 --> 00:32:30,559 for an extended universe 664 00:32:30,658 --> 00:32:34,931 in "Batman v Superman, Dawn of Justice." 665 00:32:35,030 --> 00:32:36,961 - Bruce Wayne meets Clark Kent. 666 00:32:37,065 --> 00:32:38,734 Ha! I love it. 667 00:32:39,534 --> 00:32:42,138 - Snyder also reintroduced a character 668 00:32:42,237 --> 00:32:45,141 who'd been sidelined since the '70s. 669 00:32:46,274 --> 00:32:48,111 - She with you? 670 00:32:48,210 --> 00:32:49,778 - I thought she was with you. 671 00:32:49,877 --> 00:32:52,615 - The film's 2016 release coincided 672 00:32:52,714 --> 00:32:55,784 with Wonder Woman's 75th anniversary. 673 00:32:55,883 --> 00:32:58,554 That fall, the United Nations named her 674 00:32:58,653 --> 00:33:01,057 honorary ambassador for the empowerment 675 00:33:01,156 --> 00:33:03,459 of women and girls. 676 00:33:03,557 --> 00:33:08,664 - We are working with new and unconventional partners 677 00:33:08,763 --> 00:33:13,136 and forming creative alliances so that 678 00:33:13,235 --> 00:33:17,873 we can reach the widest possible global audience. 679 00:33:19,507 --> 00:33:21,877 - But the distinction sparked backlash. 680 00:33:23,478 --> 00:33:26,449 - We don't think that a fictitious comic book 681 00:33:26,547 --> 00:33:28,918 character wearing basically what looks like 682 00:33:29,016 --> 00:33:31,887 a Playboy Bunny outfit is really the right message 683 00:33:31,986 --> 00:33:35,358 we need to send to girls, or even boys for that matter, 684 00:33:35,456 --> 00:33:37,093 about what strong women are in the world. 685 00:33:37,192 --> 00:33:40,229 We think that is a toxic message to be sending. 686 00:33:41,229 --> 00:33:43,599 - The controversy didn't deter director 687 00:33:43,698 --> 00:33:46,102 Patty Jenkins, who blazed a trail 688 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,804 to Wonder Woman's solo film debut. 689 00:33:48,903 --> 00:33:51,407 - In the process of making a Wonder Woman film, 690 00:33:51,500 --> 00:33:55,411 you're facing resistance at every step from the world. 691 00:33:55,509 --> 00:33:57,613 - Stay here. I'll go ahead. 692 00:33:57,711 --> 00:34:01,684 - I struggle all the time with my faith in mankind, 693 00:34:01,783 --> 00:34:03,486 as I'm sure we all do, 694 00:34:03,585 --> 00:34:05,188 going through the social crisis 695 00:34:05,287 --> 00:34:07,090 in every way on our planet 696 00:34:07,189 --> 00:34:09,125 and watching the vitriol and hatred 697 00:34:09,224 --> 00:34:10,693 online and amongst people. 698 00:34:10,791 --> 00:34:13,196 And yet, what would Wonder Woman do? 699 00:34:13,294 --> 00:34:15,631 - Be careful in the world of men, Diana. 700 00:34:17,365 --> 00:34:19,402 They do not deserve you. 701 00:34:21,636 --> 00:34:23,839 - I came into a situation where everyone 702 00:34:23,938 --> 00:34:28,144 was very afraid to make her incredibly attractive at all. 703 00:34:28,242 --> 00:34:29,712 - What are you doing? 704 00:34:29,810 --> 00:34:31,288 - You can't do that because you're not wearing any... 705 00:34:31,312 --> 00:34:32,982 You're not wearing any clothes. 706 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:35,158 - And I kept saying, well, you wouldn't do that to Superman. 707 00:34:35,182 --> 00:34:37,653 Like, you wouldn't do that to any of these other characters. 708 00:34:37,752 --> 00:34:39,655 Why are you doing that to my character? 709 00:34:39,754 --> 00:34:43,592 - Is this what passes for armor in your country? 710 00:34:43,691 --> 00:34:45,294 - It's not about sleeping with her. 711 00:34:45,393 --> 00:34:46,762 It's not about that. 712 00:34:46,861 --> 00:34:50,766 It's about making her my dream... 713 00:34:50,865 --> 00:34:53,970 of if I could have it all in this kind of way, 714 00:34:54,068 --> 00:34:57,540 I would look great too, just like the men would. 715 00:34:57,638 --> 00:34:59,842 I'd be bigger and stronger and cooler and taller 716 00:34:59,940 --> 00:35:01,780 and all the... you know, like, all these things 717 00:35:01,843 --> 00:35:03,212 that we all have. 718 00:35:03,311 --> 00:35:04,854 Get at them, and then get down, looking around, 719 00:35:04,878 --> 00:35:06,524 looking at what you're doing, getting in position. 720 00:35:06,548 --> 00:35:08,151 Keep the electricity of, am I lined up? 721 00:35:08,250 --> 00:35:09,953 Is it gonna hit? Is that a good target? 722 00:35:10,051 --> 00:35:12,788 Yes, it is. Eyes on the prize of what you're doing. 723 00:35:17,925 --> 00:35:19,695 - Patty and I actually had many, 724 00:35:19,793 --> 00:35:22,365 many creative conversation about this character. 725 00:35:22,463 --> 00:35:26,335 Her vision for Diana was in line with mine. 726 00:35:26,434 --> 00:35:28,071 Wonder Woman, she's everything. 727 00:35:28,169 --> 00:35:33,076 She can be vulnerable and sensitive and being strong 728 00:35:33,174 --> 00:35:35,078 and being badass and fight. 729 00:35:43,551 --> 00:35:47,090 - Wonder Woman shattered the cinematic ceiling, 730 00:35:47,188 --> 00:35:50,259 making history as the first superhero blockbuster 731 00:35:50,358 --> 00:35:54,530 directed by and starring women. 732 00:35:54,629 --> 00:35:56,549 - All the critics kind of point to that one scene 733 00:35:56,592 --> 00:35:59,903 in the no man's land where she rises up out of the trenches. 734 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,639 It was literally the physical act of empowerment of agency, 735 00:36:03,739 --> 00:36:05,574 of standing up for yourself. 736 00:36:05,673 --> 00:36:08,611 I think that that came at the right cultural moment 737 00:36:08,709 --> 00:36:11,714 and just really resonated with audiences worldwide. 738 00:36:12,980 --> 00:36:16,219 - Wonder Woman came out right before a global uprising 739 00:36:16,318 --> 00:36:18,087 against sexual violence, 740 00:36:18,186 --> 00:36:19,822 the 741 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,259 All: Hey, hey, ho, ho, sexual violence has got to go. 742 00:36:23,358 --> 00:36:25,394 Me too. All: Me too. 743 00:36:25,493 --> 00:36:27,796 Me too. All: Me too. 744 00:36:27,896 --> 00:36:30,233 - She's forever relevant. 745 00:36:33,100 --> 00:36:39,442 She will be relevant in the 2040s, in the 2090s. 746 00:36:39,540 --> 00:36:42,111 She'll be relevant because she's us. 747 00:36:46,146 --> 00:36:50,786 - An all-star team up soon followed in November 2017. 748 00:36:50,884 --> 00:36:54,557 From the Flash to Aquaman, even more superheroes 749 00:36:54,655 --> 00:36:58,194 joined the same universe in "Justice League." 750 00:36:58,293 --> 00:37:00,396 - I'm putting together a team of people 751 00:37:00,495 --> 00:37:02,798 with special abilities. 752 00:37:04,198 --> 00:37:07,736 - But after an underwhelming box office run and the promise 753 00:37:07,835 --> 00:37:11,207 of streaming, filmmaker Zack Snyder got the chance 754 00:37:11,306 --> 00:37:13,509 to realize his original vision 755 00:37:13,607 --> 00:37:16,745 with a four-hour director's recut. 756 00:37:16,844 --> 00:37:19,782 - Part of the reason why DC is such a global phenomenon 757 00:37:19,881 --> 00:37:21,125 today is, obviously, the media... 758 00:37:21,149 --> 00:37:22,551 The movies and the TV shows. 759 00:37:22,650 --> 00:37:25,188 But I think the storytelling obviously 760 00:37:25,286 --> 00:37:28,691 needs to change to stay relevant and contemporary. 761 00:37:29,623 --> 00:37:31,394 Our storytelling is sort of the tip 762 00:37:31,492 --> 00:37:35,398 of the spear in making social change at the end of the day. 763 00:37:36,592 --> 00:37:38,767 - When I originally pitched "The Other History 764 00:37:38,866 --> 00:37:42,638 of the DC Universe," I had no idea how they would feel 765 00:37:42,737 --> 00:37:46,009 about a reassessment, a deconstruction of 766 00:37:46,106 --> 00:37:49,145 the DC Universe, looking at it with regard to race 767 00:37:49,243 --> 00:37:53,649 and representation and really taking moments that, 768 00:37:53,747 --> 00:37:56,052 to be kind, haven't aged well. 769 00:37:56,151 --> 00:37:59,188 - In his five-part series released in 2020, 770 00:37:59,286 --> 00:38:02,691 Oscar-winning writer John Ridley corrected problematic 771 00:38:02,790 --> 00:38:06,095 storylines from DC's past and gave voice 772 00:38:06,194 --> 00:38:08,031 to marginalized characters. 773 00:38:08,129 --> 00:38:10,900 - If we're not doing everything we can to make sure 774 00:38:10,998 --> 00:38:15,338 that the storytelling space is more reflective when we leave 775 00:38:15,431 --> 00:38:17,806 than when we arrive, we're really not building 776 00:38:17,905 --> 00:38:21,377 on the real legacy of companies like DC. 777 00:38:23,711 --> 00:38:26,615 - If you look at the folks that are telling stories 778 00:38:26,709 --> 00:38:30,453 within the universe today, I would argue that it's probably 779 00:38:30,552 --> 00:38:32,588 the most diverse set of creators 780 00:38:32,687 --> 00:38:35,124 that the universe has ever seen. 781 00:38:36,291 --> 00:38:38,761 - When acclaimed graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang 782 00:38:38,859 --> 00:38:42,031 joined DC, he traveled back in time 783 00:38:42,129 --> 00:38:46,469 to tell a contemporary story about race in America. 784 00:38:46,568 --> 00:38:48,332 - Faster than a speeding bullet. 785 00:38:48,436 --> 00:38:50,673 - In 1946, the Superman radio show aired 786 00:38:50,772 --> 00:38:52,541 "The Klan of the Fiery Cross," 787 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:54,543 a story where the Man of Steel defends 788 00:38:54,642 --> 00:38:56,412 a Chinese-American family against 789 00:38:56,511 --> 00:38:58,847 a group of hooded racists. 790 00:39:06,754 --> 00:39:09,458 - In "Superman Smashes the Klan," 791 00:39:09,557 --> 00:39:11,760 Yang reinterpreted the radio classic 792 00:39:11,859 --> 00:39:14,497 through the modern lens of an Asian family 793 00:39:14,595 --> 00:39:17,266 who had moved to Metropolis. 794 00:39:17,365 --> 00:39:20,769 - The themes that they were talking about in 1946 795 00:39:20,868 --> 00:39:25,674 on the Superman radio show still resonated so deeply. 796 00:39:25,773 --> 00:39:27,543 We wanted to use the story as a way 797 00:39:27,641 --> 00:39:30,813 of examining things that were happening in our world today. 798 00:39:30,913 --> 00:39:33,582 All: You will not replace us. 799 00:39:41,689 --> 00:39:42,800 - I do think, though, that that's one 800 00:39:42,824 --> 00:39:44,893 of the powers of DC Comics. 801 00:39:44,992 --> 00:39:47,796 You can talk about the present by reflecting 802 00:39:47,895 --> 00:39:50,433 on the past, all within this one universe 803 00:39:50,532 --> 00:39:52,568 that's decades old. 804 00:39:55,736 --> 00:39:59,042 - Looking at my kids who are half Korean growing up, 805 00:39:59,140 --> 00:40:05,048 I would hate for them to feel embarrassed or... 806 00:40:05,147 --> 00:40:10,186 Or wanting to distance themselves 807 00:40:10,284 --> 00:40:11,920 from who they literally are. 808 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:16,259 And I think that's why it's paramount that the content 809 00:40:16,358 --> 00:40:19,795 we create, the storytelling we do really elevates 810 00:40:19,893 --> 00:40:23,799 and showcases the importance of being different, 811 00:40:23,898 --> 00:40:25,768 why that is something to be celebrated 812 00:40:25,868 --> 00:40:28,104 and how that is a superpower. 813 00:40:29,737 --> 00:40:31,707 - That hunger for diverse points of view 814 00:40:31,806 --> 00:40:33,842 led to the relaunch of Milestone Media 815 00:40:33,941 --> 00:40:36,745 in 2021, nearly three decades after its 816 00:40:36,845 --> 00:40:39,048 groundbreaking debut. 817 00:40:39,147 --> 00:40:41,517 - You have to constantly reinvent what you're doing. 818 00:40:41,616 --> 00:40:44,820 You have to constantly pump new life into these characters. 819 00:40:44,918 --> 00:40:46,355 But you know what? Let's try this. 820 00:40:46,454 --> 00:40:48,357 Let's try that. Let's try this. 821 00:40:48,456 --> 00:40:50,193 Let's keep it fresh. 822 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:54,563 - Alongside two of the original founders, 823 00:40:54,662 --> 00:40:56,865 Hollywood heavyweight Reginald Hudlin 824 00:40:56,964 --> 00:41:00,169 signed on to help resurrect the company. 825 00:41:00,267 --> 00:41:03,106 - We knew we didn't want it to be a nostalgia company. 826 00:41:03,203 --> 00:41:05,874 If we're gonna remain true to the spirit of Milestone, 827 00:41:05,974 --> 00:41:07,743 we can't be stuck in the past. 828 00:41:07,842 --> 00:41:10,879 We had to take those characters and move them 829 00:41:10,979 --> 00:41:12,681 into the 21st century and go, 830 00:41:12,781 --> 00:41:14,850 well, what's cutting edge now? 831 00:41:15,950 --> 00:41:18,054 We're gonna do classic characters. 832 00:41:18,153 --> 00:41:20,256 We're gonna create original characters. 833 00:41:20,355 --> 00:41:24,727 And we're gonna be true to the name Milestone Media. 834 00:41:26,126 --> 00:41:29,365 - Milestone is undeniably the most important 835 00:41:29,463 --> 00:41:31,234 Black superhero universe. 836 00:41:31,331 --> 00:41:35,138 I think had there been more of a push to get those characters 837 00:41:35,236 --> 00:41:37,040 into the collective consciousness 838 00:41:37,137 --> 00:41:40,176 of the mainstream, maybe it never would have went away. 839 00:41:40,275 --> 00:41:41,945 - We were way ahead of our time. 840 00:41:42,042 --> 00:41:43,746 When we first started doing that material, 841 00:41:43,845 --> 00:41:45,317 the things we were talking about is stuff that people 842 00:41:45,341 --> 00:41:47,683 are starting to talk about now. 843 00:41:47,782 --> 00:41:49,318 It's a good time for us to come back, 844 00:41:49,417 --> 00:41:51,687 to keep raising these questions and keep 845 00:41:51,786 --> 00:41:54,390 exploring these topics, especially in light 846 00:41:54,489 --> 00:41:56,059 of what's going on today. 847 00:41:59,394 --> 00:42:03,967 - There's been a movement in our fandom in recent years 848 00:42:04,064 --> 00:42:07,636 to strip the politics from the comics that we produce. 849 00:42:07,735 --> 00:42:10,506 The funny thing is that so many of these DC Comics characters 850 00:42:10,604 --> 00:42:14,777 were inherently political from their inception. 851 00:42:14,876 --> 00:42:19,415 - It is no secret DC Comics has ruined superheroes, 852 00:42:19,514 --> 00:42:21,150 quite possibly for good, folks. 853 00:42:21,248 --> 00:42:25,549 It removed Superman's patriotic slogan, "the American way." 854 00:42:25,653 --> 00:42:30,093 - Instead, it will be replaced with, "and a better tomorrow." 855 00:42:30,191 --> 00:42:31,460 Wow. 856 00:42:31,559 --> 00:42:33,729 Why do you have to mess with something that's already 857 00:42:33,829 --> 00:42:35,431 been there for so long? 858 00:42:35,529 --> 00:42:39,268 If you want to create a woke superhero, create a new one. 859 00:42:42,837 --> 00:42:44,181 - I woke up this morning to find out 860 00:42:44,205 --> 00:42:48,111 the new Superman, bisexual. 861 00:42:48,209 --> 00:42:50,179 Finally! 862 00:42:50,277 --> 00:42:54,984 - Whatever you don't like about comics today, take a breath. 863 00:42:55,082 --> 00:42:57,954 It will change tomorrow because it always does. 864 00:42:58,053 --> 00:43:00,356 You have to change with society. 865 00:43:00,455 --> 00:43:01,790 People are freaking out 866 00:43:01,889 --> 00:43:03,526 because Superman's son is bisexual? 867 00:43:03,625 --> 00:43:05,194 Are you alive today? 868 00:43:05,293 --> 00:43:07,496 It's reflecting who we are today. 869 00:43:08,629 --> 00:43:11,700 You can't write stories like it's 1966 forever 870 00:43:11,799 --> 00:43:14,270 or like it's 1986 'cause it's not anymore. 871 00:43:14,369 --> 00:43:16,940 And the world is really, really different. 872 00:43:20,769 --> 00:43:22,678 - Comic book fandom is complicated. 873 00:43:22,777 --> 00:43:24,137 There is no fandom more passionate. 874 00:43:24,212 --> 00:43:26,315 And there is no fandom harder to please. 875 00:43:27,782 --> 00:43:30,386 When I think about "Watchmen," I think about how skeptical 876 00:43:30,485 --> 00:43:32,821 I was, because with "Watchmen," 877 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:34,480 you're dealing with a fandom that thinks 878 00:43:34,556 --> 00:43:36,292 it shouldn't be touched. 879 00:43:36,391 --> 00:43:38,761 - Skepticism among fans ran deep 880 00:43:38,859 --> 00:43:43,132 when DC announced plans for a Watchmen television series. 881 00:43:43,230 --> 00:43:47,136 Creator Damon Lindelof, known for the sci-fi series "Lost," 882 00:43:47,234 --> 00:43:50,373 sought to update the beloved comic for a modern audience. 883 00:43:50,471 --> 00:43:54,043 - When I was 13 years old and I first read "Watchmen," 884 00:43:54,142 --> 00:43:56,378 it was a religious experience. 885 00:43:57,778 --> 00:44:02,485 It taught me everything that I know about storytelling. 886 00:44:05,253 --> 00:44:06,956 - The original "Watchmen" took place 887 00:44:07,055 --> 00:44:09,092 in the '80s, the Reagan years. 888 00:44:09,189 --> 00:44:14,998 Nuclear anxiety was the defining fear of that time. 889 00:44:15,096 --> 00:44:17,033 So Damon said, OK, well, if I do it, 890 00:44:17,131 --> 00:44:19,335 what am I gonna talk about? 891 00:44:19,434 --> 00:44:21,470 - Rather than retell the "Watchmen" comics 892 00:44:21,569 --> 00:44:25,141 beat for beat, as the 2009 film did, 893 00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:27,911 Lindelof and his team created an all-new 894 00:44:28,003 --> 00:44:32,148 nine-episode story arc, as well as new characters. 895 00:44:33,948 --> 00:44:36,986 - Hello, detective. - Angela, right? 896 00:44:37,085 --> 00:44:40,189 Oh, am I not supposed to know who you are? 897 00:44:40,287 --> 00:44:43,192 - I started feeling like I might have an interesting way 898 00:44:43,291 --> 00:44:46,562 to do this that would honor the original without 899 00:44:46,661 --> 00:44:49,098 ripping off the original. 900 00:44:49,197 --> 00:44:51,167 - One of the questions that Watchmen asks, 901 00:44:51,265 --> 00:44:53,736 both the original and our version, 902 00:44:53,835 --> 00:44:55,871 is why do you put on a mask? 903 00:44:55,971 --> 00:44:57,273 Why would you do that? 904 00:44:57,372 --> 00:44:58,942 Where is the line between a superhero 905 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:01,044 and a vigilante and a cop? 906 00:45:02,343 --> 00:45:04,313 - Masks save lives. 907 00:45:07,816 --> 00:45:10,920 - Masks make men cruel. 908 00:45:12,519 --> 00:45:17,326 - I don't think HBO or DC or Warner's or anybody thought, 909 00:45:17,425 --> 00:45:20,063 we're gonna take the Holy Grail of comic books 910 00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:22,498 that isn't necessarily known for its Blackness, 911 00:45:22,597 --> 00:45:24,934 and we're gonna turn this into the most 912 00:45:25,032 --> 00:45:27,904 profound discussion of race in the superhero medium. 913 00:45:28,003 --> 00:45:29,438 - Sir, I'm with the FBI. 914 00:45:29,537 --> 00:45:31,207 Are your civil rights being violated? 915 00:45:31,306 --> 00:45:32,708 - They didn't read me my rights... 916 00:45:32,806 --> 00:45:33,785 - OK, sorry. I was just kidding. 917 00:45:33,809 --> 00:45:37,046 I don't care. 918 00:45:37,145 --> 00:45:38,814 - We want the America of "Watchmen" 919 00:45:38,914 --> 00:45:40,683 to feel familiar to people. 920 00:45:40,783 --> 00:45:42,551 - Roll them out! 921 00:45:44,118 --> 00:45:47,090 - So if it was an issue in our 2019, 922 00:45:47,188 --> 00:45:49,692 those things have to be issues in their 2019, 923 00:45:49,790 --> 00:45:52,195 because if it weren't, it wouldn't be relatable. 924 00:45:53,394 --> 00:45:56,732 - The story revolves around Angela Abar, a detective who 925 00:45:56,831 --> 00:45:59,535 battles police corruption and White terrorists 926 00:45:59,634 --> 00:46:02,371 as the masked hero Sister Night. 927 00:46:02,470 --> 00:46:04,507 - I got a nose for White supremacy, 928 00:46:04,605 --> 00:46:07,243 and he smells like bleach. 929 00:46:07,342 --> 00:46:10,879 - She's a superhero without superpowers 930 00:46:10,979 --> 00:46:13,649 but super skills and a brain. 931 00:46:14,282 --> 00:46:18,321 You don't have superpowers and you save the day, 932 00:46:18,419 --> 00:46:20,723 aren't you just, like, even more super? 933 00:46:25,327 --> 00:46:28,397 - The year after Sister Night, a starkly different kind 934 00:46:28,496 --> 00:46:30,866 of heroine stormed back on screen, 935 00:46:30,965 --> 00:46:34,703 devoid of both superpowers and sanity. 936 00:46:34,803 --> 00:46:35,972 - Hi, boys. 937 00:46:38,940 --> 00:46:40,804 - Harley is a catalyst of chaos. 938 00:46:40,909 --> 00:46:42,578 I always think of her that way. 939 00:46:42,676 --> 00:46:45,748 And I actually think it's better when she doesn't have 940 00:46:45,847 --> 00:46:49,986 to be your moral center or even your emotional center 941 00:46:50,085 --> 00:46:51,955 all the time because it just gives 942 00:46:52,053 --> 00:46:53,817 her more leeway to behave, I think, 943 00:46:53,922 --> 00:46:55,992 more authentically like her. 944 00:46:57,559 --> 00:46:58,761 - What? 945 00:46:58,860 --> 00:47:00,263 - Guided by director Cathy Yan, 946 00:47:00,362 --> 00:47:02,498 Robbie's performance in "Birds of Prey" 947 00:47:02,597 --> 00:47:05,935 cemented Harley Quinn as one of DC's hottest 948 00:47:06,034 --> 00:47:09,038 and most unhinged characters. 949 00:47:09,137 --> 00:47:11,975 - I love Harley because she is pure madness. 950 00:47:12,073 --> 00:47:13,709 And isn't there really a part of us 951 00:47:13,808 --> 00:47:17,746 that wants to just do whatever we want to do in the moment 952 00:47:17,846 --> 00:47:19,715 no matter what that is? 953 00:47:19,813 --> 00:47:23,152 - Harley's meteoric rise underscored the appeal 954 00:47:23,251 --> 00:47:25,989 of anti-heroes and helped pave the way 955 00:47:26,088 --> 00:47:28,757 for James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad." 956 00:47:28,856 --> 00:47:32,095 - So the first little sequence I have completely worked out. 957 00:47:32,193 --> 00:47:35,064 We open up in the cellar, pulling back from her 958 00:47:35,163 --> 00:47:37,266 as she comes out with the machine gun... 959 00:47:39,367 --> 00:47:41,404 And then her walking forward and firing 960 00:47:41,502 --> 00:47:44,607 as all the flowers and unicorns and shit come out of her. 961 00:47:49,710 --> 00:47:53,950 Superheroes are often presented as gods and goddesses 962 00:47:54,049 --> 00:47:55,251 and stuff like that. 963 00:47:55,349 --> 00:47:57,753 But my superheroes are not that. 964 00:47:57,853 --> 00:47:59,522 - Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late. 965 00:47:59,622 --> 00:48:00,823 I had to go number two. 966 00:48:00,922 --> 00:48:02,858 - Good to know. 967 00:48:02,958 --> 00:48:04,334 - Give them a pissed off look, like, 968 00:48:04,358 --> 00:48:05,761 "Are you kidding me? 969 00:48:05,861 --> 00:48:07,230 You just shot across my face?" 970 00:48:07,328 --> 00:48:08,564 - Yeah. - My superheroes 971 00:48:08,663 --> 00:48:11,334 are the assholes that are stuck 972 00:48:11,432 --> 00:48:13,669 playing in the fields of gods and goddesses. 973 00:48:18,039 --> 00:48:20,076 - He does throw polka dots at people. 974 00:48:21,675 --> 00:48:25,281 - "The Suicide Squad" was such a great comic book. 975 00:48:25,380 --> 00:48:27,984 The superhero movie became the most 976 00:48:28,083 --> 00:48:30,853 dominant form of cinematic storytelling 977 00:48:30,952 --> 00:48:32,655 because of technology. 978 00:48:34,655 --> 00:48:37,526 We're seeing superheroes do things on screen 979 00:48:37,625 --> 00:48:39,428 that were exactly like what we saw 980 00:48:39,527 --> 00:48:41,197 them doing in the comic books. 981 00:48:41,296 --> 00:48:42,899 And we were able to believe it. 982 00:48:49,370 --> 00:48:50,847 - Yes. It's gonna be... Yeah, it's gonna be 983 00:48:50,871 --> 00:48:52,937 all probably jump cuts... Jump, jump, jump, jump, 984 00:48:53,041 --> 00:48:56,012 jump, thomp, thomp, thomp. 985 00:48:56,111 --> 00:48:58,381 - James is such a visionary director. 986 00:48:58,479 --> 00:49:00,649 You can tell that the scope of the project 987 00:49:00,749 --> 00:49:02,185 is just gonna be massive. 988 00:49:03,117 --> 00:49:07,423 And it's also his humor is just so bizarre and funny. 989 00:49:07,522 --> 00:49:09,858 Like, the more specific something is, sometimes I feel 990 00:49:09,958 --> 00:49:11,527 like the more funny it is. 991 00:49:11,626 --> 00:49:13,896 And his humor is, like, incredibly weird and specific. 992 00:49:13,995 --> 00:49:15,198 - Hand. 993 00:49:15,296 --> 00:49:17,766 - Yes, that is your hand, Nanaue. 994 00:49:17,866 --> 00:49:19,368 Very good. 995 00:49:20,502 --> 00:49:23,306 - I do tell these stories that are pretty ugly stories. 996 00:49:23,404 --> 00:49:26,209 But finding something in them that is meaningful 997 00:49:26,307 --> 00:49:29,145 or hint of having faith in something greater, 998 00:49:30,145 --> 00:49:31,780 that's really important to me. 999 00:49:31,879 --> 00:49:34,750 And I think it grounds those stories more completely 1000 00:49:34,849 --> 00:49:38,654 by grounding it in real emotion and real human strife. 1001 00:49:40,255 --> 00:49:42,358 - "The Suicide Squad's" antihero ensemble 1002 00:49:42,457 --> 00:49:44,961 ran counter to the Righteous Trinity 1003 00:49:45,059 --> 00:49:48,864 and proved that DC's vast, ever-expanding universe 1004 00:49:48,963 --> 00:49:51,234 could appeal to almost anyone. 1005 00:49:52,700 --> 00:49:56,339 - Superheroes, super villains, anti-heroes. 1006 00:49:56,438 --> 00:49:58,341 For every person in the world, there is 1007 00:49:58,439 --> 00:50:02,611 a DC character for them that they can relate to. 1008 00:50:02,706 --> 00:50:04,080 - You have two choices. 1009 00:50:04,179 --> 00:50:07,450 You can be the destroyer of this world 1010 00:50:07,549 --> 00:50:10,119 or you can be its savior. 1011 00:50:11,352 --> 00:50:14,290 - When I was a kid, a guy like Black Adam, 1012 00:50:14,389 --> 00:50:16,825 he had his own moral code. 1013 00:50:16,925 --> 00:50:18,227 And that meant something to me. 1014 00:50:21,463 --> 00:50:23,299 - Comics are an incredible medium. 1015 00:50:23,398 --> 00:50:27,031 You can tell impactful stories about anything. 1016 00:50:27,135 --> 00:50:29,105 What you need is the courage to tell them. 1017 00:50:32,307 --> 00:50:34,110 - It's a privilege to tell these stories 1018 00:50:34,208 --> 00:50:35,211 with these characters. 1019 00:50:35,310 --> 00:50:37,013 But you're also a guardian 1020 00:50:37,111 --> 00:50:39,148 of them for a period of time. 1021 00:50:40,215 --> 00:50:42,785 - It's always a challenge to make sure 1022 00:50:42,884 --> 00:50:46,155 that as you're evolving, that you don't lose 1023 00:50:46,254 --> 00:50:48,257 the people who got you here. 1024 00:50:48,356 --> 00:50:52,228 And so that balance of making sure we have 1025 00:50:52,327 --> 00:50:56,365 enough to fuel our core superfan 1026 00:50:56,464 --> 00:51:02,105 but also deliver enough to create a new fan, 1027 00:51:02,203 --> 00:51:05,841 that nuance is really, really difficult. 1028 00:51:07,575 --> 00:51:11,114 - DC has endured for more than 80 years 1029 00:51:11,211 --> 00:51:15,651 by taking risks and pushing the envelope of storytelling. 1030 00:51:17,986 --> 00:51:19,788 - There's a saying in DC, 1031 00:51:19,887 --> 00:51:21,624 "publishing is the cornerstone." 1032 00:51:21,722 --> 00:51:24,560 We are making comics for the comic book market. 1033 00:51:24,659 --> 00:51:27,830 But we wanna come up with something new and cool 1034 00:51:27,928 --> 00:51:30,967 that the TV and movie people have never thought of. 1035 00:51:34,169 --> 00:51:35,604 We can do anything. 1036 00:51:35,703 --> 00:51:37,706 We don't have a special effects budget. 1037 00:51:39,407 --> 00:51:43,279 Our job is to incubate cool stories. 1038 00:51:43,378 --> 00:51:46,015 And we have no limits, essentially. 1039 00:51:46,114 --> 00:51:48,112 It's whatever we can draw. 1040 00:51:49,884 --> 00:51:51,988 - DC Comics, especially, it became 1041 00:51:52,086 --> 00:51:56,392 a place for ideas to be free and grow unlike anything else. 1042 00:51:56,490 --> 00:51:58,061 The ideas that are being developed 1043 00:51:58,159 --> 00:52:00,396 in that pool right now 1044 00:52:00,495 --> 00:52:01,972 are gonna be the ideas that conquer the world 1045 00:52:01,996 --> 00:52:04,600 for the next 25, next 100, next 200 years. 1046 00:52:06,867 --> 00:52:09,672 - With each generation of creators, 1047 00:52:09,771 --> 00:52:12,508 the stories they craft in panels 1048 00:52:12,607 --> 00:52:17,080 and in pixels evolve DC's roster of characters. 1049 00:52:17,178 --> 00:52:18,381 - Yeah! 1050 00:52:18,480 --> 00:52:21,350 - But their core remains true... 1051 00:52:21,449 --> 00:52:24,753 The power to restore our faith in humanity 1052 00:52:24,852 --> 00:52:28,224 and the promise of infinite possibility. 1053 00:52:28,322 --> 00:52:30,193 Yeah! 1054 00:52:30,291 --> 00:52:33,629 - All of us need to go back to being kids and picking up 1055 00:52:33,728 --> 00:52:35,864 comic books again and reminding ourselves, 1056 00:52:35,963 --> 00:52:38,902 why are we attracted to these stories? 1057 00:52:38,999 --> 00:52:40,869 Is it having power for the sake of power? 1058 00:52:40,968 --> 00:52:43,439 Or is it having power because we believe that 1059 00:52:43,538 --> 00:52:45,141 we can do the right thing? 1060 00:52:47,675 --> 00:52:49,312 - There's a reason we love superheroes. 1061 00:52:49,411 --> 00:52:51,175 They've embodied these great ideals. 1062 00:52:51,279 --> 00:52:53,316 And they're inspirational to all of us. 1063 00:52:54,949 --> 00:52:56,819 - At the end of the day, I think people look 1064 00:52:56,918 --> 00:52:59,155 to our characters not just for entertainment 1065 00:52:59,254 --> 00:53:01,890 but for heroes that they look up to. 1066 00:53:02,823 --> 00:53:04,627 We recognize the role we play 1067 00:53:04,725 --> 00:53:06,495 and the difference we can make. 1068 00:53:06,594 --> 00:53:09,698 And we are united in that mission. 1069 00:53:43,264 --> 00:53:45,301 - Greg, move your head.