Despite the resignation of Warner Bros. CEO and Chairman Kevin Tsujihara, the DC Extended Universe isn't likely to feel any major aftershock.
While many superhero fans feared that the departure of Tsujihara might negatively affect future DC Films, the truth is he had minimal influence in that area. He didn't greenlight films, nor did he impact the daily goings-on of the DC brand.
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Walter Hamada, President of DC Films, did not report to Tsujihara directly. He reported to Toby Emmerich, the Chairman of Warner Bros.' motion picture group. Emmerich will retain the ability to greenlight any and all films coming through the DC Films division of Warner Bros., and it's possible Emmerich could take Tsujihara's position as CEO.
Tsujihara announced his resignation as Warner Bros. CEO on Monday, following allegations of sexual harassment. During Tsujihara's tenure, Warner Bros. released several major films, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, Justice League and Aquaman. He was also in power during the production of several other upcoming DC films, including Shazam! and Joker.
Speaking of Shazam!, that project is handled by New Line Cinema, which is run by Richard Brener. His authority will not be affected by Tsujihar's departure, and any future Shazam projects, including a Shazam! sequel or a Black Adam film, will be greenlit by Brener himself.
Furthermore, there are numerous DC films already in production. Several projects, such as the aforementioned Joker, have finished shooting. Meanwhile, Birds of Prey is in the middle of principal photography. Of course, while it's always possible some projects may be canceled, it's unlikely that Tsujihara's departure will play a role in this.
Following the success of Aquaman at the international box office, the DC superhero machine has gone into full swing. It's unlikely any new CEO would put a stop to the lucrative moneymaker, especially when Tsujihara's potential future replacement played a role in getting films like Wonder Woman and Aquaman made in the first place.
That being said, DC fans can rest easy because for now, the future will remain on-course.
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Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, Djimon Hounsou as the ancient wizard Shazam, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick “Freddy” Freeman, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vásquez and Marta Milans as Rosa Vásquez. The film hits theaters April 5.
(via The Wrap)