Warner Bros Allegedly Wasn’t a Fan of Bruce Timm’s Blockbuster Idea For a Superman-Justice League Team-Up
Bruce Timm has had various groundbreaking ideas in his career. From transforming Superman’s personality to making Batman darker and more threatening, he has contributed immensely towards growing the animated universe of DC. Both Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series remain fan favorites to date and help inspire newer iterations of the characters and their diverse narratives.
However, not all of Timm’s ideas could see the light of day. Some were rejected by DC whereas others couldn’t work out due to some logistics issue. Nonetheless, Timm’s innovative approach to handling both signature DC superheroes has been widely appreciated.
Bruce Timm Proposed Bringing Together Superman and Justice League
The original plan, before the solo animated show for Justice League premiered, was to have Superman fight villains with the help of two members of the league. This would have helped build a relationship between the Justice League and the Man of Steel and paved the way for them to fully unite later on. While Bruce Timm thought this would work out well for them, DC’s then-President Jenette Kahn and Warner Bros opined otherwise.
They wanted to keep Superman as the center of attention on the show and build his personality further. Adding Justice League to the mix would have jumbled the process and diverted the viewers’ attention. However, Superman: The Animated series ultimately featured more heroes from DC including Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Flash, but the attention they got was secondary.
The concern was rational since too many chefs only spoil the dish. Having a wide range of characters in one show would make it harder to create individual storylines and showcase the best of every hero. Eventually, it all worked out for the best since Timm could only work on making the best version of Superman and revolutionizing the Kryptonian hero for the fans.
The idea could have worked wonders had it been done right. Fans have faith in Timm’s creative direction and believe that he would have found a way to do justice to Superman and all secondary characters alike.
Would Bruce Timm Ever Work on a Marvel Project?
Given his successful endeavor in breathing life into DC’s animated universe, fans have often wondered if Timm would consider partnering with Marvel Studios as well. It’s an understatement to say Timm is an experienced filmmaker and handles superhero material with finesse. It appears as though Timm is open to the idea, as he stated in a Q&A session with World’s Finest and Toon Zone,
“I’d consider it, if it were the right Marvel property, and if they would give me a decent budget, and if the Powers-That-Be were in sympatico with what I’d want to do with it. A whole lotta “ifs”! Look, I’m not under contract with WBA, but I’m not planning on going anywhere. Warners treats me right, the gang at DC have always been cool and the folks at Cartoon Network couldn’t be easier to work with. So, you see, the problem is, they’re spoiling me rotten! But I’d consider it….”
Even though Timm is currently working at Warner Bros., he may set out to find a new passion project and may stumble upon a Marvel property. His visionary approach to filmmaking and show running is inspirational to many. Along with loads of innovative ideas, Timm is not afraid to take risks despite being turned down a few times. He finally achieved his idea of having many diverse characters together on screen with Justice League Unlimited.
Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series are streaming on Max and Apple TV.
