Warner Bros put all its eggs into one basket, betting big on Suicide Squad last year. Unfortunately, Rocksteady’s latest release failed to measure up to Batman Arkham, leading to losses worth millions of dollars.
In the aftermath, the team seems to be pivoting to Batman again, but this failure shook Warner Bros’ entire gaming division. In fact, an insider states that the cancellation played a role in the recent closure of Monolith Productions.
Why it matters: Many fans were looking forward to Wonder Woman. With the project shutting down, there’s no telling when the superhero will receive another major gaming adaptation.
Jason Schreier, who broke the news of Wonder Woman’s initial cancellation, recently discussed the behind-the-scenes events ahead of Warner Bros’ final decision.
As per his report, Monolith Productions faced the challenge of rebuilding the team during the initial stages of Wonder Woman’s development. This happened because the former leads resigned over conflicting views with then Warner Bros boss David Haddad.
Schreier also revealed an interesting tidbit about the team’s latest implementation of the Nemesis System. Monolith Productions reportedly hoped to use the system to turn enemies into allies, though this did not work out.
The project was then rebooted with the aim of delivering an experience similar to God of War, but this was where Suicide Squad’s failure set in. Suicide Squad alone contributed to $200 million in losses, but it was far from the only disappointment Warner Bros faced last year.
Last year was so bad that that is essentially what led to everything that has just happened.
-Jason Schreier
Both Multiversus and Quidditch Champions contributed to a combined $100 million loss, spelling disaster for the entire gaming division. Following these losses, Warner Bros was no longer willing to give Monolith Productions more time to work on Wonder Woman and halted development.
The gaming giant is now expected to focus on core IPs and aim for surefire hits. Franchises like Batman, Harry Potter, and Mortal Kombat will take up most of the attention, leaving little room for less popular characters to shine.
