Do we really need Justice League movie? An argument for 'World's Finest'

Ever since Marvel broke box office bank with its super hero team up film "The Avengers," there's been talk of how DC would respond with their own team of super heroes in the form of a Justice League movie. However, while it's known that Warner Bros. has been working on a movie for some time, it's unsure how exactly they'll go about it. Will they follow in Marvel's foot steps and introduce each character one by one in their own individual movies? Or will they just slap together a Justice League movie and have all the characters on the big screen all at once?

Once upon a time, long before "The Avengers" shattered box office records, DC and Warner were fairly close to a Justice League movie. A script was written courtesy of George Miller, and parts were even cast, with Adam Brody as The Flash, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, D.J. Cotrona as the proverbial man of steel, rapper Common as Green Lantern (probably not Kyle Rayner), Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman, Hugh Keays as Martian Manhunter, and Armie Hammer to play the Dark Knight. Then the Writer's Guild strike hit, options for the cast lapsed, and Warner announced the movie was on indefinite hold. Since then, we've only had rumors to go on for who would write the script, who would direct, and who would act. 

For a while, it looked like DC was taking the "Marvel route," setting up each character individually. Questionable ending to the trilogy aside, Nolan's Batman movies had the dark knight well established, but then "Green Lantern" came, and, well...the movie's poor performance may have killed the idea of individually introducing other League members that the general audience isn't familiar with.

Going down that path will no doubt be a complex and time consuming process. By the time each League character has their own movie, "The Avengers" sequel could already be showing in theaters across the country. So why bother? Especially when there's another DC property that could do just as well as a Justice League movie (if not better), that everyone seems to have ignored with all this Justice League movie talk.

I'm talking about "World's Finest," the team up between arguably the two most well known and popular heroes of the DC Universe, Superman and Batman. 

The dots are already being connected. "Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder decided to have his film take place in the same universe as Nolan's Batman films. It was recently revealed that the movie's villain Zod flies through a satellite with "Wayne Enterprises" emblazoned across it. While it's more than likely meant as an easter egg for the fans, it's also a tantalizing taste at possible things to come. And as eagled eyed viewers who spotted a similar easter egg in "I Am Legend," at least a few in Hollywood have considered the idea.

But it's all still fairly reliant on the performance of "Man of Steel." Snyder's proved himself with comic based movies before, with "300," and "The Watchman," so the odds are clearly in his favor, especially with Nolan producing. This is the first time the two have teamed up, and if "Man of Steel" is a hit, it may not be the last. Nolan's involvement in a "World's Finest" movie could guarantee Bale's return to the cape and cowl, having said he wouldn't reprise the role without Nolan. Seeing the two DC titans on screen together in their own movie could easily do just as well, if not better, than a full blown Justice League movie.

On the other side, a World's Finest movie doesn't necesarrily have to take the place of a Justice League movie, it could actually serve to fast track its development. As readers of the comic know, the series often has other prominent members of the DC Universe feature, usually in a secondary role. Often, said characters are members of the League, or the Society, or however many other various groups there are with Justice in the name. A World's Finest movie could serve to introduce these characters, saving Warner the trouble and money of making individual movies, and still allowing, even amping up excitement for a Justice League movie. 

The ball's in Warner's court, but this is a great option. Whatever gets the Man of Tomorrow and the Dark Knight to share the silver screen will undoubtedly bring in the big bucks, and finally allow DC to be a worthy competitor to Marvel at the box office.