Written By Mikey Sutton • Editor-in-Chief • Owner
An anti-SnyderVerse WarnerMedia executive Ann Sarnoff is rumored for to be fired.
Per Deadline, WarnerMedia chairman Ann Sarnoff will likely not remain after the Discovery merger.
If accurate, this confirms my scoop from June 16, 2021.
I leaked that Sarnoff is “not expected to return” post-merger.
I’ve often repeated this on my YouTube shows with Syl Abdul.
To the general public, Sarnoff is an obscure figure.
However, to Snyderverse fans, she rankled followers on March 22, 2021.
She revealed to Variety that WarnerMedia would end the Snyderverse.
In other words, director Zack Snyder’s vision was no longer welcome at DC Films.
Thus, Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be his final bow.
Ann Sarnoff explained:
We wanted to give Zack the opportunity to complete his vision in a four-hour movie, which is impossible to do in theaters. We’re happy that we have HBO Max to let the rope out as it were and allow the fans to see all four-hours of Zack’s vision.
This ignited a firestorm on social media.
In fact, many still believe this will stick after the merger.
Anti-SnyderVerse WarnerMedia Exec Ann Sarnoff Rumored To Get Fired After Merger
Image: Warner Bros
Furthermore, they feel WarnerMedia remains the same after the Discovery merger.
On the contrary, mergers lead to massive departures and firings.
Deadline added that Sarnoff “registered little impact as chairman of WarnerMedia.”
While her leaving does not guarantee the Snyderverse will be restored, the dominoes begin to fall.
The Snyder Cut was a massive hit for HBO Max.
On the contrary, non-Snyder DC movies aside from Joker have not fared well.
For example, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad bombed at the box office.
Despite critical praise, The Suicide Squad really tanked.
With a production budget of $185 million, The Suicide Squad only earned $167.4 million globally.
The anti-Snyder crowd attempted to defend it.
They blamed COVID-19 and a simultaneous HBO Max release.
Yet Halloween Kills almost doubled The Suicide Squad‘s opening weekend under similar situations.
Anti-SnyderVerse WarnerMedia Exec Ann Sarnoff Rumored To Get Fired After Merger
Image: Warner Bros
Likewise, Wonder Woman 1984 was a critical and commercial misfire.
Furthermore, Birds of Prey also crashed before the pandemic raged.
Specifically, Birds of Prey had the lowest DC opening since 2010’s Jonah Hex. Ouch.
Warner Bros. increases the hype for Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
Nevertheless, the box-office projections have begun to drop.
According to Forbes, The Batman‘s first weekend might only be $80 million. Ouch again.
In Hollywood, money talks.
But Sarnoff and her fellow executives haven’t shown a profitable replacement for the Snyderverse.
Granted, the changes incoming CEO David Zaslav have more to do with changing corporate culture than Snyderverse angst.
But removing the gatekeepers, for whatever reasons, solidifies its future.
Sarnoff is one piece of that puzzle.