Dan Lin, Producer Of It And The LEGO Movie, Will Not Be The New Head Of DC Films After All

The hierarchy of power at DC Films is about to change, it just won't be Dan Lin as the man making those big changes. It was reported at the end of August that Lin, a very successful producer behind franchises such as "The LEGO Movie" and Stephen King's "It," among many, many others, was in talks to take over as the new head of DC for Warner Bros. Discovery. Well, those talks have fallen through, and the search continues to fill that role to help guide the DC brand into the future.

As reported by CNBC, Lin and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) got so far as to exchange terms sheets for the deal. However, Lin opted to stay with his own production company, Rideback, rather than have WBD take a stake in the company had he accepted the job. CEO David Zaslav, who took over once WarnerMedia and Discovery merged earlier this year, has made DC a priority and current DC Films head Walter Hamada is expected to depart his post after the release of "Black Adam." With Lin falling through, Zaslav will have to turn elsewhere to find his answer to what Marvel Studios has with Kevin Feige.

Lin seemed like a very solid fit to become DC's own Kevin Feige. Not only did he have a good working relationship with Warner Bros., but he has produced quite a few hits including "Godzilla vs. Kong," "Sherlock Holmes," "The Departed," and the live-action "Aladdin" remake. And let's not forget about "The LEGO Batman Movie," which proved he can make a great DC movie. Lin also produces everything from giant blockbuster hits to awards season fare like "The Two Popes." Feige is a singular entity but if someone were to try and emulate what he does for DC, Lin seemed a fine choice.

The big question now becomes, who will Zaslav turn to? Those are big shoes to fill and it seemed pretty clear that Lin was the number one choice to fill that role. The important thing to note though is that this was never a done deal and Lin's commitments with Rideback were always viewed as a hurdle that would be tough to clear. Yet, many reported it as though Lin's deal was done, perhaps leading to a bit of confusion to come.

In any event, other names have been floated as being in contention for the job, including former 20th Century Fox film chief Emma Watts. Though she was apparently approached back in April and things didn't pan out, at least not at that time. Another name that has been bandied about is Greg Berlanti, who was the chief architect behind the Arrowverse on The CW, in addition to arguably being the most prolific TV producer working today. It's possible he could be circled back to now that Lin is out of the running.

Whoever it is, they are going to have big shoes to fill and a lot of pressure to deliver. Right now, "Black Adam" is on the horizon for release in October, with "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," "The Flash," and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" due to hit theaters in 2023. The future is messy though, as "The Batman 2" and "Joker: Folie a Deux" exist in different timelines, and Zaslav has made it clear he wants a cohesive DC cinematic universe, much like what Marvel has. Who will step up to the plate and take on that monumental task? We'll have to wait and see.