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From the creative forces behindDC Universe Animated Original Movie,DC Showcasecame to put the spotlight on lesser-known characters that aren’t generally featured in leading roles. Coming up with a series of 10-minute shorts, Bruce Timm’s fascinating, short-form tales entertained longtime and new DC fans alike.
Among all the characters featured in Bruce Timm’sDC Showcase, one that stood out was The Spectre, who is believed to be the strongest DC hero toppling Superman. Since the character came as the first installment inDC Showcase,fans were disappointed at why The Spectre didn’t get a feature-length film. Therefore addressing Warner Bros’ business model, Timm explained his decision.
Bruce Timm Addresses WB’s Business Model andDC Showcase
The DC Universe serves as a home to uncountable superheroes and villains, most of whom have never even had the chance to appear on screen. Quite obviously, it is almost impossible for Warner Bros to bring every character to the silver screen or even television. Therefore, addressing this issue, Bruce Timm came up with a solution in 2010, when heproducedDC Showcase.
Bruce Timm “always had tried to push it off”: Even the Godfather of DC Animation Was Against Making 1 Show
Beginning withDC Showcase: The Spectrein 2010, as a bonus feature on theJustice League: Crisis on Two EarthsDVD,Bruce Timmskillfully crafted a series of 10-15 minute shorts of characters who aren’t generally featured in leading roles. The first installment began with the iconic character The Spectre, wherein the story followed Detective Jim Corrigan, who brings justice to his suspects by letting his alter-ego, The Spectre handle them.
While most people believe that The Spectre is one of the strongest DC heroes, since he was a literal instrument of God’s Vengeance, and many times stronger than Superman, it was rather unlikely that Warner Bros didn’t make an animated movie on him. Addressing fans’ curiosity, Bruce Timm thus explained WB’s business model during an interview withComicBookMovie, and why The Spectre was better off in theDC Showcase.
The Spectre Became a Perfect Character for Timm’sDC Showcase
Accompanying theJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths, asDC Showcase: The Spectrecame to the spotlight as the first installment of the series, it immediately became a fan-favorite concept. Finding lesser-known DC characters in Bruce Timm’s short stories, fans rejoiced to begin with The Spectre. But since a character like him at least deserves an animated series, there began an uproar, which was eventually doused by Timm.
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“What’s your feeling about doing these DC Showcase shorts?” Interviewer asked.
“They’re a blast. It’s great because we can play with these oddball characters who wouldn’t commercially support making a full-length feature with them. I wish the business model was such that we could do that, but now we get to mess around with these more off-trail characters and have fun.”
With further characters in mind, as Bruce Timm was just beginning with theDC Showcase, he considered it better to clarify Warner Bros’ business model. Explaining that the model doesn’t support making a full-length feature, Timm later stated that The Spectre and otherDC Showcasecharacters are better off in the 10-15 minute shorts.
“In a weird kind of way, the Spectre is perfect for a series like this, because those original Fleischer/Aparo comics this version is based on, were really simple, straightforward little standalone stories. You don’t have to expand it and make it bigger than it is: bad guys do a crime, Spectre shows up and kills them in horrible ways. Ten minutes of that works great.”
Further, somewhere in the interview, Bruce Timm claimed to want more of The Spectre after watching him in theDC Showcase. He also teased that he would love to do a whole series of shorts.
DC Showcase: The Spectreis available on DVD.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3219
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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Bruce Timm
