After struggling to come close to matching the cinematic output and ambition of Marvel over the past years, Warner Bros has now decided to fully amalgamate DC Comics, and to effectively relaunch it as a new company. Now running under the name of DC Entertainment, the move from Warner Bros is being seen as a direct response to Disney's acquisition of Marvel, yet this is apparently something that's being brewing for some time.

It's also a signal of intent from Warner Bros that it intends to flex its DC muscles a lot more in the future. And it comes at a time when several DC properties are moving into big screen production. Next summer we get Jonah Hex, which has now wrapped filming, while The Losers and The Green Lantern are currently shooting. Furthermore, Guy Ritchie, as we recently reported, has signed up to helm Lobo, and there are also fresh Superman and Batman pictures in some stage of production (although neither is expected that soon).

However, this is likely to be the start, with DC Entertainment likely to get working on bringing properties such as Justice League, The Flash and Wonder Woman, amongst others, to the big screen.

One film, incidentally, that Warner Bros won't be involved with is the planned big screen adaptation of Mattel's Masters Of The Universe. It's being reported by Variety that Warner Bros and Mattel didn't have the same view on the direction of the project, and thus have decided to part company. Mattel will now presumably try and set up a new Masters Of The Universe movie somewhere else instead.

DC Entertainment, meanwhile, has some films to get up and running...