Geoff Johns Explains Why He Left Marvel To Join DC Comics

Image Credit: YouTube/LateNightWithSethMeyers

Geoff Johns might be the president of DC Entertainment, but before he became the Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics, the comicbook and television writer used to spend some time writing for Marvel Comics.

Speaking at a spotlight panel at the San Diego Comic Con last month (via Comicbook), Johns recalled his journey and why he left Marvel Comics for DC. Asked about the moment he realized he was a writer, Johns answered:

"[It was] probably the day that I signed an exclusive at DC. I was like, ‘Oh I guess my profession is a writer.' That was a journey too, because… Obviously I love DC. I like Marvel, but I love DC… I love Hulk. If I could buy Hulk from Marvel I'd like to. That would be really cool. I'd do a Hulk movie. Hulk vs. Superman or something… Thor: Ragnarok does look really badass.

I was working for [Superman director Richard] Donner as his assistant and I was writing comics for DC, and Marvel offered me Avengers," Johns said. "I did write for Marvel for like, a year and a half… it wasn't a great experience because of the management at the time. Though I love Tom Brevoort, who was my editor, I didn't love the experience of writing there because it was very different than DC for me, personally. It's different for everybody… But at the time it wasn't really for me."

Johns went on to explain the shift from Marvel to becoming a permanent member of the DC family, saying that his co-publisher Dan DiDio had been one of the main reasons why he transferred to DC Comics.

"The day I got The Avengers, and they announced it, DC called me and said ‘Hey will you sign an exclusive?' And I said ‘I just got announced on Avengers, I can't sign an exclusive!' But about a year later… I loved working with Dan [DiDio] and everybody at DC, and my heart's at DC, it just is. And so the day I signed the DC contract… it gave me some security that for the next number of years I would be writing full-time for DC. And that's when I really felt like my profession was a writer."

"Again I give a lot of credit to you, Dan. Because I wouldn't have signed at DC if you weren't there. You were the one that made me want to sign at DC. I could've been at Marvel. If you hadn't come to DC, I probably would have stayed freelance."

Though the burgeoning DC Extended Universe is still getting on its feet after a rough start last year with Wonder Woman's success helping it up, DC Comics has had a pretty good reputation, and we owe it to Geoff Johns and his team.

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