In this FandomWire video trial, we explain how to save the DC Universe franchise.
Watch the video below:
Subscribe and turn on the notification bell so you don’t miss any videos!
Here’s how to fix the DC Universe
Year after year, films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe top the box office charts and are some of the movies that audiences love the most. And while DC is arguably the most established comic book brand, Marvel movies tend to fare better than DC movies with an audience. Why is that?
Many have wondered how the MCU achieved such success – it’s not just overnight popularity. In fact, there was a time when comic books were considered something on the fringes of pop culture, and it’s only recently that they’ve become more mainstream. The MCU was lighting up in a bottle – something audiences had never seen before and used good movies. But why couldn’t the DCEU be able to emulate this success?
Ultimately, the general public had far fewer expectations when it came to the Marvel Cinematic Universe than when it came to the DC Extended Universe. Everyone and their brother know who Superman and Batman are, even though they’re not in the comics. While everyone knows who Iron Man and Thor are by now, the characters who became anchors in the MCU weren’t mainstream outside of the comic book community until they were adapted for film.
Although it was out of necessity, Marvel wisely chose to anchor its cinematic universe around characters who were effectively a blank slate for them. Would the MCU be like it is if Marvel Studios had the rights to Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four in the early days of the MCU? Probably not. But we have a team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – not just Earth’s most recognizable hero, and he took advantage of it.
The truth is, for the most part, lesser-known Marvel properties tend to be much better than lesser-known DC properties. The MCU had characters like Iron Man and Thor to pull from, while DC has to fall back on a fish-talking guy and a foster child who transforms into a lightning-wielding superhero when he says a magic word. That’s not to say Aquaman and Shazam aren’t cool characters – they’re just a lot harder to sell.
However, that doesn’t mean the DCEU is alone in its struggle to find characters around which to build its cinematic universe. Marvel’s Sony division is in real trouble, after making an unsuccessful movie around the character Morbiuswith more movies on the way centering on characters like Kraven the Hunter and El Muerto.
However, perhaps the biggest mistake the DC Extended Universe made was rushing into a Justice League team-up movie. Before The Avengers, there were five full movies to establish each of the characters’ arcs before they came together to fight a greater enemy. There were only three movies before Justice League — four if you count suicide squadit doesn’t have much impact on the plot of Justice League.
The other big flaw of the DC Extended Universe was that it gave the reins mainly to one director: Zack Snyder. Regardless of which side of the aisle you come across in Snyder’s cinema, giving him control of the cinematic universe was a mistake. Kevin Feige was the main force behind the MCU as a producer, but he hired multiple directors to make each movie. Snyder directed Steel man, batman versus supermanand Justice League, and also produced wonder woman and executive product suicide squad. That’s too much control for a filmmaker.
Once the DCEU dropped the Justice League thread, it lost any semblance of stylistic vision. He went from one extreme to the other. First it was the Snyder verse, then it became a series of films with very little connection. And worse, few of these movies felt as stylistically ambitious as they could. Although the directors each brought a bit of flair – James Wan and David F. Sandberg had horror sequences in Aquaman and Shazam!for example – they all still felt relatively safe.
The few films with a real stylistic vision felt like they were trying to capture the success of other, more established films. For example, James Gunn The Suicide Squad felt like an R-rated version of the same kind of humor he brought to the MCU in the guardians of the galaxy movies. The DCEU couldn’t find the balance of personality and cohesion that allowed movies like guardians of the galaxy and Shang Chi to thrive in the MCU.
Then there’s the fact that the DC Extended Universe kept releasing butchered cuts of their movies in theaters, only to release better cuts of their movies on home media. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you that the Ultimate Edition of BvS and Zack Snyder’s Justice League are much better than their respective theatrical cuts. When the theatrical cuts of these films are as bad as they are, audiences will become disillusioned and stop showing up.
Another aspect of the MCU that helps it work quite well is its generally family-friendly nature, which isn’t always the case with the DC Extended Universe. The DCEU has two R-rated films – Birds of prey and The Suicide Squad – but even beyond that, his PG-13 films are generally much darker than anything in the MCU. While these movies aren’t necessarily made for kids in the first place, they cut out a lot of their audience if they make movies that parents won’t let their kids see.
Once Justice League failed miserably at the box office, the DCEU has lost track of all cohesive threads. While we don’t need something as strong as the MCU, where each movie contributes to a larger team arc, there does at least need to be some sense of cohesion. Stylistically distinct movies are great, but in trying to be a cinematic universe, they have to at least feel like they’re all set in the same world.
The other big thorn in the side of the DCEU was when they lost their anchors to Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman. Due to the length, it took between movies after the post-Justice League pivotal, the DCEU has lost its main heroes. At this point, audiences expect a Justice League built around Batman and Superman. It’s not like The Avengerswhere audiences didn’t already expect every A-list character to be on the team – an effective DCEU must have Batman and Superman at its heart.
DC had hoped that the flash would be their reset button, but due to the controversies surrounding the film’s star, Ezra Miller, the chances of that happening are getting slimmer every day. Even if the movie does eventually come out, will audiences accept it as the “new” launching pad for the DC Extended Universe?
The Flashpoint storyline, much like the Multiverse storyline introduced to the MCU in Spider-Man: No Coming Home, would open the door to alternate realities that would welcome redesigns in a completely natural way. We wouldn’t have to worry about a different actor than Henry Cavill playing Superman, because DC could just say it’s Superman from another universe. But with the future of the flash in danger, this reset button seems unlikely.
Indeed, at this point, the DCEU has to go back to square one. By this I don’t mean that they should let go of everything they have already done, but rather that they should focus on building individual stories. Don’t try to rush another Justice League movie, and don’t try to force a reset with the flash. Invest in these characters and make the audience care about them; that way, when the team performs, the audience will agree with them.
Where Should The DCEU Go From Here? They should invest in some of the properties with an untapped audience. The success of Shazam! showed that audiences are eager to watch movies with a great story, even if they’re not based on one of DC Comics’ most established properties.
With that, maybe the DCEU can find an anchor that isn’t Batman or Superman. Many other recognizable DC characters could step in to take this place as the center of the DC Extended Universe. For some reason, it seems like they decided to go with Harley Quinn, because there’s been three movies with her as the main character now, and it’s honestly the wrong choice.
Why not someone like Wonder Woman? Both films were mostly well-received, and the first film was one of the franchise’s most financially successful to date. The character is one of the most well-known superheroes, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to have a cinematic universe led by a superheroine. If the DCEU were to go with one of its already established heroes to lead it, she would be the one.
Or maybe they could choose a character that hasn’t been introduced to the DCEU yet… maybe Green Lantern? Of course there was the 2011 The Green Lantern movie that wasn’t well received at all, but the thing about the Green Lantern Corps is that they’re loaded with options. Not only is there Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern brought to the screen by Ryan Reynolds, but there are others, like John Stewart. Wouldn’t it be great to have a person of color at the helm of the DCEU?
Whichever direction the DCEU takes, one thing is clear: they can’t wait for their next Superman or Batman. Who will be their new presenter, no one knows. Will it be Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman? Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam? Or is it going to be someone we haven’t seen yet?
What do you think? Who should be the new DC Extended Universe anchor? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below, and don’t forget to like and subscribe. Until next time.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, TwitterInstagram and YouTube.
Note: If you purchase an independent product featured on our site(s), we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.
