The DCEU made some fatal errors, butif theDCUis smart, it can look to these mistakes to deliver something so much better. DC has been a source for incredible stories for decades. With superheroes like Superman, Batman, and many more making their debuts in the 1930s and 1940s, DC has plenty of experience in what it takes to make a good story. However, this didn’t translate as expected in the DCEU.
The truth is, there were only a few really major oversights in the making of the DCEU. From rushing to put out too many stories with too little development, to neglecting tent pole heroes, the DCEU started off rocky and got worse over time. But withJames Gunn and Peter Safran helming DC Studiosand starting from scratch, there is an opportunity to learn those hard lessons from previous mistakes and start off their new shared universe on a much stronger foundation.
6The DCEU Avoiding Giving Its Batman A Solo Movie Is A Major Lesson For The DCU
Affleck’s Batman Never Got The Spotlight It Deserved
Despite casting an entire Justice League, the DCEU opted to kick off their universe of stories with a solo Superman movie,Man of Steel, before three years of quiet, and then the release ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. After that, it spent some time exploring characters like Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but not all the heroes got a chance to shine, with the biggest, most glaring omission being Batman. Yes, Ben Affleck’s casting proved controversial initially, butwhen fans saw Affleck suit up, it proved to be one of the most exciting versions of the heroever delivered in live-action.
Of course, fans were excited to see more of the Gotham Guardian, but instead, a new version of the character arrived inThe Batman, while Affleck appeared in various cameos. In this way, Affleck never got a chance to shine, despite introducing some of the most interesting history for the hero, such as his loss of his friend Robin, and interactions with anti-heroes like Harley Quinn in the DCEU. Overall,despite being one of the central heroes in the DCEU, Batman was overlooked. Now, the DCU is moving towards a Batman and Robin story, but at least that’s putting these characters in the spotlight.
5The Reaction To Batgirl’s Cancellation Could Be Useful For The DCU To Take From
Fans Reacted Negatively To The News
Despite Batman not getting a movie of his own, there wereplans for Batgirl to have a filmof her own. In fact, it was more than just plans:the entire movie was made. Literally, the casting was complete, filming and shooting finished, and work on editing was well underway, but for reasons that can only be tied back to a potential tax write-off,Batgirlstarring Leslie Grace in the titular role and the incredible Brendan Fraser as the film’s central villain, Firefly, this movie might have been a controversial pick, but that was nowhere near as controversial as canceling the film at the final hurdle.
Sure, DCEU fans were mixed in terms of their engagement with this movie, but there was a lot to be excited about, andthe decision to erase the hard work of hundreds of people was not taken lightly by fans. The DCU needs to ensure that if it sets out to start a project, it intends to finish it. And according to James Gunn’s inclination to only begin working on casting and moving production along after getting a solid script, it seems they are already being more intentional with their plans.
4The Divided Reactions To Many Of The DCEU’s Sequels Is A Reminder The DCU Needs To Hold Up Over Time
Every Single Sequel In The DCEU Ended Up Being A Disappointment
DespiteShazam!gaining a strong fanbase with a refreshingly lighter tone, and a fun new hero, the sequel,Shazam! Fury of the Godsproved to be significantly less well-received. In isolation, that could be deemed unimportant, but the samedrop in quality and reception happened withWonder Woman 1984, andAquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Whether the drop-off was down to delays in bringing out a sequel, or the fans losing interest in the wider universe, every single sequel in the DCEU ended up being a disappointment, both critically and financially.
If the follow-up adventures are disappointing, what is there to keep the audience invested and interested enough to come back for more?
The DCU is still working on their debut adventures and outings for their cast of superheroes, but it should be mindful that the sequels are just as important, if not more important, when exploring these characters and creating a shared universe. After all, creating a universe of films relies on creating sequels to individual stories and combined crossover sequels. If the follow-up adventures are disappointing, what is there to keep the audience invested and interested enough to come back for more?
3The DCEU Rushed To Bring Its Superheroes Together
There Was Little Emotional Connection Between The Audience And The Heroes
Despite a three-year gap between the DCEU’s premiere film and the sequel,Batman v Superman, it went from a solo story to one that relied on two heroes facing off against each other, and itintroduced the rest of the Justice Leaguein a rushed and disappointing manner. Of course, they wanted to get the universe off the ground, but with no investment into the characters from the studios, the audience had no reason to engage with and care about the heroes. Yes, they are popular and well-known, but the studio shouldn’t rely on other stories to do its groundwork.
Following on fromBatman v Superman, the very next year saw the Justice League released in theaters, and that release continues to be one of the most controversial and frustrating comic book movies ever made. Ultimately, it felt as though the content of the story was less important than just getting the films made and out into the world. This was a fatal mistake for the studio, and it proved to do a lot more harm than good, as the DCEU ultimately fell into disrepair, and aside from a Snyder Cut release in 2021, there was never another team-up movie from the Justice League.
2The DCEU Was Too One-Note
While I have already highlighted howShazam!had a refreshing tone for the DCEU that incorporated more comedy, it was too little, too late. Instead of exploring genres, and giving each hero their own tone,the majority of the DCEU was defined by a dark, dreary grayscale, and a gritty tone that didn’t make sense for heroeswho espouse hope, light, and goodness. If the DCEU had made more of an effort to have some variety in their stories, it may have proven significantly more popular.
Once again, it appears that the DCU is already on the right track regarding a variety of tones. InCreature Commandos, the DCU is an animated, dark comedy, whileSupermanis setting up to be a hope-fuelled fantasy adventure, andmovies likeClayfaceare set to go dark with tense body horror. This variety helps to explore a wide range of stories without getting dull, which was an unfortunate side effect of the DCEU.
1The DCEU Over-Promised And Under-Delivered
Big Plans To Make Dozens Of Movies And No Real Direction
From the beginning, the DCEU set its sights on competing with the MCU. This is not inherently a bad thing, and it makes sense, because Marvel Comics and DC have always had a friendly rivalry. However, instead of making a solid plan and building their universe right,the DCEU wanted to walk before it could run. This is perhaps best illustrated by a comment made by David S. Goyer, the man who wrote Man of Steel for the DCEU, on theHappy Sad Confused Podcast:
“I remember at one point the person that was running Warner Bros. at the time had this release they had pitched like, ‘It’s 20 movies over the next 10 years!’ But none of them had been written yet! It was just so crazy how much architecture was being built on air. For me, some of that stuff that was going on at that time, it was like, this is not how you build a house.”
With big plans to make dozens of movies and no real direction, the DCEU was bound to fail. James Gunn and the DCU need to be more careful and methodical in their approach, sharing information when it’s ready, instead of promising the world and delivering handfuls of sand. If theDCUcan learn from these incredible errors and blunders, they have a chance to take the crown as the most popular comic book movie universe, but if not, it could all end up slipping through their fingers.
