The End of the DCEU

 In recent months it was reported that Warner Bros. hired James Gunn and Peter Safran would be taking the reigns of DC movies at the studio.  And they have done what Darkeseid himself could not:

They killed the DCEU.

A few hours ago, Gunn all but confirmed the end of the current DC movie franchise known as the DCEU (DC Extended Universe).

Beginning in 2013 with Man of Steel, the DCEU was Warner Bros. answer to Disney's MCU: an interconnected shared superhero universe.  This began under the vision of Zack Snyder.  He brought to his movies (Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, Justice League) a powerful and intense style.  

And while the DCEU had sporadic hits (like Wonder Woman and Aquaman), it never achieved the level of success that Marvel enjoyed.  Most of their movies enjoyed middling success like SHAZAM! and Black Adam.  MCU films have been accused of being a bit bland, but they try to avoid being too niche for mass appeal.  Snyder's vision just didn't resonate with enough movie-goers.

I write this as a gigantic fan of his work.  I love Man of Steel and think that Batman v. Superman is the best superhero film that has ever been made (after the original Superman).  But unfortunately, I am in the minority.  As I discussed with a dear friend once, these superhero films are about something.  They tackle deep philosophical and thematic ideas while being visually thrilling.  

But regardless of how I feel, mainstream audiences have not embraced the DCEU.

And now Gunn and Safran have effectively killed it.

It was announced via Twitter that they are preparing to relaunch the franchise (now simply called the DCU).  He said that he met with Henry Cavill and he will not be returning as Superman.  Instead, they are going to start over with the adventures of a younger Man of Steel.  Gunn was also in talks with Ben Affleck about directing a film, but most assume that he will not be returning as Batman.  Add this to the word that Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman story has been rejected, it looks like we are starting over with a clean slate.

This would mean that after The Flash, Aquaman 2, and SHAZAM: Fury of the Gods, that we are going to begin again with a new Superman film.

Things are still early and there is a lot that is uncertain, but here are my thoughts:

-Wasted Talent

Cavill, Affleck, Gal Gadot, Zachary Levi, Jason Momoa, Dwayne Johnson, and Margot Robbie were all perfectly cast in their roles.  It is a shame that this incredible talent-pool could not be salvaged.  Cavill really wanted to nail the Superman role with another movie.  Gadot is perfect as Wonder Woman.  And Affleck is my favorite big-screen Batman.

-Need for a Reboot

I understand why fixing the DCEU piecemeal was difficult.  For most of its existence, the MCU was able lift up all of its movies by the strength of its collective might.  Movies like Captain Marvel made over $1 billion because of its connection to the overall saga.  But with only some of the DCEU films being hits, they couldn't all hang together.  In fact, it could have had the opposite effect.  If audiences were cold towards Batman v. Superman, they were less likely to pay to see Justice League.

-Marvelization of DC

In the comics, DC was the dominant company until Marvel arrived on the scene in the 1960's.  DC Comics in this era were focused on big, bold spectacles of mindless fun.  However, with Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, and the Fantastic Four, you had people with dramatic personal problems that heightened the tension and made the characters more relatable.  This led to Marvel beginning to dominate the comic book market.  DC then followed suit.  In the comics, we are deeply invested in the relationships of Clark, Lois, Bruce, Diana, and all the rest.  

In terms of the movies, I can see DC constantly trying to chase after that MCU magic formula.  Originally, they tried to leapfrog the process.  Instead of doing about 5 standalone films and then merging them into one film, they started creating their shared universe in the 2nd film and then introduced three of its franchise heroes in one movie (Justice League)  But because they jumped the gun, the fan base did not have enough time to take root.  

So now, James Gunn will be taking a step back from that and looking to rebuild in the way Marvel did.  For that, I think we will see less and less directors in DC films with bold visions.  Instead, they will be brought to service a certain franchise style, the way it is in Marvel.

Those are just my initial thoughts.  What about you?