THE DC Universe You have a unique opportunity ahead of you. After a decade of DC films with mixed reception, the franchise is getting a reboot with a new creative team, led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. The previous iteration, called DC Extended Universe, began with Zack Snyder Man of Steel in 2013. Although the film's fan reception was somewhat accepting, the darker, more realistic vision of Superman offered created a shaky foundation for the rest of the series.
Plus, the DCEU jumped straight from a solo Superman movie to the crossover Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justicewhich had the lofty task of introducing Batman and Wonder Woman, as well as teasing the rest of the Justice League. This film set the tone for the future. Some entries in the DCEU were good and some were not so good. Many of them left dangling threads or made perplexing character decisions.
Now, with new leadership, Maybe the DCU can learn from the good and bad decisions made in the DCEU. In particular, a more accurate approach to DC's mythos and characters could redeem some of its previous versions' mistakes, or lack thereof.
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DCU's Batgirl Could Give Barbara the Focus She Deserves
Leslie Grace's Batgirl never saw the light of day
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Arguably, The DCEU's biggest wasted opportunity is the cancellation of the already concluded Batgirl. The film starred In the heights stars Leslie Grace along with Michael Keaton, Brendan Frazier and JK Simmons. Batgirl it was already in test screenings when Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the plug. This decision was attributed to poor reception during screenings, as well as ongoing creative changes for DC Studios and a change in strategy for HBO Max productions.
Ax Batgirl It was a controversial decision among both fans and the cast. In particular, Leslie Grace stated that "There was definitely potential for a good film, in my opinion." While the DCEU version of Barbara Gordon will likely never appear on screen, the DCU could still feature her in a future story, whether she's acting as Batman's sidekick or leading her own film.
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The DCU's Cyborg Could Make Up for the DCEU's Lack of Focus on Him in Justice League
Ray Fisher's Cyborg Was Underused
Cyborg/Victor Stone has long been a DC fan favorite, so his inclusion in the DCEU's Justice League was initially exciting. While he's best known for his time on the Teen Titans, the New 52 reboot also cast him as a member of the League. Unfortunately, the production of Justice League was extremely distraught, with Zack Snyder stepping aside due to a personal tragedy and Joss Whedon taking over. Their conflicting views created a mess in the film, and most of the scenes with Cyborg, played by Ray Fisher, were cut.
The later release of the Snyder Cut corrected this situation somewhat, restoring Cyborg's original storyline. However, his planned solo film never happened. Now that the DCU is looking to introduce the Teen Titans, it's possible that Cyborg will get another chance to appear on the big screen.
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DCU's Lois Lane Could Give Us the Intrepid Reporter We Know and Love
Amy Adams' Lois Lane gave a good performance but lacked her signature touch
Amy Adams is a phenomenal actress, without a doubt. However, her Lois Lane is a polarizing figure in the DCEU. She is a useful romantic interest, and her role as a point-of-view character in parts of Man of Steel it works really well in terms of putting the audience in her shoes. After this first film, Lois is relegated to the background. Her relationship with Clark Kent is still an important part of her arc, but she hasn't been given anything else substantial to do. Since Lois is typically characterized as a fiercely independent journalist, this portrayal is lacking.
Not because of Adams' performance, Lois is a one-note secondary character for most of her on-screen time in the DCEU. With Rachel Brosnahan taking on the role for the DCU, Lois will hopefully resemble the go-getter from the comics and have more to do independently of Clark.
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DCU's Martian Manhunter Could Be a True Member of the Justice League
Harry Lennix's Martian Manhunter barely had any screen time
One of the most surprising changes between the theatrical cut of Justice League and Zack Snyder's Justice League is the inclusion of Martian Manhunter. The character appearing in a film about the League makes sense, but the way the film included him was strange. For example, there's a scene where a heartfelt interaction between a grieving Lois and Martha Kent is derailed by the revelation that Martha is actually a Martian Manhunter in disguise. His scenes in Justice League feel added as opposed to an organic inclusion in the film.
If Martian Manhunter returns to the DCU, we hope he gets a more prominent role as a real member of the League. Both in the comics and in Justice League animated series, he is a central member of the team. It would be a shame if DC failed the character twice.
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DCU's Lex Luthor could be more imposing
Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor was an unusual take on the villain
Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is a bizarre attempt to modernize a character who didn't need to change in the first place. The actor somehow channels his Mark Zuckerberg personality from The social network to your Lex with mixed results. His behavior is also erratic, shoving happy farmers into people's mouths. Interestingly, his plans make sense as something Lex would do: pitting Batman and Superman against each other, experimenting with creating a monster to destroy Superman, and feigning insanity to avoid trial. Without considering, the execution is so different from the usual portrayal of the character that he barely looks like Lex.
Nicholas Hoult is set to debut his version of Lex next year Superman. This iteration of the character will likely align more with his usual personality, allowing the DCU Lex to avoid the pitfalls of the DCEU version.
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The DCU's Joker could be a more manic and fun presence
Jared Leto's Joker fell apart
Another DCEU villain that didn't appeal to audiences was Jared Leto as the Joker in Suicide Squad. His character was criticized before the film was even released. Initial photos of him were mocked by DC fans who didn't like his tattoos and grill, among other design choices. After Suicide Squad came out, the film's terrible reception didn't help Leto at all. Furthermore, it was completely overshadowed by Harley Quinn's cinematic debut, which many praised as the best part of an otherwise horrible film.
He later reprized the role once during a flash-forward sequence in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Otherwise, Leto's Joker faded into obscurity, sandwiched between Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix's most memorable turns. If the DCU decides to bring back this Batman villain, his Joker could redeem Leto's Joker's failure to understand.
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DCU's Jimmy Olsen could live up to the title of Superman's friend
Michael Cassidy's Jimmy Olsen Never Met Clark
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Jimmy Olsen is a wholesome supporting character who brings out some of Superman's best qualities as a mentor. Snyder decided to unceremoniously kill him off at the beginning of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice why he saw no place for Jimmy in the DCEU. His Jimmy was significantly older and served as a CIA agent. He was not named in the theatrical version of the film. This represents Snyder's overall perspective, opting for a darker, more pessimistic view of Superman and his world.
Gunn is taking a different approach with Superman. As a result, he cast Skylar Gisondo to play a younger Jimmy, more similar to his traditional portrayal. Having Jimmy around brings lightness to Superman's world, so its inclusion in the DCU will show a different side of the franchise.
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The DCU's Green Arrow would balance the DCEU by just referencing him as a joke
Green Arrow was just a joke
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As an extremely popular character, it makes sense that fans were eager for Oliver Queen/Green Arrow to join the DCEU. In preparation for Suicide Squadmany speculated that Scott Eastwood's character could be Oliver in disguise. Obviously, this didn't come to fruition, but it didn't dampen the fan community's hopes of seeing the Emerald Archer on the big screen. This level of support for the character was likely bolstered by the then-ongoing Arrowverse, which began with an Oliver-centric show. Regardless, her DCEU debut was never going to happen.
Instead, its existence in continuity was confirmed by Peacemaker for a unique joke. In the series, the title character has the following to say about Green Arrow: "That guy goes to Brony conventions dressed like the back half of Twilight Sparkle with a four-inch-wide butt hole drilled into his costume." While the joke was typical Peacemaker irreverence, it didn't exactly satisfy fans' desire to see the character. TThe DCU can easily fix this by giving Oliver the spotlight he deserves.
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The DCU's Nightwing can finally come to life with precision
The DCEU wasted Dick Grayson by killing him off-screen
Robin has an unusual history in adaptations. He used to accompany Batman in most television shows and films, but later Batman in 1989 he chose not to use the character, this set a precedent. The first Robin, Dick Grayson, later joined the Batman franchise for Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. The last film was so poorly received that Warner Bros. rebooted the series, and when Christopher Nolan took the reins, he decided not to include a proper Robin. Then, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice rolled around and revealed that the Robin of the universe is dead.
Snyder later confirmed that the deceased Robin was Dick Grayson. This destroyed any hope of seeing him grow up to become Nightwing in the DCEU, a disappointing reality for many fans. See, Robin is a very popular character, especially among younger DC fans who watched Teen Titans and comic book readers. Dick and his fellow Robins are a big part of Batman's extensive lore, so it's a shame they were never really explored in a live-action film. Sure, Dick's Robin showed up, but his potential as Nightwing was wasted.
The DCU appears to be utilizing the Robins unlike the DCEU, with Damian Wayne set to appear alongside his father in The brave and the daring. Between this film, an animated spin-off of Robin and the Teen Titans film, DC has a chance to set things right, giving Nightwing and all the Robins a chance to shine.
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DCU's Darkseid Could Be the Thanos-Level Threat He Really Is
Justice League's Darkseid was underwhelming
Comparing Darkseid and Thanos isn't uncommon among comic book fans, but when you take their film versions into account, it seems unfair. Darkseid is one of, if not THE, most threatening villains in all of DC. The way he was presented in the DCEU was underwhelming at best. Because the Justice League setup was rushed, the concepts of the anti-life equation and mother boxes were released to the public with little explanation. Avid DC fans understood what was going on, but these settings were harder to understand for casual viewers, especially with all of the film's moving parts.
If Darkseid is to be reused, the DCU may need to take notes from the MCU and present him as an imminent threat. The DCEU tried this in Justice League making Steppenwolf report to him like Loki reported to Thanos in The Avengers. However, the film suffered from bloat due to the need to create several main characters and the franchise's overall conflict. THE UDC can avoid this trap by taking its time and planting seeds for Darkseid's arrival.
Upcoming DC film releases