The DCEU has had it hard from the get-go. From the beginning, critics and fans alike had been sniping at it and not for no reason —oftentimes, DCEU’s inaugural film Man of Steel completely misunderstood Superman, a trend which would unfortunately continue. After the debacle of the theatrical cut of Justice League, it looked like things were dead, but Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam found an audience.
Things have been up and down for the DCEU since. The Snyder Cut renewed interest, but Wonder Woman 1984 was a failure in many ways. There may be ways to save it but it’s hard to say if the DCEU has a future.
10 Can Be Saved: There’s So Much To Take Inspiration From
Superhero movies don’t strictly adapt comic stories but they do use them for inspiration. That’s one place where the DCEU has a lot of greatness to choose from —DC’s comic output has always been top-notch, as the company has had some of the greatest writers the comics medium has ever seen. These writers have crafted some amazing stories, ones that could make for wonderful movie fodder.
With source material like this, there’s no shortage of tales that can be used to fix the DCEU. The characters of the DC Universe have an ingrown fanbase and decades of amazing stories that can be used to rehab the DCEU’s image.
9 Can’t Be Salvaged: They’ve Went Too Far In The Grimdark Direction
Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel had an odd tone to it for a movie about Superman. It was quite dark and even Superman himself seemed to be a bit far in this direction. Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad would also lean in this direction and suddenly, the DCEU had a reputation for being too dark, especially compared to the MCU.
Although not every DC movie can be called dark —the Wonder Woman movies, Shazam, and Aquaman weren’t any darker than most MCU films— the damage was already done. The DCEU was the grimdark superhero universe and this added to the many mistakes made by the franchise.
8 Can Be Saved: The Multiverse Concept Opens Up A Lot Of Potential Stories
The Batman is going to be an interesting experiment for the DCEU. Set on Earth-2, it’s bringing the DC Multiverse, a concept that the comics pioneered and defined more than Marvel did with its own Multiverse, to theatrical audiences. This is a very interesting concept because of what it could mean, story-wise.
The DC Multiverse was always fertile ground for stories, taking familiar faces and putting them in new situations. This opens up all kinds of intriguing avenues for the heroes and villains of the DCEU, with many stories that could ignite the fanbase on tap.
7 Can’t Be Salvaged: The Multiverse Might Just Confuse People
While even the MCU is about to lean into its Multiverse with What If…? and Doctor Strange And The Multiverse of Madness, they aren’t exactly putting a whole movie on one of their alternate Earths. The DCEU is taking one of its most recognizable characters and showing a different version. What happens when they do another Batman from another Earth with another actor?
Audiences are better about this sort of thing, as the Arrowverse has proven, but it can still be confusing. This could muddy the waters for the DCEU, driving people away because it’s too complicated.
6 Can Be Saved: DC Has Better B-Listers
The MCU is at a weird place right now; much of its A-lists either already have a movie or are off the table for whatever reason. This leaves the B-list heroes as movie fodder and the excitement for characters like Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, and others is tepid at best —they mostly are just benefiting from the MCU rub. However, B-lists heroes are one place where DC has Marvel beat.
The DC Universe is full of amazing underrated heroes, ones who would be amazing in movies. DC has the best B-list in comics, well-defined characters that would make entertaining films. The potential in DC’s B-list is untapped and could go a long way in saving the DCEU.
5 Can’t Be Salvaged: DC’s TV Presence Makes It Superfluous
While Batman movies will always make money, it feels like most DC properties do a lot better on TV. The Arrowverse has given fans some of the best superhero content ever made and does it on a TV budget. DC’s various animated series, new and old, are considered the greatest of all time, and shows like Doom Patrol not only do the source material justice but give viewers a different look at superheroes.
Millions of fans love DC’s shows and they’re extremely successful. There’s basically no need for a DCEU with them around; they do DC better than the DCEU. At this point, the DCEU feels like a giant money sink in comparison.
4 Can Be Saved: The Actors Are Amazing
One of the places where the DCEU has always done a great job is with its actors. While there have been some missteps, the casting for a lot of the DCEU has been pretty stellar, with it often buoying movies that are otherwise disappointing, like Suicide Squad.
Good actors can often save mediocre material because of their charm and magnetism onscreen and this has helped the DCEU a lot. The future looks especially bright for the DCEU, with Robert Pattinson’s Batman coming down the pipe, John Cena bringing his charm to Peacemaker, and Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam about to wow audiences.
3 Can’t Be Salvaged: It’s Lost Sight Of The Core Tenets Of The DC Universe
The MCU gets trumpeted for its comic accuracy, even though this isn’t exactly true. The characters are quite different and the adaptations are rarely accurate. However, they get the core of things correct and that can be just as important. That’s one of the problems with the DCEU: it’s ignored a lot of the core of what makes the DC Universe tick.
This has been a huge problem both for general audiences and comic fans. The heroes of the DC Universe are the shining exemplars of heroism and the heroes and the DCEU have fallen far short of that. Fans notice that sort of thing and it’s just about doomed public perception of the DCEU.
2 Can Be Saved: The Snyder Cut Showed It Could Still Draw An Audience
The Snyder Cut of Justice League is an unmitigated success. It’s pretty much impossible to deny this. It’s driven renewed interest to the DCEU, with fans speculating on how to make what it sets up as part of the DCEU canon. The turnaround is, frankly, amazing. Justice League went from being what was considered one of the worst superhero movies in recent years and was completely redeemed by it.
This success shows that the DCEU still has legs. When done correctly, fans love the heroes and villains of the DC Universe and want more from them. That’s a big deal, especially when one factors in just how derided the DCEU was and still can be.
1 Can’t Be Salvaged: It’s Already Dead In General Audience’s Minds
One of the biggest problems the DCEU faces right now is the fact that it’s perceived as a loser already. The MCU is the undisputed champion of superhero movies and everyone likes a winner. Backing a loser is only done by the diehards and right now, that’s what the DCEU feels like.
To general audiences, the DCEU is a lost cause. They’ve lost the battle and while there are some tried and true fans out there, it’s just not enough to wrest enough market share from the MCU to keep it profitable.
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