With James Gunn, the director behind the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy films, taking the reins at DC Studios and rebooting the entire universe under a single DCU banner, there’s a renewed sense of optimism among the fans. The previous DCEU, under Zack Snyder, was poorly received by fans and critics alike. DC had everything they needed to succeed: iconic superheroes, A-list actors, and a huge fan base eager to see their favorite comic book moments come to life. But they failed to capitalize on any of it — the result was a wasted decade and hundreds of millions of dollars.
The DCEU had its fair share of problems that we hope Gunn won’t repeat. For one, if Gunn can keep his lead actors from holding underage kids hostage, that’d be a huge step forward for the DCU. But seriously, here’s what the DCU absolutely needs to get right to crawl out of the crater left by the DCEU.
1. Religiously Comic Book Accurate Characters
Look, creative freedom is great, but there’s a line. We do not want a brooding Superman who snaps necks and scowls like a goth teenager, nor do we want a blood-thirsty Batman gunning everyone down like a crazed psychopath. And it’s not just about the main characters — the side characters deserve justice too.
Remember when Snyder killed off Jimmy Olsen (Michael Cassidy) in the first five minutes of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? He wasn’t Superman’s best friend as he was originally in the comics, didn’t get to do anything except say his name, and his death didn’t impact the story. It was like killing Uncle Ben, except you only know he’s Uncle Ben because he announced his name, he’s not Peter’s uncle, and Peter doesn’t even know him. With Snyder, there was a fundamental lack of understanding of why the fans loved these characters.
OK but the quality of BvS aside, Snyder clearly has zero respect for sidekick characters. He killed Jimmy Olsen for “fun”, he killed either Jason or Dick, and he replaced Tim Drake w/ Superman as the person that brings Batman out of the darkness post Death in the Family pic.twitter.com/fBn6YEmThF
— Lunwi (@Lunwi88) March 6, 2020
Here’s the worry: Gunn hasn’t exactly built a reputation on strict comic accuracy. But then again, he redefined characters that no one really knew or cared about. Before The Suicide Squad, most people didn’t know Peacemaker. Before Guardians of the Galaxy, most people didn’t know the Guardians. But now he’s working with icons and needs to stick to their comic book roots.
2. Bring in New Villains Instead of Redoing Joker or Lex Luthor
One of the DCEU’s biggest problems was its villains. Aside from Michael Shannon’s Zod and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, most of the villains were forgettable. And honestly, we’re tired of seeing the same rehashed versions of Joker and Lex Luthor over and over again.
DC has some of the greatest and most compelling villains ever created. With Gunn proclaiming his love for the source material, there’s some hope that these underutilized villains will finally get their chance to shine. We want to see Batman face off against Calendar Man, Superman outsmart Mr. Mxyzptlk, and The Flash race Gorilla Grodd.
3. Focus on Legacy Heroes and Sidekicks
One of the greatest things about DC Comics is the legacy it builds. We see heroes mentor the next generation, with sidekicks becoming heroes in their own rights. Characters like Nightwing, Wally West, and Donna Troy have their own fan bases and stories to tell. Imagine Wally West evolving from Kid Flash to Flash! That’s the kind of character growth we crave. Thankfully, Gunn’s upcoming The Brave and the Bold will finally bring the Bat family to the big screen after 25 years. This opens the door for potential future films like Super Sons or even a live-action Teen Titans.
Nightwing & Wally West should both be vital & central characters to Gunn's DCU, being prime examples of successful legacy characters & former sidekicks. pic.twitter.com/LruPXg2QYF
— Croc | 🔜AC | 🦦 (@Croc_Block) May 12, 2023
4. Make Us Care About the Emotional Stakes of Superhero Stories Again
At the end of the day, superhero stories are about people. Sure, the action is cool, and the fight sequences are epic, but what really matters is why we care about who wins or loses. And hey, if Gunn can make us care about a grumpy raccoon, then Superman shouldn’t be that difficult.
The beauty of DC characters is that they’re not defined solely by their powers. When you strip away the capes and gadgets, they have real lives and relatable jobs. Clark Kent is a news reporter, Selina Kyle is a thief, and Arthur Curry is a king. We’re really hoping the new DCU movies aren’t just superhero movies, but genuinely interesting films that happen to have superheroes in them. The most memorable comic book movies are the ones that commit to their genre and tone — The Dark Knight felt like a mobster film, The Batman felt like a murder mystery, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier felt like a spy thriller.
Approaching these movies from a human-first perspective, instead of just as another superhero film, can help evolve the future of comic book movies. Gunn seems to understand this. The upcoming TV show, Lanterns, is said to feel like an intergalactic crime drama in the vein of True Detective, the Amazonian drama Paradise Lost is expected to have a Game of Thrones-type story set on Themyscira, and Booster Gold will be a comedy focusing on a superhero dealing with imposter syndrome.
5. Stay Away From the Multiverse
Multiverses are all the rage. Every franchise seems to be hopping between realities these days, but for the DCU, we say: hold off. We want zero references, crass cameos, or nostalgic bait from the Snyderverse, or any other universe, for that matter. We got enough of that with The Flash, and we hope we don’t have to sit through anything like that ever again. Gunn should focus on building a strong, cohesive DCU, brick by brick, character by character. Give us a chance to get to know these characters and this world before everything gets thrown into chaos. Also see why James Gunn should give Birds of Prey one more reboot!
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