The DCEU has had a seemingly neverending string of issues in the last few years, from poorly performing movies and critical bombs to the controversy surrounding key franchise stars. There has been little cohesion between films and constant release schedule changes haven’t helped the establishment of an actual cinematic universe.
Of course, the recent merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery hasn’t helped matters, with new CEO David Zaslav looking to completely shake up the structure and programming of not only the studio’s television programming but also the direction and focus of the whole DCEU. There is a 10-year plan in place totransform the floundering franchisebut is the emulation of Marvel’s MCU strategy really what the DCEU needs?
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It’s no secret that the DCEU appears to be in trouble. However, the issues stretch back farther than the last few years and the upcoming effort to create a united cinematic universe. To remedy the problems, Warner has been on a mission to find their version of Kevin Feige to spearhead the creation of an MCU-style cinematic universe and make the DCEU a true competitor to the box office titan that is Marvel.
Currently, on the release slate for the new and expandingDCEU isBlack Adamstarring Dwayne Johnson set to release in October 2022, Shazam! Fury of The Gods starring Zachary Levi released in time for Christmas 2022,The Flashstarring perpetual headline maker Ezra Miller, coming sometime in 2023,Aquaman: The Lost Kingdomstarring Jason Momoa, and the sequel toJoker,Joker: Folie a Deuxstarring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga coming sometime in 2024. There are also countless projects in development includingBlue Beetle, Wonder Woman 3,and a sequel to Matt Reeves’The Batmanreboot starring Robert Pattinson.
Past releases have varied dramatically in their quality and reception.Man of Steelkicked off the DCEU in 2013. The film stars Henry Cavill as the titularMan of Steeland the return ofSupermanto the big screen was welcomed by fans. However, even before the planned universe began, there have been issues. The history of DC films has long been plagued with sub-par adaptations and directionless plots. For example, everyone remembers the ill-fatedGreen Lanternadaptation starring Ryan Reynolds which earned derision upon release for its ill-advised use of CGI and lackluster plot. Even Reynolds frequently takes pot shots at it in interviews and inDeadpool.
Of course,there have been fantastic successesin the history of DC films. Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy starring Christian Bale has always been praised for its performances, scripting, and incredible action sequences. It also gave audiences one of the best portrayals of the Joker on screen from the late Heath Ledger.
When it comes to the recent DCEU entries, they have also been extremely hit or miss. The 2016Suicide Squadmovie was considered a universal failure, apart from Margot Robbie’s excellent portrayal of Harley Quinn. The James Gunn-helmed 2021 sequel/reboot was on the other end of the scale, with a fantastic reception from critics and fans alike and spawning a spinoff television show forJohn Cena’sPeacemaker.
These are just a few examples of the wildly varying quality and reception of DC films from before the current DCEU creation and after. The main thread through all the turbulence in the studio behind the scenes and at the box office is a lack of strategy, or more importantly, a constantly fluctuating and dismantling of whatever plans they put in place.
With the new restructuring after the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery has come a fresh upheaval. New CEO Zaslav has been continually making changes since taking up the position in April 2022. Most recently, in a move that has angered audiences and creatives alike, the streaming service HBO Max has begun a restructuring that has led to the cancellation of multiple upcoming projects including thealmost completeBatgirlfilmfrom filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah and starring Leslie Grace.
The CW Arrowverse shows and DC-themed output have also been slashed withArrowalready gone, andBatwomanandLegends of Tomorrowwere swiftly canceled after Zaslav took over. In recent weeks it was announced thatThe Flashwould also be ending following its ninth season which is currently in production.
WBD’s focus is said to be shifting more to exclusively theatrical releases after many of their big name films debuted on streaming service HBO Max due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Zaslav also announced the new plan tointegrate the digital platformsDiscovery Plus and HBO Max. This move caused even further backlash when Zaslav stated that women don’t watch scripted television and decided to separate content and categorize it on a baffling gender-based system.
When you compare what WBD is and has been doing compared to what Marvel has done in building the MCU the differences are clear. Marvel has focused its energy on creating a universe that is interconnected and planned out and that has done well to focus on keeping the core of major comics storylines intact while making themadaptable to the big screen format. As for the DCEU, their films are disjointed, the individual characters isolated in their own stories. When they do cross over, such as inJustice League,it feels clumsy, with characters just thrown together into a situation without much effort to actually bring them together and create bonds.
While Zaslav has recently announced a ten-year plan in the style of MCU, he has also gone on record to state they are looking to make profits above content. While this is understandable, the company has a $55 billion debt to pay down, focusing only on the money side of things is not going to help the floundering company. The consistent problem with WBD and theDCEU is not prioritizing quality. The constant re-strategizing and scrapping of projects will obviously impact whatever is put out.
Zaslav can poise himself to be the next Feige by putting multi-year plans in place and overhauling the company, but these things are not enough. There has to be more of a focus on the actual story elements in the DCEU. There needs to be a concerted effort to integrate all these characters together in an organic way.
Zaslav and WBD should also be more in tune with what their fans are saying. With the huge pushback surrounding the cancelation ofBatgirland the continuedpush to releaseThe Flashwithout any kind of comment on the behavior of star Ezra Miller, the studio needs to learn to communicate with its audience and listen to them. The history of sweeping things under the rug and dumping projects here and there has not served them well and the only way for the DCEU to be viable is to actually learn from past mistakes instead of constantly diving headfirst into the same patterns.
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