The DC Extended Universe is still very much in its infancy but it's only five years younger than the Marvel Cinematic Universe and finally heading in the right direction if what we've seen from Aquaman and Shazam! is any indication. But regardless of whether you love or hate the likes of Man of Steel and Suicide Squad, there's no denying that all these releases have left us with lots to discuss.
With that in mind, we're looking back at the DC Extended Universe's history to bring you twenty awesome facts we're confident you guys (probably) won't be aware of. There are a lot of great details here, many of which have either been hidden or long forgotten about and even if a couple of facts are familiar, they all make for fascinating reading and we still have plenty of big surprises for you in this list.
So, to take a look at this breakdown of DCEU facts, all you have to do is click the "View List" button.
Superman's Surprising Lack Of Dialogue In Man Of Steel
Man of Steel is a very divisive movie, with many fans unhappy with how Superman was portrayed in what was ultimately a very dark and serious take on the character. However, a bigger issue may be the lack of character development for the titular hero because he had a paltry 43 lines of dialogue in the movie! That's a ridiculously small amount and may explain why some moviegoers hate Man of Steel.
Joe Chill's Gun Can Be Seen In The Batcave
In one of the coolest nods to the Dark Knight's history in the DCEU, look closely in the Batcave in Justice League and you'll notice that the hero has Joe Chill's gun on display in a case. That's a very cool nod to the source material and it just so happens to be the exact same gun we got a close up of in Batman v Superman's opening credits. Say what you will about Zack Snyder but he clearly loves continuity.
Ben Affleck Almost Directed Man Of Steel Instead Of Zack Snyder
Back in 2010, Ben Affleck had put his name on the map as a director to keep an eye on after helming both Gone Baby Gone and The Town. As a result, it should come as no surprise to learn that Warner Bros. wanted him to take charge of Man of Steel, a project the filmmaker had no interest in at the time. Not too long after that, they also courted him to direct the Justice League movie penned by Will Beall.
Gal Gadot Didn't Know She Was Auditioning To Play Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot received a lot of backlash for being cast as Wonder Woman but it didn't take long for her to prove her doubters wrong, especially as she stole the show in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, it turns out that when the actress auditioned for the role of Diana Prince, she didn't actually know which character she was there to try out for; all Gadot was told is that it was a "secret" role.
The Joker Was Supposed To Return In The Dark Knight Rises
This isn't technically a fact from the DC Extended Universe but The Dark Knight Trilogy was originally going to be set in the same world as Man of Steel (or at least adjacent to it). Had Heath Ledger not tragically died, Christopher Nolan was planning to give the Clown Prince of Crime a minor appearance in The Dark Knight Rises - he would have been seen in Arkham Asylum but only for a moment or two.
We Nearly Got A Batman V Superman Movie Much Sooner
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was released in 2016 but the movie was first pitched back in 2001 by Akiva Goldsman. The few details which have since been revealed about it haven't pointed to that version being particularly good which might explain why Warner Bros. ultimately decided to scrap the project and instead focus on Christopher Nolan's grounded and gritty Batman reboot, Batman Begins.
The Intricacy Of Superman's Suit
Say what you will about the DCEU but the costumes are downright incredible looking. A big part of that comes from the level of detail they feature. Take Superman's suit for example; it's covered in Kryptonian hieroglyphs based on Kryptonian scripts developed for Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. They're not just random symbols either; they all have meaning and are meaningful quotes.
A Very Complicated Photograph
In Batman v Superman, we see Diana Prince attempt to retrieve a photograph from World War I which has come into Lex Luthor's possession. When that was taken in real-life, Wonder Woman was still a good six months away from starting production so it was then up to Patty Jenkins to painstakingly recreate that photograph for her movie. Despite that, there are still a few very minor differences.
The Cast Of Suicide Squad Had An On-Set Therapist
You'll all no doubt know about Jared Leto's weird behaviour on the set of Suicide Squad but did you know that the actors who starred in the DC Comics adaptation were given access to a therapist? According to star Adam Beach, the grittiness of the movie required one because it took a toll on the cast. I'm not sure how he knows about that; maybe he was sad about being killed off so quickly?
Will Smith Trained With Navy Seals To Play Deadshot
Will Smith is a fantastic actor and while some might argue that he could have done better than Suicide Squad, bear in mind that it is the only superhero movie to win an Oscar! Regardless, in order to give Deadshot his all, Smith went and trained with Navy Seals and Army Rangers to ensure that the way Floyd Lawton handled weaponry would be as convincing and realistic looking as humanly possible.
The Robin Suit In Batman V Superman Isn't Jason Todd's
One of the coolest moments in Batman v Superman came when we saw Robin's costume on display in the Batcave after it had been defaced by The Joker (who, just like in the comic books, killed the youngster). However, while we all assumed that it was Jason Todd's suit, Zack Snyder has since confirmed it belonged to Dick Grayson, a sign that he was going to follow The Dark Knight Returns.
Jesse Eisenberg Wasn't Warner Bros.' First Choice To Play Lex Luthor
The decision to cast Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor didn't sit well with a lot of fans but had things panned out slightly differently, we would have ended up with a very different take on Superman's biggest foe. Tom Hanks and Joaquin Phoenix were both considered but Adam Driver was the studio's top choice until he passed to play Kylo Ren. At the time, most fans thought he would be Nightwing!
Emma Roberts Was Originally Cast As Harley Quinn
It's hard to imagine anyone other than Margot Robbie playing Harley Quinn but it actually happened and she wasn't even the studio's first choice. Emma Roberts was offered the opportunity to play the iconic Batman villain and even accepted the role but a scheduling conflict with her show Scream Queens meant she was forced to drop out. As a result, it ended up being Robbie's for the taking!
Justice League Wasn't Delayed Because Studio Execs And Their Bonuses
This might just be the craziest fact on this list. Rather than give Zack Snyder the time he needed to return to helm Justice League's reshoots or delay the movie so Henry Cavill could shave, Warner Bros. executives worried they wouldn't still be with the company due to the merger with AT&T pushed for the superhero ensemble to be released as quickly as possible so they wouldn't miss their bonuses.
Warner Bros. Censored Harley Quinn's Butt
Harley Quinn wore pretty much nothing in Suicide Squad aside from a ripped t-shirt and an incredibly short pair of shorts. Seeing as a female director will be in charge of Birds of Prey, it will be interesting seeing how her wardrobe changes but did you know that Warner Bros. used CGI to make them appear longer in the trailers for Suicide Squad, possibly to avoid any backlash from angry parents/censors!
Patty Jenkins Nearly Helmed A Wonder Woman Movie In 2005
Wonder Woman broke a number of box office records when it was released last year but another version was actually in development back in 2005. As Warner Bros. looked for someone who could make it a reality, they asked Patty Jenkins if she was interested (due to the success of Monster) but she had to decline as she was pregnant and didn't want to be away from home. It fizzled out soon after.
Amy Adams' Long History With Lois Lane
As of right now, we have no idea when and if we'll see Amy Adams back as Lois Lane in the DCEU but the actress went on quite a journey to land the role of the intrepid Daily Planet reporter. She initially attempted to play the character in J.J. Abrams and Brett Ratner's scrapped Superman Flyby and later missed out on the role again to Kate Bosworth in Bryan Singer's disappointing Superman Returns.
Being Cast As Wonder Woman Saved Gal Gadot's Career
While Marvel briefly considered casting Gal Gadot as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy (you can read more about that in our list of MCU facts), the actress revealed last year that constantly being rejected for roles resulted in her very nearly deciding to return home to Israel and retire from acting. However, being chosen by Zack Snyder to play Wonder Woman changed her life and thereby saved her career.
Zack Snyder's DCEU Was Going To Adapt Injustice
You might think the dystopian future we saw in Batman v Superman was just a possible future but Zack Snyder has since revealed that he was indeed planning to turn the DCEU into his own version of the Injustice video game series, taking us to a desolate future in what would have presumably been a four or five movie arc. Clearly, he envisioned telling a standalone story similar to The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Ben Affleck Is The Only Actor To Play Batman AND Superman
You're no doubt well aware that Ben Affleck played Daredevil once upon a time but did you realise that he also suited up as the Man of Steel in 2006's Hollywoodland? In that, the actor played George Reeves, the actor who played Superman way back in the 1950s. As a result of that and his role in Batman v Superman and Justice League, Affleck is the only actor to play both of these characters.
Do you have any interesting facts about the DC Extended Universe you'd like to share with us? As always, be sure to head to the comments section below and stay tuned for more features!