The DC Extended Universe delivered the odd hit, but for the most part, it's likely to be remembered as a failure. That was evident from most of 2023's offerings and the news of a DCU reboot from the newly formed DC Studios was welcomed by most fans.
There are lots of reasons to be excited about what's to come, especially with Superman on the horizon. Unlike their predecessors, James Gunn and Peter Safran appear to have a plan and they've already attracted some A-List talent to the overhauled franchise.
That doesn't mean they haven't already made a few mistakes, of course. Even Marvel Studios went through growing pains and, before even a single movie or TV show has launched, we have some concerns about DC Studios' plans for these characters.
We're hoping to be proved wrong, but you can find the DCU's biggest mistakes by hitting the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
6. A Half-Hearted Reboot
If DC Studios was going to reboot the DCEU, then they...well, they should have rebooted the DCEU. While future stories will take place in a new reality, John Cena sticking around as Christopher Smith for Peacemaker season 2 suggests this is by no means a full reboot.
Viola Davis will similarly continue playing Amanda Waller and, honestly, it feels like no mere coincidence that they both starred in The Suicide Squad director's previous DCEU projects.
If Gunn enjoyed working with them, great. However, introducing new versions of major and minor characters in one breath while keeping Team Peacemaker in the DCU muddies the waters in a big way.
Moving on from the DCEU doesn't really work if you're going to keep so many remnants of the past around. Plus, does this mean Peacemaker season 1 still happened, minus certain DCEU elements? Rick Flag Sr. is coming after Smith, so The Suicide Squad - or parts of it - are somehow DCU canon now.
5. A Lack Of Transparency
On the one hand, Gunn has made a real effort to keep fans updated on social media. He's shared DCU casting announcements and highlighted many of the comics which have inspired DC Studios' approach to storytelling.
Despite that, there's also been a frustrating lack of transparency. That is, of course, the norm in Hollywood and one need only watch or read a Kevin Feige interview to see how often he'll avoid giving a straight answer!
However, if Gunn can find the time to debunk the silliest of online rumours, why hasn't he addressed Gal Gadot's status as Wonder Woman after months of conflicting reports? And why have some roles been recast and not others?
The filmmaker hailed The Flash as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made and yet Sasha Calle's time as Supergirl has reached an unceremonious, and rather unkind, end.
4. Andy Muschietti's DC Return
While we're on the topic of The Flash, it's legitimately hard to understand why director Andy Muschietti has been tasked with helming a movie as important as The Brave and the Bold.
Yes, those nostalgic scenes with Michael Keaton's Dark Knight were the only parts of The Flash which really worked, but are they enough to hand him the keys to one of the DCU's most important projects? (the introduction of Batman, Robin, and the Bat-Family)
It's one of the most questionable decisions DC Studios has made; Mama was okay. IT was very good, but IT: Chapter Two was a hot mess. The Flash also drew mixed reviews and the scenes with Ben Affleck's Batman showed that, outside of tapping into the nostalgia factor, Muschietti's qualities as a filmmaker don't exactly go hand-in-hand with the Caped Crusader.
Those who loved The Flash will disagree and that's fine, but at least Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow has chosen well with Cruella's Craig Gillespie.
3. Our First Look At Superman
We have no complaints about Gunn directing Superman. It's clearly a passion project for the filmmaker and he's a legit fan of the Man of Steel.
However, the first official shot of David Corenswet suited up as the hero drew a mixed response and potentially highlighted DC Studios' lack of experience as they look to rival Marvel Studios.
Attempts to show Superman putting his boots on one at a time just like the rest of us was a nice idea in theory. Unfortunately, it fell flat. The costume was rumpled and appeared ill-fitting, but even that paled in comparison to what we saw in the background.
In a bid to tease the movie's mysterious villain (we're hoping we're getting more than just Lex Luthor and a supposed Superman clone, anyway), we were left with an unconvincing CG...thing...which immediately brings back memories of the DCEU's terrible VFX. Perhaps the DCU won't differ in the ways which really matter after all?
2. It's A Family Affair...
Nepotism is talked about a lot in Hollywood these days and, to a large extent, it feels like the whole thing is being blown out of proportion.
Unfortunately for the DCU, it's been caught right in the middle of that. His wife, Jennifer Holland, is expected to reprise her role as Emilia Harcourt while James' brother, Sean, will return as Weasel and play both G.I. Robot and Maxwell Lord (who will likely be a major player in this shared world).
Then, there are Gunn's friends, Nathan Fillion, for example, who have secured major DCU roles despite not necessarily being a good fit in the eyes of some fans.
The fact is, we'd all cast our friends and family in the DCU if we were calling the shots, particularly if they were the right people for the job (Holland is brilliant, as is Gunn). However, making this so obvious so soon has given a lot of unhappy - SnyderVerse? - fans the ammunition they were looking for!
1. A Premature Slate Announcement
When the history of the DCEU is revisited, many will rightly argue that Warner Bros.' biggest mistake was making a premature slate announcement.
They gave a bunch of movies titles and release dates without a single filmmaker attached to the vast majority of them. DC Studios hasn't repeated that mistake, but the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" reveal still felt like it came way too early.
As well as contributing to the poor box office performance of 2023's DCEU movies, it's already begun changing. Teen Titans has been added to the list (unofficially), while Peacemaker season 2 seems to have taken Waller's place. Meanwhile, a random Arkham-set series - originally meant to serve as a spin-off to The Batman - has also been thrown into the mix.
DC Studios may have inadvertently set fans up for disappointment (is Paradise Lost really happening?) and have already proven the slate they shared was by no means set in stone. Honestly, they'd have been better off working away in secret until they did have filmmakers and release dates for those movies and TV shows...