It's been quite a week for DC fans. With Warner Bros. now under new ownership, Discovery has started making some sweeping changes to the studio. CEO David Zaslav decided to scrap a $90 million movie, Batgirl, and now claims to have a 10-year plan in place for the DC Extended Universe.
Supposedly inspired by Marvel Studios, this could be a turning point for the DC Universe on screen. However, it's hard to have faith based on what we've seen over the past decade.
We could always be surprised, though, and there are some specific steps Zaslav could follow that would make the DCEU every bit as successful as the MCU. At the very least, what we've come up with would be a good start, and we have a feeling you'll have plenty to say about these possible next steps (put your pitchforks down, SnyderVerse loyalists).
To take a look through our suggestions, simply click on the "Next" button below!
8. Focus On The C-List Heroes As Well As The A-Listers
When Marvel Studios began, all they had were B and C-List superheroes like Captain America and Iron Man who, in the eyes of non-fans, were nowhere near close to the level of Spider-Man and Wolverine, for example.
Over time, they and other characters have become A-Listers, and even titles such as Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel have all found huge critical and commercial success. Warner Bros. focusing on those big-name Justice League members is understandable, but there are lots of lower-tier heroes and villains who should also be introduced to flesh out this world.
Batgirl was a perfect example, and Zaslav needs to understand that not every DC Comics movie has to be a massive blockbuster with flashy effects and world-ending consequences. Make the movies that will earn $300 million before attempting to jump straight into $1 billion hit.
7. Reboot The DCEU (Mostly)
It's time. The DC Extended Universe (the unofficial name for a shared world that doesn't have one) kicked off in 2013, so a decade on, there's no shame in hitting the reset button.
The Flash would be the best place to make that happen, and we're not just talking about bringing Supergirl and Michael Keaton's Batman into the DCEU. This entire universe needs to be overhauled, and while a few of the same actors could stick around, we wouldn't even be against everyone being recast at this stage.
The best course of action is starting a brand new DC Universe unencumbered by past stories or creative decisions. That may spell doom for some upcoming projects, but it could be a necessary evil at this stage.
6. Get Rid Of Ezra Miller
He has to go. We don't care if he's recast or if Barry Allen dies and Wally West takes his place. Ezra Miller was always an odd choice to play the Scarlet Speedster and recent controversies have driven home the fact that he is not suitable or worthy of playing this DC Comics character.
'Nuff said.
5. No More Massive Crossovers
Rumour has it The Flash will set the stage for a Crisis on Infinite Earths movie, presumably as a result of the damage Barry Allen does to the DC Extended Universe. It's a neat idea, but not one we have any faith in Warner Bros. actually being able to pull off.
The studio couldn't get Justice League right, and in the eyes of most fans, even Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a disappointment. It's time to scale back a little and not try jumping into releasing the DC version of The Avengers before laying the groundwork with Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger. That makes absolutely zero sense.
The reason The Avengers was a $1 billion hit was that Marvel Studios had built anticipation over a number of years. Let's focus on introducing these heroes and build to a team-up four or five years from now.
4. Start Setting The Stage For A New Justice League
Countless heroes have been part of the Justice League over the years, and the roster can be comprised of more than just those "New 52" characters. Throw Hawkgirl into the mix. And Green Lantern. For that matter, let Plastic Man, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, and Supergirl all take centre stage.
You can include heavy-hitters like Batman and Superman, but this new wave of movies should focus on introducing characters in their own titles (like Captain America and Iron Man in the MCU) and others in supporting roles (Black Widow and Hawkeye are good examples). As we've mentioned, a team-up shouldn't happen too soon, but it should be the endgame.
For this to work, there needs to be a plan in place and an overarching story that plays out over a number of years.
3. Leave The Batman Franchise Alone
Batman is DC's biggest character (primarily because they've so badly dropped the ball on Superman), and we anticipate the Caped Crusader being a focal point on the big screen moving forward.
Whether it's Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, or someone else entirely, Batman should absolutely be part of the DC Extended Universe. However, it should not be the Dark Knight played by Robert Pattinson. Bringing that version of the hero into the world inhabited by characters like Aquaman and Wonder Woman, or vice versa, would be a complete and utter disaster.
The Batman franchise needs to remain standalone, because as tempting as it must be to start a new DC Universe in that reality, a grounded Justice League is an even worse idea than what Zack Snyder came up with.
2. #DestroyTheSnyderVerse
Talking of Snyder, while we were pleased to see his cut of Justice League hit HBO Max, it's time to move on from that era of storytelling. The director did a lot of good (especially when it came to casting), but also a lot of bad, particularly from a tonal standpoint.
Many fans seem to believe Zaslav plans to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, but the toxic direction a very vocal part of the fandom headed down has arguably sealed its fate.
On the one hand, we'd love to see DC release Snyder's planned Justice League sequels as a comic book or direct-to-DVD animated feature, but c'mon, we were lucky to get Zack Snyder's Justice League. It's time to let this world die and move on to a new, rebooted DCEU.
1. Bring Henry Cavill Back As Superman
If some actors are going to remain part of the new DC Universe (which is highly likely when Warner Bros. is working with the likes of Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, and Jason Momoa), then bringing Henry Cavill back as Superman needs to be a priority.
Yes, he brings a certain level of baggage with him. His Superman is the one Zack Snyder introduced and it's going to take a long time before we forget the abomination that was Cavill's CG jawline in Justice League. However, he was also pretty freaking fantastic as Kal-El, and with a brand new creative team, his Superman can truly soar.
Joss Whedon's stint in the DCEU wasn't good, but the glimpse of a more hopeful Man of Steel was a welcome sight. Putting Cavill at the forefront of this new DC Universe would be a recipe for success, and the character this new era of storytelling should be built around.