A DC Fan’s Heartfelt Thoughts on the Current DC Films Universe.

A DC Fan’s Heartfelt Thoughts on the Current DC Films Universe.

Warner Bros and DC Comic’s Justice League didn’t make the impact the studio, filmmakers and fans hoped for. Its performance says a lot about the current state of DC Films. Hit the jump to discuss it.

Editorial Opinion
By TwistedKingdom - Feb 20, 2018 10:02 PM EST
Filed Under: DC Studios

“This was supposed to be special”.

 

Walking out of the theater after watching Justice League, this was the first thing that came to mind. Not just the movie itself but all of it. A fully realized DC Cinematic Universe. A universe where Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League finally coexist. Instead, the last five years have been divisive, controversial and worst of all…disappointing.

 

This is just one DC fan’s point of view. No, not all DC fans are happy with the DC Films universe. There are DC Fans and there are DC Films Fans. Both groups love DC characters but the latter is a passionate fanbase loyal to director Zack Snyder. They’ll defend every choice he’s made thus far. The former sees this “Extended Universe” and believes these properties deserve better. And that’s where this is coming from. Because these characters do deserve better. Much better. And so do their fans.

 

It would be easy to start laying blame now. When things go terribly wrong, it’s human nature to look for someone to fault. But that’s not what this letter is about. No finger pointing or ranting about studio interference. This is about frustration. Because for decades DC Comics has set a bar. A gold standard. A standard the films haven't come close to meeting.



From Man of Steel to Justice League, this DC Universe has been mediocre at best. Sure, they’ve made money. This whole endeavor has obviously been about making as much money possible as quickly as possible. And the properties have suffered because of it. The source material is taking a backseat to directors, A-list stars and executives. Box office has become a higher priority than faithfulness.

 

DC Films fans can insist the DCEU has been faithful and “accurate” but, from the very beginning, the filmmakers on MoS called their take a reimagining. (It even says that on the blu-ray case). It’s all a different take on classic characters. And that’s a problem. Because these “different takes” aren’t who generations of fans fell in love with. The names are familiar but it’s all new. They’ve been tweaked to fit a unique vision. These aren’t the characters fans grew to idolize and adore over the last 60, 70 or 80 years.

 

This hurts.

 

It didn’t always. Or maybe it did and the realization hasn’t set in until now. Since MoS the DC Films universe has been the butt of jokes, a consistent source of mockery and a punching bag for critics and audiences alike. Fan petitions, conspiracy theories, departing directors, extensive reshoots - there’s just as much drama behind the scenes as there is onscreen.



It felt okay to laugh at the jokes, memes and gifs before but now…yeah, this really hurts. Not the teasing but rather the fact this is where we are. It’s 2018 and we aren’t praising the DC cinematic universe, we’re trying to figure out how to fix it. Fans shouldn’t feel the need to defend a movie featuring the Trinity on screen together for the first time. Posts about DC movies shouldn’t devolve into juvenile bickering.

 

We deserve better than this. It’s DC f*cking Comics!!

 

All due respect to Spider-Man, the Avengers and the X-Men but DC characters always felt closer to the Greek Gods of Mount Olympus. It’s Batman. It’s Wonder Woman. It’s Superman, the greatest hero of them all. The Justice League - an all star team where, at one time, every member had their own ongoing title.

 

Their films should be worldwide phenomenons. The moment the first DCU movie opened it should’ve put the rest of Hollywood on notice.

 

“Well, people’s expectations are too high”.

 

Yes and rightfully so. 

 

Expectations don’t come from nowhere. DC set a bar of excellence over the years. They gave us compelling storytelling and diverse characters. In the past they've set standards and met them. DC Animation consistently delivered with shows for Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Young Justice. Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins reinvigorated the big screen Batman franchise after Batman and Robin all but killed the Caped Crusader.

 

Why wouldn’t fans expect the same from DC Films?

 

IN CLOSING

 

Snyder loyalists will undoubtedly disagree with all of this. That’s understandable. No one is saying they’re wrong for loving Man of Steel, or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice or Wonder Woman. There’s nothing wrong with supporting Snyder’s vision. And if you feel like blaming WB and Joss Whedon for “ruining” Justice League, let ‘em have it.

 

But this universe isn’t worthy of DC Comics.

 

Anyone who has convinced themselves that everything is fine is being delusional. By all means, enjoy the DCEU. That’s everyone’s right. But if a film strikes out critically and doesn’t break $1B at the box office when it should, maybe it’s not the audience's fault. It’s easy to say “audiences didn’t get it” or “the material is too smart”. What’s difficult, especially if you’re passionate about them, is considering the possibility these films aren’t as rich and thought provoking as their fans claim they are.

 

The thing is, DC Comics weren’t made for a specific, rabid fan base. Their characters and stories aren’t meant for one niche demographic. DC never said “We make comic books for this particular group of readers”. The label wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has if it was run that way. They thrived by making comics anyone can read. They lasted because they told stories for everyone. They appealed to children and adults alike. So should their movies.

 

Forget about reimaginings and “modernized” versions of these characters. Trust the source material and give the audiences the characters they expect to see - the characters they care about. Have faith in the property, hire filmmakers who can capture what makes this universe so special and the rest will take care of itself.

 

How do you feel about the big screen DC Universe? Are you happy with it? Disappointed? Should Warner Bros reboot the whole thing or try to right the ship? Sound off below and, as always, thanks for reading!

 

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Rickjones
Rickjones - 2/20/2018, 11:35 PM
I honestly lost the last shred of interest I had for the DCEU after learning Chris McKay will be focusing on another film, putting Nightwing in the backburner. I'm not interested in Aquaman, largely because I don't think Momoa was right for the role, though I have some faith Wan will make the most out of it. Flashpoint is the wrong move to make as the first Flash film, and same goes at the idea of a Joker origin movie, which misses the point of the character.
Kyos
Kyos - 2/21/2018, 1:03 AM
I was extremely hyped for MoS, and felt a bit numb afterwards. I wasn't hyped at all for BvS, and it still managed to massively disappoint me. Was genuinely anticipating Skwad, and it was really, really bad. Wonder Woman I was positive about, again, and it was an enjoyable one-time-watch. I liked Justice League more than most, but there's no denying that it was far, far from what it should have been.

Now for the semi-immediate future I am once more not exactly pessimistic (Aquaman and Shazam), but I'm also not really optimistic or excited. They hurt me about as much as they could with BvS, and nothing that they do next can fix or top that disappointment. Superman in JL was somewhat of a step in the right direction for me (as in "I did not actively dislike him this time"), but that might be a case of 'too little, too late'.

Overall the DC movies have pretty much gone the way of the X-movies for me by now: despite being based on some of my absolute favourite source material there's little anticipation for the franchise as a whole, and while each individual movie will get a chance to win me over there's a real chance of some of them failing at that.
TheBeard
TheBeard - 2/21/2018, 9:10 AM
Peel
Peel - 2/21/2018, 1:48 PM
The only thing I'm looking forward to anymore is Suicide Squad 2.

Wonder Woman was a great movie, but I've never been a big fan of her rogues gallery and WB shot themselves in the foot by killing off most of the Olympian Gods at the start of the movie.

Justice League is self-explanatory.

Aquaman has all the makings of a good movie, but I've never seen anything to get me hyped up for it.

Same with Shazam, but without all the 'makings of a good movie' part.

Flashpoint, Batgirl, Nightwing, The Joker movie and all the other 100+ movies that Warner Bros. have planned haven't even made it past the first script yet so there's nothing to be interested or hyped about.

So yeah, I'm only interested in Suicide Squad 2 atm, because I actually really enjoyed the first movie and think the sequel will be a lot better with a better director in Gavin O'Connor, likely no Jared Leto's Joker and more time for a better script to be made.
DetectiveCinema
DetectiveCinema - 2/21/2018, 10:45 PM
This is so accurate, exactly how I feel. I love these characters but what we’ve had up on the screen in the last few years has been an embarrassment. These characters deserve so much more.
QuestionDAnswer
QuestionDAnswer - 2/22/2018, 10:32 AM
Look at this...


now, look at this...


and that is why the current comic book film climate is in the state that is in.

Marvel has lowered the standards of film making. So, everybody is trying to emulate the lowest common denominator to cash in on the trend. You see... when Sam Raimi, Bryan Singer, and Christopher Nolan started this whole comic book film craze, they were making art. Now, Marvel on the other hand saw an opportunity to exploit/take advantage of a rising new phenomena AKA the comic book film. As long as new things are being created, there will always be those trying to exploit, mass produce, and churn out soulless products for stupid people to consume.

I mean just look at the difference between this...


and this...



QuestionDAnswer
QuestionDAnswer - 2/22/2018, 10:37 AM
@QuestionDAnswer -

QuestionDAnswer
QuestionDAnswer - 2/22/2018, 10:45 AM
@QuestionDAnswer -

Or this...


and the current crap wwe is pooping out these days.
JDL
JDL - 2/22/2018, 2:29 PM
Art House CBM's might satisfy your peculiar fantasy but they don't work for enough folks to make a profit. So yes, we are going to get the lowest common denominator. EOS.
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 2/25/2018, 2:43 PM
@TwistedKingdom

Well written and I have to say I completely agree.
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