DISCUSSION: What Is One DCEU Movie You Don’t Think Deserves The Hate?

DISCUSSION: What Is One DCEU Movie You Don’t Think Deserves The Hate?

The DCEU had a lot of installments that were not met with the kindest critical response. However, what is one movie from the franchise that you don’t believe deserves the hate?

Feature Opinion
By DanielKlissmman - Apr 24, 2025 03:04 PM EST
Filed Under: DC Studios

The DCEU had a fascinating history. It started out sort of strong with 2013's Man of Steel, which, despite critical difficulties, made a somewhat respectable amount of money at the box office. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there, with a series of critical failures like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2016's Suicide Squad and Justice League.

The franchise showed glimmers of hope every now and then with films like 2017's Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Shazam!, but their success wasn't enough to keep the ship afloat in the long run. Look, let's face it, the DCEU needs to be studied. It took hit after hit, but it kept going, to the point where it got many thinking, "Goddamn, what a champ. How many more hits can it take?"

Finally, following multiple financial and critical failures, the DCEU perished and the DCU, a new live-action franchise overseen by DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, was born. Yet, even with an exciting new DC world upon us, its predecessor still provides much to talk about. Now, while the DCEU is largely known for its failures, it wasn't all bad for everyone. In fact, all of us probably have an installment that we look back on and say, "You know what? That wasn't bad. It was actually pretty good."

With that in mind, l want to hear your thoughts on this: What is the one DCEU movie you don't think deserved the hate? The one movie you stand by, despite its critical reception? Remember to stick to films that are usually disliked. So, installments like Wonder Woman and Shazam! don't count, since they're generally well-liked. 

I will start: I love Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). That's right. I don't "like" it, I love it. I think it's fun and feels like a whimsical standalone comic book issue. I cannot, for the life of me, forget the egg-sandwich scene. It's lived rent-free in my head since I first saw it, and I do not resent it. It is welcome to stay there for as long as it wants. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is awesome, and I will forever be a fan of Christina Hodson for writing the film. To this day, I do not understand why Birds of Prey is so disliked. 

All right, now it's your turn. As a refresher, below are all the theatrical DCEU installments: 

  • Man of Steel
  • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
  • Suicide Squad
  • Wonder Woman
  • Justice League
  • Aquaman
  • Shazam!
  • Birds of Prey
  • Wonder Woman 1984
  • Zack Snyder's Justice League
  • The Suicide Squad
  • Black Adam
  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods
  • The Flash
  • Blue Beetle
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

So, open your heart and reveal the one hated DCEU movie you stand by.

WB Discovery CEO Praises 10-Year DCU Plan While Talks Of Company Split Intensify
Related:

WB Discovery CEO Praises 10-Year DCU Plan While Talks Of Company Split Intensify

CREATURE COMMANDOS Star Sean Gunn Reveals Which DCU Project He'll First Appear As Maxwell Lord In
Recommended For You:

CREATURE COMMANDOS Star Sean Gunn Reveals Which DCU Project He'll First Appear As Maxwell Lord In

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2 3
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 4/24/2025, 11:03 AM
Batman v Superman.

User Comment Image
amesjazz
amesjazz - 4/24/2025, 11:06 AM
@JoshWilding - Completely agree. It does have it's flaws but it's one of the few superhero flicks I constantly go back to. Just interesting and ambitious.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/24/2025, 11:08 AM
@JoshWilding - lol

I just can’t really get into it…

I actually think on paper , there’s a lot I like about (especially the idea of an older , broken Batman who has to see the light again) but the execution was lacking a lot for me.
amesjazz
amesjazz - 4/24/2025, 11:10 AM
@TheVisionary25 - That's the films biggest problem. All the ideas are great including the Martha bit. But the execution is wonky for sure. But it features some of the best superhero action of all time. Just big
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 4/24/2025, 11:12 AM
@JoshWilding - Fully agree
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 4/24/2025, 11:17 AM
@JoshWilding -

It's not perfect but I like it for its best aspects.
krayzeman
krayzeman - 4/24/2025, 11:25 AM
@JoshWilding - just to be clear you ARE referring to the excellent ULTIMATE EDITION, right? Not the crap, make no sense regular version?
AgentofSH1ELD
AgentofSH1ELD - 4/24/2025, 11:28 AM
@JoshWilding - IMO one of the best CBM to date.
AgentofSH1ELD
AgentofSH1ELD - 4/24/2025, 11:29 AM
@krayzeman - This is have not seen. What is different in the Ultimate Edition?
RedFury
RedFury - 4/24/2025, 11:37 AM
@amesjazz - I completely agree, especially with the Martha bit. Bruce is such a psychologically traumatized person that it would make sense that his mother's name would illicit some type of reaction in him. But like alot of Snyder's work it was handled in a hamfisted way and turned into a meme rather than an impactful moment. He has an undeniable eye for action, composition, and spectacle - but he just doesn't seem to notice when the ideas and concepts don't translate to screen well. Had there been better pacing and space to breath in that scene, I think it would have landed properly. But alas it all happens within a moment and just comes off as way to forced.
krayzeman
krayzeman - 4/24/2025, 11:42 AM
@AgentofSH1ELD - Its about 45 minutes longer and completes some of the narrative threads that didnt make sense in the regular version. Like Clark going off to Gotham to investigate The Batman
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/24/2025, 11:43 AM
@RedFury - well said

What doesn’t help also is Afflecks acting imo in that scene which I think comes down to direction

It’s just too spazzy to the point of being unintentionally funny and the voice didn’t help
QuietStorm
QuietStorm - 4/24/2025, 11:46 AM
@AgentofSH1ELD @krayzeman - Also has more of a rated R version of the Batman's wherehouse fight. I too agree that this version delivers a far better film. My only grip is that the runtime is long clocking in at just a hair under 3 hours. But again, Snyder uses the extra time to really flesh out the stories.
amesjazz
amesjazz - 4/24/2025, 11:47 AM
@RedFury - Yup. That moment being the thing that brings Batman back is powerful. He remembers what made him become batman in the first place. He thinks he has no purpose and that its all been for nothing. Then for it to jump right to the scene when he saves Superman's mother it gives him an opportunity he wishes he had when his parents were killed. I think it's great. But like you said the execution is just off.
RedFury
RedFury - 4/24/2025, 11:53 AM
@TheVisionary25 - that's so true, it was all so...punchy. Affleck and his voice mod being shocked but also angry in a stabby way, to Cavill barely getting three words out of his mouth was a lot to shove into a moment.

I feel like if Clark had just brought up Martha a few times during his weak moments in the fight before Bruce had the kryptonite spear on him - we as the audience would have been privy to the trauma reaction they were trying to get across.
RedFury
RedFury - 4/24/2025, 11:58 AM
@amesjazz - yeah that's it right there. It makes a lot of sense, and stands it's ground within human psychology, loss, and how we react to our traumas. But they just didn't let it breath.

Reminds me of MoS and Superman breaking Zod's neck. He's put in a position where he has to make a choice, and he chooses the love of his life on earth and his semblance to this world, over the legacy of being Kryptonian. But again it was shoved into a single moment and played for the action of a neck snap, rather than the horrible choice a person must make in a a terrible situation.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/24/2025, 12:00 PM
@RedFury - agreed

Have him perhaps try to talk down Bruce first a few times and make him realize they are being played by Lex during which he mentions his mother which plants the seed for later on
RedFury
RedFury - 4/24/2025, 12:11 PM
@TheVisionary25 - yeah exactly! It would have been way less jarring that way. Plant the seeds, Bruce ignores them at first, but when the final moment happens he snaps too and finally understands what Clark's trying to tell him.

And it's not even like they would have had to change anything in that whole sequence. Just add in some bits of dialogue within the fight that helps the conclusion of the fight land properly.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/24/2025, 12:18 PM
@RedFury - exactly

It also makes Clark seem less like an aggressive idiot
RedFury
RedFury - 4/24/2025, 12:37 PM
@TheVisionary25 - lmao so true. Just use your words dammit! When the kryptonite wore off the first time he should have just grabbed Bruce and did an info dump on him.

Honestly that's one of my most hated tropes in writing. Pretending that two people wouldn't try and have a conversation in a moment that would illicit a conversation. Especially when you've got a god-like character of Superman who often uses his words. I can get that Bruce may not want to talk because of his rage. But Superman knows there's a misunderstanding so why the hell wouldn't he just say it?
AgentofSH1ELD
AgentofSH1ELD - 4/24/2025, 1:25 PM
@krayzeman - Im not sure I knew about this.. will def. look it up.
AgentofSH1ELD
AgentofSH1ELD - 4/24/2025, 1:26 PM
@QuietStorm - more warehouse fight would justify.
QuietStorm
QuietStorm - 4/24/2025, 2:54 PM
@AgentofSH1ELD - Only reason I still have the dvd
SummersClan
SummersClan - 4/24/2025, 3:46 PM
@JoshWilding - Absolutely not.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 4/24/2025, 5:07 PM
@JoshWilding - The theatrical version deserves the hate absolutely.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 4/24/2025, 8:13 PM
@RedFury - User Comment Image
RedFury
RedFury - 4/25/2025, 7:24 AM
@ObserverIO - lmao, always and forever.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 4/24/2025, 11:06 AM
Man of Steel of course. How that movie is disliked by so many is something I'll never understand.
JustAWaffle
JustAWaffle - 4/24/2025, 11:26 AM
@TheJok3r - User Comment Image
Wahhvacado
Wahhvacado - 4/24/2025, 11:31 AM
@TheJok3r - User Comment Image
elgaz
elgaz - 4/24/2025, 11:36 AM
@TheJok3r - Same here. I've watched it a few times and still love it. It has some minor things I would change, but overall, I think it was a great way to modernise Superman and move on aesthetically and tonally from the Reeve era, which even Superman Returns was hanging onto.

Strangely, it had lots of average reviews but when I watch people on Youtube now reacting to it, they almost all love it.
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 4/24/2025, 1:06 PM
@TheJok3r - ditto
Goldboink
Goldboink - 4/24/2025, 3:17 PM
@TheJok3r -
MOS is mostly good but bad choices were made that effed things up permanently. Setting him up as an antagonist rather than a protector of humanity was the wrong choice.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 4/24/2025, 7:02 PM
@TheJok3r -
1. HE LET PA KENT DIE
2. MA KENT SAID YOU DON'T OWE THEM ANYTHING
3. DESATURATED BULLSHIT

Those are off the cuff but enough to establish - THAT'S NOT SUPERMAN. FULL STOP.
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 4/26/2025, 2:47 AM
@TheJok3r - the movie plays extremely well. The problem is the character written for Clark. Superman is not supposed to end up feeling lost in a church asking a priest to show the way. Superman is a Christ figure. He’s supposed to show everyone around him the way. Steely resolve and humble righteousness is what he’s supposed to exude. Reeves’ Clark was perfect in that regard.

A huge failure in storytelling that took a great movie and made it into a confused epic
MisterBones
MisterBones - 4/24/2025, 11:06 AM
Aqauman gets the action and visuals right but fails at everything else.
Goldboink
Goldboink - 4/24/2025, 3:18 PM
@MisterBones -
It was entertainign in the theater but not worthy of repeated viewing, which is my benchmark for a good movie. Based on that benchmark, entertaining the first time but not so much after that, fits even the best of the Snyder era slop.
ClintthaManster
ClintthaManster - 4/24/2025, 11:08 AM
Man . . . they were all pretty bad. The Suicide Squad (Gunn's film) is probably the one I enjoyed the most, but even that one had it's issues. I honestly don't know if DC lends itself to the big, interconnected film universe thing as well as Marvel has, but maybe Gunn has the secret sauce to make it click. Fingers crossed!
EskimoJ
EskimoJ - 4/24/2025, 11:10 AM
Cybo... shit, um, Black Adam.
AgentofSH1ELD
AgentofSH1ELD - 4/24/2025, 11:29 AM
@EskimoJ - I keep going back to this just for Dr. Fate. Brosnan hit every mark with him.
1 2 3

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder