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.