Hello everyone, these are my thoughts and opinions on Warner Bros. and what they could do in regards to rebooting the DCEU after Justice League.
First, let's start by stating the obvious, we won't know anything officially until after Justice League runs it's course in theaters. We know the movie is underperforming and is a disappointment; however, we have yet to see if the movie can still bolster a little profit for the studio before making the claim that they will just scrap the universe entirely and reboot with clean slate. There are other factors to consider, such as DVD/BLU RAY sales, merchandise, etc. Who knows maybe a miracle will happen and they'll get a late push to 700million plus ( not much better either way, but still). Once it's all said and done then maybe we can get something more concrete as far as what WB will do.
Post Justice League, Warner Bros. has at least 3 ways of changing the course with their DC Cinematic Universe and the negative reputation it has gained.
1. Hard Reboot: stop what you're doing, don't make any more DC films attached to this current universe and start from the very beginning in another 5 to 10 years.
2. Soft Reboot or Recont: Keep what works, change or jettison what doesn't by using Flashpoint as the pivot that alters continuity while still keeping the majority of the main cast and world intact.
3. Stay the course/ Course correct: Keep trying to fix the current universe one movie at a time with better sequels and new additions each year until you've brought it out of the gutter and found your formula or groove.
Hindsight
For Option 1., there are some complications that sprout from the fact that Warner Bros. was a little hasty with their announcements of DC slated films. They hired writers, directors and casted for movies years ahead without even seeing if their first 5 films ending with Justice League will being a success. In other words they didn't take their time focusing on the results of each movie before determining if they should continue to produce more DC films connected to the current continuity. If WB's first slate started with Man of Steel and ended with JL with no other movie scheduled to come out afterwords, then they could easily end the universe right here. They could've started over with new films by 2020 once they figured out what direction they want to take and who will being supervising it all. However, they pushed forward with Aquaman, Shazam, Nightwing, Black Adam, Suicide Squad 2, GL Corp and all these Batman related spinsoffs that may or may not still happen. Aquaman starring Jason Momoa is going to happen no matter what, extending the current universe. Same with Wonder Woman 2 because of the big success of Wonder Woman under Patty Jenkins Guidance. According to Digital Spy.com, Suicide Squad 2 is also still being fast tracked and is rumored to come out in 2019 with Director David O'Connor taking over from David Ayer. The point is if these movies end up being great, the current universe still hangs on and won't go away until Flashpoint at the very least if not some time after.
Option 2 or 3 to be honest seem the most likely to happen; as I've already stated, they have at least 3 films coming out that are still connected to the DCEU. Wonder Woman 2 directed by Patty Jenkins (WonderWoman, Monster, The Killing), Aquaman directed by James Wan(the Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, Saw, Insideous), Shazam directed by David Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation), add in Suicide Squad 2 directed by David O' Connor (The Accountant, Warrior, The Americans) and that makes 4 DC films still tied to the current universe. If these films succeed critically and financially, you can't reboot the whole thing because then you'll be throwing away the diamonds with the trash.
This is why option 2. in my opinion is the most optimal solution to go with.
Keep the diamonds so that they will continue to make more diamonds; in turn, you will figure out the formula for making them and sustain the process by using the right material. For Example: Say Aquaman gets an A+ cinema score, an 80 to 95% on Rottentomatoes or Metacritic, word of mouth as good as Wonder Woman if not better and at least 800million+ at the box office. WB would be crazy to want to scrap that, they would do everything they could to keep Wan for the sequels. Suddenly Aquaman 2 gets a date for 2021 if not sooner and if that ends up being well received you'd be crazy for wanting it to end. Now picture Shazam, a knock out for kids and families to go see over and over again, funny, light hearted, heroic and entertaining. Follow that up with a decent Black Adam spinoff and Shazam 2, your on track of restoration and good will. Then Wonder Woman 2 comes out the same year as Shazam that movie does equally well if not better than the first, that's two good DC films in 2019 (you're on a roll). Suicide Sqaud 2, if O'Connor can salvage that franchise then they officially prove that redemption is possible and the Gotham City Sirens/Joker and Harley movie will indeed happen.
Then we come to Flashpoint which can be used to rewrite the history/continuity, but still keep the majority of the main cast intact. So this could mean the Death of Superman never happened, Batman v Superman never happened or significantly changed, Ben Afleck is officially out, new younger Matt Reeves' The Batman is solidified canon. Keep Momoa, Gadot, Miller and Fisher and then question whether should you recast Superman, Lex Luthor and Joker? It's not necessary in my opinion, but if they wish to give Superman a clean slate, then recasting the part might be the option and he along with Batman would be officially rebooted post Flashpoint while everyone else remains virtually unchanged. Before you know it you have a new Justice League movie with old faces and new faces built up to face the Injustice League/ Legion of Doom for JL 2.
Ace In The Whole And Switch
If certain movies fail like Aquaman, then don't make anymore Aquaman movies until after you reboot. If WW2, Shazam and Suicide Squad 2 fails, then scrap the rest and use Flashpoint to reboot or just reboot and don't bother with Flashpoint. This leaves you with one
Ace in the whole, Matt Reeves Batman Trilogy. If it's successful, tie the Nightwing spinoff to it's continuity instead of the current one. Add GL:Corps to it as well, then reboot Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest to start fresh. (Add Shazam to the new Universe only if it succeeds, but that means reconting Suicide Squad 2 if that movie uses Black Adam).
Last Resort and Wild Card
The wild card in all of this is the non Canon DC universe that lets filmmakers create movies about DC characters in unique elseworld stories. Such as The Joker Origin film directed by Todd Philips and produced by Martin Scorsese. An 80s version of the character done in the style of the movie Taxi Driver. If all else fails a universe filled with different interpretations of the characters maybe the only films Warner Bros. produces for the time being until someone comes along years later to do it right for a new generation.
All Hope Lost..
If WB just can't make things work out with the DC films, they should stop making them all together and at least sell the film Rights to companies that potentially could. Unfortunately most of the major studios are working on Marvel based properties right now. Paramount has Hasbro so they won't be quiting on that anytime soon. That leaves you with Universal who can't even get their Dark Universe off the ground and Lionsgate which failed to make Power Rangers work and isn't exactly a heavy hitter with limitless funds.
Conclusion
I would say it is necessary to reboot, but not a hard one that wipes out everything. Eitherway it is going to happen later not sooner, we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully things will work out and the tide turns for fans. It'd be a shame to waste the potential anymore than they already have.
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