5 Things The DC FILMS UNIVERSE Actually Got Right This Year
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad came under fire from fans and critics alike this year, but there are some things they actually got right in the newly established DC Films Universe...
2016 has not been a great year for Warner Bros. and their DC Comics adaptations. Both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad were met with a negative response from critics and didn't quite live up to expectations at the box office (at least in the case of the former anyway). For whatever reason, the studio just hasn't found the right recipe to make the DC Films Universe work.
Despite that, it's fair to say that both of these movies got at least some things right. With Wonder Woman and Justice League expected to serve as a turning point for this world next year, there are at least a few - five to be exact - things that the DC Films Universe has already done well enough that could pay off in a big way down the line either in sequels or unrelated big screen adaptations.
5. A Handful Of Cool New Villains
Deadshot and Harley Quinn are the two biggest victories for Warner Bros., while the studio would be nuts if they fail to make Amanda Waller an evil Nick Fury type who makes her presence felt in most of these films moving forward. Captain Boomerang is another character with the potential to return, and while the likes of Katana and Killer Croc were arguably wasted in Suicide Squad, they too could be better utilised at some point. When it comes to villains, the DC Films Universe has the Marvel Cinematic Universe beat as of right now.
4. Wonder Woman's Introduction
The movie firmly established her as a badass force to be reckoned with and instantly increased the excitement levels surrounding the Wonder Woman solo outing heading to theaters next summer. Achieving that in such a short space of time is definitely something Zack Snyder deserves credit for, especially as it's now hard to find anyone complaining about the fact that Gal Gadot has been cast as the iconic DC Comics character. The other Justice League cameos in this movie may not have worked that well, but this was a winner.
3. The Joker (Yes, Really)
Watching the lengths he was willing to go to in order to get Harley Quinn back - even if a darker version of the movie we'll never see made that more about control than affections - proved to be fascinating, and with the right direction and a stronger script, there's every chance that this Joker could come close to Heath Ledger's version in The Dark Knight. Ben Affleck seems like the best man for that job, though time will tell if there's room for both The Joker and Deathstroke in that movie.
2. Pretty Much Everything Batman Related
Throw in things like his arsenal of weapons, vehicles, and relationship with Alfred, and it's fair to say that this version of Batman is probably the most comic book faithful portrayal to date. That too is something Zack Snyder deserves to be applauded for, especially as Batman v Superman established the character's world (something likely to be followed up on in Justice League with the addition of Commissioner Gordon). The filmmaker has also laid the groundwork for Affleck to score a touchdown with his solo movie a few years from now.
1. The Death Of Superman
A truly heroic moment from the Man of Steel, seeing him impaling himself on Doomsday's "sword" in order to fell the beast was the sort of scene which should send chills down the spines of fans everywhere and a fitting conclusion to both this battle and the character's story arc that kicked off in his solo outing three years ago. Did the final few seconds teasing his return cheapen Superman's death in some ways? Not really as him being part of Justice League was always an inevitability, and it should be a lot of fun to see exactly what state the hero is in when he returns in 2017...
Do you agree that the DC Films Universe got these things right? Have we missed any other positives from their rocky 2016? As always, share your thoughts in the comments section below.