“The future of the DCEU is about to change”. These are the now immortal words spoken by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, prior to the release of his passion project Black Adam – part of the DC Extended Universe of films. He meant that his character was so integral to the ongoing story that it would be a character introduction as major as Thanos to the MCU but this isn’t exactly how it panned out. The film was a box office bomb but it doesn’t mean that the statement itself would end up being false…because cancellation is a form of change. Not long after the release of Black Adam, it was announced that the DCEU, a franchise started by 2013’s Man of Steel and featuring 12 films of questionable canonicity, would no longer be continuing in its current form. Director James Gunn and Producer Peter Safran were being brought in as co-heads of DC Studios, the replacement for DC Film, with the first part of their grand vision for the series finally being unveiled this past week.
This slate of releases, titled Gods and Monsters, includes 5 films (Superman: Legacy, The Authority, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing), 4 live-action TV series’ (Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold), and an animated series (Creature Commandos). It’s a really interesting mix of properties, with some being ones that many people may never have heard of, and there are reasons to be excited. Swamp Thing is a particular favourite while Supergirl will notably be the first attempt to portray the character on the big screen (in live-action) since 1984’s Supergirl. However, it doesn’t end there. Much like the MCU currently does, all of these projects will exist within one shared universe and will notably share the exact same actors. This will also apply to the animated shows as well, which is something that the MCU has not yet managed but that Star Wars has been doing for quite some time.
As iterated, there are plenty of reasons to be excited. Some of these are fan-favourite characters, it’s promising a grand story and the pairing of Gunn/Safran is a safe bet however there are reasons to be anxious too. Primarily, there is the current state of Warner Brothers which currently owns DC. Since taking over as CEO in April 2022, David Zaslav has seemingly made it his mission to destroy the company. Content is being pulled from the streaming service HBOMax with reckless abandon while projects that were near completion are being written off for tax purposes. This is on top of the already notorious history of Warner Brother executives meddling heavily in the production of their films – particularly the DCEU. Man of Steel and Batman Vs Superman may not have been popular with the masses but it was executive backpedaling that really killed any of the cohesion in the so-called Snyderverse. Of course, this isn’t a new thing, they famously threw director Joel Schumacher under the bus for Batman and Robin – a film that turned out exactly how they wanted. It seems fair to have faith in Gunn and Safran, who have earned it over their illustrious careers, but at the end of the day, they are still reporting to Zaslav.
Despite unveiling a large number of properties (10 in total), no indication was given as to how quickly their production was to begin. Whilst this may bother some, it actually demonstrates that, despite ideas of grandeur, they likely won’t be rushed. This is often the primary issue with companies attempting to build cinematic universes – too much, too fast – and there is plenty here to keep audiences entertained over at least a few years. The only given date was for Superman: Legacy, which Gunn is already writing and will be released on July 11th, 2025. At one film and one series per year (which is the bare minimum and unlikely to be the final schedule), this is 5 years of content which gives plenty of time to adapt future plans where necessary and to begin production of further installments. It’s also worth noting that the DCU is not the only thing in store with the releases of Joker: Folie A Deux and The Batman Part II still scheduled for October 4th, 2024 and October 3rd, 2025 respectively. There’s also the next couple of series of Teen Titans Go! And Superman and Louis, all of which will keep that DC bone itched until their major franchising can begin.
There’s this notion that something can be too big to fail and it’s one that’s been applied more and more to franchises like Star Wars or the MCU. The DCU currently does not have that luxury because they are, in essence, starting from scratch. DC/WB have spent the past two decades building a portfolio of separate film and television releases with arguably the biggest achievement being the CW Network’s Arrowverse, composed of Green Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Batwoman. It is through these shows that the iconic storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths was brought to the screen, which featured cameos from the likes of Burt Ward (Batman: The TV Series) and Robert Wuhl (Batman 1989). It’s one of the company’s crowning achievements. This Arrowverse isn’t dead as such, it just seems to have run its course, although there has been no confirmation of its fate either way. It seems like it won’t be a part of the DCU and that, even if it does continue, it is likely destined for the Elseworlds label like The Batman Part II and Teen Titans Go!. Until now, DC/WB has very much been throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks but with a shared universe across all visual mediums, they’re placing all their eggs in one very risky basket.
The DCU is an exciting prospect. If it works, it could one day make DC the powerhouse of media that they want to be. However, it’s going to take time, patience, and no shortage of good faith from viewers. The final installments of the DCEU are still to come with Shazam: Fury of the Gods and The Flash, before what James Gunn described as a Universal Reset followed by the release of Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. All four of those are due for release this year and in that order. When this new vision finally begins, let’s hope that this week’s general buzz of excitement from fans hasn’t worn off.
Good luck DCU, you might need it.
Shakesqueer 