The DCEU has certainly been going through some trying times, with films like the original Suicide Squad flopping among fans, and the interesting choice to cast Jared Leto as the Joker in that film, they have certainly been struggling to keep up with the success that Marvel has had with the MCU. And while there have been some successes and fan favorites, such as Henry Cavill as Superman and the stand-alone Joker film, DC films continued to get criticized for being too dark or lacking a solid plot. Things took a further turn when the Warner Brothers Discovery + merger occurred, and several DCEU properties were placed on the chopping block before it was announced that an entire reboot was once again in the works.
With James Gunn taking the lead now, despite telling fans that he does not want to be in charge of the DCEU, the vision for what lies ahead for the heroes of DC Comics is shifting, and not toward being similar to Marvel, but more so to a much-beloved galaxy far, far away.
Can The DCEU Multiverse Still Work?
With James Gunn taking the lead as the new CDO for DC Studios, he has made it clear that he and Peter Safran are working hard to make sure they do future DC projects justice, with one major change being that everything will be connected within the DCEU.
And by everything, they mean everything, from television shows, streaming shows, video games, films, and everything in between will be connected to one another in some way, something that Star Wars has been doing with its properties for quite some time now.
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Once Disney bought out Star Wars, they made sure to create the Lucasfilm Story Group in an effort to keep the storytelling throughout the projects they were working on consistent and connected to one another in order to not disrupt the continuity of the universe that has already been built.
So rather than focus on standalone big-budget films where only certain characters cross paths (fans know they will never see Joaquin Phoenix's Joker show up in a Suicide Squad film), they aim to make the stories all happen within the same continuity.
There is the concern that shifting DC to this form of storytelling may potentially limit the stories that DC has the ability to tell across the board, with some fearing that the storylines for video games or side novels may suffer. Others worry that DC may go the way of the Star Wars sequels, which many fans of the original Star Wars films felt failed the franchise.
There is hope that DC Comics' multiverse will help save it from stagnant storylines, something that Star Wars doesn't have under its belt. The DCEU has a plethora of characters and stories to pull from, something that can be used to its advantage to create riveting and interesting films, shows, games, and other media to keep fans interested and excited.
The DCEU Is Trying To Make Itself Stand Out Next To The MCU
The rivalry between the MCU and the DCEU is clear to fans of both franchises, including how well the MCU has done in comparison to the DCEU. It seems as though DC is always trying to play catch up or even mimic the success of its competitor.
The MCU has done a spectacular job at building a solid foundation universe, one where the Avengers exist with Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy, while also releasing other films and shows that exist in their own bubble, like the Deadpool movies and all the animated Marvel released.
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DC has followed a similar trajectory, releasing films that connect to each other like Justice League and Batman v. Superman, while also releasing video games and animated shows and films that do not tie into the major movies.
And while James Gunn has found major success working with both Marvel and DC on films like Guardians of the Galaxy and the Suicide Squad reboot, he wants to make it known that he will not be using the same formula he used in his Marvel films for DC going forward.
Most Fans Trust James Gunn With The DCEU
The announcement that many projects were being canceled thanks to the Warner Brothers Discovery + merger left many fans confused and upset about what the future might hold for DC, with films like Batgirl getting canceled, but The Flash moving forward, despite the controversy surrounding Ezra Miller.
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Having James Gunn and Peter Safran put in charge of DC's future excited fans about the franchise once again. It seems that the majority reaction was overwhelmingly positive, with many fans pointing out Gunn's love of the comics and his extensive knowledge of the characters in the DCEU.
Others were quick to point out that the success he brought to the MCU in the form of The Guardians films can be brought over to DC Comics, with Gunn knowing that he has to treat DC differently than how he treated his MCU films.
While the news did satisfy some fans, others were still not happy with the announcement. Fans were quick to point out that the return of Henry Cavill to his role as Superman should mean that Zack Snyder should have a shot at leading the DCEU, with some using #RestoreTheSnyderVerse to express support for this opinion.
Some fans have even pointed out that Zack Snyder can be brought back to work on DC films by James Gunn, an idea that had many on Twitter excited and what the future could possibly hold for the revamped studio.
