As we are aware, the future of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is not looking too bright. With the recent news of the Batgirl film cancellation and Ezra Miller’s arrest, these might be the final nails in the coffin for this version of DC’s cinematic universe. San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) was an opportunity for the DCEU to get their diehard fans excited and change the game but it was less than ideal.
I am both a fan of both DC and Marvel properties, and after 3 years without SDCC, we were hoping DC would bring a lineup of films and television series we could go bonkers over. Sadly, we only saw the Shazam Family and Black Adam as the main headliners which was underwhelming to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, Shazam! is still a fun movie but we were all hoping to hear more about Blue Beetle, Green Lantern, and even plans for the Flash movie.
I really hope those planned properties will not be canceled because the Blue Beetle film looked phenomenal already with the comic accurate costume. After taking some time to sulk about the idea of the possible cancellations, Warner Bros decided to announce their plan for a 10 year lineup and shared that it would be inspired by Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
“We have done a reset. We’ve restructured the business where we are going to focus, where there is going to be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC. We believe we can build a much more sustainable business,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an earnings call.
Interesting…I wonder what the inspiration was in doing a Justice League movie without properly introducing the characters and recruiting Avengers director Joss Whedon to helm it. Regardless, this sudden change in direction might be positive…until I heard they are focusing around Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. Again, I am a huge fan of The Rock but putting all your eggs in one basket when the film has not even been shown to the public yet, is quite a risk. See, I don’t know much about the business side of building a cinematic universe but planning to develop a 10 year plan with a film that might not be a certain well-received film could spell trouble once again for the DCEU.
It’s sad to see that the DCEU does not take some tips from the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) and their properties. I mean remember how the Justice League animated series started? I didn’t know any of those members except for Batman and Superman but they did a fantastic job in creating a universe that you could genuinely care about and be interested in. I know I know, animation and live action is like comparing apples to oranges. Most DC animated films have less than 2 hours of runtime, but these films have been some of the most exciting pieces of DC that I have experienced in a while. Although I am skeptical of the next steps of the DCEU, they still showed us some spark with Peacemaker and The Batman. I will keep an open mind and definitely open eyes.
