While it certainly has its fans, there is no arguing that the DC Extended Universe has had a lot of problems since it started with 2013’s Man of Steel. Warner Brothers’ attempt to create their own version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe using DC’s biggest characters has been met with poor critical reviews, messy behind-the-scenes problems, and a failure to consistently meet the studio’s hopes at the box office.
Looking over the movies that have, thus far, made up the DCEU’s first decade, it is hard not to see a number of places where things went wrong. And while hindsight may not be a superpower, it is something WB could use to plot the path forward.
10 The Dark Knight Was A Bad Blueprint
With 2008’s The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan made movie history by creating the first superhero movie to gross over a billion dollars at the box office. The second film in Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy was praised by critics and fans alike and led to Heath Ledger receiving a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker.
WB figured that if Nolan could do so many great things with Batman, then surely he could lead the way to a hit Superman film. Nolan signed on as a producer and, alongside David S. Goyer, crafted the story for Man of Steel. The first problem lies here – Nolan is a fantastic storyteller, but his grounded style isn’t right for Superman.
9 They Started Off Embarrassed By The Source Material
A sure sign that Nolan and Goyer were likely not the right people to create the story for Man of Steel was that they were embarrassed to call Superman by his name. While Nolan’s second Batman film is called The Dark Knight, the character is still called Batman in the movie – for Man of Steel, the word “Superman” is never said.
Some are quick to lay this issue at the feet of director Zack Snyder, but that seems unlikely. While Snyder may have a darker take on Superman than many fans would like, he is not one to shy away from the character’s mythology. But by refusing to call Superman by name, it made it clear that this new universe was a little ashamed of the characters it would focus on.
8 They Had No Plan
While it is unlikely that the MCU had the plans for what would become the first three phases of their universe when Iron Man came out in 2008, it was clear that Kevin Feige and the team had some idea of where they wanted to go. By the release of Captain America: The First Avenger, the Infinity Stones were introduced, and the path was clear.
WB has never had a real plan for the DCEU. Zack Snyder has talked about his five movie concept, but it was clear that the studio was never on board with that plan. While Batman v Superman and Justice League shared a theme, the other movies in the DCEU all feel disconnected.
7 They Tried To Play Catchup
By the time Man of Steel was released, it was clear that the connected universe was the future of superhero cinema, thanks to the massive success of the MCU. And while the MCU took its time to introduce characters across four movies before bringing them all together in 2012’s Avengers, DC chose to shove everyone together as quickly as possible.
The rush started with Batman v Superman where Wonder Woman watches videos of Cyborg, Flash, and Aquaman – all of them apparently given their logos by Lex Luthor – as a way to quickly introduce the characters. Add in Superman’s quick death at the end of BvS, and it is clear that there was no sense of natural progression to the DCEU.
6 They Were Too Reactionary
Perhaps the biggest problem the DCEU has had is that the studio is constantly chasing after the fans. When the audience reaction to BvS was that the film was too grim, WB brought in other creators to help lighten the tone of Justice League, making for a “too many cooks” feel to the film. When Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy proved to be a huge hit, WB tried to turn Suicide Squad into the same type of movie.
Part of not having a plan for the future means the studio will jump all over the map looking for a path to success, and those jumps are almost always reactionary. Meanwhile, the two biggest successes for the DCEU – Wonder Woman and Aquaman – followed their own paths to acclaim.
5 The Casting Issues
While there was no way Warner Brothers could have looked into the future and seen the problems some of their actors would have, it can’t be ignored that the DCEU has run into a problem with its talent. While Ezra Miller has become a very big problem for the upcoming release of Flash, he is far from the only issue when it comes to DCEU talent.
Add in Ben Affleck choosing to walk away from his Batman movie and the studio failing to find a way to bring Henry Cavill back as Superman, and it becomes clear that it is hard to build a universe when you have to keep recasting your heroes.
4 The Slow Development Time
When a studio is trying to build a movie universe but can’t seem to follow a plan, it leads to very slow development times for the movies. Flash, which is currently set to release in 2023, was originally announced in 2013, with a 2016 release date attached to it. During that time, the movie went through a number of writers and directors.
Amazingly, Flash isn’t the longest production time for the DCEU. Black Adam, which is coming out this year, was first announced in 2006, with Dwayne Johnson signing on for the lead role in 2007. It’s taken sixteen years for Johnson to bring the character to screens.
3 The Lack Of An Overseer Leads To No Consistent Feel
Kevin Feige may not write the scripts or direct the movies of the MCU, but his fingers touch everything that Marvel does. Feige oversees every Marvel production, ensuring that each film and show builds off of what came before and sets things in motion for the future.
The DCEU has never had an overseer, and because of that, there is no connective tissue to the universe. While this open format has helped the DCEU create hits with Wonder Woman and Peacemaker, it also creates a universe that, to audiences, feels more fractured than connected.
2 A Lack Of Unity Between Films
A common complaint about the MCU is that they all have a similar look and feel. The reality is that the consistent look and feel helps create the sense of a connected universe far more than any number of cameos can.
The DCEU movies don’t just all look and feel different, they go so far as to have vastly different levels of violence and language. This is a connected superhero universe that has both the family fun of Shazam! and the R-rated joy of Birds of Prey, These are both great movies, but they are so different that audiences don’t get the sense that they are in the same reality.
1 They Gave Up
Part of that lack of unity might be because it seems like Warner Brothers gave up on having a connected DC movie universe. Wonder Woman 1984 feels utterly disconnected from what came before, and both Black Adam and the Aquaman sequel appear to be standalone tales. While the Justice League showed up in Peacemaker, it was more of a gag than an actual universe-building connection.
The ongoing theory is that Flash will act as a reset for the DCEU. Not only will it introduce a new Batman – which is really an old Batman coming back – but it will reset the continuity of the DCEU to essentially give the universe a clean start. If that is true, and if it will work, remains to be seen.