This article is probably going to be controversial but this is an outside perspective on the way the franchise has been and is going.
Before I start, I enjoy most of what DC’s done. I’m also excited about the roadmap ahead with James Gunn. I like most of Snyder’s work but I’m not a superfan of his either.
The last film to truly blow the box office away when it comes to DC was Aquaman in 2018. The Batman did alright sitting on $770,945,583 according to Box Office Mojo. However, most of the DCEU has flopped since.
Shazam’s sequel is only at $64m with 5 days reported which included the weekend. Black Adam’s profits were substantially lower than the production and marketing costs.
There are a few reasons why I feel like DC is on the path to failure, especially now. I’m happy to discuss my points in detail.
1. Zack Snyder fans/haters
I cringe at the word haters. This isn’t a dig at either side. If you have a preference, that’s okay. My point here lies in the fact the fanbase is divided, completely. I’ve seen calls from Snyder fans to boycott any future DC film, whether or not it’s Shazam or any James Gunn project. It also makes sense that these fans are in this mindset, they know what they want, and they know WB knows they want it but won’t give in.
Then there’s the other side. If the #RestoretheSnyderverse movement worked, the opposite effect would occur. It’s a lose-lose situation simply because the fan base is so hellbent on proving each other wrong. I don’t like all of Snyder’s films, I’ll be honest. I thought Batman v Superman was awful but I loved Man of Steel and the Justice League (his version).
As a fan who just loves superheroes, I am just happy we’re in a place where we get this kind of content on a regular basis. If Zack returns to direct his universe then I’ll support that. If James Gunn is the man for future DC content, I’ll support that as well. We also need to make sure we’re creating movements the right way. Smashing James Gunn on Twitter every single day is not going to solve anything, we need to be better than that.
2. Warner Bros.
I will be straight here. I don’t think WB is the company that can make DC a successful property. They’ve made some horrific decisions in the last few years. Ray Fisher, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and more. They also have a habit of interfering with movies and changing things. Justice League’s 2017 version is a prime example of this, similar to 2016’s Suicide Squad.
The issue is, they seem to be completely careless of fans. There has been outcry after outcry after outcry on their decisions but nothing ever changes. It took them over 3 years to finally give us the Snyder version of the Justice League.
A lot of the fan complaints with WB are completely justified. It’s why I won’t support Aquaman 2 on a personal level. There have been calls in the past for Amazon or Apple to buy the property but it’s DC after all – it’s extremely lucrative even without the movie aspect. Comics, animated shows, merchandise, and other aspects generate billions every single year.
3. Reboot, soft reboot, what’s going on?
I’m in this crowd. We have a roadmap at the moment which is brilliant but I’m still beyond confused as to what the plan is with introducing new characters and maintaining old characters. I wholeheartedly believe if Zack’s universe is done and there’s no way back. The universe should’ve been rebooted. We have a good Batman in Pattinson, it could’ve been a starting point to just start again. This brings me to my next point…
4. Henry Cavill and other cancelations
Bringing Cavill back in Black Adam, only to tell us he won’t be returning shortly after is a complete lowball move. Even further so when Dwayne Johnson tried so hard to bring him back in the first place, succeeded, and got a very interesting after-credit scene in the movie just for it to mean nothing. We know Henry loved and idolized his role as Superman, for them to do this was disrespectful and I’ll always stand by that.
Then there are the cancelations. Shows and movies are being canceled left and right. It’s no wonder Shazam hasn’t done great, people don’t feel a need to watch it since it’s rumored The Flash will change everything in his movie. Things are being kept when they shouldn’t and things are being canceled when they shouldn’t. The Batgirl movie, even if it had poor test viewings, should’ve been direct to HBO Max AT LEAST. Even if it was bad, it’s still a dumb move to just cancel it. They’re used to bad films anyway when you look at Birds of Prey.
5. A universe that’s not one
When you look at the main rival, Marvel, they have it mostly spot on. Yes, they’ve had some shoddy parts in the last 3 years but overall Marvel is on top and will undoubtedly stay there until they decide they’re done. One of the main reasons is that it’s now all one universe. Everything co-exists with each other.
Currently, on DC, this is all of the different universes;
- DCEU
- Arrowverse
- DC Universe shows (Titans, Doom Patrol, and Stargirl)
- Matt Reeve’s The Batman
- Joker
- Other CW shows such as Naomi and Gotham Knights
- The animated movies/shows
I’m probably missing more but it’s the inconsistency that hurts. Some people prefer this and that’s okay. I believe it’s better to have it all exist together. It makes for more consistent storytelling across movies and shows alike, and it’s always nice in a Marvel show when a movie-rated character shows up or is given a show. DC have proved they can do this due to how successful Peacemaker was. Unfortunately, it’s the ONLY show that exists with the DCEU outside of a movie.
I’ve said this time and time again. DC has the better characters, and the better stories in comics – they have the potential to break records everywhere. I think we need a completely fresh start and each project needs to be given all of the care it deserves. If that’s with or without Snyder, it makes no difference. I only care for DC as a whole and I want to see it do well. It hurts to see films like Shazam 2 flop badly at the box office when it’s actually a fun film.
I think keeping certain characters but letting others go is always going to cause controversy and rightfully so. Especially when Cavill is a better Superman than Ezra is Barry Allen…
