Earlier this year I wrote an article speculating that this year, the year of our Lord 2022, might indeed be year for the DCEU. On the horizon were films like The Batman, Black Adam, The Flash and Aquaman The Lost Kingdom. Things were looking good and hope was in the air. But alas, all was not well. As we now know, the offices of DC were still in a state of chaos. With the recent merger between Warner Brothers (who owns DC Comics and DC Studios) and Discovery, the fate of the DCEU seemed in question. Then there came a shuffling of film releases. Most films got pushed back to 2023. They scrapped Batwoman altogether, and now The Hollywood Reporter announces Wonder Woman 3 is on hiatus. So what is the future of the DCEU?
For now, we can only speculate. Of course this news comes on the heels of the announcement of the new co-CEOS James Gunn and Peter Safran. The new captains of this mighty wayward DC ship seem experienced and capable. But as they say, if you wanna’ make an omelet you gotta’ breaks some eggs. And in this new DC Studios era, Wonder Woman 3 is definitely back on the shelf. That isn’t to say we’ll never get another WW movie, but the question still hangs in the air whether or not it’ll be a Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins project or not.
Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of WW2 and only sorta’, kinda’ liked the first film. For me this news isn’t Earth shattering. But for the DCEU it’s definitely a tell.
A cleaning of the slate is common when a new executive team is put in place to run a studio or division but there is likely little precedent for the amount of Clorox James Gunn and Peter Safran could spray as they prepare to launch DC Studios and guide superhero movies for the next half decade and beyond.
Borys Kit of Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter speculate that Henry Caville’s recent announcement confirming that he is indeed returning as Superman is also in question. I mean, at the time the statement was correct, but with DC’s recent track record, nothing is sacred. This news also throws shade on the existing movies that are currently in post production. Should a studio release films teasing an interconnected DC universe knowing that several of these films won’t continue on the same timeline? Or could Gunn and Safran orchestrate an on-screen event that could explain away the change in direction? Who knows. I think it can be done…but the question really is–can it be done well?
It’s safe to say at this point that Matt Reeves’ The Batman sequel with Robert Pattinson is safe. The Joker sequel Joker: Folie A Deux is also moving forward. Given both of these films exist outside the DCEU’s timeline, I’m sure Gunn and Safran are okay letting them be. But the same can’t be said for the films yet to be released.
My hot take? Some of my favorite recent DC comics exist outside of the current comic continuity. DC Comics Black Label line have been really doing it for me. See my Catwoman Lonely City review for more. This lets creators tell one-off stories about characters so ingrained in the zeitgeist that we need no origin story. With the success of films like The Batman and Joker, why not keep on that trajectory? Does the world really need DC to keep on this Snyderverse path? We are already seeing signs of MCU burnout with Marvel Studios going ham on Disney+ releases. What started strong with WandaVision has fizzled out with She-Hulk’s weird fourth wall busting ending. It may be a good idea for the DCEU to opt out of the MCU business model and do something else.
Unfortunately the Hollywood Reporter article says the call is for the opposite: “Observers are convinced the plan calls for an interconnected story universe and there is rumblings of the establishment of a creative brain trust.”
I guess time will tell what the future of the DCEU will really turn out looking like. Until then, I’m grabbing a huge tub of popcorn because what happens off-screen is becoming just as interesting as what is happening on it.