The new DCU spearheaded by James Gunn is beginning to take shape as the MCU falters. If the right cards are played, the DCU could use this opportunity to avoid its competitor’s mistakes.
The MCU is at its weakest at this moment, and with so many movies and TV shows they have in the pipeline, there’s uncertainty about whether or not its reign can sustain. The most important thing that DC Studios needs to keep in mind going forward, is not to follow in the MCU’s footsteps. This is in regard to tone and not to its interconnectivity (which the DCU should most definitely adopt). One of the glaring problems that have plagued the MCU is that the majority of its franchises are drenched in sameness. It’s the same formula over and over again: Hire likable actors, make it comedic, and make it family-friendly, and it worked for a while, but that era seems to be have run its course.
MCU’s current state
The shine on the MCU is starting to dim for many people. The over-hyped Thor: Love & Thunder underperformed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the reaction to Love and Thunder was underwhelming since it really only offered more of the same from Thor: Ragnorok. A lot of comedy and not enough substance to sustain itself and questionable VFX that have spawned ongoing social media memes. Even Chris Hemsworth stated his concerns about returning to a franchise that’s too familiar, implying that he’d want a drastically different take on the role of the god of thunder again.
The lackluster response to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania casts doubts on the future of the MCU. There were questionable choices throughout the film. Kang was severely underutilized after Jonathan Major’s amazing performance in Loki, Ant-Man seemed stuck in the same place (akin to Thor), and M.O.D.O.K. didn’t live up to expectations. It’s a rocky start to the MCU’s Phase 5, and if it keeps up this quality it might peter out before it gets to Avengers: Kang Dynasty. It’s important to note that Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings director Daniel Destin Cretton will be directing Secret Wars and Kang Dynasty, but with a universe so interconnected, if the setup fails then it’ll be harder to nail the finale.
Don’t fear the dark
The DC cinematic universe has made the terrible mistake of trying to lighten itself up to be more like the MCU. That’s why they enlisted Joss Whedon to take over the Justice League movie after Zack Snyder stepped down with negative results. It’s why Warner Bros. Discovery chose Guardians of the Galaxy director Gunn to co-head DC Studios. Although both universes have superheroes, they are markedly different, and DC should remain true to its core. DC has some of the best stories of all time, The Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come, Watchmen, and the list goes on. These stories push the envelope and provoke readers to think more deeply about their respective subject matter. Not every story has to be dark and challenging, but each project needs to be its own thing and not a carbon copy of previous projects.
Take Wonder Woman for example. The first movie is lauded as a spectacular feat that was decades in the making. It was set during World War I and showed Princess Diana entering man’s world and discovering hard truths about war and what it means to sacrifice what you love for the greater good. Wonder Woman 1984 took a drastic turn in the other direction and suffered for it. It was lighter and more comedic and didn’t take itself seriously enough. The sequel was made to appeal to a broad audience — and that’s where it failed. The sequel lacked the compassion that the first movie pulled off so well thanks in large part to Netflix’s Sandman writer Allan Heinberg, and failed to come close to the first Wonder Woman.
In good news, DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters will tread into the waters of horror with Swamp Thing. With more announced projects coming, there’s likely to be more dark stories that fit into this theme.
A higher standard
The MCU has had the habit of making parodies. It at times feels less like these franchises are less interested in telling these stories, and more interested in giving audiences a comical version of the original characters. It’s as if they want to be in on the joke with the audience so they make fun of themselves first. This creates a disingenuous tone to these stories when it should feel more endearing. You won’t see Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeve’s The Batman make fun of his costume, or see Wonder Woman crack a joke in the first movie like she’s a comedian. If the stories aren’t taken seriously, then audiences won’t take them seriously. This isn’t to say that comedy and superheroes can never work; both the Harley Quinn animated series and Deadpool prove that it can, but not every superhero needs to perform like they’re on a sitcom.
The truth is that DC gets judged far more harshly than the MCU. General audiences have less knowledge about Marvel characters, so the expectations are lightyears apart. Before Robert Downey Jr. graced us with his Iron Man, Tony Stark wasn’t a household name, but everyone knew Batman was regardless of who was playing him. This could seem detrimental to the DCU; every choice is put under a more powerful microscope, but it should instead be used to hold its stories to a higher level and not settle for just popcorn movies. That, as people are learning, can only sustain for so long.
The DCU needs to take its time with its projects, and that includes paying its CGI artists well and giving them the resources to make this superhero universe look polished and magnificent.
Stay true to your school
There’s a sense that at times, there’s not a genuine love for comic books in some of these projects when stories stray too far from the source material. It might not seem like a big problem, but art is a reflection of those who create it, and if they don’t care they won’t have a long-lasting impact no matter its current popularity. Taskmaster, for example, is a fan-favorite villain in Marvel Comics, but the Taskmaster that showed up in Black Widow was a major downgrade from what fans were expecting. Many of these characters have a rich history and eras that are defined by brilliant creators who have done masterful work in fleshing them out. These stories should be mined, the creators should be given respect, and properly adapted.
The DCU needs to rely on its vast source material to tell these stories. Obviously, these projects can’t and shouldn’t be copied and pasted (it’s virtually impossible with all the retcons anyway). Keeping what works and adding to the mythos is how this process should go. Too often, creators adapting these works make unnecessary swings to “make their mark” on these properties. Iconic writers such as Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Alan Moore, Jack Kirby, Peter Milligan, Dwayne McDuffie, Paul Dini, Mark Waid, and so many more have done so much in building the DC Universe, and so much can be gained from the groundwork that’s already been laid.
Some things get lost in the transition between mediums, and it’s impossible to include every single detail, but each choice needs to be calculated so that it tells the story properly.
Don’t make movies for everyone
This might be the boldest take, but superhero movies need to be geared toward superhero fans and not general audiences. These stories are more than “theme parks,” and people need to be reminded of that. They’re valid stories that can impact people if they’re told in the right way, and doing so will separate them from the homogeny of superhero fare in popular culture. There’s a reason why these comics have lasted as long as they have, and it’s because people care deeply about these stories. The job of adapted projects is to make people care about them as much as comic book readers do, turning them into lifelong fans. Look at the spike in sales that Batman and Son and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely have gained following Gunn’s announcement about them. The synergy between movies/TV and comic books has gone untapped.
The DCU Batman movie The Brave and the Bold is based on a well-respected story by Morrison and Andy Kubert. Both of these stories go to some dark places, and they shouldn’t be softened for fear that it will alienate audiences. The same can be said for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, while people might be expecting a character akin to Superman, Supergirl’s personality is a far cry from her cousin’s. She’s got a temper, and she sees the world differently. Instead of watering down her personality, it should be embraced to ensure that these stories are kept fresh.
Comic book fans can be (and are) a fickle group that seems impossible to please, but the main objective is to make a great story first and foremost, and everything else will fall into place. Trying to appeal to everyone will only end up benefitting no one.