Warner Bros’ DCEU project seems destined to go down in history as a perfect example of incompetent studio management and missed opportunities. We won’t go into the notorious behind-the-scenes power struggles that ended up ruining the theatrical cut of Justice League, but it’s arguable the DCEU has never truly recovered.
Now, fans on r/DC_Cinematic are fantasizing about a movie that could still theoretically be made but will almost certainly remain a pipe dream: Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck teaming up as Superman and Batman for a World’s Finest movie:
Of course, the pair have already shared a movie in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, though that story pitted them against one another and it wasn’t until the closing moments that they joined forces. They were eventually on better terms in the finale of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, though Superman being dead for the majority of the movie meant we didn’t get to see them properly become friends.
If they needed inspiration, Warner Bros. could revisit 1997’s excellent animated movie World’s Finest, which combines three episodes of Superman: The Animated Series into one feature. This sees Bruce Wayne taking a trip to Metropolis, where he infuriates Clark Kent by sweeping Lois Lane off her feet (and into his bed), taunting Superman with a shard of Kryptonite, and quickly figuring out his secret identity.
But, faced with Lex Luthor and the Joker teaming up, the pair soon realize they complement each others’ skillsets and become close friends.
It’d be refreshing to see a slightly less tortured DCEU Batman trying to tone down the grumpiness to get along with Superman as the pair try to move past the whole ‘attempted murder’ thing. And hey, perhaps they can finally get a chance to properly bond over their Moms both being called Martha?
Superman: The Animated Series is available to stream in full on HBO Max, with the World’s Finest arc comprising the 16th, 17th, and 18th episodes of the second season.