Just what exactly is it that the Marvel Cinematic Universe did to thrill fans and critics that the DC Extended Universe didn't? In a word, buildup. Marvel Studios built up to The Avengers by setting the ground work in movies focused on solo characters. But even more importantly, Marvel built to its mega-team film by kicking things off with a less-popular character.

Now, Iron Man was by no means an unpopular character before the movie, but he wasn't on the same level as, say, Captain America. In short, Iron Man was a character that wouldn't have collapsed the entire Marvel brand if his film didn't click with fans and critics.

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The DCEU, on the other hand, didn't build up to introducing its heavy hitters. Superman (whose first film, to be fair, wasn't really planned to launch a multi-hero franchise), Batman (whose solo film won't come out until maybe 2019) and Wonder Woman were placed front and center right from the start. Warner Bros. gambled big with DC's most recognizable characters, and while the movies have been box office successes, much of the DCEU has been a critical failure. But, what if DC had done it differently? What if it had kicked off with a low-stakes movie and built up to their heavy-hitters? If done right, a Booster Gold film could have been the DCEU's Iron Man.

Booster Begins

To start, let's look at the character's origins. Booster Gold's real name is Michael Jon Carter, a resident of 25th century Gotham City. Michael and his twin sister were left destitute after their father gambled away the family's money and abandoned them. Already, we have the classic superhero "tragic background," but it doesn't stop there. After Michael made a name for himself as a college football star (where he earned the nickname "Booster"), his father showed back up in his life and forced him to throw games so he could win bets. Michael was exposed and expelled, forcing him to take a night security job at the Metropolis Space Museum.

This is where things get interesting; amongst the museum's displays are various exhibits on superheroes and villains from the 21st century (or 20th century, when Booster's story was first told). Having lost his glory as a football star, Michael sought new recognition. Thus, he stole the technology needed to turn himself into a superhero. Also on display was a time machine, which he used to go back to the 21st century in order he could stop disasters before they happen (with the help of a security robot named Skeets, who has 500 years worth of headlines in his database) going by the superhero name Booster Gold.

Though Booster's origin hits a lot of the same story beats as some of the best superhero tales, a film adaptation could be a fresh take on the origin story; instead of seeking redemption or to help others, Booster is seeking glory. It turns the origin story on its head, offering something new and original to the superhero genre while, at the same time, providing room for Booster to move past his egotistical motivations. He thinks becoming a famous superhero will redeem his defunct athletic career, but will eventually learn that being a good superhero — helping people for the sake of helping people — will bring him true redemption.

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DC's Iron Man From The Future

Iron Man and Booster Gold have, surprisingly, quite a bit in common, which one of the reasons Booster would have made a great candidate for launching a DC film franchise. Both superheroes use futuristic technology for superpowers, they both have AI's that assist them (Jarvis and Skeets), they're both egotistical showboats, and they both have strong redemption arcs. In short, they have enough in common to have made Booster a great "introductory" character to the DC film universe much like Tony Stark was for the MNCU.

But Booster Gold and Iron Man aren't identical! The pair are different enough that a Booster Gold movie wouldn't just be a clone of Iron Man. Sure, Iron Man might be a "textbook narcissist," but Booster literally founded a company to make money off his heroics, creating Goldstar Inc. to handle all the fame and commercial/movie deals he received after publicly saving the president. He is, by every definition, a commercially-inspired superhero.

This approach to superheroing, as well as other heroes' reactions to it, are what would set Booster Gold up for an amazing character arc of redemption and learning what it means to be a hero. Further, it's what makes Booster a naturally comedic character, one who is constantly showboating and being generally full of himself. Humor is what keeps MCU films light, fun and full of heart, and its something the DCEU could really benefit from more of. For all intents and purposes, Booster Gold is "DC's Iron Man of the future," both in his similarity to Tony Stark, and in how is character is the perfect setup for future DC films.

Setting Up The Future (Literally)

As a superhero who's from the future, Booster Gold's time traveler status could serve a greater purpose for the DCEU. We've already established that Booster would have made a great, low-stakes superhero to launch the DCEU franchise due to his similarities to Iron Man. However, there is something that Booster could have done for the DCEU that even Iron Man didn't accomplish: Setting up the future, literally.

Hailing from the future of the DC universe, Booster Gold's character is already perfect for planting the seeds of future movies. Even better, he worked in a museum of past superheroes! In a hypothetical Booster Gold movie, scenes of Michael working in the museum would be perfect for teasing future heroes' costumes, gadgets and villains. He even steals a Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring, laying the grounds for a possible LoS movie! His very concept as a character acts as the perfect starting point for branching out to other superhero films, something that not even the first Iron Man did.

Sure, Iron Man had Marvel Universe easter eggs (Cap's shield and the like), and the post-credits Nick Fury scene blew everyone's minds, but there were no hard signs that there were other heroes in the world. In fact, Iron Man was treated the first superhero to show up in the MCU, with little to no evidence that others were coming or had ever existed. Booster Gold's museum job and stolen tech are the perfect means to plant the seeds for multiple DCEU films, teasing future heroes instead of shoe-horning them like we saw with the video files Bruce Wayne stole in Batman V. Superman.

A Thriving Superhero Community

The MCU started with one hero, which led to others until, finally, they all came together in The Avengers. Since then, the MCU's cast of heroes has grown steadily as the universe has gotten bigger and bigger. DC could have put their own spin on the MCU formula, taking what had already been done and making it their own. When Booster Gold traveled to the present, he arrived in a time when heroes like Batman, Superman and pretty much every other famous DC hero had been at the superhero game for years, decades even.

Meaning, while there would have been room for build-up to more famous, "heavy-hitter" superhero movies, there'd be no need for some of the (sometimes messy) retconning that the MCU is forced to do. The DCEU would have already been thriving with superhero activity when Booster made his name. Booster chose the 21st century because it was the perfect era to become a famous superhero; the public was exposed to them everywhere. A Booster Gold movie would not only set up the future of superheroes in the DCEU, but also the present.

Plus, there's the possibility of sequels adapting Booster's team-ups with Blue Beetle and his work in preventing rogue time streams, both of which would make awesome movies.

What Could Have Been

Of course, at the end of the day, this is all hypothetical, speculation and "what-if." Regardless, it's kind of fun to think of how it could have gone a bit differently, possibly even better. Booster Gold, in both story and character, has a lot of the same elements that made fans love Iron Man. A Booster Gold film could even top Iron Man in how naturally the story sets up future heroes and films. To put it simply, Booster Gold could have been the DCEU's Iron Man.