The DCEU has been on shaky ground with fans and the box office since its 2013 debut with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. However, with the replacement of DC Studios' management and James Gunn and Peter Safran now in charge, the creative direction of the DCEU is changing. Luckily for both fans and studio heads, there is a wealth of source material to look to that can inform the future of the movie universe.
The DCEU should look to more hopeful source material and focus on the lighter eras of DC, like Rebirth and the 2000s comics. Using the New 52 as the cinematic universe's template was misguided due to its darker and more limited style. Now that there's a new dawn for the DCEU, the opportunities are endless for great, entertaining, and optimistic stories for the fan base.
10 Saga Of The Swamp Thing Should Introduce The Magical Side Of DC
Alan Moore's Saga of the Swamp Thing not only evolved the character and story of Swamp Thing but also introduced more to the magical side of DC. The introduction of John Constantine and the creation of the Justice League Dark combined with the Gothic horror of the story was excellent.
James Gunn has already stated he'd be open to introducing the Justice League Dark and Swamp Thing himself to the DCEU. Bringing some supernatural elements to the franchise would help it branch out in genre and appeal and gain new fans it hasn't yet reached.
9 Year Of The Villain Would Be A Great Legion Of Doom Story
Scott Snyder's Justice League slowly built up towards his epic concluding chapter through "Year of the Villain," a year-long event that powered up the villains. As Lex Luthor attempted to control the multiverse, he built up the ultimate Legion of Doom to defeat the Justice League.
However, the cosmic aspects of the story would be better off taking a back seat to the better Legion of Doom subplot. The story could inspire an Infinity War/Endgame-style climax of the DCEU, with the heroes and villains facing off in a fight that could overshadow the MCU.
8 Superman Rebirth Would Be A Good Place To Start With A Family Man Superman
The entire SnyderVerse, from Man of Steel to Justice League, used the now unpopular New 52 era of DC Comics, which lasted from 2011 to 2016. The era was known for its darker spin and attempt to create a clear starting point for fans to jump in. However, it was followed up by something better.
Rebirth was told across two titles, Superman (Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason) and Action Comics (Dan Jurgens & Patrick Zircher). Here, Superman was redefined as the wholesome family man he was always meant to be, and he mentored his son to become a hero in his own right.
7 Grant Morrison's Batman Would Be A Good Way To Expand The World Of Batman
Fans remember Grant Morrison's Batman as one of the better long modern runs on the character. It was also incredibly impactful on the lore of Bruce Wayne thanks to its introduction of Damian Wayne and exploration of Robins taking up the Batman mantle.
One of the major complaints dedicated DC Comics fans have had of Batman's movies has been the consistent absence of Robin. In a blurred image on his social media, James Gunn showed off a series of omnibuses – one of which fans quickly identified as Morrison's Batman.
6 A Live-Action Dark Knight Returns Would Be Epic
While The Dark Knight Returns has a two-part animated movie and serves as the partial inspiration for Batman v Superman, fans still haven't had their fill. With many fans still disappointed by Batman v Superman's lackluster fight between the two titular heroes, there's an opportunity for improvement.
With James Gunn stating that he likes Affleck's Batman, the movie could serve as the DCEU's definitive old-man Batman story. Comic book fans love fights between Batman and Superman, and a faithful interpretation could be the DCEU's main attraction.
5 Kingdom Come Could Serve As A Possible Conclusion To The Universe
Kingdom Come's use at the DCEU, or at least some aspects of it, have been teased by James Gunn himself, who shared the image of the miniseries online. The story was an optimistic counter to the edgy, dark stories of the '90s, with older heroes coming out of retirement to check the younger ones.
Kingdom Come serves as an appreciation of DC's older characters and the superhero ethic made famous by Batman and Superman. It gives the DC universe a last hurrah of a conclusion to many of its superheroes and reminds fans that Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman have the best friendship in comics.
4 There's A Good Chance Morrison's Action Comics Will Form The Basis For The New Superman
After the divisive ousting of Henry Cavill as Superman, James Gunn revealed that he plans to adapt a younger version of Superman in his new DCEU. The best story of a young Clark Kent in comics is Grant Morrison's Action Comics, which explored Superman's early days in Metropolis.
Depending on how hard of a reboot Gunn and Safran opt for, starting at the beginning of Clark's Superman career would make sense. It would set up Superman's supporting characters from the comics, establish his relationship with Lois convincingly and let an actor age into the role of a mature Superman.
3 The New Frontier Should Be Reworked Into The First JLA Movie
Although The New Frontier was set in the 1950s, just after the Korean War, the basic story is timeless. It serves as an excellent meeting of the Justice League story and brings them – and the United States – together in their fight against a malevolent threat.
The story has the advantage of serving as a Green Lantern origin story, too, a character DC has struggled to introduce to live action. The story could show off the scope of the DCU and provide a sound launching pad for the publisher's greatest superhero team to unite.
2 Flashpoint Will Likely Be The Death Of The SnyderVerse Continuity
The upcoming Flash movie has been rumored to fixate on a Flashpoint-inspired story that will explore an alternate universe created by Barry Allen. While attempting to travel back in time to save his mother, Allen damaged the timeline and split DC history into a new direction.
If Flashpoint does factor into The Flash movie, it could lay the groundwork for James Gunn's reboot and a transition into Rebirth continuity. This could solve many problems for James Gunn and allow him to pick and choose what to keep and change for new continuity.
1 Crisis On Infinite Earths Could Simplify The DCEU
Crisis on Infinite Earths was created to simplify DC's universe in the 1980s after continuity became too cluttered and confusing. The event folded the various continuities and character interpretations into one, eliminating the confusion of multiple worlds at once.
Crisis on Infinite Earths could bring a much more cosmic feel to the DCEU, which has always been the publisher's strength in comics. The event would be difficult to adapt to film but would be worth the effort to deliver an epic cosmic action movie.